by Nonnus
εἰς βυθίους κευθμῶνας ἐγυμνώθησαν ἐρίπναι.
380 καὶ χθονὸς ὑγρὰ μέτωπα χέων πολυδίψιον αἴγλην
ἠέλιος ξήραινε: παχυνομένων δὲ ῥοάων
θερμοτέραις ἀκτῖσιν ἐχερσώθη πάλιν ἰλὺς
οἷα πάρος. βροτέῃ δὲ τετυγμένα μείζονι τέχνῃ
ἄστεα λαϊνέοισιν ἐνεστήρικτο θεμέθλοις,
385 δωμήθη δὲ μέλαθρα, νεοκτίστων δὲ πολήων
ἀρτιγόνοις μερόπεσσιν ἐρυμνώθησαν ἀγυιαί.
καὶ φύσις ἂψ ἐγέλασσε: συνιπταμένων δὲ θυέλλαις
ὀρνίθων πτερύγεσσιν ἐρετμώθη πάλιν ἀήρ.
[371] Then the whole frame of the universe would have been unframed, then all-breeding Time would have dissolved the whole structure of the unsown generations of mankind: but by the divine ordination of Zeus, Poseidon Seabluehair with earthsplitting trident split the midmost peak of the Thessalian mountain, and dug a cleft through it by which the water ran sparkling down. Earth shook off the stormy flood which travelled so high, and showed herself risen again; the streams were driven into the deep hollows and the cliffs were laid bare. The sun poured his thirsty rays on the wet face of earth, and dried it; the water grew thick under the hotter beams, and he mud was dried again as before. Cities were fashioned by men with better skill and established upon stone foundations, palaces were built, and the streets of the new-founded cities were made strong for later generations of men. Nature laughed once more; the air once more was paddled by the wings of birds that flew in the winds.
BOOK 7
ἕβδομον ἱκεσίην πολιὴν Αἰῶνος ἀείδει
καὶ Σεμέλην καὶ ἔρωτα Διὸς καὶ φώριον εὐνήν.
ἤδη δ᾽ ἀενάοιο βίου παλιναυξέι καρπῷ
ἄρσενα θηλυτέρῃ γόνιμον σπόρον αὔλακι μίξας
ἄσπορον ἤροσε κόσμον Ἔρως, φιλότητος ἀροτρεύς:
καὶ φύσις ἐρρίζωτο, τιθηνήτειρα γενέθλης,
5 καὶ χθονὶ πῦρ κεράσασα καὶ ἠέρι σύμπλοκον ὕδωρ
ἀνδρομέην μόρφωσε γονὴν τετράζυγι δεσμῷ.
BOOK VII
The seventh sings of the hoary supplication of Time, and Semele, and the love of Zeus, and the furtive bed.
Already Eros, love’s plowman, had plowed the seedless world, and mixt the man’s seed of generation in the woman’s furrow, with the fruit of everflowing life again renewed. Nature the nurse of the offspring took root again; earth mingling with fire and water interwoven with air shaped the human race with its fourfold bonds.
ἀλλὰ βίον μερόπων ἑτερότροπος εἶχεν ἀνίη
ἀρχόμενον καμάτοιο καὶ οὐ λήγοντα μερίμνης.
καὶ Διὶ παμμεδέοντι δυηπαθέων γένος ἀνδρῶν
10 ἄμμορον εὐφροσύνης ἐπεδείκνυε σύντροφος Αἰών:
οὔ πω γὰρ τοκετοῖο λεχώια νήματα λύσας
Βάκχον ἀνηκόντιζε πατὴρ ἐγκύμονι μηρῷ,
ἀνδρομέης ἄμπαυμα μεληδόνος: οὐ τότε λοιβὴ
ἠερίους ἐμέθυσσε πόρους εὐώδεϊ καπνῷ
15 οἰνοβαφής, στεφάνους δὲ θεῶν λειμωνίδι ποίῃ
θυγατέρες λυκάβαντος ἀτερπέες ἔπλεκον Ὧραι:
οἴνου γὰρ χρέος ἦεν: ἀβακχεύτου δὲ χορείης
ἡμιτελὴς ἀνόνητος ἔην χάρις: ἀγρομένων γὰρ
ὄμματα μοῦνον ἔθελγεν, ὅτε στροφάδεσσιν ἐρωαῖς
20 ὀρχηστὴρ πολύκυκλος ἑλίσσετο λαίλαπι ταρσῶν,
νεύματα μῦθον ἔχων, παλάμην στόμα, δάκτυλα φωνήν.
[7] But sorrow in many forms possessed he life of men, which begins with labour and never sees the end of care: and Time his everlasting companion showed to Zeus Almighty mankind, afflicted with suffering and having no portion in happiness of heart. For the Father had not yet cut the threads of childbirth and shot forth Bacchos from his pregnant thigh, to give mankind rest from their tribulations; not yet did the libation of wine soak the pathways of the air and make them drunken with sweetsmelling exhalations. The Seasons, those daughters of the lichtgang, still joyless, plaited garlands for the gods only of meadow-grass. For Wine was lacking. Without Bacchos to inspire the dance, its grace was only half complete and quite without profit; it charmed only the eyes of the company, when the circling dancer moved in twists and turns with a tumult of footsteps, having only nods for words, hand for mouth, fingers for voice.
ἀλλὰ Διὸς πετάσας ἐπὶ γούνασι λευκάδα χαίτην
αἰὼν ποικιλόμορφος, ἔχων κληῖδα γενέθλης,
ἱκεσίης ὀρέγεν κεχαλασμένον ὁλκὸν ὑπήνης,
25 εἶχε λιτάς: δαπέδῳ δὲ καθελκομένοιο καρήνου
ἐκταδίην ἔθλιψε ῥάχιν κυρτούμενος αὐχήν:
καὶ ποδὸς ὀκλάζοντος ἀτέρμονα χεῖρα τιταίνων
ἀενάου βιότοιο γέρων ἐφθέγξατο ποιμήν:
[22] But Time the maniform, holding the key of generation, spread his white shock of hair over the knees of Zeus, let fall the flowing mass of his beard in supplication, and made his prayer, bowing his head to the ground, bending his neck, straining the whole length of his back; and as he knelt, the ancient of days, the shepherd of life ever-flowing, reached out his infinite hand and spoke:
‘Ζεῦ ἄνα, καὶ σὺ δόκευε κατηφέος ἄλγεα κόσμου.
30 οὐχ ὁράᾳς, ὅτι γαῖαν ὅλην οἴστρησεν Ἐνυὼ
ὥριον ἀμώουσα ταχυφθιμένης στάχυν ἥβης;
οὔ πω λείψανα κεῖνα παρήλυθεν, ἐξ ὅτε φωτῶν
ἔκλυσας ἔθνεα πάντα, καί ἠερίου ῥόος ὄμβρου
ἠέρα κυμαίνων ἐπεπάφλασε γείτονι Μήνῃ.
35 χαιρέτω ὠκυμόρων μερόπων βίος, ὧν ἐπὶ πότμῳ
οὐρανίους οἴηκας ἀναίνομαι οὐκέτι κόσμου
πεῖσμα κυβερνήσω: μακάρων δέ τις ἄλλος ἀρείων
πηδάλιον βιότοιο παλιννόστοιο δεχέσθω:
ἄλλος ἐμῶν ἐτέων ἐχέτω δρόμον: αἰνοπαθὲς γὰρ
40 οἰκτείρων ἐμόγησα πολυτλήτων γένος ἀνδρῶν.
ἄρκιον οὐ πέλε γῆρας, ὅ περ νεότητα μαραίνει
καὶ βραδὺν ἄνδρα τίθησι κάτω νεύοντι καρήνῳ,
κυφός ὅτε τρομερῇσι περισσοπόδεσσι πορείαις
γηροκόμῳ βαρύγουνος ἐρείδεται ἠθάδι βάκτρῳ:
45 ἄρκιος οὐ πέλε πότμος, ὃς ἔκρυφε πολλάκι Λήθῃ
νυμφίον ἀρτιχόρευτον ὁμόστολον ἥλικι νύμφῃ,
συζυγίης ἀλύτοιο φερέσβια πείσματα λύσας.
οἶδα μέν,
ὡς ἐρόεις πέλεται γάμος, ἧχι λιγαίνει
Πανιάδος σύριγγος ὁμόθροος αὐλὸς Ἀθήνης:
50 ἔμπης, ποῖον ὄνειαρ, ὅτε ζυγίῳ παρὰ παστῷ
ἑπτατόνου φόρμιγγος ἀράσσεται ὄρθιος ἠχώ;
πηκτίδες οὐ λύουσι μεληδόνας: ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὸς
νυμφιδίην ἀχόρευτος Ἔρως ἀπεσείσατο πεύκην
τερπωλῆς χατέοντας ὀπιπεύων ὑμεναίους.
[29] “Lord Zeus! behold yourself the sorrows of a despairing world! Do you not see that Enyo has made the whole earth mad, mowing season by season her harvest of quick-perishing youth? We can yet see traces of that deluge which you brought upon all nations, when the streams of airy floods billowed in the air and boiled against the neighbouring Moon. Farewell to the life of men, since they perish so soon! I renounce the divine helm at their fate, I will no longer handle the world’s cable. Let some other of the Blessed, one better than I am, receive the rudder of life ever renewed; let another have the course of my years – for I am weary of pitying the luckless race of suffering mankind. Is not old age enough, which blights youth, and makes a man go slow with bowed head, when bent and trembling he goes on his way with a foot too many, heavy of knee and leaning upon a staff, the faithful servant of age! Is not fate enough, who often hides in Lethe the young bridegroom, companion of an agemate bride lately wed, and breaks the life-bringing cables of a union that cannot be broken! I know how delightful a marriage is when Athena’s hoboy sounds along with the panspipes: nevertheless, what boots it, when the loud sound of the sevenchord harp is heard twanging near the bridal chamber? Lutes cannot comfort a heavy heart: but Eros himself stops the dance and throws away the bridal torch, if he sees a wedding without joy.
55 ἀλλὰ πολυκμήτων μερόπων ἐπίληθον ἀνίης
φάρμακον ἐρρίζωτο βιοσσόον: οὐράνιον γὰρ
οὐκ ὄφελέν ποτε κεῖνο πίθου κρήδεμνον ἀνοῖξαι
ἀνδράσι Πανδώρη γλυκερὸν κακόν. ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὸς
ἀνδρομέης κακότητος ἐπαίτιός ἐστι Προμηθεύς,
60 ὃς μογερῶν μερόπων ἐπικήδεται: ἀρχεκάκου γὰρ
ἀντὶ πυρὸς γλυκὺ νέκταρ, ὅ περ μακάρων φρένα τέρπει,
κλέψαι μᾶλλον ὄφελλε καὶ ἀνδράσι δῶρον ὀπάσσαι,
ὄφρα τεῷ σκεδάσειε ποτῷ μελεδήματα κόσμου.
ἀλλὰ λιπὼν βιότοιο πολυφλοίσβοιο μερίμνας
65 σὰς τελετὰς σκοπίαζε κατηφέας: ἦ ῥά σε θέλγει
ἀσπόνδων θυέων ἀνεμώλιος ἀτμὸς ἀλήτης;’
[55] “But (some may say) a medicine has been planted to make long-suffering mortals forget their troubles, to save their lives. Would that Pandora had never opened the heavenly cover of that jar – she the sweet bane of mankind! Nay, Prometheus himself is the cause of man’s misery – Prometheus who cares for poor mortals! Instead of fire which is the beginning of all evil he ought rather to have stolen sweet nectar, which rejoices the heart of the gods, and given that to men, that he might have scattered the sorrows of the world with your own drink. But never mind the cares of the tempest-tossed life, just consider your own ceremonials brought to sadness. Are you pleased at the empty vapour of the burnt-offering that strays without libation?”
ὣς φαμένοιο γέροντος ἐπὶ χρόνον ἔμφρονι σιγῇ
μῆτιν ἑὴν ἐλέλιζεν ἀτέρμονα μητίετα Ζεύς:
καὶ φρενὸς ἡνία λῦσεν: ἐπασσυτέρῃσι δὲ βουλαῖς
70 ἐγκεφάλου γονόεντος ἐδινεύοντο μενοιναί.
καὶ Κρονίδης Αἰῶνι θεηγόρον ἴαχε φωνὴν
ἄξονος ὀμφήεντος ὑπέρτερα θέσφατα φαίνων:
[67] When the ancient had ended, Zeus Allwise for a time turned over his infinite wisdom in thoughtful silence, and gave rein to his mind; one after another the meditations of that creative brain revolved before him; and at last Cronides addressed his divine voice to Time, and revealed oracles higher than the prophetic centre:
‘Ὦ πάτερ, ἀενάων ἐτέων αὐτόσπορε ποιμήν,
μὴ νεμέσα: βροτέη γὰρ ἀώριος οὔ ποτε λήγει
75 πληθομένη μινύθουσα φύσις, μίμημα σελήνης.
νέκταρ ἔα μακάρεσσι, καὶ ἀνδράσιν ἄλκαρ ἀνίης
αὐτοχύτῳ γλυκὺν οἶνον ἐοικότα νέκταρι δώσω:
ἄλλο ποτὸν μερόπεσσιν ἐφάρμενον: ἀρχέγονος δὲ
ἄχνυται εἰσέτι κόσμος, ἕως ἕνα παῖδα λοχεύσω.
80 τίκτω ἐγὼ γενέτης, καὶ τλήσομαι ἄρσενι μηρῷ
θηλυτέρας ὠδῖνας, ὅπως ὠδῖνα σαώσω.
χθιζὰ μὲν εὐρυάλωος ἐμῆς ὑπὸ νεύματι Δηοῦς
γαῖα χαρασσομένη σταχύων μνηστῆρι σιδήρῳ
ξηρὸν ἀμαλλοτόκοιο λοχεύσατο καρπὸν ἀρούρης.
85 ἤδη δ᾽ ἀγλαόδωρος ἐμὸς πάις ἐν χθονὶ πήξει
ὑγρὸν ἀκεσσιπόνοιο θυώδεα καρπὸν ὀπώρης,
νηπενθὴς Διόνυσος, ἀπενθέα βότρυν ἀέξων,
ἀντίπαλος Δήμητρι: καὶ αἰνήσεις με δοκεύων
ἄμπελον οἰνοτόκοισιν ἐρευθιόωσαν ἐέρσαις
90 εὐφροσύνης κήρυκα, καὶ ἀγρονόμους παρὰ ληνῷ
ποσσὶ βαρυνομένοισιν ἐπιθλίβοντας ὀπώρην,
Βασσαρίδων τε φάλαγγα φιλεύιον ὑψόθεν ὤμων
ἄπλοκον αἰθύσσουσαν ἐς ἠέρα λυσσάδα χαίτην:
καὶ φρένα βακχεύσαντες ἀμοιβαίοισι κυπέλλοις
95 πάντες ἀνευάξουσιν ἐπ᾽ εὐκελάδοιο τραπέζης
ἀνδρομέης Διόνυσον ἀλεξητῆρα γενέθλης:
τοῦτον ἀεθλεύσαντα μετὰ χθόνα σύνδρομον ἄστρων,
γηγενέων μετὰ δῆριν, ὁμοῦ μετὰ φύλοπιν Ἰνδῶν
Ζηνὶ συναστράπτοντα δεδέξεται αἰόλος αἰθήρ.
100 καὶ θεὸς ἡμερίδων ἐπικείμενον οἴνοπι κισσῷ
ὡς στέφος ἑρπηστῆρα περὶ πλοκάμοισιν ἑλίξας...
σῆμα νέης θεότητος ἔχων ὀφιώδεα μίτρην:
καὶ μακάρων ὁμότιμος ἐπώνυμος ἀνδράσιν ἔσται
ἀμπελόεις Διόνυσος, ἅτε χρυσόρραπις Ἑρμῆς,
105 χάλκεος ὥς περ Ἄρης, ἑκατηβόλος ὥς περ Ἀπόλλων.’
[73] “O Father self-begotten, shepherd of the ever-flowing years! be not angry; the human race waxes and wanes like the moon, and never fails or forgets its season. Leave nectar to the Blessed; and I will give mankind to heal their sorrows delicious wine, another drink like nectar self-distilled, and one suited to mortals. The primeval world will sorrow still, until I be delivered of
one child. I am father and mother both; I shall suffer the woman’s pangs in my man’s thigh, that I may save the fruit of my pangs. Yesterday at the nod of my Deo, lady of wide threshingfloors, the earth dug by the iron wooer of corn was delivered of the dry fruit of the sheafbearing soil. Now also my son, bringer of a glorious gift, shall plant in the earth the moist fragrant fruit of vintage the Allheal – my son Dionysos Alljoy will cherish the no-sorrow grape, and rival Demeter. Then you will commend me when you watch the vine reddening with wineteeming dew, herald of the merry heart; and the countrymen at the winepress treading the fruit with heavy feet; and the revelling company of Bassarids shaking their mad hair unkempt into the wind over their shoulders. Then all in wild jubilation will cry Euoi over the echoing table with mutual toasts, in honour of Dionysos the protector of the human race. This my son after struggles on earth, after the battle with the giants, after the Indian War, will be received by the bright upper air to shine beside Zeus and to share the courses of the stars. So the god shall wind a tendril of garden vines laid upon the bright ivy round his locks for his garland . . . having a serpent-coronet as a sign of new godhead. He shall have equal honour with the gods, and among men he shall be named Dionysos of the Vine, as Hermes is called Goldenrod, Ares Brazen, Apollo Farshooter.”
εἶπε πατήρ: Μοῖραι δὲ συνῄνεον: ἀμφὶ δὲ μύθῳ
ἐσσομένων κήρυκες ἐπέπταρον εὔποδες Ὧραι.
καὶ τὰ μὲν ὣς εἰπόντε διέτμαγεν, ὃς μὲν ἱκάνων
οἶκον ἐς Ἁρμονίης, ὁ δὲ ποικίλον εἰς δόμον Ἥρης.
[106] The Father spoke, the Portioners applauded; at his words the lightfoot Seasons sneezed, as a presage of things to come. Their parley done they separated, Time to Harmonia’s house, the other to the fine-wrought chamber of Hera.
110 καὶ σοφὸς αὐτοδίδακτος Ἔρως αἰῶνα νομεύων
πρωτογόνου Χάεος ζοφεροὺς πυλεῶνας ἀράξας
