ὦ παῖδες, ἥ τοι Κύπρις οὐ Κύπρις μόνον,
ἀλλ’ ἐστὶ πολλῶν ὀνομάτων ἐπώνυμος.
ἔστιν μὲν Ἅιδης, ἔστι δ’ ἄφθιτος βίος,
ἔστιν δὲ λύσσα μανιάς, ἔστι δ’ ἵμερος
ἄκρατος, ἔστ’ οἰμωγμός. ἐν κείνηι τὸ πᾶν5
σπουδαῖον, ἡσυχαῖον, ἐς βίαν ἄγον.
ἐντήκεται γὰρ †πλευμόνων†17 ὅσοις ἔνι
ψυχή· τίς οὐχὶ τῆσδε τῆς θεοῦ πόρος;
εἰσέρχεται μὲν ἰχθύων πλωτῶι γένει,
ἔνεστι δ’ ἐν χέρσου τετρασκελεῖ γονῆι,10
νωμᾶι δ’ ἐν οἰωνοῖσι †τοὐκείνης πτερόν.†18
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ἐν θηρσίν, ἐν βροτοῖσιν, ἐν θεοῖς ἄνω.
τίν’ οὐ παλαίουσ’ ἐς τρὶς ἐκβάλλει θεῶν;
εἴ μοι θέμις – θέμις δὲ τἀληθῆ λέγειν –
Διὸς τυραννεῖ πλευμόνων, ἄνευ δορός,15
ἄνευ σιδήρου· πάντα τοι συντέμνεται
Κύπρις τὰ θνητῶν καὶ θεῶν βουλεύματα.
Maidens, the Cyprian is not the Cyprian alone, but is called by many
names. She is death, she is immortal life, she is raving madness, she is
unmixed desire, she is lamentation; in her is all activity, all tranquillity, all that leads to violence. For she sinks into the vitals of all that have life;
where is there not a pathway for this goddess? She enters into the
swimming race of fishes, she resides within the four-legged brood upon
dry land, and her wing ranges among birds. [Lacuna] . . . among beasts,
among humans, among the gods above. Which of the gods does she not fight and vanquish?1 If it is proper for me – and it is – to tell the truth, she rules over the heart of Zeus, without spear, without iron. All the plans of mortals and gods are cut short by the Cyprian.
