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The Hymn to Demeter, Line 1-3: I begin to sing of Demeter

The hymn opens the way Greek hymns do, by naming the goddess. In three lines it tells the whole crime: Hades took the daughter, and Zeus gave her away.

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How it opens, word by word

ΔήμητρʼDḗmētr’Demeterἠύκομονēúkomonrich-haired,σεμνὴνsemnḕnholyθεόνtheóngoddess,ἄρχομʼárchom’I beginἀείδεινaeídeinto sing,αὐτὴνautḕnherἠδὲēdèandθύγατραthýgatradaughterτανύσφυρονtanýsphyronslim-ankled,

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Line 1-3, passage by passage

1-3 I begin to sing of Demeter. I begin to sing of rich-haired Demeter, holy goddess, of her and her slim-ankled…

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