Works of Nonnus

by Nonnus

  εἰς δύσιν ἑλκομένη περικάμπτεται εἴκελος ἅρπῃ,

  εἰς Λίβα πομπεύουσα Βορειόθεν ἀγκύλον ὕδωρ:

  καί, Κυανῆν ὅθι πυκνὰ ῥόος χυτλώσατο κούρην

  κρηναίῳ στροφάλιγγι χέων ὀπτήριον ὕδωρ,

  130 γείτονα κόλπον ὄπωπεν ἰσοσταθέοντα μελάθρῳ,

  λαϊνέης ὀρόφοιο περιστεφθέντα καλύπτρῃ,

  ὃν φύσις ἐθρίγκωσε χαραδραίῳ πυλεῶνι

  [103] This said, he let the oracular voice sleep in his mouth. But when Demeter Sicklebearer heard the hope of coming fruits, and how one uninvited and unbetrothed was to ravish her beloved maiden girl, she groaned and smiled at once, and hastening by the paths of high heaven she entered her own house with despondent step. Then beside the dragon-manger she balanced the curved yoke over the two necks of the monsters, and fastened the untamed crawlers with the yokestrap, pressing their jaws about the crooktooth bit. So goldenbrown Deo in that grim car conveyed her girl hidden in a black veil of cloud. Boreas roared like thunder against the passage of the wagon, but she whistled him down with her monster-driving whip, guiding the light wings of the quick dragons as they sped horselike along the course of the wind, through the sky and round the back-reaching cape of the Libyan Ocean. She heard the music of the helmeted Cretan troop resounding in Dicte, as they danced about with the tumbling steel thundering heavy upon their oxhide shields. The goddess passed them by, looking for a stony harbourage; and she alighted among the Pelorian cliffs of Threepeak Sicily near the Adriatic shores, where the restless briny flood is driven towards the west and bends round like a sickle, bringing the current in a curve to southwest from the north. And in the place where that River had often bathed the maiden Cyane, pouring his water in fountain-showers as a bridegift, she saw a neighbouring grotto like a lofty hall crowned and concealed by a roof of stone, which nature had completed with a rocky gateway and a loom of stone tended by the neighbouring Nymphs.

  λάινον ἱστὸν ἔχοντα μεμηλότα γείτοσι Νύμφαις.

  καὶ θεὸς ὀρφναίοιο διερπύζουσα μελάθρου

  135 παῖδα πολυσφρήγιστον ἐνέκρυφε φωλάδι πέτρῃ:

  λυσαμένη δὲ δράκοντας ἐυπτερύγων ἀπὸ δίφρων

  τὸν μὲν δεξιτεροῖο παρὰ πρηῶνα θυρέτρου,

  τὸν δὲ λιθογλώχινα πύλης παρὰ λαιὸν ὀχῆα

  στῆσεν ἀθηήτοιο φυλάκτορα Περσεφονείης:

  140 κεῖθι δὲ Καλλιγένειαν, ἑὴν εὔπαιδα τιθήνην,

  κάλλιπε σὺν ταλάροισι, καὶ ὁππόσα θήλεϊ φύτλῃ

  Παλλάδος εὐπαλάμοιο νέμει ταλασήιος ἱδρώς:

  καὶ ποσὶν ἠέρα τέμνεν, ἐρημονόμοις δὲ φυλάξαι

  καμπύλα πετραίῃσιν ἐπέτρεπεν ἅρματα Νύμφαις.

  [134] The goddess passed through the dark hall, and concealed her daughter well-secured in this hollow rock. Then she loosed the dragons from the winged car; one she placed by the jutting rock on the right of the door, one on the left beside the stone-pointed barrier of the entry, to protect Persephoneia unseen. There also she left Calligeneia, her own fond nurse, with her baskets, and all that cleverhand Pallas gives to make womankind sweat over their woolspinning. Then she left her rounded chariot for the Nymphs to watch, in their lonely home among the rocks, and cut the air with her feet.

  145 ἀμφὶ δὲ καρχαρόδοντα γένυν πεπόνητο σιδήρου

  εἰροκόμῳ ξαίνουσα περὶ κτενὶ λήνεα κούρη,

  ἠλακάτῃ δ᾽ ἐνέλισσε: πολυστροφάδεσσι δὲ ῥιπαῖς

  εἰλυφόων ἄτρακτος ἕλιξ βητάρμονι παλμῷ

  νηθομένων ἐχόρευε μίτων κυκλούμενος ὁλκῷ:

  150 καὶ ποσὶ φοιταλέοισι παλίνδρομος ἄκρον ἀπ᾽ ἄκρου

  πρωτοπαγῆ ποίησε διάσματα, φάρεος ἀρχήν,

  ἱστῷ δ᾽ ἀμφὶς ἕλισσεν: ὕφαινε δὲ κερκίδι κούρη

  πηνίον ἐξέλκουσα παρὲκ μίτον, ἀμφὶ δὲ πέπλῳ

  γνωτὴν ἰστοτέλειαν ἑὴν ἐλίγαινεν Ἀθήνην.

  [145] The girl busied herself in carding fleeces of wool under the sharp teeth of the iron comb. She packed the wool on the distaff, and the twirling spindle with many a twist and jerk ran round and round in dancing step, as the threads were spun and drawn through the fingers. She fixed the first threads of the warp which begins the cloth, and gave them a turn round the beam, moving from end to end to and fro with unresting feet. She wove away, plying the rod and pulling the bobbin along through the threads, while she sang over the cloth to her cousin Athena the clever Webster.

  155 παρθένε Περσεφόνεια, σὺ δ᾽ οὐ γάμον εὗρες ἀλύξαι,

  ἀλλὰ δρακοντείοισιν ἐνυμφεύθης ὑμεναίοις,

  Ζεὺς ὅτε πουλυέλικτος ἀμειβομένοιο προσώπου

  νυμφίος ἱμερόεντι δράκων κυκλούμενος ὁλκῷ

  εἰς μυχὸν ὀρφναίοιο διέστιχε παρθενεῶνος,

  160 σείων δαυλὰ γένεια: παρισταμένων δὲ θυρέτρῳ

  εὔνασεν ἰσοτύπων πεφορημένος ὄμμα δρακόντων...

  καὶ γαμίαις γενύεσσι δέμας λιχμάζετο κούρης

  μείλιχος. αἰθερίων δὲ δρακοντείων ὑμεναίων

  Περσεφόνης γονόεντι τόκῳ κυμαίνετο γαστήρ,

  165 Ζαγρέα γειναμένη, κερόεν βρέφος, ὃς Διὸς ἕδρης

  μοῦνος ἐπουρανίης ἐπεβήσατο, χειρὶ δὲ βαιῇ

  ἀστεροπὴν ἐλέλιζε νεηγενέος δὲ φορῆος

  νηπιάχοις παλάμῃσιν ἐλαφρίζοντο κεραυνοί.

  [155] Ah, maiden Persephoneia! You could not find how to escape your mating! No, a dragon was your mate, when Zeus changed his face and came, rolling in many a loving coil through the dark to the corner of the maiden’s chamber, and shaking his hairy chaps: he lulled to sleep as he crept the eyes of those creatures of his own shape who guarded the door. He licked the girl’s form gently with wooing lips. By this marriage with the heavenly dragon, the womb of Persephone swelled with living fruit, and she bore Zagreus the horned baby, who by himself climbed upon the heavenly throne of Zeus and brandished lightning in his little hand, and newly born, lifted and carried the thunderbolts in his tender fingers.

  οὐδὲ Διὸς θρόνον εἶχεν ἐπὶ χρόνον: ἀλλά ἑ γύψῳ

  170 κερδαλέῃ χρισθέντες ἐπίκλοπα κύκλα προσώπου

  δαίμονος ἀστόργοιο χόλῳ βαρυμήνιος Ἥρης

  Ταρταρίῃ Τιτῆνες ἐδηλήσαντο μαχαίρῃ

  ἀντιτύπῳ νόθον εἶδος ὀπιπεύοντα κατόπτρῳ.

  ἔνθα διχαζομένων μελέων Τιτῆνι σιδήρῳ

  175 τέρμα βίου Διόνυσος ἔχων παλινάγρετον ἀρχὴν

  ἀλλοφυὴς μορφοῦτο πολυσπερὲς εἶδος ἀμείβων,

  πῇ μὲν ἅτε Κρονίδης δόλιος νέος
αἰγίδα σείων,

  πῇ δὲ γέρων βαρύγουνος ἅτε Κρόνος ὄμβρον ἰάλλων:

  ἄλλοτε ποικιλόμορφον ἔην βρέφος, ἄλλοτε κούρῳ

  180 εἴκελος οἰστρηθέντι, νέον δέ οἱ ἄνθος ἰούλων

  ἀκροκελαινιόωντα κατέγραφε κύκλα προσώπου:

  πῇ δὲ χόλῳ δασπλῆτι λέων μιμηλὸς ἰάλλων

  φρικαλέον βρύχημα σεσηρότι μαίνετο λαιμῷ,

  ὀρθώσας πυκινῇσι κατάσκιον αὐχένα χαίταις,

  185 ἀμφελελιζομένης λασιότριχος ὑψόθι νώτου

  αὐτομάτῃ μάστιγι περιστίζων δέμας οὐρῆς:

  ἔνθα λεοντείοιο λιπὼν ἴνδαλμα προσώπου

  ὑψιλόφῳ χρεμετισμὸν ὁμοίιον ἔβρεμεν ἵππῳ

  ἄζυγι, γαῦρον ὀδόντα μετοχμάζοντι χαλινοῦ,

  190 καὶ πολιῷ λεύκαινε περιτρίβων γένυν ἀφρῷ:

  ἄλλοτε ῥοιζήεντα χέων συριγμὸν ὑπήνης

  ἀμφιλαφὴς φολίδεσσι δράκων ἐλέλικτο κεράστης,

  γλῶσσαν ἔχων προβλῆτα κεχηνότος ἀνθερεῶνος,

  καὶ βλοσυρῷ Τιτῆνος ἐπεσκίρτησε καρήνῳ

  195 ὁρμὸν ἐχιδνήεντα περίπλοκον αὐχένι δήσας:

  καὶ δέμας ἑρπηστῆρος ἀειδίνητον ἐάσας

  τίγρις ἔην, στίξας δέμας αἰόλον: ἄλλοτε ταύρῳ

  ἰσοφυής, στομάτων δὲ νόθον μυκηθμὸν ἰάλλων

  θηγαλέῃ Τιτῆνας ἀνεστυφέλιξε κεραίῃ.

  200 καὶ ψυχῆς προμάχιζεν, ἕως ζηλήμονι λαιμῷ

  τρηχαλέον μύκημα δι᾽ ἠέρος ἔβρεμεν Ἥρη,

  μητρυιὴ βαρύμηνις, ἰσοφθόγγῳ δὲ θεαίνῃ

  αἰθέριον κελάδημα πύλαι κανάχιζον Ὀλύμπου,

  καὶ θρασὺς ὤκλασε ταῦρος: ἀμοιβαίῃ δὲ φονῆες

  205 ταυροφυῆ Διόνυσον ἐμιστύλλοντο μαχαίρῃ.

  [169] But he did not hold the throne of Zeus for long. By the fierce resentment of implacable Hera, the Titans cunningly smeared their round faces with disguising chalk, and while he contemplated his changeling countenance reflected in a mirror they destroyed him with an infernal knife. There where his limbs had been cut piecemeal by the Titan steel, the end of his life was the beginning of a new life as Dionysos. He appeared in another shape, and changed into many forms: now young like crafty Cronides shaking the aegis-cape, now as ancient Cronos heavy-kneed, pouring rain. Sometimes he was a curiously formed baby, sometimes like a mad youth with the flower of the first down marking his rounded chin with black. Again, a mimic lion he uttered a horrible roar in furious rage form a wild snarling throat, as he lifted a neck shadowed by a thick mane, marking his body on both sides with the self-striking whip of a tail which flickered about over his hairy back. Next, he left the shape of a lion’s looks and let out a ringing neigh, now like an unbroken horse that lifts his neck on high to shake out the imperious tooth of the bit, and rubbing, whitened his cheek with hoary foam. Sometimes he poured out a whistling hiss form his mouth, a curling horned serpent covered with scales, darting out his tongue from his gaping throat, and leaping upon the grim head of some Titan encircled his neck in snaky spiral coils. Then he left the shape of the restless crawler and became a tiger with gay stripes on his body; or again like a bull emitting a counterfeit roar from his mouth he butted the Titans with sharp horn. So he fought for his life, until Hera with jealous throat bellowed harshly through the air – that heavy-resentful stepmother! and the gates of Olympos rattled in echo to her jealous throat from high heaven. Then the bold bull collapsed: the murderers each eager for his turn with the knife chopt piecemeal the bull-shaped Dionysos.

  Ζεὺς δὲ πατήρ, προτέροιο δαϊζομένου Διονύσου

  γινώσκων σκιόεντα τύπον δοδίοιο κατόπτρου,

  μητέρα Τιτήνων ἐλάσας ποινήτορι πυρσῷ

  Ζαγρέος εὐκεράοιο κατεκλήισσε φονῆας

  210 Ταρταρίῳ πυλεῶνι: καὶ αἰθομένων ἀπὸ δένδρων

  θερμὰ βαρυνομένης ἐμαραίνετο βόστρυχα γαίης.

  ἀντολίην δ᾽ ἔφλεξε καὶ αἰθαλόεντι βελέμνῳ

  αἴθετο Βάκτριον οὖδας ἑώιον, ἀγχιπόροις δὲ

  κύμασιν Ἀσσυρίοισιν ἐδαίετο Κάσπιον ὕδωρ,

  215 Ἰνδῷοί τε τένοντες: Ἐρυθραίοιο δὲ κόλπου

  ἔμπυρα κυμαίνοντος Ἄραψ θερμαίνετο Νηρεύς.

  καὶ δύσιν ἀντικέλευθον ἑῷ πρήνιξε κεραυνῷ

  Ζεὺς πυρόεις φιλότεκνος: ὑπὸ Ζεφύροιο δὲ ταρσῷ

  ἡμιδαὴς σέδας ὑγρὸν ἀπέπτυεν ἑσπερὶς ἅλμη,

  220 Ἀρκτῷοί τε τένοντες: ὁμοφλεγέος δὲ καὶ αὐτῆς

  πηγνυμένης πάφλαζε Βορήια νῶτα θαλάσσης:

  καὶ Νοτίου νιφόεσσαν ὑπὸ κλίσιν Αἰγοκερῆος

  θερμοτέρῳ σπινθῆρι μεσημβρινὸς ἔζεεν ἀγκών.

  [206] After the first Dionysos had been slaughtered, Father Zeus learnt the trick of the mirror with its reflected image. He attacked the mother of the Titans with avenging brand, and shut up the murderers of horned Dionysos within the gate of Tartaros: the trees blazed, the hair of suffering Earth was scorched with heat. He kindled the East: the dawnlands of Bactria blazed under blazing bolts, the Assyrian waves set afire the neighbouring Caspian Sea and the Indian mountains, the Red Sea rolled billows of flame and warmed Arabian Nereus. The opposite West also fiery Zeus blasted with his thunderbolt in love for his child; and under the foot of Zephyros the western brine half-burnt spat out a shining stream; the Northern ridges – even the surface of the frozen Northern Sea bubbled and burned: under the clime of snowy Aigoceros the Southern corner boiled with hotter sparks.

  καὶ διεροῖς βλεφάροις ποταμήια δάκρυα λείβων

  225 Ὠκεανὸς λιτάνευε χέων ἱκετήσιον ὕδωρ:

  Ζεὺς δὲ χόλον πρήυνε, μαραινομένην δὲ καραυνῷ

  γαῖαν ἰδὼν ἐλέαιρε, καὶ ἤθελεν ὕδατι νίψαι

  λύματα τεφρήεντα καὶ ἔμπυρον ἕλκος ἀρούρης.

  [224] Now Oceanos poured rivers of tears from his watery eyes, a libation of suppliant prayer. Then Zeus calmed his wrath at the sight of the scorched earth; he pitied her, and wished to wash with water the ashes of ruin and the fiery wounds of the land.

  καὶ τότε γαῖαν ἅπασαν ἐπέκλυσεν ὑέτιος Ζεὺς

  230 πυκνώσας νεφέεσσιν ὅλον πόλον, οὐρανίη δὲ

  βρονταίοις πατάγοισι Διὸς μυκήσατο σάλπιγξ,

  ἀστέρες ὁππότε πάντες ἐνὶ σφετέροισι μελάθροις

  κεκριμένοι δρόμον εἶχον, ἐπεὶ τετράζυγι δίφρῳ

  ἠέλιος σελάγιζε λεοντείων ἐπ
ὶ νώτων

  235 ἱππεύων ἑὸν οἶκον: ἐπιτροχόωσα δὲ δίφρῳ

  καρκίνον ὀκταπόδην τριφυὴς κυκλοῦτο Σελήνη,

  καὶ δροσερὴν ὑπὸ πέζαν ἰσημερίῳ παρὰ κύκλῳ

  Κύπρις ἀπὸ Κριοῖο μεταστήσασα κεραίης

  εἰαρινὸν δόμον εἶχεν, ἀχείμονα Ταῦρον Ὀλύμπου,

  240 γείτων δ᾽ Ἠελίοιο προάγγελον Ἱστοβοῆος

  σκορπίον εἶχεν Ἄρης, μιτρούενον αἴθοπι Ταύρῳ,

  δόχμιος ἀντικέλευθον ὀπιπεύων Ἀφροδίτην,

  καὶ τελέων λυκάβαντα δυωδεκάμηνος ὁδίτης

  ἰχθύας ἀστερόεντας ἐπέτρεχεν ἀκρόνυχος Ζεύς,

  245 δεξιτερὴν τρίπλευρον ἔχων ἑλικώδεα Μήνην,

  καὶ Κρόνος ὄμβρια νῶτα διέστιχεν Αἰγοκερῆος

  φέγγεϊ παχνήεντι διάβροχος, ἀμφὶ δὲ φαιδρῇ

  παρθενικῇ πτερύγεσσιν ἔην ὑψούμενος Ἑρμῆς,

  [229] The Rainy Zeus covered the whole sky with clouds and flooded all the earth. Zeus’s heavenly trumpet bellowed with its thunderclaps, while all the stars moved in their appointed houses: when the Sun in his four-horse chariot drove shining over the Lion’s back, his own house; the Moon of threefold form rolled in her onrunning car over the eightfoot Crab; Cypris in her equinoctial course under the dewy region had left the Ram’s horn behind, and held her spring-time house in the heavenly Bull which knows no winter; the Sun’s neighbour Ares possessed the Scorpion, harbinger of the Plow, encircled by the blazing Bull, and ogled Aphrodite opposite with a sidelong glance; Zeus of nightfall, the twelvemonth traveller who completes the lichtgang, was treading on the starry Fishes, having on his right he round-faced Moon in trine; Cronos passed through the showery back of Aigoceros drenched in the frosty light; round the bright Maiden, Hermes was poised on his pinions, because as a dispenser of justice he had Justice for his house.