To Antinous-Hermes

Swiftly you come and swiftly you go, Antinous Neos Hermes,

the new Hermes under Hadrian, messenger, interpreter, emissary.

With winged feet and sacred staff you weave paths

between gods and humans, between god and god,

between soul and soul. You have been entrusted with the caduceus

and its secrets; Thoth, Hermes, and Mercury

have whispered in your ear. Far-wandering Odin

and spear-throwing Lugus, too, are not unknown to you,

and perhaps you have wandered even in eastern lands

with rings on your staff and bowl in your hand, a mendicant.

Come swiftly, Neos Hermes, and whisper in my ear:

Entrust to me, if I am trustworthy, the secrets of language and its magic,

and likewise also the secrets of magic and its language.