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 (ll. 1-25) From the Heliconian Muses let us begin to sing, who hold the great and holy mount of Helicon, and dance on soft feet about the deep-blue spring and the altar of the almighty son of Cronos, and, when they have washed their tender bodies in Permessus or in the Horse's Spring or Olmeius, make their fair, lovely dances upon highest Helicon and move with vigorous feet. Thence they arise and go abroad by night, veiled in thick mist, and utter their song with lovely voice, praising Zeus the aegis- holder and queenly Hera of Argos who walks on golden sandals and the daughter of Zeus the aegis-holder bright-eyed Athene, and Phoebus Apollo, and Artemis who delights in arrows, and Poseidon the earth-holder who shakes the earth, and reverend Themis and quick-glancing (1) Aphrodite, and Hebe with the crown of gold, and fair Dione, Leto, Iapetus, and Cronos the crafty counsellor, Eos and great Helius and bright Selene, Earth too, and great Oceanus, and dark Night, and the holy race o...

 XXI. TO APOLLO (5 lines) (ll. 1-4) Phoebus, of you even the swan sings with clear voice to the beating of his wings, as he alights upon the bank by the eddying river Peneus; and of you the sweet-tongued minstrel, holding his high-pitched lyre, always sings both first and last. (l. 5) And so hail to you, lord!  I seek your favour with my song. XXII. TO POSEIDON (7 lines) (ll. 1-5) I begin to sing about Poseidon, the great god, mover of the earth and fruitless sea, god of the deep who is also lord of Helicon and wide Aegae.  A two-fold office the gods allotted you, O Shaker of the Earth, to be a tamer of horses and a saviour of ships! (ll. 6-7) Hail, Poseidon, Holder of the Earth, dark-haired lord!  O blessed one, be kindly in heart and help those who voyage in ships! XXIII. TO THE SON OF CRONOS, MOST HIGH (4 lines) (ll. 1-3) I will sing of Zeus, chiefest among the gods and greatest, all-seeing, the lord of all, the fulfiller who whispers words of wisdom to Themis as ...

 XIII. TO DEMETER (3 lines) (ll. 1-2) I begin to sing of rich-haired Demeter, awful goddess, of her and of her daughter lovely Persephone. (l. 3) Hail, goddess!  Keep this city safe, and govern my song. XIV. TO THE MOTHER OF THE GODS (6 lines) (ll. 1-5) I prithee, clear-voiced Muse, daughter of mighty Zeus, sing of the mother of all gods and men.  She is well-pleased with the sound of rattles and of timbrels, with the voice of flutes and the outcry of wolves and bright-eyed lions, with echoing hills and wooded coombes. (l. 6) And so hail to you in my song and to all goddesses as well! XV. TO HERACLES THE LION-HEARTED (9 lines) (ll. 1-8) 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 an...