Works of Nonnus

by Nonnus

  λησάμενος φθιμένοιο: παλαιοτέροιο γὰρ αἰεὶ

  φάρμακόν ἐστιν ἔρωτος ἔρως νέος: οὐ γὰρ ὀλέσσαι

  360 ὁ χρόνος οἶδεν ἔρωτα, καὶ εἰ μάθε πάντα καλύπτειν.

  εἰ δὲ τεῆς ἐθέλεις ὀδυνήφατον ἄλκαρ ἀνίης,

  φέρτερον ἄμφεπε παῖδα: πόθος πόθον οἶδε μαραίνειν.

  καὶ Ζέφυρον κλονέεσκε Λάκων νέος: ἀλλὰ θανόντος

  ἡβητὴν Κυπάρισσον ἰδὼν ἐρατεινὸς Ἀήτης

  365 εὗρεν Ἀμυκλαίοιο παραιφασίην Ὑακίνθου.

  ἤν ἐθέλῃς, ἐρέεινε φυτηκόμον: ἐν δαπέδῳ γὰρ

  κείμενον ἀθρήσας κεκονιμένον ἄνθος ἀροτρεὺς

  φάρμακον ὀλλυμένοιο νεώτερον ἄλλο φυτεύει.

  [351] So he lamented. But Eros came near in the horned shape of a shaggy Seilenos, holding a thyrsus, with a dappled skin draped upon him, as he supported his frame on a fennel stalk, for a staff the old man’s friend; and he spoke comfortable words to groaning Bacchos: “Let loose on another love the sparks of this love of yours; turn the sting upon another youth in exchange, and forget the dead. For new love is ever the physic for older love, since old time knows not how to destroy love even if he has learnt to hide all things. If you need a painhealing medicine for your trouble, court a better boy: fancy can wither fancy. A young Laconian shook Zephyros; but he died, and the amorous Wind found young Cyparissos a consolation for Amyclaian Hyacinthos. Ask the gardener, if you like; when a countryman sees a flower on the ground lying in the dust, he plants another new one to comfort him for the dead one.

  κλῦθι, παλαιγενέων μερόπων ἵνα μῦθον ἐνίψω:

  370 ἁβρὸς ἔην ποτὲ κοῦρος, ὑπέρτερος ἥλικος ἥβης,

  Μαιάνδρου παρὰ χεῦμα πολυσχιδέος ποταμοῖο,

  εἴδεϊ λεπταλέῳ ταναός, πόδας ὀξύς, ἐθείρας

  ἰθυτενής, ἀνίουλος: ἐπ᾽ ἀμφοτέραις δὲ παρειαῖς

  αὐτοφυὴς Χάρις ἦεν ἐπισκαίρουσα προσώπῳ

  375 ὄμμασιν αἰδομένοισιν, ἀπὸ βλεφάρων δέ οἱ αἰεὶ

  κάλλος ὀιστεύοντος ἑκηβόλος ἔρρεεν αἴγλη:

  καὶ δέμας εἶχε γάλακτι πανείκελον, ἀμφὶ δὲ λευκῷ

  ἀκροφανὲς πόρφυρε ῥόδον διδυμόχροϊ πυρσῷ.

  τὸν Κάλαμον καλέεσκε πατὴρ φίλος, ὃς διὰ γαίης

  380 νειόθι κυμαίνων σκολιὸν ῥόον εἰς φάος ἕλκων,

  ἑρπύζων δ᾽ ἀίδηλος, ὑπὸ χθόνα λοξὸς ὁδίτης,

  ὀξὺς ἀναθρῴσκων ὑπερίσχεται αὐχένα γαίης,

  ἐνδόμυχος Μαίανδρος ἄγων ὑποκόλπιον ὕδωρ.

  [369] “Listen while I tell you a story of the men of old. There was a dainty boy, superior to all his yearsmates, who lived beside the stream of Maiandros, that manybranching river. Tall and delicate he was, swift of foot, with long straight hair, no down on his chin; on both cheeks was a natural grace playing over his face with its modest eyes; a farshooting radiance ever flowed from his eyelids and his arrows of beauty. He had skin all like milk, but over the white the rose showed upon the surface, two glowing colours together. His own father called him Calamos: his father Maiandros, lurking in the secret places with his water in the lap of earth – who rolls deep through the earth and drags his crooked stream toward the light, crawling unseen and travelling slantwise underground, until he leaps up quickly and lifts his neck above the ground.

  τοῖος ἔην ἐρόεις Κάλαμος ταχύς. ἠίθεος δὲ

  385 ἱμερτῷ ῥοδόπηχυς ὁμήλικι τέρπετο Καρπῷ,

  ὃς τόσον ἔλλαχε κάλλος, ὃ μὴ βροτὸς ἔλλαχεν ἀνήρ:

  εἰ γὰρ ἔην νέος οὗτος ἐπὶ προτέρων ποτὲ φωτῶν,

  καί κεν ἐυσμήριγγος ἐγίνετο νυμφίος Ἠοῦς,

  φέρτερον εἶδος ἔχων, ῥοδέῳ χροῒ μοῦνος ἐλέγξας

  390 ἀγλαΐην Κεφάλοιο καὶ Ὠρίωνος ὀπωπήν:

  οὐδέ κεν εὐκάρπῳ παλάμῃ πηχύνατο Δηὼ

  νυμφίον Ἰασίωνα, καὶ Ἐνδυμίωνα Σελήνη:

  ἀλλὰ νέος τάχα κεῖνος ἀρείονος εἵνεκα μορφῆς

  εἷς πόσις ἀμφοτέρων νυμφεύσατο λέκτρα θεάων,

  395 Δηοῦς ξανθοκόμου μεθέπων πολυλήιον εὐνήν,

  καὶ ξυνὴν ὁμόλεκτρον ἔχων ζηλήμονα Μήνην.

  τοῖος ἔην ἐρόεις Καλάμῳ φίλος, ἄνθος Ἐρώτων,

  κάλλος ἔχων: ἄμφω δὲ συνήλικες ὑψόθεν ὄχθης

  γείτονος ἑψιόωντο πολυγνάμπτου ποταμοῖο.

  [384] “Such was lovely Calamos, the quick one. The rosy-armed youth was fond of a charming playfellow Carpos, who had such beauty for his lot as mortal man never had. For if this youth had lived in the older generations, he would have been bridegroom of Eos Fairtress; since he shone lovelier than Cephalos, was handsomer of face than Orion, he alone outdid them with his rosy skin. Deo would not have embraced Iasion as bridegroom with her fruitful arm, nor Selene Endymion. No – this youth with his nobler beauty would soon have espoused both goddesses, one husband for two: he would have taken on the couch of Goldilocks Deo rich in harvests, he would have had beside him also the jealous Mene. Such was the charming friend of Calamos, the flower of love, a real beauty: both comrades of one age were playfellows on the bank of that river of many windings hard by.

  400 τοῖσι μὲν ἔσκε δίαυλος ἕλιξ δρόμος, ἀμφοτέροις δὲ

  ἦεν ἔρις: κάλαμος μὲν ἐπέτρεχεν εἴκελος αὔραις,

  καὶ πτελέην βαλβῖδα φέρων καὶ νύσσαν ἐλαίην

  ἠιόνας ποταμοῖο διέδραμεν ἄκρον ἀπ᾽ ἄκρου ...

  καὶ Κάλαμος ταχύγουνος ἑκούσιος ἤριπε γαίῃ,

  405 καὶ Καρπῷ χαρίεντι θελήμονα κάλλιπε νίκην.

  παιδὶ δὲ λουομένῳ συνελούετο κοῦρος ἀθύρων,

  καὶ πάλιν εἴκελον ἄλλον ἐν ὕδασιν εἶχον ἀγῶνα,

  καὶ βραδὺς ἐν προχοῇσιν ἐνήχετο Καρπὸν ἐάσας

  πρόσθε μολεῖν, ἵνα χερσὶν ὀπίστερος οἴδματα τέμνων

  410 καρποῦ νηχομένοιο παρὰ σφυρὰ δεύτερος ἔλθῃ

  ἠιθέου προθέοντος ἐλεύθερα νῶτα δοκεύων.

  καὶ διερῆς βαλβῖδος ἔην δρόμος: ἤρισαν ἄμφω,

  τίς τίνα νικήσειεν, ὅπως παλινόστιμος ἔλθῃ

  ὄχθης ἀμφοτέρης διδυμάονα νύσσαν ἀμείβων

  415 γαῖαν ἐς ἀντιπέραιαν ἐρεσσομένων παλαμάων:

  καὶ προχοὴν ὁδὸν εἶχεν: ἀεὶ δέ οἱ ἐγγὺς ἱκάνων

  κοῦρος ἐπειγομένης π�
�λάμης πεφιδημένος ὁρμῆς

  νηχομένων σκοπίαζε ῥοδόχροα δάκτυλα χειρῶν:

  καὶ Κάλαμος προκέλευθος ἑὴν ἀνεσείρασεν ὁρμήν,

  420 ἠιθέῳ δ᾽ ὑπόειξε: καὶ ἔδραμε χεῖρας ἐρέσσων

  κοῦρος ἀελλήεις, ὑπὲρ οἴδματος αὐχένα τείνων:

  καί νύ κεν ἐκ ῥοθίων ἐπεβήσατο Καρπὸς ἀρούρης,

  καὶ μετὰ χερσαίην ποταμηίδα δύσατο νίκην,

  ἀλλά μιν ἀντικέλευθος ἀνεστυφέλιξεν Ἀήτης,

  425 καὶ γλυκὺν ἔκτανε κοῦρον ἀμείλιχος: ἠιθέου γὰρ

  οἰγομένῳ νήριθμον ὕδωρ ἐπεσύρετο λαιμῷ.

  [400] “They had a double racecourse, winding out and back, and there they held races. Calamos ran like the wind. He set an elm for starting-point and an olive-tree for turning-point, and ran from point to point on the edges of the river – but nimbleknee Calamos fell on purpose, and left the victory to charming Carpos of his own will. When the boy bathed, the lad bathed and played with him. Again they had another race in the water like the first; Calamos swam slowly in the current and let Carpos go ahead, that he might cut the flood paddling behind and come in second beside the ankles of swimming Carpos, while he watched the free shoulders of the lad in front. The race began from its watery starting-point; the match was, which could beat which to swim there and back while their hands paddled them, passing round at the turning-points on each bank, first one, then crossing to the other side. The flowing water was their way; Calamos kept close beside his brined as they swam, watching his rosy fingers and sparing the vigour of his own moving hand. Calamos again in the lead checked his speed and gave way to his young friend; the boy handpaddled storming along, and lifting his neck above the water. And now Carpos would have got out of the waves, and safe on the shore would have won the river-race as he won the land-race, but a wind beat full in his face and drove a great wave into his open mouth, and drowned the dear boy without pity.

  καὶ Κάλαμος φθονεροῖο φυγὼν ἀνέμοιο θυέλλας

  ἔκτοθεν ἡβητῆρος ἐδύσατο γείτονας ἀκτάς:

  καὶ φίλον οὐ παρεόντα καὶ οὐκ ἀίοντα νοήσας

  430 ἱμερόεν στενάχων κινυρῇ βρυχήσατο φωνῇ:

  Ν̔ηιάδες, φθέγξασθε, τίς ἥρπασε Καρπὸν Ἀήτης;

  ναί, λίτομαι, πυμάτην δότε μοι χάριν, ἔλθετε πηγὴν

  εἰς ἑτέρην, καὶ πατρὸς ἐμοῦ θανατηφόρον ὕδωρ

  φεύγετε, μηδὲ πίητε ῥόον Καρποῖο φονῆα.

  435 οὐ μὲν ἐμὸς γενέτης νέον ἔκτανεν: ἀλλὰ μεγαίρων

  καὶ Καλάμῳ μετὰ Φοῖβον ἀπώλεσε Καρπὸν Ἀήτης,

  καὶ τάχα μιν ποθέων ζηλήμονι τύψεν ἀέλλῃ,

  ἠιθέῳ μετὰ δίσκον ἄγων ἀντίπνοον αὔρην.

  οὔ πω ἐμὸς προχοῇσι λελουμένος ἄνθορεν ἀστήρ,

  440 οὔ πω ἐμὸς σελάγιζεν Ἑωσφόρος: ἀλλὰ ῥεέθροις

  καρποῦ δυομένοιο, τί μοι φάος εἰσέτι λεύσσειν;

  [427] “Calamos avoided the blasts of the jealous wind, and made the nearest shore without his friend. He could neither see him nor get any answer to his cries, so full of love he called out in a lamentable voice: `Speak, Naiads! What Wind has caught up Carpos? Yes, I pray, grant me this last grace – go to another fountain, leave my father’s fatal water, drink not of the stream which murdered Carpos! My father never killed the boy! That wind had a grudge against Calamos after Phoibos, and he killed Carpos; no doubt he desired him and struck him with a jealous gale – first the quoit, then for this youth the counterblast! My star sank in the stream and has not yet risen, my Phosphoros has not yet shone again! Carpos is drowned in the river, and what care I to see the light any longer?

  νηιάδες, φθέγξασθε, τίς ἔσβεσε φέγγος Ἐρώτων;

  δηθύνεις ἔτι, κοῦρε; τί σοι τόσον εὔαδεν ὕδωρ;

  κρείσσονα μὴ φίλον εὗρες ἐν ὕδασι, τῷ παραμίμνων

  δειλαίου Καλάμοιο πόθους ἔρριψας ἀήταις;

  εἰ μία Νηιάδων σε δυσίμερος ἥρπασε Νύμφη,

  450 ἔννεπε, καὶ πάσῃσι κορύσσομαι: εἰ δέ σε τέρπει

  γνωτῆς ἡμετέρης γαμίων ὑμέναιος Ἐρώτων,

  εἰπέ, καὶ ἐν προχοῇσιν ἐγὼ σέο παστὸν ἀνάψω.

  Καρπέ, παραπλώεις με λελασμένος ἠθάδος ὄχθης;

  κάμνον ἐγὼ καλέων σε, καὶ οὐ βοόωντος ἀκούεις.

  455 εἰ Νότος, εἰ θρασὺς Εὖρος ἐπέπνεεν, αὐτὸς ἀλάσθω

  νηλειὴς ἀχόρευτος, ἀτάσθαλος ἐχθρὸς Ἐρώτων:

  εἰ βορέης σε δάμασσεν, ἐς Ὠρείθυιαν ἱκάνω.

  εἰ δέ σε κῦμα κάλυψε καὶ οὐκ ᾐδέσσατο μορφήν,

  καί σε πατὴρ ἐμὸς εἷλεν ἀφειδέι κύματος ὁλκῷ,

  460 ὕδασιν ἀνδροφόνοισιν ἑὸν καὶ παῖδα δεχέσθω,

  καὶ Κάλαμον κρύψειεν ὀλωλότος ἐγγύθι Καρποῦ.

  ἀλλὰ πεσὼν προκάρηνος, ὅπῃ θάνε Καρπὸς ἀλήτης,

  [442] “`Speak, Naiads! Who has quenched the light of love? How long you are, my boy! Why do you like the water so much? Can you have found a better friend in the water, have you thrown to the winds the love of poor Calamos that you may stay with him? If one nymph of the Naiads enamoured has carried you off, tell me, and I will make war on them all! If wedded love is your pleasure, and you want my sister for a wife, do but say so and I will build you a bridechamber in the stream. Have you passed me, Carpos, forgetting the familiar shore? I have shouted till I am tired, and you do not hear my call. If Notos blew on you, if bold Euros, let him go off wandering without dances by himself, the barbarous enemy of love! If Boreas overwhelmed you, I will go to Oreithyia. If the wave covered you and had no pity for your beauty, if my father carried you off in the mericiless rush of his wave, let him receive his son also in those manslaying waters, let him hide Calamos near to dead Carpos. Where Carpos wandered and died, I will fall headlong, I will quench my burning love with a draught of water from Acheron.’

  σβέσσω θερμὸν ἔρωτα πιὼν Ἀχερούσιον ὕδωρ.

  εἶπεν ἀναβλύζων βλεφάρων ῥόον: ἀμφὶ δὲ νεκρῷ

  465 κυανέην πλοκαμῖδα κατηφέι τάμνε σιδήρῳ,

  ἣν τρέφεν, ἣν κομέεσκε, καὶ ὤρεγε πενθάδα χαίτην

  Μαιάνδρῳ γενετῆρι, καὶ ὑστατίην φάτο φωνήν:

  ῾δέξο μετὰ πλοκάμους καὶ ἐμὸν δέμας: οὐ δύναμαι γὰρ

  εἰς μίαν ἠριγένειαν ἰδεῖν φάος ἔκτοθι Καρποῦ:

  470 καρπῷ καὶ Καλάμῳ βιοτὴ μία, καὶ λάχον ἄμφω

  εἴκελον οἶστρον Ἔρωτος ἐπὶ χθονός: ὑδατόεις δὲ

  εἶς μόρος ἀμφοτέροισι καὶ ἐν προχοῇσι γεν�
�σθω.

  τεύξατε, Νηιάδες, ποταμηίδος ὑψόθεν ὄχθης

  ἄκριτον ἀμφοτέροισι κενήριον, ἀμφὶ δὲ τύμβῳ

  475 γράμμασι πενθαλέοισιν ἔπος κεχαραγμένον ἔστω:

  ‘Καρποῦ καὶ Καλάμοιο πέλω τάφος, οὓς πάρος ἄμφω

  ἀλλήλους ποθέοντας ἀμείλιχον ἔκτανεν ὕδωρ.’

  καὶ Καλάμῳ δυσέρωτι, κασιγνήτῳ περ ἐόντι,

  [463] “So he spoke, with streams bubbling from his eyes. To honour the dead he cut with sorrowful steel a dark lock of his hair, long cherished and kept, and holding out this mourning tress to Maiandros his father, he said these last words: `Accept this hair, and then my body; for I cannot see the light for one later dawn without Carpos. Carpos and Calamos had one life, and both one watery death for both together in the same stream. Build on the river bank, ye Naiads, one empty barrow for both, and on the tombstone let this verse be engraved in letters of mourning: “I am the grave of Carpos and Calamos, a pair of lovers, whom the pitiless water slew in days of yore.” Cut off just one small tress of your hair for Calamos too, your own dying brother so unhappy in love, and for Carpos cut all the hair of your heads.’

  βαιὸν ἕνα θνήσκοντι δαΐξατε βότρυν ἐθείρης,

  καὶ πλοκάμους ξύμπαντας ὀλωλότι κείρατε Καρπῷ.᾿

  εἶπε, καὶ αὐτοκύλιστος ἐπωλίσθησε ῥεέθρῳ

  πατρὸς ἀναινομένοιο πιὼν παιδοκτόνον ὕδωρ.

  480 καὶ Κάλαμος καλάμοισιν ἐπώνυμον ὤπασε μορφὴν

  ἰσοφυῆ, καὶ Καρπὸς ἀέξετο καρπὸς ἀρούρης.’

  [478] “With these words, he threw himself into the river and sank, as he swallowed the sonslaying water of an unwilling father. Then Calamos gave his form to the reeds which took his name and like substance; and Carpos grew up as the fruit of the earth.”