Hymn 4 to Hermes
Hugh G. Evelyn-White, Ed.

and sneezed directly after. And when Apollo heard it, he dropped glorious Hermes out of his hands on the ground: [300] then sitting down before him, though he was eager to go on his way, he spoke mockingly to Hermes:

“Fear not, little swaddling baby, son of Zeus and Maia. I shall find the strong cattle presently by these omens, and you shall lead the way.”

When Apollo had so said, Cyllenian Hermes sprang up quickly, [305] starting in haste. With both hands he pushed up to his ears the covering that he had wrapped about his shoulders, and said:

“Where are you carrying me, Far-Worker, hastiest of all the gods? Is it because of your cattle that you are so angry and harass me? O dear, would that all the sort of oxen might perish; for it is not I [310] who stole your cows, nor did I see another steal them —whatever cows may be, and of that I have only heard report. Nay, give right and take it before Zeus, the Son of Cronos.”

So Hermes the shepherd and Leto's glorious son [315] kept stubbornly disputing each article of their quarrel: Apollo, speaking truly ...

not unfairly sought to seize glorious Hermes because of the cows; but he, the Cyllenian, tried to deceive the God of the Silver Bow with tricks and cunning words. But when, though he had many wiles, he found the other had as many shifts, [320] he began to walk across the sand, himself in front, while the Son of Zeus and Leto came behind. Soon they came, these lovely children of Zeus, to the top of fragrant Olympus, to their father, the Son of Cronos; for there were the scales of judgement set for them both. [325] There was an assembly on snowy Olympus, and the immortals who perish not were gathering after the hour of gold-throned Dawn.

Then Hermes and Apollo of the Silver Bow stood at the knees of Zeus: and Zeus who thunders on high spoke to his glorious son and asked him:

[330] “Phoebus, whence come you driving this great spoil, a child new born that has the look of a herald? This is a weighty matter that is come before the council of the gods.”

Then the lord, far-working Apollo, answered him: “O my father, you shall soon hear no trifling tale though you reproach me [335] that I alone am fond of spoil. Here is a child, a burgling robber, whom I found after a long journey in the hills of Cyllene: for my part I have never seen one so pert either among the gods or all men that catch folk unawares throughout the world. [340] He stole away my cows from their meadow and drove them off in the evening along the shore of the loud-roaring sea, making straight for Pylos. There were double tracks, and wonderful they were, such as one might marvel at, the doing of a clever sprite;