ἤδη δὲ πλησίον ἦμεν, καὶ θαυμαστή τις αὔρα περιέπνευσεν ἡμᾶς, ἡδεῖα καὶ εὐώδης, οἵαν φησὶν ὁ συγγραφεὺς Ἡρόδοτος ἀπόζειν τῆς εὐδαίμονος Ἀραβίας. οἷον γὰρ ἀπὸ ῥόδων καὶ ναρκίσσων καὶ ὑακίνθων καὶ κρίνων καὶ ἴων, ἔτι δὲ μυρρίνης καὶ δάφνης καὶ ἀμπελάνθης, τοιοῦτον ἡμῖν τὸ ἡδὺ προσέβαλλεν. ἡσθέντες δὲ τῇ ὀσμῇ καὶ χρηστὰ ἐκ μακρῶν πόνων ἐλπίσαντες κατ᾽ ὀλίγον ἤδη πλησίον τῆς νήσου ἐγινόμεθα. ἔνθα δὴ καὶ καθεωρῶμεν λιμένας τε πολλοὺς περὶ πᾶσαν ἀκλύστους καὶ μεγάλους, ποταμούς τε διαυγεῖς ἐξιέντας ἠρέμα εἰς τὴν θάλατταν, ἔτι δὲ λειμῶνας καὶ ὕλας καὶ ὄρνεα μουσικά, τὰ μὲν ἐπὶ τῶν ἠϊόνων ᾄδοντα, πολλὰ δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν κλάδων· ἀήρ τε κοῦφος καὶ εὔπνους περιεκέχυτο τὴν χώραν· καὶ αὖραι δέ τινες ἡδεῖαι πνέουσαι ἠρέμα τὴν ὕλην διεσάλευον, ὥστε καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν κλάδων κινουμένων τερπνὰ καὶ συνεχῆ μέλη ἀπεσυρίζετο, ἐοικότα τοῖς ἐπ᾽ ἐρημίας αὐλήμασι τῶν πλαγίων αὐλῶν. καὶ μὴν καὶ βοὴ σύμμικτος ἠκούετο ἄθρους, οὐ θορυβώδης, ἀλλ᾽ οἵα γένοιτ᾽ ἂν ἐν συμποσίῳ, τῶν μὲν αὐλούντων, τῶν δὲ ἐπᾳδόντων, ἐνίων δὲ κροτούντων πρὸς αὐλὸν ἢ κιθάραν.
notes
περιέπνευσεν: ao. of περι-πνεύω, “blew upon”
οἵαν φησὶν: “such as the one Herodotus claims”
ἀπόζειν: pr. inf. of ἀπο-όζω, “to give a scent from”
τῆς εὐδαίμονος Ἀραβίας: “blessed Arabia,” the southern part of the peninsula that typically receives more rainfall.
τοιοῦτον τὸ ἡδὺ: “such was the sweetness”
ἡσθέντες: ao. pas. part. of ἥδομαι, “being delighted”
ἐλπίσαντες: ao. part of ἐλπίζω, “hoping”
πλησίον ἐγινόμεθα: impf. of γίνομαι, “we drew near”
καθεωρῶμεν: impf. of κατα-ὁράω, “we saw”
ἐξιέντας: pr. part. of ἐξέρχομαι, “emptying”
ᾄδοντα: pr. part. nom. pl. n. agreeing with ὄρνεα, “singing”
περιεκέχυτο: plupf. of περι-χέω, “was poured around”
πνέουσαι: pr. part. nom. f. pl. of πνέω, “blowing”
διεσάλευον: impf. of διασαλεύω, “caused to move”
ὥστε...ἀπεσυρίζετο: result clause, “so that they were whistling”
ἀπεσυρίζετο: impf. of ἀπο-συρίζω
τοῖς αὐλήμασι: dat. pl. after ἐοικότα, “like the fluting”
τῶν πλαγίων αὐλῶν: “transverse-flutes” or “Pan-pipes”
καὶ μὴν καὶ: “and indeed also”
ἠκούετο: impf. pas. of ἀκούω
ἀλλ᾽ οἵα: “but such as”
γένοιτο ἂν: potential opt. of γίνομαι, “might occur”
τῶν μὲν...τῶν δὲ...ἐνίων δὲ: gen. abs., “some playing, some singing, others beating time”
vocabulary
θαυμαστός, -ή, -όν: wondrous, wonderful
αὔρα, ἡ: air in motion, a breeze
περιπνέω: breathe round or over
εὐώδης, -ες: sweet-smelling, fragrant
συγγραφεύς, -έως, ὁ: an historian
Ἡρόδοτος, ὁ: Herodotus
ἀπόζω: smell of
εὐδαίμων, -ον: blessed
Ἀραβία, ἡ: Arabia
ῥόδον, τό: the rose
νάρκισσος, ὁ: the narcissus
ὑάκινθος, ὁ, ἡ: the hyacinth
κρίνον, ου, τό: a lily
ἴον: the violet
μυρρίνη, ἡ: a branch or wreath of myrtle
δάφνη, ἡ: the laurel
ἀμπελάνθη, ἡ: flower of the wild vine
προσβάλλω: strike or dash against
ἥδομαι: please, delight
ὀσμή, ἡ: a smell, scent, odour
χρηστός, -ή, -όν: useful, good of its kind, serviceable
ἐλπίζω: hope for, look for, expect
καθοράω: look down over, see
λιμήν, -ένσς, ὁ: a harbour, haven, creek
ἄκλυστος, -ον: unwashed by waves
διαυγής, -ές: transparent
ἐξίημι: send out, let
ἠρέμα: stilly, quietly, gently, softly
λειμών, -ῶνος, ὁ: a meadow
ὕλη, ἡ: a forest
ὄρνεον, τό: bird
μουσικός, -ή, -όν: of or for music, musical
ἠιών: a sea-bank, shore, beach
ἀείδω: sing
κλάδος, ου: a young slip or shoot broken off
ἀήρ: the lower air, the air
κοῦφος, -η, -ον: light, nimble
εὔπνους: breathing well, sweet-smelling
περιχέω: pour round or over
πνέω: blow
ἠρέμα: stilly, quietly, gently, softly
διασαλεύω: shake violently
τερπνός, -ή, -όν: delightsome, delightful, pleasant, agreeable, glad
συνεχής, -ές: holding together
ἀποσυρίζω: whistle aloud
μέλος, -εος, τό: a limb
ἐρημία, ἡ: a solitude, desert, wilderness
αὔλημα, -ατος, τό: a piece of music for the flute
πλάγιος, -ος, -ον: placed sideways, slanting, aslant
αὐλός, ὁ: flute
βοή, ἡ: a loud cry, shout
σύμμικτος, ον: commingled, promiscuous
ἀθρόος, -α, -ον: in crowds, crowded together
θορυβώδης, -ες: noisy, uproarious, turbulent
συμπόσιον, τό: a drinking-party, symposium
αὐλέω: play on the flute
ἐπᾴδω: sing to or in accompaniment
ἔνιοι, -αι, -α: some
κροτέω: make to rattle
κιθάρα, ἡ: guitar