Works of Nonnus
Page 181
καὶ βρέφος αἰδομένη κρυφίης αὐτάγγελον εὐνῆς
μήτηρ οὐκ ἀτίταλλεν, ἀπ᾽ αἰθερίοιο δέ κόλπου
380 πήχεϊ κεκλιμένην ἐπιμάζιον ἤγαγε κούρην
εἰς δόμον Ἠλέκτρης μαιήιον, ἧς τόκον Ὧραι
ὑγρὸν ἐμαιώσαντο λεχωίδες, ἧς ἔτι πυκνοὶ
ἀργεννὴν σφριγόωντες ἀνέβλυον ἰκμάδα μαζοί:
δεξαμένη δὲ θύγατρα νόθην ἰσόζυγι θεσμῷ
385 σύγχρονον Ἠμαθίωνος ἑνὶ ξυνώσατο μαζῷ
κούρην ἀρτιλόχευτον, ὁμοστόργῳ δὲ μενοινῇ
διχθαδίην θρεπτῆρι γονὴν κούφιζεν ἀγοστῷ.
ὡς δέ τις ἀγροτέρη διδυμητόκος ἔνδοθι λόχμης
λαχνήεσσα λέαινα γαλαξαίῃσιν ἐέρσαις
390 σκύμνοις ἀμφοτέροις διδυμάονας ἥρμοσε μαζοὺς
καὶ διδύμοις τεκέεσσι μεριζομένην πόρε θηλήν,
καὶ χρόα λιχμάζουσα καὶ ἄτριχον εἰσέτι δειρὴν
ἰσοτύποις κομιδῇσιν ἀνέτρεφεν ἥλικα φύτλην:
ὣς τότε παιδοκόμῳ φιλίῃ μαιώσατο θηλῇ
395 ἀρτιγόνων μεθέπουσα συνωρίδα δίζυγα τέκνων:
πολλάκι νήπιον υἷα συνέμπορον ἥλικι κούρῃ
πίονος ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα μετάτροπον ἰκμάδι μαζοῦ
πεπταμένης πήχυνε φιλήτορι χειρὸς ἀγοστῷ:
γούνασι δ᾽ ἄρσενα παῖδα συνίδρυε θήλεϊ κούρῃ,
400 μηρὸν ἐφαπλώσασα κεχηνότα γείτονι μηρῷ,
κόλπον ἀνευρύνουσα βαθυνομένοιο χιτῶνος:
καὶ τεκέων κλάζουσα μέλος θελκτήριον ὕπνου
ἀμφοτέρους εὕδοντας ἐκοίμισε μαιάδι τέχνῃ,
πῆχυν ὑποστορέσασα συνήορον αὐχένι παίδων,
405 καί σφισι λέκτρον ἔθηκεν ἐὸν γόνυ, διχθαδίῳ δὲ
φάρεος ἄκρον ἕλισσε διαιθύσσουσα προσώπῳ,
τέκνα καταψύχουσα, καὶ ἔσβεσε καύματος ὁρμὴν
ἀντίτυπον φύσημα χέων ποιητὸς ἀήτης.
[372] So she spoke, lulling to sleep the anxieties of Cadmos. But Father Zeus sent his quick messenger Maia’s son on outspread wings to Electra’s house, that he might offer Harmonia to Cadmos for the harmony of wedlock – that maiden immigrant from heaven, whom Ares the wife-thief begat in secret love with Aphrodite. The mother did not nurse it – she was ashamed of the baby which told its own tale of the furtive bed; but away from the bosom of the sky she carried the suckling, lying in her arm, to the fostering house of Electra, when the childbed Seasons had just delivered her baby still wet, when her breasts were tight and swollen with the gushing white sap. Electra received the bastard daughter with equal rights, and joined the newborn girl on one breast with her newborn Emathion, held with equal love and care her two different nurslings in her arm. As a shaggy lioness of the wilds, mother of twin young suckling-cubs in the jungle, with her milky dew fits twin teats to the pair of cubs, and gives her twin young each a share of her teats, and licks their skin and the neck as yet hairless, nursing the young birthmates with equal care: so Electra then with loving breast foster-mothered her brace of newborn babes, the boy and girl, and cherished them with equal care. Often she pressed to her with open hand and loving arm her baby son and his age-mate girl, on this side and that taking turns of the sap from her rich breast; and she set on her knees the manly boy with the womanly girl, letting out the fold of her lowered gown so as to join thigh parted wide from neighbouring thigh; or singing songs for a sleep-charm, lulled both her babies to slumber with foster-mother’s art, while she stretched her arm enclosing the children’s necks, made her own knee their bed, fluttered the flap of her garment fanning the two faces, to keep the little ones cool, and quenched the waves of heat as the hand made wind poured out its breath against it.
ὄφρα μὲν ἕζετο Κάδμος ἐχέφρονος ἐγγὺς ἀνάσσης,
410 τόφρα λαθὼν πυλαωρὸν ἑῷ ληίστορι ταρσῷ
ἀπροϊδὴς ἀκίχητος ἐς οἰκίον ἤιεν Ἑρμῆς
εἴκελος ἠιθέῳ: ῥοδέῳ δέ οἱ ἀμφὶ προσώπῳ
ἀσκεπέος κεχάλαστο παρήορος ὁλκὸς ἐθείρης
ἀμφιλαφής, στέψας δὲ νεότριχος ἄκρα παρειῆς
415 λεπτὸς ἀεξομένων ἐρυθαίνετο κύλος ἰούλων
ἀρτιφυὴς ἑκάτερθε περίδρομος: οἷα δὲ κῆρυξ
ἠθάδα ῥάβδον ἄειρεν: ἀθηήτῳ δὲ προσώπῳ
ἐκ κεφαλῆς νεφέεσσι κεκασμένος εἰς πόδας ἄκρους
πιαλέης ἐκίχησε πεπαυμένα δεῖπνα τραπέζης:
420 οὐδέ μιν Ἠμαθίων σχεδὸν ἔδρακεν, οὐδὲ καὶ αὐτὴ
Ἁρμονίη καὶ Κάδμος ὁμέστιος, οὐ χορὸς ἀνδρῶν
δούλιος: Ἠλέκτρῃ δὲ θεουδέι φαίνετο μούνῃ
Ἑρμῆς ποικιλόμυθος: ἑλὼν δέ μιν εἰς μυχὸν οἴκου
ἀπροϊδὴς ὀάριζε καὶ ἀνδρομέῃ φάτο φωνῇ:
[409] While Cadmos sat near the prudent queen, into the house came Hermes in the shape of a young man, unforeseen, uncaught, eluding the doorkeeper with his robber’s foot. About his rosy face on both sides locks of hair uncovered hung loose. A light bloom of ruddy down ran about the edge of his round cheeks on either side, fresh young hair newly grown. Like a herald, he held his rod as usual. Wrapt in cloud from head to toe, with face unseen he reached the rich table when the meal was at an end. Emathion saw him not though close at hand, nor did Harmonia herself and Cadmos at her board, nor the company of serving men; only god-fearing Electra perceived Hermes the eloquent. Into a corner of the house he led her in surprise to tell his secrets, and spoke in the language of men:
425 ‘Μητροκασιυνήτη, Διὸς εὐνέτι, χαῖρε, γυναικῶν
πασάων μετόπισθε μακαρτάτη, ὅττι Κρονίων
κοιρανίην κόσμοιο τεοῖς τεκέεσσι φυλάσσει,
καὶ χθονὸς ἄστεα πάντα κυβερνήσει σέο φύτλη,
ἕδνα τεῆς φιλότητος, ἐμῇ δ᾽ ἅμα μητέρι Μαίῃ
430 ἄστρασιν ἑπταπόροισι συναστράψειας Ὀλύμπῳ
σύνδρομος Ἠελίοιο, συναντέλλουσα Σελήνῃ.
εἰμὶ τεῆς, φιλότεκνε, γουῆς ἐμφύλιος Ἑρμῆς,
ἄγγελος ἀθανάτων τανυαίπτερος, οὐρανόθεν δὲ
ξείνιος ὑψιμέδων με τεὸς προέηκεν ἀκοίτης
435 ἀμφὶ τεοῦ ξείνοιο θεουδέος: ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὴ
πείθεο σῷ Κρονίωνι, καὶ Ἁρμονίην σέο κούρην
πέμπε μολεῖν ἀνάεδνον ὁμόστολον ἥλικι Κάδμῳ,
καὶ Διὶ μακάρεσσι χαρίζεο: τειρομένους γὰρ
ἀθανάτους ὁ ξεῖνος ὅλους ἐσάωσεν ἀείδων:
440 οὗτος ἀνὴρ μογέοντι τεῷ χραίσμησεν ἀκοίτῃ,
οὗτος ἀνὴρ ἐπέτασσεν ἐλεύθερον ἦμαρ Ὀλύμπῳ.
μή σε τεὴ θέλξειε γόῳ φιλομήτορι κούρη:
ἀλλά μιν εἰς ὑμένσιον ἀλεξικάκῳ πόρε Κάδμῳ
πειθομένη Κρονίωνι καὶ Ἄρεϊ καὶ Κυθερείῃ.’
[425] “Good be with you, my mother’s sister, bedfellow of Zeus! Most blessed of all women that shall be hereafter, because Cronion keeps the lordship of the world for your children, and your stock shall steer all the cities of the earth! This is the dower of your love. And along with Maia my mother you shall shine with the Seven Stars in the sky, running your course with Helios, rising with Selene. Children’s friend, I am Hermes, one of your own family, wing-spreading Messenger of the immortals. From heaven I have been sent by your bedfellow, the guests’ protector ruling in the heights, on behalf of your own god-fearing guest. Then do you also obey your Cronion, and let your daughter Harmonia go along with her yearsmate Cadmos as his bride, without asking for bridal gifts. Grant this grace to Zeus and the Blessed ones; for when the immortals were in distress, this stranger saved them all by his music. This man has helped your bedfellow in trouble, this man has opened the day of freedom for Olympos! Let not your girl bewitch you with mother-loving groans, but give her in marriage to Cadmos our Saviour, in obedience to Cronion and Ares and Cythereia.”
BOOK 4
ἰχνεύων δὲ τέταρτον ὑπὲρ πόντοιο νοήσεις
Ἁρμονίην πλώουσαν ὁμόστολον ἥλικι Κάδμῳ.
ὣς εἰπὼν ἐς Ὄλυμπον ἐύρραπις ἤιεν Ἑρμῆς
αἰθύσσων πτερὰ κοῦφα, τιταινομένων δὲ πεδίλων
σύνδρομος ἠερίοισιν ἐρέσσετο ταρσὸς ἀήταις.
οὐδὲ γυνὴ Θρήισσα, κυβερνήτειρα Καβείρων,...
5 ἀλλὰ Διὸς σέβας εἶχε, καὶ Ἄρεος ἄζυγι κούρῃ
ὄρθια δινεύουσα νοήμοι δάκτυλα παλμῷ
Ἁρμκονίην ἐκάλεσσε τύπῳ τεχυήμονι φωνῆς:
ἡ δὲ τιταινομένη βλεφάρων ἀντώτιον αἴγλην
Ἠλέκτρης ἀγέλαστον ἐδέρκετο κύκλον ὀπωπῆς,
10 καὶ βαθὺν ἀφράστοιο νεόσσυτον ὄγκον ἀνίης
σιγαλέαι κήρθκε ἐμκαντεύοντο παρειαί.
BOOK IV
Tracking the fourth over the deep, you will see Harmonia sailing together with her agemate Cadmos.
With these words, Finerod Hermes departed, fanning his light wings, and the flat of his extended shoes oared him as quick as the winds of heaven in their course. Nor did the Thracian lady, the pilot of the Cabeiroi,
παγθενικὴ δ᾽ ἀνέπαλτο καὶ ὡμάρτησε τεκούσῃ
εἰς δόμον αἰπύδμητον: ἀναπτύξασα δὲ μήτηρ
ἑπταμύχου θαλάμοιο πολυσφρήτιστον ὀχῆα
15 λάινον οὐδὸν ἄμειψε: φιλοστόργῳ δὲ μενοινῇ
ἄστατα ταρβαλέης ἐλελίζετο γούνατα νύμφης:
καὶ παλάμην ῥοδόπηχυν ἑῆς ἀνεκούφινσε κούρης
δραξαμένη παλάμῃ χιονώδεϊ: καὶ τάχα φαίης
ἥβην χειρὸς ἔχουσαν ἰδεῖν λευκώλενον Ἥρην.
[12] The maiden leapt up and followed her mother into her high-built chamber. Her mother rolled back the bolt of a sevennookshotten chamber sealed with many seals, and crossed the doorstone: her knees trembled restlessly in loving anxiety and fear. She caught and lifted the girl’s hand and rosy arm with her own snow-white hand – you might almost say that you saw white-armed Hera holding Hebe’s hand.
20 ἀλλ᾽ ὅτε πορφυρέοισι πέδον στείβουσα πεδίλοις
λοίσθια μαρμαίροντος ἐδύσατο κύκλα μελάθρου,
παρθένον ἀχνυμένην Ἀτλαντιὰς ἵδρθε νύμφη
εἰς θρόνον εὐποίητον: ἀμοιβαίῳ δὲ καὶ αὐτὴ
ἑζομένη στοιχηδὸν ἐπ᾽ ἀργυροφεγγέι δίφρῳ
25 ἀγγελίην Κρονίωνος ἀπειθέι πέφραδε κούρῃ,
καί μιν πάντα δίδαξεν, ὅσα βροτοειδέι μορφῇ
ἀλλοφανὴς ἅτε κοῦρος Ὀλύμπιος ἔννεπε κῆρυξ.
παρθενικὴ δ᾽ ἀίουσα πολυπλάγκτους ὑμεναίους
καὶ πόσιν ἀστήρικτον, ὑπωρόφιον μετανάστην,
30 ξεῖνον ἔχειν ἀπέειπε, καὶ ἐκ Διὸς ὅσσα τοκῆος
ξεινοδόκος Κάδμοιο βοοσσόος ἔννεπεν Ἐρμῆς:
καὶ πόσιν ἤθελε μᾶλλον ὁμόπτολιν, ὥς κεν ἀλύξῃ
συζυγίην φερέοκον ἀδωροδόκων ὑμεναίων:
καὶ παλάμῃ κρατέουσα κατηφέι χεῖρα τιθήνης
35 δάκρυαι μυδαλέη πολυξμεμφέα ῥήξατο φωνήν:
[20] But when treading the floor with her crimson shoes she reached the farthest curve of the resplendent room. Atlas’s daughter seated the sorrowful maiden upon a handsome chair; then she in her turn sank upon a silver-shining stool, and declared Cronion’s message to the incredulous girl, and explained everything which she had heard from the Olympian herald disguised as a land in human form. When the maiden heard of this marriage of much wandering and this unstable husband, this homeless man under their roof, she declared she would have no stranger, and refused all that Cadmos’s patron proposed on Zeus his father’s behalf, that cattle-drover Hermes! She would rather have one of her own city as husband, and away with a carryhouse mate and a wedding without wedding-gifts! Then clasping her foster-mother’s hand with her own sorrowing palm, bathed in tears she burst into reproachful speech:
‘Μῆτερ ἐμή, τί παθοῦσα τεὴν ἠρνήσαο κούρην;
οὕτωι σεῖο θύγατρα νεήλυδι φωτὶ συνάπτεις;
ποῖον ἐμοί ποτε δῶρον ὁ ναυτίλος ἐγγυαλίξει;
ἦ ῥά μοι ἕδνα γάμων πρυμνήσια νηὸς ὀπάσσει;
40 οὐκ ἐδάην, φιλότεκνε, τεὴν ὅτι παῖδα φυλάσσεις,
παρθενικὴν λιπόπατριν, ἀλήμονας εἰς ὑμεναίους.
ἄλλοι ἐμοὶ μνηστῆρες ἀρείονές εἰσι πολῖται:
τί χρέος ἦν ἀνάεδνον ἔχειν τινὰ γυμνὸν ἀκοίτην
ἀλλοδαπὸν περίφοιτον, ἀλυσκάζοντα τοκῆα;
45 ἀλλ᾽, ἐρέεις, Κρονίωνι τεῷ χραίσμησεν ἀκοίτῃ:
πῶς Διὸς οὐ γέρας ἔσχεν Ὀλύμπ
ιον, εἴ περ Ὀλύμπου,
ὡς ἐνέπεις, προμάχιζε, καὶ οὐ Διὸς εὐνετις Ἥρη
Ζηνὸς ἀοσσητῆρι συνήρμοσε παρθένον Ἥβην;
οὐ χατέει Κάδμονιο τεὸς πόσις ὑψιμέδων Ζεύς:
50 ἱλήκοι Κρονίδης: ἐψεύσατο θέσκελος Ἑρμῆς
ἀμφὶ Διὸς γενετῆρος: ἐγὼ δ᾽ οὐκ οἶδα πιθέσθαι,
εἰ λίπε θοῦρον Ἄρηα, κυβερνπητῆρα κυδοιμοῦ,
καὶ βροτόν ἄνδρα κάλεσσεν ἑοῦ συνάεθλον ἀγῶνος
ὁ κρατέων κόσμοιο καὶ αἰθέρος. ἆ μέγα θαῦμα,
55 τοσσατίους Τιρῆνας ἐνεκλήισσε βερέθρῳ,
καὶ Κάδμου χατέεσκεν, ὅπως ἕνα μοῦνον ὀλέσσῃ.
οἶδας ἐμῶν πατέρων διδυμάονα σύγγονον εὐνήν:
Ζεὺς προπάτωρ ἐμὸς ἔσχε κασιγνήτης λέχος Ἥρης
θεσμὸν ἔχων θαλάμων ἐμφύλιον: ἀμφότεροι δὲ
60 Ἄρης καὶ Κυθέρεια, μιῆς ἐπιβήτορες εὐνῆς,
Ἁρμονίης γενετῆρες, ἑνὸς γεγάασι τοκῆος,
δέμνιον ἀμφιέποντες ὁμόγνιον, ὤμοι ἀνάγκης:
γνωταὶ γνωτὸν ἔχουσιν, ἐγὼ λιπόπατριν ἀκοίτην.’
[36] “Mother mine, what has possessed you to cast off your own girl? Do you join your own daughter to some upstart fellow like this? What gift will this sailor man put into my hand? Will he give me the ship’s hawser for bride-price? I did not know you were keeping your own child, the poor banished maiden, for marriage with a vagrant – you, my kind nurse! I have others to woo me, and better ones, of our own city: why must I have a bedfellow with empty hands, naked and bare, a foreign vagrant, a runaway from his father? But you will say he helped your husband Cronion. Why did not the man get from Zeus an Olympian gift of honour, if indeed he was defender of Olympos, as you say? Why did not Hera the consort of Zeus, betroth virgin Hebe to the champion of Zeus? Your husband Zeus who rules in the heights needs no Cadmos. Cronides forgive me – divine Hermes lied in what he said about Father Zeus. I don’t know how I can believe that he neglected furious Ares the pilot of warfare, and called in a mortal man to be partner in the game – he the master of world and sky! Here is a great marvel – he locked up all those Titans in the pit, and then wanted Cadmos, to destroy only one! You know how my father’s wedded – two had their sisters. Zeus my father’s father possessed the bed of his sister Hera, by the family rule of marriage; both the parents of Harmonia, Ares and Cythereia, who mounted one bed, were of one father, another pair of blood-kindred. What miserable necessity! Sisters may have a brother for bedfellow, I must have a banished man!”