Hymn 18 to Hermes
Translated by Hugh G. Evelyn-White
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The opening
To Hermes
I sing of Cyllenian Hermes, the Slayer of Argus, lord of Cyllene and Arcadia rich in flocks, luck-bringing messenger of the deathless gods. He was born of Maia, the daughter of Atlas, when she had mated with Zeus,— a shy goddess she. Ever she avoided the throng of the blessed gods and lived in a shadowy cave, and there the Son of Cronos used to lie with the rich-tressed nymph at dead of night, while white-armed Hera lay bound in sweet sleep: and neither deathless god nor mortal man knew it.
And so hail to you, Son of Zeus and Maia; with you I have begun: now I will turn to another song!
Hail, Hermes, giver of grace, guide, and giver of good things!
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About this edition
- The words
- Hugh G. Evelyn-White's English translation, copied word for word.
- Copied from
Perseus Digital Library (Tufts University); CC BY-SA 4.0 — this edition may be reused under the same share-alike terms. creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0