The Hymn to Demeter
translation of the Hymn to Demeter lines 360–404
And the son of Cronus said, “Go to your mother in her dark veil.
I will not hold you here nor cast on you a shameful husband’s shade
As my brother Zeus does; but if you stay at my side you will rule
Over everyone who lives and walks, most esteemed of all immortals.
And for all days every sacrifice shall be for you an appeasing gift
To right this wrong I have done, Persephone, my sweet.”
But Persephone, overjoyed, did not notice the seed so sweet,
Slipped to her by another under darkness’s veil
That made her husband’s freedom a poisoned gift
For, as soon as she ate, she was bound to shadow and shade
Never again to spend all her days among the immortals
In the sweet-smelling fields of her goddess mother’s rule.
But Hades led gold-yoked undead horses from the halls of his rule
And Hermes held the reigns and whip and her hands so sweet
To spirit Persephone home to the halls of the immortals.
And not to sea nor river water nor grassy hollow nor peaked veil
Urged the will of the undead horses, but flying out of deep and shade
Of their own accord, they cut through the upper air as was their gift.
Hermes drove swiftly the golden chariot bearing Demeter’s gift
Towards where she stood, away from the shadow of Hades’ rule
And watching, frantic, she darted through forest and hills of shade.
And Persephone, when she saw her mother, sprang on footsteps sweet
To fall pouring onto her neck. and Demeter held her in her dark veil.
But she guessed the trick, and asked in the voice of immortals,
“Child, tell me, are you able to rejoin the immortals?
Did you not eat anything from below, not take any wretched gift?
Speak out, do not hide. There is nothing I wish you to veil.
For if you did not eat, you need not return to hateful Hades’ rule.
You may dwell at my side under shining sun, forever my sweet,
Dwell forever under the other son of Cronus’s cloud-blackened shade.
But if you ate, you are bound forever to shadow and shade.
You must return to the depths of the earth, leaving me and the immortals.
And though now I am joyous and bring the spring sweet,
Flowering and thriving, I fear this time is an ephemeral gift,
Though you emerged a wonder out of the murky darkness of Hades’ rule.
Oh, tell me how they first snatched you away under darkness’s veil?
Then, how did they lure you back to the shade with a ploy or gift?
Depriving me of you for a portion of my rule, to the despair of immortals?
Oh, my sweet, it is that hateful one that ought wear a grieving veil.”
