ὥς οἱ μὲν τοιαῦτα πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἀγόρευον:
Ἡφαίστου δ' ΐκανε δόμον Θέτις ἀργυρόπεζα.
ἄφθιτον. ἀστερόεντα: μετὰ πρεπέ' ἀθανάτοισι.
χάλκεον, ὅν ῥ' αὐτὸς ποιήσατο κυλλοποδίων:
τὸν δ' εὗρ' ἱ̈δρώοντα ἐλισσόμενον περὶ φύσας:
σπεύδοντα: τρίποδας γὰρ εείκοσι πάντας ἔτευχεν
ἑστάμεναι περὶ τοῖχον ἐϋσταθέος μεγάροιο:
χρύσεα δέ σφ' ὑπὸ κύκλα ἑκάστω πυθμένι θῆκεν,
ὄφρά οἱ αὐτόματοι θεῖον δυσαίατ' ἀγῶνα.
ἠδ' αῦτις προς δῶμα νεοίατο. θαῦμα ἰδέσθαι:
οἳ δ' ἤτοι τόσσον μὲν ἔχον τέλος. ούατα δ' οὔ πω
δαιδάλεα προσέκειτο: τά ρ' ἤρτυε. κόπτε δὲ δεσμούς:
ὄφρ' ὅ γε ταῦτ' ἐπονεῖτο ἰδυίῃσι πραπίδεσσι.
τόφρά οἱ ἐγγύθεν ἦλθε θεὰ Θετις ἀργυρόπεζα:
τὴν δὲ ΐδε προμολοῦσα Χάρις λιπαροκρήδεμνος
καλὴ. τὴν ώπυιε περικλυτὸς ἀμφιγυήεις:
ἔν τ' ἄρα οἱ φῦ χειρὶ, ἔπος τ' ἔφατ' ἔκ τ' ὀνόμαζε:
τίπτε Θέτι τανύπεπλε ἱ̈κάνεις ἡμέτερον δῶ
αἰδοίη τε φίλη τε⁚ πάρος γε μὲν οὔ τι, θαμίζεις:
ἂλλ' ἕπεο προτέρῳ ἵνα τοι πὰρ ξείνια θείω:
τερπόμενοι: δοιὼ δὲ κυβιστητῆρε κατ' αὐτοὺς
On this wise spake they one to the other; but silver-footed Thetis came unto the house of Hephaestus, imperishable, decked with stars, preeminent among the houses of immortals, wrought all of bronze, that the crook-foot god himself had built him. Him she found sweating with toil as he moved to and fro about his bellows in eager haste; for he was fashioning tripods, twenty in all, to stand around the wall of his well-builded hall, and golden wheels had he set beneath the base of each that of themselves they might enter the gathering of the gods at his wish and again return to his house, a wonder to behold. Thus much were they fully wrought, that not yet were the cunningly fashioned ears set thereon; these was he making ready, and was forging the rivets. And while he laboured thereat with cunning skill, meanwhile there drew nigh to him the goddess, silver-footed Thetis. And Charis of the gleaming veil came forward and marked her—fair Charis, whom the famed god of the two strong arms had wedded. And she clasped her by the hand, and spake, and addressed her: "Wherefore, long-robed Thetis, art thou come to our house, an honoured guest, and a welcome? Heretofore thou hast not been wont to come. But follow me further, that I may set before thee entertainment."
