The myth of Hades and Persephone - Iseult Gillespie

Translator: aditya prayogi Reviewer: Reno Kanti Riananda

Every year before the ancient Greeks sowed their seeds of grain,

Setiap tahunnya, sebelum masyarakat Yunani kuno menebar biji tanaman,

they celebrated Demeter, the goddess of agriculture.

mereka menyembah Demeter, dewi pertanian.

On Earth, each morsel of food was sweet sustenance,

Di bumi, tiap suap makanan adalah rezeki,

while in the land of the dead, it ensured a permanent stay.

sementara di dunia kematian, hal itu menandakan keabadian.

Demeter tended to Earth’s fields with her beloved daughter, Persephone,

Demeter merawat bumi bersama putri kesayangannya, Persephone,

who inherited her mother’s passions and grew into a bright young woman.

yang mewarisi tekad ibunya dan tumbuh menjadi gadis muda yang cerdas.

But all the while, a shadowy figure watched from below.

Sementara itu, sesosok bayangan mengintai di kejauhan.

One day, Persephone was frolicking in a meadow

Suatu hari, saat Persephone sedang bersenda gurau di padang rumput

with a freshwater nymph, Cyane.

bersama peri air tawar, Cyane.

As they admired a blooming narcissus flower,

Saat tengah mengagumi bunga narcissus yang bermekaran,

they noticed it tremble in the ground.

mereka menyadari tanah mulai bergetar.

Suddenly, the earth split, and a terrifying figure arose.

Mendadak bumi terbelah, dan sosok mengerikan muncul dari tanah.

It was Hades, god of the dead and the underworld.

Ia adalah Hades, dewa kematian dan neraka.

He wrenched Persephone from Cyane, dragged her into his inky chariot,

Ia menculik Persephone, membawanya menggunakan kereta tempur,

and blasted back through the earth.

dan melesat kembali ke perut bumi.

Cyane wept so hard she dissolved, becoming one with the river.

Cyane menangis sejadi-jadinya, hingga larut menyatu dengan sungai.

By the time Demeter arrived at the scene of the abduction,

Saat Demeter tiba di lokasi kejadian,

the crater in the meadow had closed— and Cyane and Persephone had vanished.

ceruk di padang rumput sudah tertutup— serta Cyane dan Persephone telah lenyap.

Demeter sped to Mount Olympus for help.

Demeter melesat menuju gunung Olympus untuk meminta bantuan.

Many of the gods had witnessed the scene.

Sebagian besar dewa menyaksikan kejadian tersebut.

And they knew about the deal that paved the way for it:

Mereka sudah mengetahui alasan dibalik peristiwa tersebut:

Zeus, Persephone’s father, had granted Hades her hand in marriage

Zeus, ayah Persephone, mengabulkan keinginan Hades untuk menikah

without her consent— or Demeter’s.

tanpa persetujuan baik dari Persephone maupun Demeter.

But when faced with Demeter’s pleas, the other gods stayed silent,

Ketika Demeter memohon bantuan, dewa-dewa lain tak mengacuhkannya.

So, she searched alone.

Jadi, ia putuskan mencari anaknya sendiri.

In her grief and desperation, she neglected her usual tasks.

Larut dalam sedih dan putus asa, ia melalaikan kewajibannya.

Crops withered, and a great famine plagued the Earth.

Panen-panen gagal dan kelaparan hebat melanda seluruh dunia.

As mortals began to perish, the gods grew wary.

Saat manusia mulai binasa, dewa-dewa mulai gelisah.

Who would worship them and offer tributes if the humans disappeared?

Apabila manusia binasa, siapa yang akan menyembah mereka dan memberi sajen?

So, Zeus ordered Demeter to stop her crusade and returned to her duties.

Zeus meminta Demeter untuk menghentikan pencarian dan menunaikan kewajibannya.

But she refused.

Namun, ia menolak.

Deep below, across the frigid river Styx, and through the halls of the underworld,

Melintasi sungai Styx yang dingin, dan melalui lorong-lorong dunia bawah,

Persephone was waging her own protest.

Persephone sedang berjuang untuk dirinya sendiri.

Hades expected her to serve as his wife and queen.

Hades ingin memperistri dan menjadikannya ratu.

But Persephone rebuffed the god’s advances and refused food.

Namun, Persephone menolak penawarannya dan menolak untuk makan.

As she longed for her mother’s company,

Saat ia merindukan dekapan ibunya,

her friends’ laughter, and the sun’s warmth,

tawa teman-temannya, hangatnya mentari,

Persephone grew colder and lonelier.

Persephone semakin dingin dan kesepian.

And she was starving.

Dan ia kelaparan.

She hungered for satisfying grains, crisp vegetables and fresh fruit.

Ia merindukan makanan enak seperti biji-bijian, sayur, dan buah segar.

Wandering the ghostly gardens,

Berkeliaran di taman angker,

she contemplated the pomegranates that hung heavily on their branches...

dia menyaksikan buah delima menggantung di cabang-cabangnya...

Meanwhile, Demeter continued her hunt.

Sementara itu, Demeter kembali melanjutkan perburuannya.

She appealed to the all-seeing sun god, Helios,

Ia memohon pada Helios, saksi kunci sekaligus dewa matahari

whose rays had long warmed her crops.

yang menyinari tanamannya sepanjang hari.

Indeed, when Helios drew his golden chariot across the sky that fateful day,

Tentu saja, saat Helios menunggangi kereta emasnya melintasi bumi,

he saw what happened— and he knew of the deal.

ia menyaksikan apa yang terjadi— dan tahu kesepakatan yang terjadi.

Out of respect and sympathy for Demeter,

Karena rasa hormat dan simpatinya pada Demeter,

Helios told her of Hades’ demands, Zeus’ betrayal and Persephone’s abduction.

Helios membeberkan permintaan Hades, pengkhianatan Zeus,

dan penculikan Persephone.

Furious and heartbroken, Demeter sped to Mount Olympus and confronted Zeus,

Murka dan sakit hati, Demeter melesat ke Bukit Olympus dan menghadap Zeus,

demanding their daughter’s return.

meminta putri mereka kembali.

But Zeus declined: in her ravenous hunger,

Namun, Zeus menolak: dalam kondisi sangat kelaparan,

Persephone had eaten a few seeds from the pomegranate that grew in the underworld.

Persephone memakan beberapa biji delima yang tumbuh di dunia bawah.

Though a meager amount, it was enough to ensnare her in Hades forever.

Meskipun secuil, itu sudah cukup menjeratnya dalam dekapan Hades selamanya.

Demeter wouldn't accept this fate.

Demeter tak menerima kenyataan tersebut.

She swore that if she wasn’t reunited with Persephone,

Ia berjanji apabila ia tak mendapatkan Persephone kembali,

the fields would never be fertile again,

tanah takkan pernah lagi subur,

and the distinction between the Earth and the underworld would soon dissolve.

dan ia akan membuat bumi tak ada bedanya dengan neraka.

So, they made a pact.

Jadi, mereka membuat kesepakatan.

For two thirds of every year, Persephone would return to the land of the living,

Delapan bulan dalam setahun, Persephone hidup di bumi.

But for the remainder, she would stay in the world of the dead.

Sementara sisanya, ia harus tinggal di dunia orang mati.

When Persephone ascended to Earth, she and her mother rejoiced.

Ketika Persephone naik ke bumi, ia dan ibunya hidup bahagia.

Together, they showered the fields with rain and nurtured them with sun.

Bersama-sama, mereka kembali menyirami dan menyinari tumbuh-tumbuhan.

For mortals, Persephone’s arrival came to herald the start of spring.

Bagi manusia, kedatangan Persephone menandai awal musim semi.

But her descent always came too soon.

Namun, waktu berlalu dengan cepat.

Each time she returned to Hades, Demeter mourned,

Setiap kali putrinya kembali ke Hades, Demeter bersedih,

and the earth grew cold, dark, and unyielding,

bumi berubah dingin, suram, dan beku,

ushering in the winter months.

berarak ke musim dingin.

Knowing Demeter couldn’t be roused from her grief,

Mengetahui Demeter tak bisa bangkit dari kesedihannya,

the humans stored their crops, stoked their fires,

manusia mulai menyimpan hasil panennya dan menyalakan perapian,

and awaited Persephone’s safe return.

sembari menunggu Persephone kembali dengan selamat.

And so it was that her transit marked the gradual turning of the seasons

Perjalanannya menandai pergantian musim secara bertahap

and the bittersweet compromise between life and death.

dan pahit manisnya kesepakatan antara kehidupan dan kematian.