Well, I have endeavored to do a bit more reading of Greek and Latin texts in the new year, and now I'm working my way through the Homeric Hymn to Demeter. I had forgotten how hypnotically beautiful the opening tableau is--Persephone picking flowers in the "soft meadow" with her playmates. Her is my attempt at a translation of the opening lines:
I begin by singing
Demeter of the fair tresses, wondrous goddess,
Demeter and her slender-ankled daughter
raped by Aidoneus, given by wide-browed, loud-striking
Zeus,
far away from Demeter of the golden sword,
bringer of the shining harvest.
Her daughter was playing with the deep-bosomed daughters
of Okeanos ....
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