Il dio Ermes sull'isola di Ogigia

 Omero, Odissea (Libro V, versi 55-74) 

55 Ἀλλ' ὅτε δὴ τὴν νῆσον ἀφίκετο τηλόθ' ἐοῦσαν, ἔνθ' ἐκ πόντου βὰς ἰοειδέος ἤπειρόνδε ἤτεν, ὄφρα μέγα σπέος ἵκετο, τῷ ἔνι νύμφη ναῖεν ἐϋπλόκαμος· τὴν δ' ἔνδοθι τέτμεν ἐοῦσαν. πῦρ μὲν ἐπ' ἐσχαρόφιν μέγα καίετο, τηλόσε δ' ὀδμὴ 60 κέδρου τ' εὐκεάτοιο θύου τ' ἀνὰ νῆσον ὀδώδει δαιομένων· ἡ δ' ἔνδον ἀοιδιάουσ' ὀπὶ καλῆ ἱστὸν ἐποιχομένη χρυσείη κερκίδ' ὕφαινεν. ὕλη δὲ σπέος ἀμφὶ πεφύκει τηλεθόωσα, κλήθρη τ' αἴγειρός τε καὶ εὐώδης κυπάρισσος.

65 ἔνθα δέ τ' ὄρνιθες τανυσίπτεροι εὐνάζοντο, σκῶπές τ' ἴρηκές τε τανύγλωσσοί τε κορῶναι εἰνάλιαι, τῆσίν τε θαλάσσια ἔργα μέμηλεν. ἡ δ' αὐτοῦ τετάνυστο περὶ σπείους γλαφυροῖο ἡμερὶς ἡβώωσα, τεθήλει δὲ σταφυλῆσι.

70 κρῆναι δ' ἑξείης πίσυρες ῥέον ὕδατι λευκῷ, πλησίαι ἀλλήλων τετραμμέναι ἄλλυδις ἄλλη. ἀμφὶ δὲ λειμῶνες μαλακοὶ ἴου ἠδὲ σελίνου θήλεον. ἔνθα κ' ἔπειτα καὶ ἀθάνατός περ ἐπελθὼν θηήσαιτο ἰδὼν καὶ τερφθείη φρεσὶν ἧσιν.

Ma quando Hermes giunse nell’isola che era lontana, posatosi qui sulla terraferma dal mare purpureo, andava, finché arrivò ad una grande caverna, nella quale dimorava la ninfa bei capelli; la trovò che era all’interno; un robusto fuoco ardeva sul focolare; lontano per l’isola si percepiva un profumo di tenero cedro e di tuia che scoppiettavano. Ella, cantando all’interno con voce melodiosa, al telaio attendeva e tesseva con una spola d’oro. Intorno alla caverna v’era un bosco rigoglioso: ontani, pioppi, cipressi odorosi; qui dimoravano uccelli dalle ampie ali: gufi, falchi, cornacchie marine ciarliere, cui sono care le cacce marine.

Intorno alla grotta profonda s’allungava una fiorente vite, era carica di grappoli. Zampillavano quattro fonti d’acqua limpida, l’una accanto all’altra, rivolte quale in una direzione, quale in altra. Intorno morbidi prati di viole e sedano crescevano. Anche un immortale, giunto qui, nel vedere avrebbe contemplato e avrebbe gioito nel suo animo

In English 

But when Hermes reached the distant island, after alighting there on the shore from the wine-dark sea, he went on until he came to a great cave, where the fair-haired nymph lived. He found her inside. A great fire was blazing on the hearth, and the fragrance of burning soft cedar and thuya wood spread far across the island.  

 Within, she was singing sweetly as she worked at her loom, weaving with a golden shuttle. Around the cave there grew a luxuriant wood of alders, poplars, and fragrant cypresses. There too lived broad-winged birds: owls, hawks, and noisy sea-crows, which delight in hunting at sea.  

Around the deep cave stretched a flourishing vine, laden with clusters of grapes. Four springs of clear water bubbled up side by side, flowing in different directions. All around, soft meadows of violets and celery grew. Even an immortal, arriving there, would have paused to gaze in wonder and would have rejoiced in his heart.