Works of Nonnus

by Nonnus

  νηιάδες δ᾽ ὀλόλυξαν ὁμήλυδες: ἴαχε Λοξὼ

  490 σύνθροον Οὖπιν ἔχουσα, γαληναίῳ δὲ ῥεέθρῳ

  νηχομένην ἀνέκοψε κασιγνήτην Ἑκαέργην.

  καὶ ζόφος ἠερόφοιτος ἐμὰς ἐκάλυψεν ὀπωπάς:

  ἐκ δὲ φυτοῦ προκάρηνος ἐπωλίσθησα κονίῃ,

  καὶ λάχον ἐξαπίνης δέμας αἰόλον, ἀντὶ δὲ μορφῆς

  495 ἀνδρομέης ἄγνωστον ἐμὸν δέμας ἔσκεπε λάχνη,

  καὶ κύνες ἀγρευτῆρες ὁμῶς ἐχάραξαν ὀδόντας.

  [473] “But I will tell you my fate, father, in due order. There was longleafy thicket, part of wild-olive, part of orchard olive. Like a fool I left Phylia’s namesfellow growth and scrambled up a handy branch of the pure olive, to spy out the naked skin of Artemis – forbidden sight! I was mad – I committed two outrageous sins, when I climbed Pallas’s tree to look on the Archeress’s body with bold eyes; from which the danger of heavy resentment attacked Actaion, both from Artemis and from Athena. For Artemis newly sweating in the vapour of the oppressive fiery heat, after coursing her familiar game, was bathing in the pure water; and as she bathed, her brilliance shooting snowy gleams on the waters against my eyes dazzled me. You might have said the full moon of evening was flashing through the water near the refluent stream of Oceanos. The Naiads all shrieked together; Loxo cried aloud with Upis in concert, and checked her sister Hecaerge who was swimming in the calm stream. Darkness pervaded the air and covered my eyes; I slipt down from the tree headlong into the dust, and suddenly got me a dappled shape. Instead of human form I had a shape unknown, covered all over with hair, and the hunting-dogs all at once drove their fangs into me.

  σιγήσω τόδε πάντα: τί δεύτερον ἄλγος ἐνίψω;

  μή σε καὶ ὑπνώοντα πάλιν στοναχῇσι πελάσσω.

  πολλάκι δένδρον ἐκεῖνο παρέστιχες, ὁππόθι κεῖται

  500 λείψανον Ἀκταίωνος, ὑπὲρ δαπέδου δὲ λυθέντα

  πολλάκι δαιδαλέοιο παρήλυθες ὀστέα νεβροῦ

  οἰκτρὰ πολυβρώτων μελέων, μεμερισμένα γαίῃ,

  ἀλλήλων ἀπάνευθεν. ἐγὼ δέ σοι ἄλλο βοήσω

  πιστὸν ἐμοῦ θανάτου σημήιον: ἀρχεκάκου γὰρ

  505 ὄψεαι ἰοδόκην καὶ ἐμὸν βέλος ἐγγύθι δένδρου,

  εἰ μὴ καὶ πτερόεντες ἐμορφώθησαν ὀιστοί,

  εἰ μὴ χωομένη πάλιν Ἄρτεμις εἰς φυτὸν ὕλης

  τόξον ἐμὸν μετάμειψεν, ἐμὴν δ᾽ ἤλλαξε φαρέτρην.

  ὄλβιος Ὦτος ἔην, ὅτι μὴ πέλε νεβρὸς ἀλήτης:

  510 οὐ κύνες Ὠρίωνα κυνοσσόον... αἴθε καὶ αὐτὸν

  σκορπίος Ἀκταίωνα κατέκτανεν ὀξέι κέντρῳ.

  δειλὸς ἐγώ: κενεὴ γὰρ ἐμὸν νόον ἤπαφε φήμη:

  εἰσαΐων δ᾽, ὅτι Φοῖβος, ἀδελφεὸς ἰοχεαίρης,

  Κυρήνῃ παρίαυεν, ἐμὸν δ᾽ ἔσπειρε τοκῆα,

  515 Αρτεμιν ὠισάμην ἐμφύλιον εἰς γάμον ἕλκειν.

  καὶ πάλιν εἰσαΐων, ὅτι νυμφίον ἀργέτις Ἠὼς

  ἥρπασεν Ὠρίωνα καὶ Ἐνδυμίωνα Σελήνη,

  καὶ βροτὸν Ἰασίωνα πόσιν προσπτύξατο Δηώ,

  ὠισάμην, ὅτι τοῖος ἔην νόος ἰοχεαίρης.

  [497] “But I will not speak of all that – why should I inflict a second pain? or I may cause you to groan again even in sleep. Often you passed that tree where lies what is left of Actaion; often you went by those pitiable bones of a dappled fawn, disjointed, scattered on the ground far apart, torn from the flesh by many eaters. But I will tell you another sign of my death which you will believe. You will see my quiver and bow near the tree where the trouble began, unless the winged arrows have been transformed also, unless Artemis in her anger has changed my bow back to its native wood and transformed the quiver. Otos was happy, that he became no wandering fawn. The dogs did not rend Orion the dogmaster. Would that a scorpion had killed Actaion also with a sharp sting! I was a fool – empty rumour deceived my mind. I heard that Phoibos, the Archeress’s brother, slept with Cyrene and begat my father, and I thought to draw Artemis to marriage in the family. I heard again that shining Dawn carried off Orion for a bridegroom, and Selene Endymion, and Deo embraced a mortal husband Iasion, and I thought the Archeress’s mind the same.

  520 ἀλλά, πάτερ, κτερέιζε νόθην κεραελκέα μορφήν,

  μηδὲ λίπῃς ἑτέροισι κυσὶν μέλπηθρα γενέσθαι.

  ἢν δὲ κατακρύψῃς ἐμὰ λείψανα κοιλάδι γαίῃ,

  δῶρον ἐμοὶ καὶ τοῦτο χαρίζεο, τόξα καὶ ἰοὺς

  πῆξον ἐμὸν παρὰ τύμβον, ὅ περ γέρας ἐστὶ θανόντων.

  525 ἀλλὰ βέλος καὶ τόξον ἔα, πάτερ, ὅττι βελέμνοις

  τέρπεται ἰοχέαιρα καὶ ἀγκύλα τόξα τιταίνει.

  ζωότυπον δ᾽ ἱκέτευε πολύτροπον, ὄφρα χαράξῃ

  στικτὸν ἐμὸν νόθον εἶδος ἀπ᾽ αὐχένος εἰς πόδας ἄκρους:

  μοῦνον ἐμοῦ βροτέοιο τύπον τεύξειε προσώπου,

  530 πάντες ἵνα γνώωσιν ἐμὴν ψευδήμονα μορφήν.

  μὴ δέ, πάτερ, γράψειας ἐμὸν μόρον: οὐ δύναται γάρ

  δακρυχέειν ἐμὸν εἶδος ὁμοῦ καὶ πότμον ὁδίτης.’

  [520] “I beg you, father, give burial to the changeling stronghorned shape, let it not be a toy for other dogs! And if you cover what is left of me in the hollowed earth, grant me this boon also: fix my bow and arrows beside my tomb, which is the honour due to the dead. But no, father, never mind bow and arrows, because the Archeress delights in shafts and bends a curving bow. And ask a skilful artist to carve my changeling dappled shape from neck to feet, but let him make only my face of human form, that all may recognize my shape as false. But do not inscribe my fate, father; for the wayfarer cannot shed a tear for fate and shape together.”

  εἶπεν ὀνειρείη νοερὴ κεμάς, ἀπροϊδὴς δὲ

  ᾤχετο πωτήεσσα: καὶ Αὐτονόης παρακοίτης

  535 ἄνθορεν ὀμφήεντος ἀπορρίψας πτερὸν Ὕπνου.

  ἐκ λεχέων δὲ δάμαρτα πολυπτοίητον ἐγείρας

  πέφραδε θηρείην κεραελκέα παιδὸς ὀπωπήν,

  καὶ μύθους ἀγόρευεν, ὅσους φάτο νεβρὸς ἐχέφρων.

  καὶ γόος ἔπλετο μᾶλλον: Ἀρισταίοιο δὲ νύμφη

  540 ἤιε μαστεύουσα τὸ δεύτερον, ἀχνυμένη δὲ

  πυκνὰ τανυπρέμνοιο διέστιχεν ἔνδια λόχμης:

  καὶ κραναῶν στείβουσα δυσέμβατα κύκλα κελεύθων

  κεῖνο μόγις φυτὸν εὗρε μιαιφόνον, εὗρε καὶ αὐτὴν

  ἰοδόκην καὶ τόξον ἐρημαίῳ παρὰ δένδρῳ.

 
545 ὀστέα δ᾽ ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα χυτῇ μεμερισμένα γαίῃ,

  λείψανα πεπτηῶτα, μόγις συνελέξατο μήτηρ,

  καὶ φιλίῃ παλάμῃ γλυκερὴν πήχυνε κεραίην,

  καὶ κύσεν αἰνομόροιο δασύτριχα χείλεα νεβροῦ.

  ὀξὺ δὲ κωκύουσα νέκυν τυμβεύσατο μήτηρ,

  550 πάντα δέ οἱ παρὰ τύμβον ἐπέγραφεν, ὅσσα τοκῆι

  ἔννυχος Ἀκταίωνος ὀνειρείη φάτο φωνή.

  [533] So spoke in the dream the intelligent pricket, and without warning it was flown and gone. Autonoë’s husband leapt up, and threw off the wing of this revealing sleep. He aroused his wife much disturbed, and described her boy’s stronghorned animal form, and recounted the story which the intelligent fawn had told. Then there was more lamentation. The bride of Aristaios went on the search again, and passed often through the heart of the longbranching bush; sadly treading the difficult circuits of the rocky ways, she found with pains that fatal growth, she found even the quiver and bow beside a lonely trunk. With much trouble the mother gathered the fallen relics, bones scattered here and there over the strewn earth. She clasped the sweet horn with loving hand, and kissed the hairy lips of the bloodstained fawn. Wailing loudly the mother entombed the dead, and carved along the tomb all that the voice in a dream of the night had told Actaion’s father.

  ὄφρα μὲν ἔβρεμε πένθος Ἀρισταίοιο μελάθρῳ,

  τόφρα δὲ καλλίστερνος Ἐχίονι τίκτεν Ἀγαύη

  γηγενέος θρασὺν υἷα θεημάχον: ἀρτιφάτου δὲ

  555 πένθεος ἱσταμένοιο φερώνυμος ἔπλετο Πενθεύς.

  [552] At the time when mourning resounded in the hall of Aristaios, fairbosomed Agauë brought forth to Echion the Earthborn a bold god-assaulting son: he was named Pentheus, the man of sorrows, from the sorrow arising for the newly slain.

  καὶ Νεφέλης μετὰ λέκτρα, μετὰ προτέρους ὑμεναίους

  εἰς θαλάμους Ἀθάμαντος ἐκώμασε παρθένος Ἰνώ:

  αἰνοπαθῆ δὲ Λέαρχον ἐγείνατο καὶ Μελικέρτην

  ποντιὰς ἐσσομένη μετανάστιος, οἷα τιθήνη

  560 παιδοκόμος Βρομίοιο φερέσβιος: ἀμφοτέροις γὰρ

  μαζὸν ἕνα ξύνωσε Παλαίμονι καὶ Διονύσῳ.

  [556] After the bridals of Nephele of the earlier marriages, maiden Ino went with revels to the bridal chamber of Athamas. She bore Learchos destined to woe, and Melicertes. She was afterwards to find a home in the sea, as cherishing nurse for the childhood of Bromios: to both she gave one common breast, Palaimon and Dionysos.

  καὶ Σεμέλη πεφύλακτο φαεινοτέροις ὑμεναίοις:

  ἤδη γὰρ μενέαινε νέον Διόνυσον ἀέξειν,

  ταυροφυὲς μίμημα παλαιγενέος Διονύσου,

  565 αἰνομόρου Ζαγρῆος ἔχων πόθον ὑψιμέδων Ζεύς,

  ὃν τέκε Περσεφόνεια δρακοντείῃ Διὸς εὐνῇ

  σύγγαμος οὐδαίοιο μελαγχλαίνου ψευδήμονα μορφήν,

  Ζεὺς ὅτε πουλυέλικτος, ἔχων ψευδήμονα μορφήν,

  μείλιχος ἱμερόεντι δράκων κυκλούμενος ὁλκῷ

  570 Περσεφόνης σύλησεν ἀνυμφεύτοιο κορείην

  κευθομένης, ὅτε πάντες, ὅσοι ναετῆρες Ὀλύμπου,

  παιδὶ μιῇ θέλγοντο καὶ ἀγχιγάμου περὶ κούρης

  Κυπριδίην ἔριν εἶχον ἀσυλήτων ὑμεναίων

  δωροφόροι: μή πω δὲ μολὼν ἐπὶ δέμνια Πειθοῦς

  575 ῥάβδον ἑὴν ἐτίταινε γέρας θαλαμηπόλον Ἑρμῆς,

  ὤρεγε δ᾽ ἕδνα γάμοιο λύρην εὔυμνον Ἀπόλλων,

  καὶ δόρυ καὶ θώρηκα γαμήλιον ὤπασεν Ἄρης

  ἀσπίδα δῶρον ἄγων νυμφήιον, εὐκελάδου δὲ

  Λήμνιος ἀρτιτέλεστον ἔτι πνείοντα καμίνου

  580 ποικίλον ὁρμὸν ἔτεινε πολύχροον ἀμφιγυήεις:

  ἤδη γὰρ προτέρην ἀέκων ἠρνήσατο νύμφην

  Ἄρεϊ βακχευθεῖσαν ὀπιπεύων Ἀφροδίτην:

  δείκνυε καὶ μακάρεσσι γαμοκλόπον ἅρπαγα λέκτρων,

  ἀγγελίῃ Φαέθοντος ἀραχναίῳ τινὶ δεσμῷ

  585 γυμνῇ γυμνὸν Ἄρηα περισφίγξας Ἀφροδίτῃ.

  [562] Semele was kept for a more brilliant union, for already Zeus ruling on high intended to make a new Dionysos grow up, a bullshaped copy of the older Dionysos; since he throught with regret of the illfated Zagreus. This was a son born to Zeus in the dragonbed by Persephoneia, the consort of the blackrobed king of the underworld; when Zeus put on a deceiving shape of many coils, as a gentle dragon twining around her in lovely curves, and ravished the maidenhood of unwedded Persephoneia; though she was hidden when all that dwelt in Olympos were bewitched by this one girl, rivals in love for the marriageable maid, and offered their dowers for an unsmirched bridal. Hermes had not yet gone to the bed of Peitho, and he offered his rod as a gift to adorn her chamber. Apollo produced his melodious harp as a marriage-gift. Ares brought spear and cuirass for the wedding, and shield as a bride-gift. Lemnian Hephaistos held out a curious necklace of many colours, newmade and breathing still of the furnace, poor hobbler! for he had already, though unwilling, rejected his former bride Aphrodite, when he spied her rioting with Ares; he displayed her to the Blessed and the womanthief who had robbed his bed, when by information from Phaëthon he had entangled them in a spider’s net, naked Ares with naked Aphrodite.

  Ζεύς δὲ πατὴρ πολὺ μᾶλλον ἐθέλγετο Περσεφονείῃ:

  καὶ Διὶ παπταίνοντι φυῆς εὐπάρθενον ἥβην

  ὀφθαλμὸς προκέλευθος ἐγίνετο πομπὸς Ἐρώτων,

  Περσεφόνης ἀκόρητος: ὑπὸ κραδίην δέ οἱ αἰεὶ

  590 λαίλαπες ἐρροίζησαν ἀκοιμήτοιο μερίμνης:

  καὶ Παφίης κατὰ βαιὸν ἀνήπτετο μείζονι πυρσῷ

  ἐξ ὀλίγου σπινθῆρος: ἐπ᾽ εὐκόλπῳ δὲ θεαίνῃ

  Ζηνὸς ἐρωμανέοντος ἐδουλώθησαν ὀπωπαί.

  καί ποτε χαλκὸν ἔχουσα διαυγέα τέρπετο κούρη

  595 κάλλεος ἀντιτύποιο δικασπόλον, αὐτομάτῳ δὲ

  σιγαλέῳ κήρυκι τύπον πιστώσατο μορφῆς

  ψευδαλέον σκιόεντι δέμας κρίνουσα κατόπτρῳ,

  μιμηλὴν δ᾽ ἐγέλασσεν ἐς εἰκόνα: Περσεφόνη δὲ

  αὐτοχάρακτον ἄγαλμα διοπτεύουσα προσώπου

  600 ψευδομένης νόθον εἶδος ἐδέρκετο Περσεφονείης:

  καί ποτε διψαλέοιο πυραυγέι καύματος ἀτμῷ

  καρφαλέης φεύγουσα μεσημβρινὸν ἴχνιον Ὥρης

  κερκίδος ἱστοπόνων καμάτων ἀμπαύετο κούρη
,

  καὶ διεροὺς ἱδρῶτας ἀποσμήξασα προσώπου,

  605 σφιγγομένην στέρνοισι σαόφρονα λύσατο μίτρην,

  καὶ χρόα λυσιπόνοισι καθικμαίνουσα λοετροῖς

  πηγαίῳ πεφόρητο καταψύχοντι ῥεέθρῳ,

  νήματα καλλείψασα πεπαρμένα Παλλάδος ἱστῷ.

  [586] And Father Zeus was much more bewitched by Persephoneia. When Zeus spied the virgin beauty of her shape, his eye ran ahead of him to guide all the Loes, and could not have enough of Persephone; in his heart storms of unsleeping passion raged without ceasing, and gradually a greater furnace of the Paphian was kindled from a small spark; the gaze of lovemaddened Zeus was enslaved by the lovely breast of the goddess. Once she was amusing herself with a resplendent bronze plate, which reflected her face like a judge of beauty; and she confirmed the image of her shape by this free voiceless herald, testing the unreal form in the shadow of the mirror, and smiling at the mimic likeness. Thus Persephone gazed in the selfgraved portrait of her face, and beheld the selfimpressed aspect of a false Persephoneia. Once in the scorching steam of thirsty heat, the girl would cease the loomtoiling labours of her shuttle at midday to shun the tread of the parching season, and wipe the running sweat from her face; she loosed the modest bodice which held her breast so tight, and moistened her skin with a refreshing bath, floating in the cool running stream, and left behind her threads fixt on the loom of Pallas.

  οὐδὲ Διὸς λάθεν ὄμμα πανόψιον: ἀσκεπέος δὲ

  610 λουομένης ὅλον εἶδος ἐδέρκετο Περσεφονείης:

  οὐ τόσον ἱμείρων ἐπεμήνατο Κυπρογενείῃ,

  ἣν ποθέων ἀκίχητα γονὴν ἔσπειρεν ἀρούρῃ

  θερμὸν ἀκοντίζων αὐτόσσυτον ἀφρὸν Ἐρώτων,

  ἔνθεν ἀεξιτόκοιο κεραστίδος ἔνδοθι Κύπρου

  615 Φηρῶν εὐκεράων διδυμόχροος ἤνθεε φύτλη.