by Nonnus
ὑγρῷ διψὰς ἄρουρα, καὶ Ἀστακίδος στόμα λίμνης
410 αἱμοβαφὲς κελάρυζε, φόνῳ κεκερασμένον Ἰνδῶν.
[403] There was hard fighting on both sides. Thee was the sound of the syrinx – the syrinx awaking the battle! There was drooling of pipes – the shepherd’s pipes calling to war! There were the Bassarids’ howlings: and as the turmoil arose, the black air bellowed with thunderclaps from Zeus, presaging victory for Bromios to come. A great swarm fell; all the thirsty earth was reddened with running blood, and the mouth of the Astacid lake was a bubbling bloodbath mingled with Indian gore.
Ἀντιβίους δ᾽ ᾤκτειρε θεὸς φιλοπαίγμονι θυμῷ
καὶ προχοαῖς κατέχευε μέθης γέρας, ἐκ δὲ ῥοάων
χιονέην ἤμειψε φυὴν ξανθόχροον ὕδωρ,
καὶ ποταμὸς κελάρυζε μελίρρυτα χεύματα σύρων,
415 καὶ προχοὰς ἐμέθυσσεν: ἀμειβομένων δὲ ῥοάων
ἔπνεον ἀρτιχύτοιο μέθης εὐώδεες αὖραι:
ὄχθαι ἐφοινίσσοντο: πιὼν δέ τις Ἰνδὸς ἀγήνωρ
τοίην ἐκ στομάτων πολυθαμβέα ῥήξατο φωνήν:
[411] But the god pitied his foes in his heart of merry cheer, and he poured the treasure of wine into the waters. So he changed the snowywhite waters to yellow, and the river swept along bubbling streams of honey intoxicating the waters. When this change came upon the waters, the breezes blew perfumed by the newly-poured wine, the banks were empurpled. A noble Indian drank, and spoke his wonder in these words:
‘Ξεῖνον ἴδον καὶ ἄπιστον ἐγὼ ποτόν, οὐ γλάγος αἰγῶν
420 ἄργυφον οὐ πέλε τοῦτο, καὶ οὐ μέλαν οἷά περ ὕδωρ,
οὐδέ μιν οἷον ὄπωπα πολυτρήτοις ἐνὶ σίμβλοις
βουβήεσσα μέλισσα λοχεύεται ἡδέι κηρῷ:
ἀλλὰ νόον τέρπουσαν ἔχει καλλίπνοον ὀδμήν.
ἀνὴρ διψαλέος πολυθαλπέι καύματος ἀτμῷ,
425 βαιὸν ἑαῖς παλάμῃσιν ἀφυσσάμενος χυτὸν ὕδωρ
λαίλαπα καρχαλέης ἀποσείεται αὐτίκα δίψης:
καὶ μέλι μᾶλλον ἔχει ταχινὸν κόρον: ἆ μέγα θαῦμα,
τοῦτο πιὼν ἐθέλω πιέειν πάλιν: ἀμφότερον γὰρ
καὶ γλυκερὸν τόδε χεῦμα καὶ οὐ κόρον ἀνδράσι τίκτει.
430 ἥβη, κάλπιν ἄειρε καὶ ἔρχεο δεῦρο λαβοῦσα
Τρώιον οἰνοχόον, ζαθέων δρηστῆρα κυπέλλων,
ὄφρα μελιρραθάμιγγος ἀφυσσάμενος ποταμοῖο
Ζηνὸς ὅλους κρητῆρας ἀναπλήσῃ Γανυμήδης.
δεῦτε, φίλοι, γεύσασθε μελισταγέος ποταμοῖο.
435 ἐνθάδε παπταίνω τύπον αἰθέρος: αὐτόχυτον γὰρ
κεῖνο, τό περ καλέουσι Διὸς πόμα, νέκταρ Ὀλύμπου
νηιάδες χθονίοισιν ἀναβλύζουσι ῥεέθροις.’
[419] “Here is a strange and incredible drink I have seen! This is not the white milk of goats, not dark like water, nor is it like what I have seen in the riddled hives, what the buzzing bee brings forth with sweet wax. No – this delights the mind with a fragrant scent. A man is thirsty in the steam of this sultry heat – but if he scoops up a few drops of running water in his palms, he shakes off at once the whirlwind of parching thirst! Honey surfeits you sooner – O here’s a great miracle! When I drink this I want to drink more! For this had both merits – it is sweet, and it does not surfeit. Hebe, come this way! take up your pitcher, and bring your Trojan cupbearer who serves with cups the divine company – let Ganymedes draw honeyed drops from this river and fill all the mixing-bowls of Zeus! This way, friends, have a taste of a honeydistilling river! Here I see an image of the heavens; for that nectar of Olympos which they say is the drink of Zeus, the Naiads are pouring out in natural streams on the earth!”
BOOK 15
πέμπτῳ καὶ δεκάτῳ βριαρὴν Νίκαιαν ἀείδω,
θηροφόνον ῥοδόπηχυν ἀπειλήτειραν Ἐρώτων.
ὣς φαμένου νεφεληδὸν ἐπέρρεον αἴθοπες Ἰνδοὶ
ἀμφὶ ῥόον ποταμοῖο μελίπνοον: ὧν ὁ μὲν αὐτῶν
ἀγχιβάτης στατὸν ἴχνος ἐπ᾽ ἰλύι δισσὸν ἐρείσας
ἡμιφανὴς ἕστηκε, καὶ ὀμφαλὸν ὕδατι δεύων,
5 κυρτὸς ἔσω ποταμοῖο κεκυφότα νῶτα τιταίνων,
χερσὶ βαθυνομένῃσι μελισταγὲς ἤφυσεν ὕδωρ:
ὃς δὲ παρὰ προχοῇσι, κατάσχετος αἴθοπι δίψῃ,
πορφυρέῳ προβλῆτα γενειάδα κύματι βάπτων,
στῆθος ἐφαπλώσας ποταμηίδος ὑψόθεν ὄχθης,
10 οἰγομένοις στομάτεσσιν ἀνείρυσεν ἰκμάδα Βάκχου:
πρηνὴς δ᾽ ἄλλος ἔην πελάσας στόμα γείτονι πηγῇ,
καὶ διερὰς δαπέδῳ ψαμαθώδεϊ χεῖρας ἐρείσας
χείλεσι διψαλέοισιν ἐδέχνυτο δίψιον ὕδωρ:
ἄλλοι δ᾽ ὀστρακόεντι μέθην ἀρύοντο κυπέλλῳ,
15 πυθμένα κουφίζοντες ἐαγότος ἀμφιφορῆος:
καὶ πολὺς ἑσμὸς ἔπινεν ἐρευθιόωντι ῥεέθρῳ
κισσυβίῳ προχέων ποταμηίδος ὄγκον ἐέρσης,
μηλονόμων ἄγραυλον ἔχων δέπας. ἀντιβίων δὲ
οἶνον ἐρευγομένων πολυχανδέος ἀνθερεῶνος
20 ὄμμασι δερκομένοισιν ἐδιπλώθησαν ἐρίπναι,
καὶ βλεφάροις δοκέεσκον ἰδεῖν διδυμόζυγον ὕδωρ.
καὶ προχοὴ κελάρυζε φιλακρήτου ποταμοῖο
ξανθὸν ἀναβλύζουσα μέθης ῥόον: ἡδυπότου δὲ
οἰνάδος ἠρεύγοντο ῥοὰς εὐώδεες ὄχθαι.
BOOK XV
In the fifteenth, I sing the sturdy Nicaia, the rosy-armed beast-slayer defying Love.
As he spoke thus, cloudwise rolled up the burnt-faced Indians around the flood of the honeybreathing river. One of them walking near stood pressing his two feet down in the slime, half-showing, and wetting his navel in the water, curved into the river and stretching his crouched back, and with hollowed hands lapped up the honeydripping water. Another by the flood, possessed by fiery thirst, bathing in the purple wave his forethrust cheek, spreading his breast above the bank of the river, with opening mouth drew in the juice of Bacchos. Another prone bringing close his mouth to the neighbouring fount, and pressing wet hands on the sandy bottom, with thirsting lips welcomed the thirsty water. Others drew up the potations with a shard for a cup, lifting the base of a broken two-ear jar. And a great swarm drank at the ruddy stream, ladling out with ivy-wood cups a mass of the river-dew, as they held the rustic pot of the shepherds. And as the enemies belched vinously from wide-yawning throat, as their eyes gazed, the cliffs wer
e doubled, and they thought to see through their eyelids a pair of waters in one yoke. And the bubbling outflow of the wineloving river gushed up a brown stream of carousal; and the fragrant banks poured up streams of the sweet drink of wine.
25 δυσμενέας δ᾽ ἐμέθυσσε χάλις ῥόος. ἔνθά τις ἀνὴρ
Ἰνδὸς ἀμερσινόοιο μέθης δεδονημένος οἴστρῳ
εἰς ἀγέλην ἤιξε, καὶ εὐπετάλῳ παρὰ λόχμῃ
ταῦρον ἀπειλητῆρα μετήγαγε δέσμιον ἕλκων,
διχθαδίων κεράων κεχαραγμένον ἄκρον ἐρύσσας
30 τολμηραῖς παλάμαις, διδυμάονος οἷα κεραίης
ταυροφυῆ Διόνυσον ὑπὸ ζυγὰ δούλια σύρων:
ἄλλος ἔχων δασπλῆτα σιδηρείης γένυν ἅρπης
αἰγὸς ὀρεσσινόμοιο διέθρισεν ἀνθερεῶνα,
θηγαλέῳ δρεπάνῳ δεδαϊγμένον, οἷά τε δειρὴν
35 Πανὸς ἐυκραίροιο ταμὼν γαμψώνυχι χαλκῷ:
ἄλλος ἀπηλοίησε βοῶν κεραελκέα φύτλην,
οἷά περ ἀμώων Σατύρων ταυρώπιδα μορφήν,
ὃς δὲ τανυκραίρων ἐλάφων ἐδίωκε γενέθλην
στικτῆς εἰσορόων πολυδαίδαλον εἶδος ὀπωπῆς,
40 οἷά τε Βασσαρίδων ὀλέκων στίχα: δαιδαλέαις γὰρ
νεβρίσιν ἰσοτύποισι παρεπλάγχθησαν ὀπωπαί:
καὶ φονίαις λιβάδεσσιν ὅλον θώρηκα μιαίνων
Ἰνδὸς ἀκοντιστῆρι μέλας ἐρυθαίνετο λύθρῳ.
καί τις ὁμοκλήσας ἐκορύσσετο γείτονι δένδρῳ
45 μαστίζων ἑκάτερθε, καὶ εἰαρινοῖσι δοκεύων
σειομένην ἀνέμοισι φυτῶν ἑλικώδεα χαίτην
ἁβροκόμων ὄρπηκας ἀπηλοίησε κορύμβων,
φύλλα διασχίζων λασίης δρυός, οἷα μαχαίρῃ
πλοχμὸν ἀκερσικόμοιο διατμήγων Διονύσου,
50 μαρνάμενος πετάλοισι καὶ οὐ Σατύροισιν ἐρίζων,
τερπωλὴν ἀνόνητον ἔχων σκιοειδέι νίκῃ.
[25] Thus the enemy were made drunken by the untempered stream. Then a certain man of the Indians, driven by the gadfly of mindrobbing drink, dashed into the herd; and by a leafy thicket found a threatening bull, which he brought back pulling him along in bonds, when he had dragged at the sharpened end of the two horns with daring hands, thinking that he drew under the yoke of servitude bullshaped Dionysos by the twin horns. Another, holding the horrid jaw of an iron sickle, shore through the neck of a mountainranging goat, cleaving it with the whetted hook, thinking he was cutting the throat of horned Pan with his talon of crooked bronze. Another threshed out a hornarmed brood of cattle as if harvesting the bullfaced shape of satyrs; one again pursued a tribe of long-antlered deer, as if he were destroying a line of Bassarids, when he saw the patterned shape of the dappled creatures: for his sight was driven astray by the freckled fawnskins of like looks: and staining all his breastpiece with bloody drops, the black Indian was reddened by the spouting gore. And one shouting loudly attacked a neighbouring tree, flogging it on both sides; and observing the leafy tendrils shaken by the spring breezes, he battered off the shoots of the tender clusters, slicing through the leaves of the thickest tree, as if cutting with his sabre through the tresses of unshorn Dionysos, battling with foliage instead of combating with Satyrs, and took a bootless delight in his shadowy conquest.
μαίνετο δ᾽ ἀντιβίων ἕτερος χορός: ἀντὶ δὲ λόγχης
ὃς μὲν ἑλὼν βαρύδουπον ἐπωμαδίῳ τελαμῶνι
τύμπανον ἠέρταζε, καὶ ἀμφιπλῆγι βοείῃ
55 δίζυγον ἐσμαράγησε μέλος χαλκόκροτον ἠχώ:
ὃς δὲ πολυτρήτοιο βοῇ δεδονημένος αὐλοῦ
ἄστατος εἱλικόεντι ποδῶν βακχεύετο παλμῷ:
καί τις ἀπειρήτοις ἐπὶ χείλεσι λωτὸν ἐρείσας
δίθροον ἁρμονίην ἐμελίζετο Μυγδόνος αὐλοῦ:
60 γηραλέου δὲ φυτοῖο θορὼν παρὰ γείτονι ῥίζῃ
γλαυκὸν ἐυρραθάμιγγος ἀνείρυσε θαλλὸν ἐλαίης
ὄμβρῳ ἐερσήεντι διάβροχον, οἷα πιέζων
οἰνωπῇ ῥαθάμιγγι Μαρωνίδος ἄκρον ὑπήνης.
ἄλλοι σὺν ξιφέεσσι, σὺν ἔγχεσι, σὺν τρυφαλείαις
65 ἄσχετα βακχευθέντες ἀμερσινόῳ φρένας οἴνῳ
ὄργια μιμήσαντο φερεσσακέων Κορυβάντων,
ἴχνια δινεύοντες ἐνόπλιον ἀμφὶ χορείην:
καὶ παλάμης ἑλικηδὸν ἀμοιβαίῃσιν ἐρωαῖς
ἀσπίδες ἐκρούοντο κυβιστητῆρι σιδήρῳ:
70 ἄλλος ὀπιπεύων θιασώδεος ὄργια Μούσης
μιμηλὴν Σατύροισι συνεσκίρτησε χορείην:
καί τις ἀρασσομένης ἀίων κελάδημα βοείης
μείλιχον ἦθος ἔδεκτο, φιλοσμαράγῳ δὲ μενοινῇ
ῥιγεδανὴν ἀνέμοισιν ἑὴν ἔρριψε φαρέτρην,
75 λύσσαν ἔχων: ἕτερος δὲ γυναιμανέων πρόμος Ἰνδῶν
ἀπλεκέος πλοκαμῖδος ἑλὼν ὑψαύχενα Βάκχην,
παρθενικὴν ἀδάμαστον ἀτάσθαλον εἰς γάμον ἕλκων,
σφίγξεν ὑπὲρ δαπέδοιο, τανυσσάμενος δὲ κονίῃ
χερσὶν ἐρωμανέεσσιν ἀπεσφρηγίσσατο μίτρην,
80 ἐλπίδι μαψιδίῃ πεφορημένος: ἐξαπίνης γὰρ
ὄρθιος εἷρπε δράκων ὑποκόλπιος ἰξύι γείτων,
δυσμενέος δ᾽ ἤιξε κατ᾽ αὐχένος, ἀμφὶ δὲ δειρῇ
οὐραίαις ἑλίκεσσιν ἀνέπλεκε κυκλάδα μίτρην:
ταρβαλέοις δὲ πόδεσσι φυγὼν μελανόχροος ἀνὴρ
85 θερμὸν ἀνυμφεύτων ἀπεσείσατο κέντρον Ἐρώτων,
αὐχένιον φορέων ὀφιώδεος ὁρμὸν ἀκάνθης.
[52] Another enemy troop went mad. For a spear, one took a heavybanging drum, and hung it up by his shoulder-strap: then beating on both skins he crashed out a double tune in the brassrattling sound. Another, thrilled by the note of the many-holed pipes, danced about with quickcircling steps, and putting a reed to his inexperienced lips practised the tune of the double Mygdonian pipes: then leaping to the neighbouring root of an ancient tree, he drew at a green shoot of the richdropping olive, soaked with dewy moisture, as though pressing his lip to a drop of Maronian wine. Others with swords, with spears, with helmets, their wits set a-rioting by the mindrobbing wine, mimicked the orgies of the carryshield Corybants, twirling their steps for the dance-in-armour, and all in a whirl the shields were beaten by alternate thump of hand or the plunging iron. Another
eyeing the orgies of the Muse with her choir, skipt a mimicking dance with the Satyrs. And one hearing the roll of the banged oxhide, took on a gentle mood, and with rattleloving desire, threw to the winds his terrible quiver, all frantic: a second chieftain of the womanmad Indians caught by the untwined hair some highnecked Bacchant, and dragging the untamed virgin to violent wedlock, held her tight on the ground, and stretched in the dust with lust-maddened hands unsealed her belt, wild with vain hope: for suddenly with head erect a serpent crept from her bosom, near-neighbour to the groin, and darted at the enemy’s throat, and about his neck twined a circling belt with spirals of his tail; the blackskinned man, fleeing with frightened feet, shook off the hot sting of unhallowed love, and wore on his throat the necklace of snaky spine.
ὄφρα μὲν οἰνωθέντες ἐν οὔρεσιν ἔτρεχον Ἰνδοί,
τόφρα δὲ νήδυμος Ὕπνος ἑὸν πτερὸν οὖλον ἑλίξας
ἀκλινέων σφαλεροῖσιν ἐπέχραεν ὄμμασιν Ἰνδῶν,
90 εὔνασε δ᾽ οἰστρηθέντας ἀμετρήτῳ νόον οἴνῳ,
Πασιθέης γενετῆρι χαριζόμενος Διονύσῳ:
ὧν ὁ μὲν ὕπτιος εὗδεν ἄνω νεύοντι προσώπῳ
ὑπναλέῳ μυκτῆρι μεθυσφαλὲς ἄσθμα τιταίνων,
ὃς δὲ βαρυνομένην κεφαλὴν ἐπεθήκατο πέτρῳ,
95 νωθρὸς ἐυκροκάλῳ ποταμηίδι κείμενος ὄχθῃ,
ἠματίοις δ᾽ ὀάριζε νοοπλανέεσσιν ὀνείροις
ὀρθὰ περὶ κροτάφοισι πεπηγότα δάκτυλα βάλλων:
πρηνὴς δ᾽ ἄλλος ἔην τετανυσμένος, εἶχε δὲ δισσὴν
χεῖρα καθιεμένην ἰσοελκέα δίζυγι μηρῷ:
100 καί τις ἑῆς παλάμης κεφαλὴν ἐπερείσατο καρπῷ
οἶνον ἀναβλύζων: ὁ δὲ καμπύλα γυῖα συνάπτων,
