The hymn recounts Zeus’s seduction of Hermes’s mother, the nymph Maia. As Hera sleeps, Zeus sneaks into Maia’s cave unnoticed by mortals and gods alike. The hymn welcomes Hermes as the offspring of Zeus and Maia.

The hymn praises Pan, son of Hermes and close companion of the nymphs. Pan’s body has combined human and goat features, and the hymn refers to him as “goat-hoofed” and “goat-horned” (81). Pan is associated with the pan flute.

The hymn flashes back to Pan’s birth. Hermes falls in love with Dryops, a sheepherder. The two marry, and Dryops soon bears Pan. Yet, the young Pan’s goat-like features frighten mortals. Hermes brings his son to the gods, who are delighted by Pan’s odd features. The gods bestow upon Pan his name, meaning “all.”