---
title: "The Homeric Hymns · Ὁμηρικοὶ ὕμνοι"
author: "Homer"
translator: "Hugh G. Evelyn-White"
languages: [grc, en]
shelf: "Classical Greek"
section: 34 of 35
url: https://scriptura.si/works/homeric-hymns/34/
cite: "Homer, tr. Hugh G. Evelyn-White, The Homeric Hymns · Ὁμηρικοὶ ὕμνοι, section 34. Scriptura (scriptura.si), https://scriptura.si/works/homeric-hymns/34/"
---

# The Homeric Hymns · Ὁμηρικοὶ ὕμνοι

*Homer, tr. Hugh G. Evelyn-White*

Thirty-three hymns to the gods in Homer’s metre: Demeter searching for Persephone, the birth of Apollo on Delos, the infant Hermes stealing Apollo’s cattle and inventing the lyre, Aphrodite and Anchises, and short preludes to many more.

> Greek: ed. Hugh G. Evelyn-White, from the Perseus Digital Library (canonical-greekLit, tlg0013.tlg001–tlg033, CC BY-SA 4.0).

> English: Hugh G. Evelyn-White, from the Perseus Digital Library (tlg0013.tlg001–tlg033, perseus-eng2). Notes are not included.

> Rows follow the references the two texts share (line numbers), cut where both reach the end of a sentence.

## 34. Hymn 32 · To Selene

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/homeric-hymns/34/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/homeric-hymns/34/#p-N

[¶0] And next, sweet voiced Muses, daughters of Zeus, well-skilled in song, tell of the long-winged Moon. From her immortal head a radiance is shown from heaven and embraces earth; and great is the beauty that ariseth from her shining light.

> Greek: μήνην ἀείδειν τανυσίπτερον ἔσπετε, Μοῦσαι,
ἡδυεπεῖς κοῦραι Κρονίδεω Διός, ἵστορες ᾠδῆς·
ἧς ἄπο αἴγλη γαῖαν ἑλίσσεται οὐρανόδεικτος
κρατὸς ἀπʼ ἀθανάτοιο, πολὺς δʼ ὑπὸ κόσμος ὄρωρεν αἴγλης λαμπούσης·

[¶1] The air, unlit before, glows with the light of her golden crown, and her rays beam clear, whensoever bright Selene having bathed her lovely body in the waters of Ocean, and donned her far-gleaming raiment, and yoked her strong-necked, shining team, drives on her long-maned horses at full speed, at eventime in the mid-month: then her great orbit is full and then her beams shine brightest as she increases.

> Greek: στίλβει δέ τʼ ἀλάμπετος ἀὴρ
χρυσέου ἀπὸ στεφάνου, ἀκτῖνες δʼ ἐνδιάονται,
εὖτʼ ἂν ἀπʼ Ὠκεανοῖο λοεσσαμένη χρόα καλόν,
εἵματα ἑσσαμένη τηλαυγέα δῖα Σελήνη,
ζευξαμένη πώλους ἐριαύχενας, αἰγλήεντας, ἐσσυμένως προτέρωσʼ ἐλάσῃ καλλίτριχας ἵππους,
ἑσπερίη, διχόμηνος·

[¶2] So she is a sure token and a sign to mortal men. Once the Son of Cronos was joined with her in love; and she conceived and bare a daughter Pandia, exceeding lovely amongst the deathless gods. Hail, white-armed goddess, bright Selene, mild, bright-tressed queen! And now I will leave you and sing the glories of men half-divine, whose deeds minstrels, the servants of the Muses, celebrate with lovely lips.

> Greek: ὃ δὲ πλήθει μέγας ὄγμος
λαμπρόταταί τʼ αὐγαὶ τότʼ ἀεξομένης τελέθουσιν
οὐρανόθεν· τέκμωρ δὲ βροτοῖς καὶ σῆμα τέτυκται.
τῇ ῥά ποτε Κρονίδης ἐμίγη φιλότητι καὶ εὐνῇ· ἣ δʼ ὑποκυσαμένη Πανδείην γείνατο κούρην,
ἐκπρεπὲς εἶδος ἔχουσαν ἐν ἀθανάτοισι θεοῖσι.
χαῖρε, ἄνασσα, θεὰ λευκώλενε, δῖα Σελήνη,
πρόφρον, ἐυπλόκαμος· σέο δʼ ἀρχόμενος κλέα φωτῶν
ᾄσομαι ἡμιθέων, ὧν κλείουσʼ ἔργματʼ ἀοιδοί, Μουσάων θεράποντες, ἀπὸ στομάτων ἐροέντων.