1. WEST WIND: I’ve never seen a more magnificent pageant on the sea, ever since I began to live and blow. Didn’t you see it, Notus?
1. ΖΕΦΥΡΟΣ: Οὐ πώποτε πομπὴν ἐγὼ μεγαλοπρεπεστέραν εἶδον ἐν τῇ θαλάσσῃ, ἀφ' οὗ γέ εἰμι καὶ πνέω. σὺ δὲ οὐκ εἶδες, ὦ Νότε;
SOUTH WIND: What pageant do you mean, Zephyrus? Who were in it?
ΝΟΤΟΣ: Τίνα ταύτην λέγεις, ὦ Ζέφυρε, τὴν πομπήν; ἢ τίνες οἱ πέμποντες ἦσαν;
WEST WIND: You missed a most delightful spectacle, the like of which you’ll never see again.
ΖΕΦΥΡΟΣ: Ἡδίστου θεάματος ἀπελείφθης, οἷον οὐκ ἂν ἄλλο ἴδοις ἔτι.
SOUTH WIND: Well, I was at work about the Red Sea, and I blew also over the parts of India near the coast. So I’ve no idea what you’re talking about.
ΝΟΤΟΣ: Περὶ τὴν ἐρυθρὰν γὰρ θάλασσαν εἰργαζόμην, ἐπέπνευσα δὲ καὶ μέρος τῆς Ἰνδικῆς, ὅσα παράλια τῆς χώρας· οὐδὲν οὖν οἶδα ὧν λέγεις.
WEST WIND: But you do know Agenor of Sidon?
ΖΕΦΥΡΟΣ: Ἀλλὰ τὸν Σιδώνιόν γε Ἀγήνορα οἶδας;
SOUTH WIND: Yes, Europa’s father. Of course I do.
ΝΟΤΟΣ: Ναί· τὸν τῆς Εὐρώπης πατέρα. τί μήν;
WEST WIND: I’ll tell you something about the girl herself.
ΖΕΦΥΡΟΣ: Περὶ αὐτῆς ἐκείνης διηγήσομαί σοι.
SOUTH WIND: Not that Zeus has long been in love with her? I’ve known that for ages.
ΝΟΤΟΣ: Μῶν ὅτι ὁ Ζεὺς ἐραστὴς τῆς παιδὸς ἐκ πολλοῦ; τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ πάλαι ἠπιστάμην.
WEST WIND: Well, you may know about his love, but let me now tell you what followed.
ΖΕΦΥΡΟΣ: Οὐκοῦν τὸν μὲν ἔρωτα οἶσθα, τὰ μετὰ ταῦτα δὲ ἤδη ἄκουσον.
2. WEST WIND: Europa in her play had come down to the beach with her companions, and Zeus took the shape of a bull, and started playing with them, looking magnificent, for he was all white with nice curly horns and gentle eyes. Well, he too started skipping about on the beach, and bellowed most charmingly, so that Europa even dared to climb up on to him. Thereupon Zeus galloped off to the sea with her on his back, plunged in and began to swim; she was quite terrified, and clutched his horn with her left hand so as not to slip off, while she held her robe down against the wind with her right hand.
2. ΖΕΦΥΡΟΣ: ἡ μὲν Εὐρώπη κατεληλύθει ἐπὶ τὴν ἠϊόνα παίζουσα τὰς ἡλικιώτιδας παραλαβοῦσα, ὁ Ζεὺς δὲ ταύρῳ εἰκάσας ἑαυτὸν συνέπαιζεν αὐταῖς κάλλιστος φαινόμενος· λευκός τε γὰρ ἦν ἀκριβῶς καὶ τὰ κέρατα εὐκαμπὴς καὶ τὸ βλέμμα ἥμερος· ἐσκίρτα οὖν καὶ αὐτὸς ἐπὶ τῆς ἠϊόνος καὶ ἐμυκᾶτο ἥδιστον, ὥστε τὴν Εὐρώπην τολμῆσαι καὶ ἀναβῆναι αὐτόν. ὡς δὲ τοῦτο ἐγένετο, δρομαῖος μὲν ὁ Ζεὺς ὥρμησεν ἐπὶ τὴν θάλασσαν φέρων αὐτὴν καὶ ἐνήχετο ἐμπεσών, ἡ δὲ πάνυ ἐκπλαγὴς τῷ πράγματι τῇ λαιᾷ μὲν εἴχετο τοῦ κέρατος, ὡς μὴ ἀπολισθάνοι, τῇ ἑτέρᾳ δὲ ἠνεμωμένον τὸν πέπλον συνεῖχεν.
3. SOUTH WIND: Indeed a delightful spectacle for you, my dear Zephyrus—a real love-scene! Zeus swimming along and carrying off his beloved!
3. ΝΟΤΟΣ: Ἡδὺ τοῦτο θέαμα εἶδες, ὦ Ζέφυρε, καὶ ἐρωτικόν, νηχόμενον τὸν Δία καὶ φέροντα τὴν ἀγαπωμένην.
WEST WIND: But what followed was far more delightful, Notus. The sea became waveless at once, and draping herself in calm, made herself smooth; we all kept quiet, and followed beside them, just watching what was going on, while the Loves fluttered alongside just above the sea, occasionally just touching the water with their feet, carrying lighted torches, and singing the marriage hymn, and the Nereids, coming to the surface, rode alongside on dolphins, clapping their hands, pretty well half-naked. The Tritons and all other creatures of the sea that do not frighten the eye, were dancing round the girl. Poseidon astride his car, with Amphitrite beside him, was driving in front, delighted to lead the way for his brother as he swam. To cap all, two Tritons were carrying Aphrodite reclining on a shell, and sprinkling all manner of flowers over the bride.
ΖΕΦΥΡΟΣ: Καὶ μὴν τὰ μετὰ ταῦτα ἡδίω παρὰ πολύ, ὦ Νότε· ἥ τε γὰρ θάλασσα εὐθὺς ἀκύμων ἐγένετο καὶ τὴν γαλήνην ἐπισπασαμένη λείαν παρεῖχεν ἑαυτήν, ἡμεῖς δὲ πάντες ἡσυχίαν ἄγοντες οὐδὲν ἄλλο ἢ θεαταὶ μόνον τῶν γιγνομένων παρηκολουθοῦμεν, Ἔρωτες δὲ παραπετόμενοι μικρὸν ὑπὲρ τὴν θάλασσαν, ὡς ἐνίοτε ἄκροις τοῖς ποσὶν ἐπιψαύειν τοῦ ὕδατος, ἡμμένας τὰς δᾷδας φέροντες ᾖδον ἅμα τὸν ὑμέναιον, αἱ Νηρεΐδες δὲ ἀναδῦσαι παρίππευον ἐπὶ τῶν δελφίνων ἐπικροτοῦσαι ἡμίγυμνοι τὰ πολλά, τό τε τῶν Τριτώνων γένος καὶ εἴ τι ἄλλο μὴ φοβερὸν ἰδεῖν τῶν θαλασσίων ἅπαντα περιεχόρευε τὴν παῖδα· ὁ μὲν γὰρ Ποσειδῶν ἐπιβεβηκὼς ἅρματος, παροχουμένην τὴν Ἀμφιτρίτην ἔχων, προῆγε γεγηθὼς ὁδοποιῶν νηχομένῳ τῷ ἀδελφῷ· ἐπὶ πᾶσι δὲ τὴν Ἀφροδίτην δύο Τρίτωνες ἔφερον ἐπὶ κόγχης κατακειμένην, ἄνθη παντοῖα ἐπιπάττουσαν τῇ νύμφῃ.
4. WEST WIND: This went on all the way from Phoenicia to Crete; but when he set foot on his island, the bull was no more to be seen, but Zeus took Europa’s hand and led her to the cave on Mount Dicte—blushing she was, and looking on the ground, for now she knew why she was being carried off. But we each assailed a different part of the sea, and stirred up the waves.
4. ΖΕΦΥΡΟΣ: ταῦτα ἐκ Φοινίκης ἄχρι τῆς Κρήτης ἐγένετο· ἐπεὶ δὲ ἐπέβη τῇ νήσῳ ὁ μὲν ταῦρος οὐκέτι ἐφαίνετο, ἐπιλαβόμενος δὲ τῆς χειρὸς ὁ Ζεὺς ἀπῆγε τὴν Εὐρώπην εἰς τὸ Δικταῖον ἄντρον ἐρυθριῶσαν καὶ κάτω ὁρῶσαν· ἠπίστατο γὰρ ἤδη ἐφ' ὅτῳ ἄγοιτο. ἡμεῖς δὲ ἐμπεσόντες ἄλλο ἄλλος τοῦ πελάγους μέρος διεκυμαίνομεν.
SOUTH WIND: How lucky you are, Zephyrus to have seen all that! All I saw was griffins and elephants and black men.
ΝΟΤΟΣ: Ὦ μακάριε Ζέφυρε τῆς θέας· ἐγὼ δὲ γρῦπας καὶ ἐλέφαντας καὶ μέλανας ἀνθρώπους ἑώρων.