Homer, Homer’s Epigrams, Hugh G. Evelyn-White (Translator), 15

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¹ Let us betake us to the house of some man of great power,—

one who bears great power and is greatly prosperous always.

Open of yourselves, you doors, for mighty Wealth will enter in,

and with Wealth comes jolly Mirth

and gentle Peace. May all the corn-bins be full

and the mass of dough always overflow the kneading-trough.

Now (set before us) cheerful barley-pottage, full of sesame

Your son’s wife, driving to this house with strong-hoofed mules,

shall dismount from her carriage to greet you; ²

may she be shod with golden shoes as she stands weaving at the loom.

I come, and I come yearly, like the swallow

that perches light-footed in the fore-part of your house. But quickly bring

Homer’s Epigrams. Homer. Hugh G. Evelyn-White (Translator). Medford, MA. 2019.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by The Annenberg CPB/Project; Tufts University.

Current edition Perseus

Epigrams (English) (Homer. Hesiod, The Homeric Hymns and Homerica. Evelyn-White, Hugh G. (Hugh Gerard), editor. London: William Heinmann; New York: The Macmillan Co., 1914.)

Editions (1)

Ὁμήρου ἐπιγράμματα Perseus (Homer. Hesiod, The Homeric Hymns and Homerica. Evelyn-White, Hugh G. (Hugh Gerard), editor. London: William Heinmann; New York: The Macmillan Co., 1914.) — 15 focus

Δῶμα προσετραπόμεσθ’ ἀνδρὸς μέγα δυναμένοιο,

ὃς μέγα μὲν δύναται, μέγα δὲ πρέπει¹ ὄλβιος αἰεί.

αὐταὶ ἀνακλίνεσθε θύραι· Πλοῦτος γὰρ ἔσεισι

πολλός, σὺν Πλούτῳ δὲ καὶ Εὐφροσύνη τεθαλυῖα

Εἰρήνη τ’ ἀγαθή· ὅσα δ’ ἄγγεα, μεστὰ μὲν εἴη,

κυρβαίν δ’ αἰεὶ κατὰ καρδόπου ἕρποι μᾶζα.

νῦν μὲν κριθαίην, εὐώπιδα, σησαμόεσσα

Τοῦ παιδὸς δὲ γυνὴ κατὰ δίφραδα βήσεται ὕμμιν·

ἡμίονοι δ’ ἄξουσι κραταίποδες ἐς τόδε δῶμα·

αὐτὴ δ’ ἱστὸν ὑφαίνοι ἐπ’ ἠλέκτρῳ βεβαυῖα.

Νεῦμαί τοι, νεῦμαι ἐνιαύσιος, ὥστε χελιδὼν

ἕστηκ’ ἐν προθύροις ψιλὴ πόδας· ἀλλὰ φέρ’ αἶψα

πέρσαι τῶ Ἀπόλλωνος γυιάτιδος.

Notes on the current edition

Homer’s Epigrams

1. This song is called by pseudo-Herodotus Εἰρησιώνη. The word properly indicates a garland wound with wool which was worn at harvest-festivals, but came to be applied first to the harvest song and then to any begging song. The present is akin to the Swallow-Song ( Χελιδόνισμα), sung at the beginning of spring, and answering to the still surviving English May-Day songs. Cp. Athenaeus, viii. 360 B.

2. Lines 8 and 9 do not correspond well with the Greek.

Homer Homer’s Epigrams 15

Hugh G. Evelyn-White (Translator)

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