I will sing of Heracles, the son of Zeus and much the mightiest of men on earth. Alcmena bare him in Thebes, the city of lovely dances, when the dark-clouded Son of Cronos had lain with her. Once he used to wander over unmeasured tracts of land and sea at the bidding of King Eurystheus, and himself did many deeds of violence and endured many; but now he lives happily in the glorious home of snowy Olympus, and has neat-ankled Hebe for his wife.
Ἡρακλέα, Διὸς υἱόν, ἀείσομαι, ὃν μέγʼ ἄριστονγείνατʼ ἐπιχθονίων Θήβῃς ἔνι καλλιχόροισινἈλκμήνη μιχθεῖσα κελαινεφέι Κρονίωνι·ὃς πρὶν μὲν κατὰ γαῖαν ἀθέσφατον ἠδὲ θάλασσαν πλαζόμενος πομπῇσιν ὕπʼ Εὐρυσθῆος ἄνακτοςπολλὰ μὲν αὐτὸς ἔρεξεν ἀτάσθαλα, πολλὰ δʼ ἀνέτλη·
Hail, lord, son of Zeus' Give me success and prosperity.
νῦν δʼ ἤδη κατὰ καλὸν ἕδος νιφόεντος Ὀλύμπουναίει τερπόμενος καὶ ἔχει καλλίσφυρον Ἥβην.χαῖρε, ἄναξ, Διὸς υἱέ· δίδου δʼ ἀρετήν τε καὶ ὄλβον.