τὴν δ' ἠμείβετ' ἔπειτα περικλυτὸς ἀμφιγυήεις:
ῆ ῥά νύ μοι δεινή τε καὶ αἰδοίη θεὸς ἔνδον.
ἥ μ' ἐσάωσ', ὅτε μ' ἄλγος ἀφίκετο, τῆλε πεσόντα.
μητρὸς ἐμῆς ϊότητι κυνώπιδος. ἥ μ' ἐθέλησε
κρύψαι χωλὸν ἐόντα: τότ' ἂν πάθον ἄλγεα θυμῷ.
εἰ μή μ' Εὐρυνόμη τε Θέτις δ'θ' ὑπεδέξατο κόλπῳ:
Εὐρυνόμη θυγάτηρ ἀψορρόου Ὠκεανοῖο:
τῇσι παρ' εἱνάετες χάλκευον δαίδαλα πολλά:
πόρπας τε. γναμπτάς θ' έλικας. κάλυκάς τε καὶ όρμους
ἐν σπῆϊ γλαφυρῷ: περὶ δὲ ῥόος Ὠκεανοῖο
ἀφρῷ μορμύρων ῥέεν ἄσπετος. οὐδέ τις ἄλλος
ᾔδεεν. οὔτε θεῶν, οὔτε θνητῶν ἀνθρώπων:
ἀλλὰ Θέτις τε καὶ Εὐρυνόμη ΐσαν. αἵ μ' ἐσάωσαν:
ἣ νῦν ἡμέτερον δόμον ΐκει: τώ με μάλα χρεὼ
πάντα Θέτῑ καλλιπλοκάμῳ ζωάγρια τείνειν:
ἀλλὰ σὺ μὲν νῦν οἱ παράθες ξεινήϊα καλὰ.
ὄφρ' ὰν ἐγὼ φύσᾱς ἀποθείομαι. ὅπλα τε πάντα.
τερπόμενοι: δοιὼ δὲ κυβιστητῆρε κατ' αὐτοὺς
And the famous god of the two strong arms answered her: "Verily then a dread and honoured goddess is within my halls, even she that saved me when pain was come upon me after I had fallen afar through the will of my shameless mother, that was fain to hide me away by reason of my lameness. Then had I suffered woes in heart, had not Eurynome and Thetis received me into their bosom--Eurynome, daughter of backward-flowing Oceanus. With them then for nine years' space I forged much cunning handiwork, brooches, and spiral arm-bands, and rosettes and necklaces, within their hollow cave; and round about me flowed, murmuring with foam, the stream of Oceanus, a flood unspeakable. Neither did any other know thereof, either of gods or of mortal men, but Thetis knew and Eurynome, even they that saved me. And now is Thetis come to my house; wherefore it verily behoveth me to pay unto fair-tressed Thetis the full price for the saving of my life. But do thou set before her fair entertainment, while I put aside my bellows and all my tools."
