by Nonnus
ὅττι Δίκην δόμον εἶχε δικασπόλος. ἑπταπόρου δὲ
250 αἰθέρος ὑδατόεντες ἀνωίχθησαν ὀχῆες
Ζηνὸς ἐπομβρήσαντος: ἐριφλοίσβοιο δὲ κόλπου
κρουνοῖς πλειοτέροισιν ἐμυκήσαντο χαράδραι,
ὑδρηλαὶ δὲ θύγατρες ἀποσπάδες Ὠκεανοῖο
λίμναι ἐκουφίζοντο, καὶ ἠέρι νέρτερον ὕδωρ
255 κρουνοὶ ἀκοντιστῆρες ἀνέβλυον Ὠκεανοῖο,
καὶ σκοπιαὶ ῥαθάμιζον, ὀρεσσιχύτῳ δὲ ῥεέθρῳ
δοψαλέαι ποταμηδὸν ἐμορμύροντο κολῶναι:
ὑψώθη δὲ θάλασσα, καὶ εἰς ὄρος ὑψόθι λόχμης
Νηρεΐδες γεγάασιν Ὀρειάδες. ἆ μέγα δειλή,
260 χερσὶν ἀπειρήτοισιν ἐνήχετο παρθένος Ἠχὼ
ἀρχαίης φόβον ἄλλον ἀμειβομένη περὶ μίτρης,
μή ποτε Πᾶνα φυγοῦσα Ποσειδάωνι μιγείη.
ποντοπόροι δὲ λέοντες ἀήθεος ἔνδοθι πέτρης
χερσαίων ἐχόρευον ἐνὶ σπήλυγγι λεόντων
265 μυδαλέοις μελέεσσι: χαραδραίῳ δ᾽ ἐνὶ κόλπῳ
εἰναλίῳ δελφῖνι συνήντετο κάπρος ἀλήτης:
καὶ ξυνοῖς ῥοθίοισιν ὀρεσσιχύτου νιφετοῖο
θῆρες ἐναυτίλλοντο σὺν ἰχθύσιν: εἱλικόεις δὲ
πούλυπος οὐρεσίφοιτος ἐπεσκίρτησε λαγωῷ.
270 καὶ διεροὶ Τρίτωνες ὑπὸ σφυρὰ φωλάδος ὕλης
ἔγχλοον αἰθύσσοντες ἐπ᾽ ἐξύι δίπτυχον οὐρὴν
Πανὸς ὀρεσσαύλοισιν ἐνεκρύπτοντο μελάθροις,
σύμπλοον ἠερίοισιν ἐπτιρέψαντες ἀήταις
στικτὴν ἠθάδα κόχλον: ἐν εὐύδρῳ δὲ κολώνῃ
275 Πανὶ φιλοσκοπέλῳ μετανάστιος ἤντετο Νηρεύς,
καὶ ναέτης πετραῖος ὄρος μετὰ πόντον ἀμείβων
μυδαλέην σύριγγα διαπλώουσαν ἐάσσας:
ἰκμαλέον σπέος εἶχεν ὑπωροφίης δόμον Ἠχοῦς.
[249] Now the barriers of the sevenzoned watery sky were opened, when Zeus poured down his showers. The mountain-torrents roared with fuller fountains of the loudsplashing gulf. The lakes, liquid daughters cut off from Oceanos, raised their surface. The fountains shot spouts of the lower water of Oceanos into the air. The cliffs were besprinkled, the dry thirsty hills were drenched as with rivers streaming over the heights: the sea rose until Nereïds became Oreads on the hills over the woodland. O poor thing! Maid Echo had to swim with unpractised hands, and felt a new fear for that old maiden zone – Pan she had escaped, but she might be cause by Poseidon! Sea-lions now leaped with dripping limbs in the land-lions’ cave among rocks they knew not, and in the depths of a mountain-torrent a stray boar met with a dolphin of the sea. Wild beasts and fishes navigated in common stormy floods that poured from the mountains. The many-footed squid dragged his many coils into the hills, and pounced on the hare. The dripping Tritons at the edge of a secret wood wagged their green forked tails against their flanks, and hid in the mountain vaults where Pan had his habitation, leaving their familiar speckled conchs to sail about with the winds. Nereus on his travels met rock-loving Pan on a submerged hill, the rock-dweller left his sea and changed it for the hill, leaving the waterlogged pan’s-pipes that floated; while he took to the watery cave where Echo had sheltered.
καὶ διερῷ τότε φῶτες ἀνοιδαίνοντες ὀλέθρῳ
280 ὕδασι τυμβεύοντο, πολὺς δέ τις ἄλλος ἐπ᾽ ἄλλῳ
πλώετο κυματόεντι νέκυς πεφορημένος ὁλκῷ:
καὶ νιφετῷ κελάδοντι κεχηνότος ἀνθερεῶνος
χανδὸν ἀπὸ σκοπέλοιο πιὼν ὀρεσίδρομον ὕδωρ
πῖπτε λέων, πέσε κάπρος. ὁμοζεύκτῳ δὲ ῥεέθρῳ
285 λίμναι ὁμοῦ ποταμοῖσι, Διὸς ῥόος, ὕδατα πόντου
ἀλλήλοις κεκέραστο, καὶ εἰν ἑνὶ τέσσαρες αὖραι
συμμιγέων ἀνέμων ἐπεμάστιον ἄκριτον ὕδωρ.
[279] Then the bodies of poor fellows swollen in their watery death were buried in the waters. Heaps of corpses were floating one upon another carried along by the rolling currents; there fell the lion, there fell the boar into the roaring torrent, with open throat gulping draughts of the cascades that poured from rocks and mountains. With mingling streams, lakes and rivers, torrents of rain, waters of the sea were all combined together, and the four winds united their blasts in one, to flog the universal inundation.
καὶ διερὴν χθόνα πᾶσαν ἰδὼν ὑπὸ μείζονι παλμῷ
μοῦνον ἀπειλητῆρι τινασσομένην Διὸς ὄμβρῳ
290 πόντιος ἐννοσίγαιος ἑὴν ἔρριψεν ἀκωκὴν
ἀσχαλόων, τίνα γαῖαν ἀνοχλίσσειε τριαίνῃ.
Νηρεΐδων δὲ φάλαγγες ἐπέπλεον ἄβροχον ὕδωρ:
καὶ χλοερῆς Θέτιν εἶχεν ἐπ᾽ ἰξύος ὑγρὸς ὁδίτης,
τρίτων εὐρυγένειος, ἐπ᾽ ἰχθυόεντι δὲ νώτῳ
295 πομπίλον ἡνιόχευεν ἐν ἠέρι φοιτὰς Ἀγαύη,
καὶ λόφον ὑδατόεντι φέρων κυκλούμενον ὁλκῷ,
Δωρίδα κουφίζων, μετανάστιος ἔτρεχε δελφίς.
καὶ βυθίη φάλλαινα περισκαίρουσα κολώναις
πλάζετο, μαστεύουσα χαμευνάδος ἄντρα λεαίνης.
[288] Earthshaker saw from the deep the earth all flooded, while Zeus alone with stronger push made it quake under his threatening torrents: he threw away his prongs, wondering in his anger what earth now he could heave with a trident! Nereïds in battalions swam over the flooding waves; Thestis travelled over the water riding on the green hip of a Triton with broad beard; Agauë on a fish’s back drove her pilotfish in the open air, and an exile dolphin with the water swirling round his neck lifted Doris and carried her along. A whale of the deep sea leaped about the hills and sought the cave of the earthbedded lioness.
300 καὶ τότε κυματόεσσαν ἰδὼν ὑπὸ γείτονα πέτρην
νηχομένην Γαλάτειαν ἀνίαχε μυδαλέος Πάν:
‘Πῇ φέρεαι, Γαλάτεια, δι᾽ οὔρεος ἀντὶ θαλάσσης;
μὴ τάχα μαστεύεις ἐρατὴν Κύκλωπος ἀοιδήν;
πρὸς Παφίης λίτομαί σε καὶ ὑμετέρου Πολυφήμου,
305 μὴ κρύψῃς δεδαυῖα βαρὺν πόθον, εἰ παρὰ πέτραις
νηχομένην ἐνόησας ἐμὴν ὀρεσίδρομον Ἠχώ.
ἦ ῥά σοι ἶσον ἔχει διεπὸν δρόμον; ἦ ῥα καὶ αὐτὴ
ἑζοθένη δελφῖνι θαλασσαίης Ἀφροδίτης,
ὡς Θέτις ἀκρήδεμνος, ἐμὴ ναυτίλλε�
�αι Ἠχώ;
310 δείδια, μή μιν ὄρινε δυσάντεα κύματα πόντου:
δείδια, μή μιν ἔκευθε μέγας ῥόος: ὣς ἄρα δειλὴ
ἄστατος ἐν πελάγεσσι μετ᾽ οὔρεα κύματα βαίνει:
ἥ ποτε πετρήεσσα φανήσεται ὑδριὰς Ἠχώ.
ἀλλὰ τεὸν Πολύφημον ἔα βραδύν: ἢν ἐθελήσῃς,
315 αὐτὸς ἐμοῖς ὤμοισιν ἀερτάζων σε σαώσω:
οὔ με κατακλύζει κελάδων ῥόος: ἢν ἐθελήσω,
ἴχνεσιν αἰγείοισιν ἐλεύσομαι εἰς πόλον ἄστρων.’
[300] Then Pan well soaked saw Galateia swimming under a neighbouring wavebeaten rock, and sang out: “Where are you going, Galateia? Have you given up sea for hills? Perhaps you are looking for the love-song of Cyclops? I pray you by the Paphian, and by your Polyphemos – you know the weight of desire, do not hide from me if you have noticed my mountainranging Echo swimming by you? Does she also sit on a dolphin of Aphrodite the sea-goddess, my own Echo navigating like Thetis unveiled? I fear the dangerous waves of the deep may have startled her! I fear the great flood may have covered her! How cruel for her, poor thing! She has left the hills and moves restless over the waves. Echo once the maid of the rocks will show herself as the maid of the waters. Come, leave your Polyphemos, the laggard! If you like, I will lift you upon my own back and save you. The roaring flood does not overwhelm me; if I like I can mount to the starry sky on my goatish feet!”
ὥς φαμένῳ Γαλάτεια τόσην ἀντίαχε φωνήν:
‘Πὰν φίλε, σὴν ἀνάειρε δι᾽ οἴδματος ἄπλοον Ἠχώ:
320 μή με μάτην ἐρέεινε, τί σήμερον ἐνθάδε βαίνω:
ἄλλον ἐμοὶ πλόον εὗρεν ὑπέρτερον ὑέτιος Ζεύς.
καὶ γλυκερήν περ ἐοῦσαν ἔα Κύκλωπος ἀοιδήν.
οὐκέτι μαστεύω Σικελὴν ἅλα: τοσσατίου γὰρ
τάρβος ἔχω νιφετοῖο καὶ οὐκ ἀλέγω Πολυφήμου.’
[318] He spoke, and Galateia said in reply: “My dear Pan, carry your own Echo through the waves – she knows nothing of the sea. Don’t waste your time in asking me why I am going here this day. I have another and higher voyage which Rainy Zeus has found me. Let be the song of Cyclops, though it is sweet. I seek no more the Sicilian sea; I am terrified at this tremendous flood, and I care nothing for Polyphemos.”
325 εἶπε, καὶ ὑγροπόροιο παρήλυθε Πανὸς ἐναύλους.
[325] With these words, she passed away from the lair of waterfaring Pan.
πυκνά δὲ κυμαίνοντος ἀμαιμακέτου νιφετοῖο
πᾶσα πόλις, πᾶς δῆμος ἔην ῥόος: οὐδέ τις ἀγκὼν
ἄβροχος ἦν, οὐ γυμνὸς ἔην λόφος, οὐ ῥίον Ὄσσης,
οὐ τότε Πήλιον ἄκρον: ὑπὸ τριλόφῳ δὲ κολώνῃ
330 Τυρσηνὸς κελάδησεν: ἱμασσομένοιο δὲ πόντου
Ἀδριάδες Σικελοῖσιν ἐρόχθεον ὕδασι πέτραι
ὀμβρηροῖς ῥοθίοισιν. ἐν ἠερίῃ δὲ κελεύθῳ
μαρμαρυγαὶ Φαέθοντος ἐθηλύνοντο ῥεέθροις:
ζώνῃ δ᾽ ἑβδομάτῃ χθαμαλῆς ὑπὲρ ἄντυγα πέζης
335 κύμασιν ἠλιβάτοισι σέλας ψύξασα Σελήνη
μυδαλέων ἀνέκοψε λελουμένον αὐχένα ταύρων:
ἀστραίῃ δὲ φάλαγγι μεμιγμένον ὄμβριον ὕδωρ
λευκοτέρην ποίησε Γαλαξαίην ἴτυν ἀφρῷ.
[326] As the irresistible torrent swelled on and on, every city, every nation was a flood; not one corner was undrenched, not one hill was then bare – not the peak of Ossa, not the top of Pelion. Under the three peaks roared the Tyrrhenian Sea; the Adriatic rocks rebounded with Sicilian waters in showers of foam from the flogging sea. The sparkling rays of Phaëthon in his airy course became soft and womanish in the torrents. Selene in her seventh zone over the low rim of the earth cooled her light in the mounting waves, and checked her cattle with drenched and soaking necks. The rainwater mixed with the starry battalions, and made the Milky Way whiter with foam.
καὶ ῥοθίῳ γονόεντι χέων ἑπτάστομον ὕδωρ
340 Ἀλφειῷ δυσέρωτι συνήντετο Νεῖλος ἀλήτης,
ὧν ὁ μὲν εὐκάρποιο δι᾽ αὔλακος ἤθελεν ἕρπειν
τέρπων ἰκμαλέοισι φιλήμασι διψάδα νύμφην,
ὅς δὲ παραΐξας προτέρην ὁδὸν ἠθάδος ἄγρης
ἀχνύμενος πεφόρητο: συνερπύζοντα δὲ λεύσσων
345 Πύραμον ἱμερόεντα τόσην ἀνενείκατο φωνήν:
‘Νεῖλε, τί κεν ῥέξαιμι καλυπτομένης Ἀρεθούσης;
Πύραμε, τί σπεύδεις; τίνι κάλλιπες ἠθάδα Θίσβην;
ὄλβιος Εὐφρήτης, ὅτι μὴ λάχε κέντρον Ἐρώτων.
ζῆλον ἔχω καὶ δεῖμα μεμιγμένον: ὑδατόεις γὰρ
350 ἱμερτῇ παρίαυε τάχα Κρονίδης Ἀρεθούσῃ:
δείδια, μὴ προχοῇσι τεὴν νυμφεύσατο Θίσβην.
Πύραμος, Ἀλφειοῖο παραίφασις, ἡμέας ἄμφω
οὐ Διὸς ὄμβρος ὄρινεν, ὅσον βέλος ἀφρογενείης.
ἕσπεό μοι φιλέοντι, Συρηκοσίης δ᾽ Ἀρεθούσης
355 ἴχνια μαστεύσω, σὺ δέ, Πύραμε, δίζεο Θίσβην.
[339] The Nile, pouring his lifegiving stream through his seven mouths, went astray and met love-sick Alpheios. His wish was to creep through the fruitful soil, and delight his thirsty bride with watery kisses; but the other had lost the familiar road of his old-time hunt, and rolled along in sorrow, until seeing Pyramos the lover moving by his side he cried out and said – “Nile, what am I to do? Arethusa is hidden! Pryamos, why this haste? You have left your companion Thisbe – to whom? Happy Euphrates! He has not felt the sting of love. Jealousy and fear possess me together. Perhaps Cronos’s watery son has slept with lovely Arethusa! I fear he may have wooed your Thisbe in his flowings! Pyramos is a consolation of Alpheios. The rain of Zeus has not stirred us so much as the arrow of the Foamborn. Follow me the lover, I will seek the tracks of Syracusan Arethusa, and do you, Pramos, hunt for Thisbe.
ἀλλ᾽ ἐρέεις, ὅτι γαῖα τινάσσεται, ὅττι χαλέπτει
οὐρανός, ὅττι θάλασσα βιάζεται, ὅττι καὶ αὐτὸς
ἄπλοος ἀφριόωντι ῥόῳ κυμαίνεται αἰθήρ:
οὐκ ἀλέγω νιφετοῖο μεμηνότος. ἆ μέγα θαῦμα:
360 αἰθομένην Διὸς ὄμβρος ὅλην χθόνα καὶ φλόγα πόντου
καὶ ποταμοὺς ἐκάθηρεν, ἀπ᾽ Ἀλφειοῖο δὲ μούνου
οὐτιδανὸν Παφίης οὐκ ἔσβεσεν ἁπτόμενον πῦρ.
ἔμπης, εἰ κλονέει με τόσος ῥόος, εἰ πυρὶ κάμνω,
βαιὸν ἐμῆς ὀδύνης πέλε φάρμακον, ὅττι καὶ αὐτὸς
365 πλάζεται ἁβρὸς Ἄδ�
�νις ἀνιάζων Ἀφροδίτην.’
[356] “But you will say – the earth quakes, the sky attacks us, the sea compels us, the unnavigable upper air itself swells in a foaming flood! I care not for the wild deluge. See what a great miracle! The blazing earth, the flaming sea, the rivers – all have been swept clean by the downpour of Zeus, only one trifle it has not quenched, the Paphian fire of Alpheios! However, if the great flood confounds me, if I suffer from fire, there is one small medicine for my pain, that tender Adonis is wandering too and vexing Aphrodite.”
οὔ πω μῦθος ἔληγε, φόβος δ᾽ ἐβιήσατο φωνήν.
καὶ τότε Δευκαλίων περόων ὑψούμενον ὕδωρ
ναυτίλος ἦν ἀκίχητος, ἔχων πλόον ἠεροφοίτην,
καὶ στόλος αὐτοκέλευθος ἄτερ ποδός, ἄμμορος ὅρμου,
370 λάρνακος αὐτοπόροιο κατέγραφε δύσνιφον ὕδωρ.
[366] His tale was not yet ended, when fear conquered his voice. Then also Deucalion passed over the mounting flood, to navigate far out of reach on a sky-traversing voyage; and the course of his ark selfguided selfmoving, without sheet and without harbour, scored the stormy waters.
καί νύ κε κόσμος ἄκοσμος ἐγίνετο, καί νύ κεν ἀνδρῶν
ἄσπορον ἁρμονίην ἀνελύσατο πάντροφος Αἰών:
ἀλλὰ Διὸς ζαθέοις ὑπό νεύμασι κυανοχαίτης
Θεσσαλικοῦ σκοπέλοιο μεσόμφαλον ἄκρον ὀρύξας
375 γειοτόμῳ τριόδοντι διέσχισε, καὶ διὰ μέσσου
ῥηγνυμένου πρηῶνος ἐχάζετο μάρμαρον ὕδωρ:
καὶ χύσιν ὑψικέλευθον ἀπωσαμένη νιφετοῖο
γαῖα φάνη παλίνορσος: ἐλαυνομένων δὲ ῥεέθρων
