[''Μια περιγραφή της κατασκευής από τον Ερμή της πρώτης αυτής λύρας (χέλυς) βρίσκεται στον Ομηρικό Ύμνο στον Ερμή (στ. 24-25, 47-51)· στίχοι 24-25: "Βρήκε εκεί μια χελώνα και κέρδισε ατέλειωτη ευχαρίστηση, γιατί ήταν ο Ερμής που πρώτος έκανε από τη χελώνα έναν τραγουδιστή"· στίχοι 47-51: "Έκοψε με μέτρο στελέχη καλαμιού και τα στερέωσε μέσα από τρύπες στο όστρακο χελώνας, και τέντωσε γύρω μεμβράνη βοδιού και έβαλε τα κέρατα της λύρας, και στα δύο στερέωσε τη γέφυρα (καβαλάρη) και τέντωσε επτά αρμονικές χορδές από έντερο προβάτου" (μτφρ. Α. Lang, The Homeric Hymns, Λονδίνο 1899).''
Hymn 4 to Hermes
HH 4
Ομηρικό Ύμνο στον Ερμή στ. 24-25, 47-51
ἠῷος γεγονὼς μέσῳ ἤματι ἐγκιθάριζεν,
ἑσπέριος βοῦς κλέψεν ἑκηβόλου Ἀπόλλωνος
τετράδι τῇ προτέρῃ, τῇ μιν τέκε πότνια Μαῖα.
20ὃς καί, ἐπειδὴ μητρὸς ἀπ᾽ ἀθανάτων θόρε γυίων,
οὐκέτι δηρὸν ἔκειτο μένων ἱερῷ ἐνὶ λίκνῳ,
ἀλλ᾽ ὅ γ᾽ ἀναΐξας ζήτει βόας Ἀπόλλωνος
οὐδὸν ὑπερβαίνων ὑψηρεφέος ἄντροιο.
ἔνθα χέλυν εὑρὼν ἐκτήσατο μυρίον ὄλβον:
25Ἑρμῆς τοι πρώτιστα χέλυν τεκτήνατ᾽ ἀοιδόν:
ἥ ῥά οἱ ἀντεβόλησεν ἐπ᾽ αὐλείῃσι θύρῃσι
βοσκομένη προπάροιθε δόμων ἐριθηλέα ποίην,
σαῦλα ποσὶν βαίνουσα: Διὸς δ᾽ ἐριούνιος υἱὸς
ἀθρήσας ἐγέλασσε καὶ αὐτίκα μῦθον ἔειπε:
30σύμβολον ἤδη μοι μέγ᾽ ὀνήσιμον: οὐκ ὀνοτάζω.
χαῖρε, φυὴν ἐρόεσσα, χοροιτύπε, δαιτὸς ἑταίρη,
ἀσπασίη προφανεῖσα: πόθεν τόδε καλὸν ἄθυρμα
αἰόλον ὄστρακον ἕσσο χέλυς ὄρεσι ζώουσα;
ἀλλ᾽ οἴσω σ᾽ ἐς δῶμα λαβών: ὄφελός τι μοι ἔσσῃ,
35οὐδ᾽ ἀποτιμήσω: σὺ δέ με πρώτιστον ὀνήσεις
3
οἴκοι βέλτερον εἶναι, ἐπεὶ βλαβερὸν τὸ θύρηφιν:
ἦ γὰρ ἐπηλυσίης πολυπήμονος ἔσσεαι ἔχμα
ζώουσ᾽: ἢν δὲ θάνῃς, τότε κεν μάλα καλὸν ἀείδοις.
ὣς ἂρ᾽ ἔφη: καὶ χερσὶν ἅμ᾽ ἀμφοτέρῃσιν ἀείρας
40ἂψ εἴσω κίε δῶμα φέρων ἐρατεινὸν ἄθυρμα.
ἔνθ᾽ ἀναπηρώσας γλυφάνῳ πολιοῖο σιδήρου
αἰῶν᾽ ἐξετόρησεν ὀρεσκῴοιο χελώνης.
ὡς δ᾽ ὁπότ᾽ ὠκὺ νόημα διὰ στέρνοιο περήσῃ
ἀνέρος, ὅν τε θαμειαὶ ἐπιστρωφῶσι μέριμναι,
45ἢ ὅτε δινηθῶσιν ἀπ᾽ ὀφθαλμῶν ἀμαρυγαί,
ὣς ἅμ᾽ ἔπος τε καὶ ἔργον ἐμήδετο κύδιμος Ἑρμῆς.
πῆξε δ᾽ ἄρ᾽ ἐν μέτροισι ταμὼν δόνακας καλάμοιο
πειρήνας διὰ νῶτα διὰ ῥινοῖο χελώνης.
ἀμφὶ δὲ δέρμα τάνυσσε βοὸς πραπίδεσσιν ἑῇσι
50καὶ πήχεις ἐνέθηκ᾽, ἐπὶ δὲ ζυγὸν ἤραρεν ἀμφοῖν,
ἑπτὰ δὲ θηλυτέρων ὀίων ἐτανύσσατο χορδάς.
αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ δὴ τεῦξε, φέρων, ἐρατεινὸν ἄθυρμα,
πλήκτρῳ ἐπειρήτιζε κατὰ μέρος: ἣ δ᾽ ὑπὸ χειρὸς
σμερδαλέον κονάβησε: θεὸς δ᾽ ὑπὸ καλὸν ἄειδεν
55ἐξ αὐτοσχεδίης πειρώμενος, ἠύτε κοῦροι
ἡβηταὶ θαλίῃσι παραιβόλα κερτομέουσιν,
ἀμφὶ Δία Κρονίδην καὶ Μαιάδα καλλιπέδιλον,
ὡς πάρος ὠρίζεσκον ἑταιρείῃ φιλότητι,
ἥν τ᾽ αὐτοῦ γενεὴν ὀνομακλυτὸν ἐξονομάζων:
60ἀμφιπόλους τε γέραιρε καὶ ἀγλαὰ δώματα νύμφης
καὶ τρίποδας κατὰ οἶκον ἐπηετανούς τε λέβητας.
καὶ τὰ μὲν οὖν ἤειδε, τὰ δὲ φρεσὶν ἄλλα μενοίνα.
καὶ τὴν μὲν κατέθηκε φέρων ἱερῷ ἐνὶ λίκνῳ,
φόρμιγγα γλαφυρήν: ὃ δ᾽ ἄρα κρειῶν ἐρατίζων
65ἆλτο κατὰ σκοπιὴν εὐώδεος ἐκ μεγάροιο
ὁρμαίνων δόλον αἰπὺν ἐνὶ φρεσίν, οἶά τε φῶτες
φηληταὶ διέπουσι μελαίνης νυκτὸς ἐν ὥρῃ.
Born with the dawning, at mid-day he played on the lyre, and in the evening he stole the cattle of far-shooting Apollo on the fourth day of the month; for on that day queenly Maia bare him. [20] So soon as he had leaped from his mother's heavenly womb, he lay not long waiting in his holy cradle, but he sprang up and sought the oxen of Apollo. But as he stepped over the threshold of the high-roofed cave, he found a tortoise there and gained endless delight. [25] For it was Hermes who first made the tortoise a singer. The creature fell in his way at the courtyard gate, where it was feeding on the rich grass before the dwelling, waddling along. When he saw it, the luck-bringing son of Zeus laughed and said:
[30] “An omen of great luck for me so soon! I do not slight it. Hail, comrade of the feast, lovely in shape, sounding at the dance! With joy I meet you! Where got you that rich gaud for covering, that spangled shell —a tortoise living in the mountains? But I will take and carry you within: you shall help me [35] and I will do you no disgrace, though first of all you must profit me. It is better to be at home: harm may come out of doors. Living, you shall be a spell against mischievous witchcraft1; but if you die, then you shall make sweetest song.”
Thus speaking, he took up the tortoise in both hands [40] and went back into the house carrying his charming toy. Then he cut off its limbs and scooped out the marrow of the mountain-tortoise with a scoop of grey iron. As a swift thought darts through the heart of a man when thronging cares haunt him, [45] or as bright glances flash from the eye, so glorious Hermes planned both thought and deed at once. He cut stalks of reed to measure and fixed them, fastening their ends across the back and through the shell of the tortoise, and then stretched ox hide all over it by his skill. [50] Also he put in the horns and fitted a cross-piece upon the two of them, and stretched seven strings of sheep-gut. But when he had made it he proved each string in turn with the key, as he held the lovely thing. [55] At the touch of his hand it sounded marvelously; and, as he tried it, the god sang sweet random snatches, even as youths bandy taunts at festivals. He sang of Zeus the son of Cronos and neat-shod Maia, the converse which they had before in the comradeship of love, telling all the glorious tale of his own begetting. [60] He celebrated, too, the handmaids of the nymph, and her bright home, and the tripods all about the house, and the abundant cauldrons.
But while he was singing of all these, his heart was bent on other matters. And he took the hollow lyre and laid it in his sacred cradle, [65] and sprang from the sweet-smelling hall to a watch-place, pondering sheer trickery in his heart —deeds such as knavish folk pursue in the dark night-time; for he longed to taste flesh.
Anonymous. The Homeric Hymns and Homerica with an English Translation by Hugh G. Evelyn-White. Homeric Hymns. Cambridge, MA.,Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1914.
http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0138:hymn=4