by Nonnus
ὡς ὄφις ἀμφιέλικτος, ἐκέκλιτο, λοξὸς ἰαύων.
καὶ χορὸς ἀντιβίων πεφορημένος εἰς ῥάχιν ὕλης,
ὃς μὲν ὑπὸ δρυὸς εὗδεν, ὁ δὲ πτελέης ὑπὸ θάμνῳ,
105 ἄλλος ἐπὶ πλευρῇσι πεσὼν ἐκλίνετο φηγῷ,
λαιὴν ὀφρυόεντι βαλὼν ἐπὶ χεῖρα μετώπῳ:
καὶ πολὺς ἑσμὸς ἴαυε λάλος νέκυς, ἠέρι πέμπων
ἀλλοίης ἀχάλινον ἀσημάντου θρόον ἠχοῦς
οἰνοβαρὴς: ἕτερος δὲ τινασσομένοιο καρήνου
110 γηραλέης πλατὺ νῶτον ἐπέτρεπε πυθμένι δάφνης:
τὸν δὲ βαρὺ κνώσσοντα βαθυστρώτων ἐπὶ λέκτρων
ἀκροκόμου φοίνικος ἢ εὐώδινος ἐλαίης
ῥιπίζων ἀνέμοισιν ἕλιξ ἐπεσύρισεν ὄρπηξ:
καί τις ὑπὲρ δαπέδοιο χυτῇ τετάνυστο κονίῃ,
115 ἄκρα ποδῶν προχοῇσι κατακλύζων ποταμοῖο:
ἄλλος ἀπειρήτοιο μέθης βακχεύετο παλμῷ,
καὶ κεφαλὴν βαρύθουσαν ἐπέτρεπε γείτονι πεύκῃ:
ἄλλου φυσιόωντος ἐσείετο νεῦρα μετώπου.
[87] While the Indians were running drunken on the hills, just then sweet Sleep plying his vigorous wing, assaulted the wavering eyes of the persistent Indians, and put them to bed, tormented in mind by immoderate wine, doing grace to Pasithea’s father, Dionysos. One lay sleeping on his back, with face turning upwards, straining his drinkshaken breath through a sleepy nostril. Another rested his heavy head on a stone, as he lay sluggish on the gravelly bank; he was babbling in the daydreams of a vagrant mind, and laying his fingers stiff and straight about his temples. Another was stretched out prone, with his two hands hanging down to balance his two thighs. Another had leant his head on the wrist of his hand, and was drooling wine; another had gathered his limbs rolled together, like a snake coiling round, and lay slumbering on his side. And the company of the enemy who had rushed to the woody ridge — one slept under an oak, one in the undergrowth of an elm; another fallen on his flank, and leaning against an oak, had put the left hand over forehead and eyebrows; and a great swarm, heavy with wine in their slumber were chattering carcasses, sending into the air the unbridled din of sounds without sense, signifying nothing. One with shaking head, leaned his broad back on the trunk of an aged laurel. Another in heavy stupor upon a deep-strown bed, while the twining saplings of topleaf palm or prolific olive whistled above and fanned him with the winds. One was outstretched on the ground in the outpoured dust, washing the tips of his feet in the pouring river. Another shaken in the throes of intoxication, a new experience, leaned his heavy head against a neighbouring pine: another panted until the sinews of his forehead throbbed.
καὶ δηίους κνώσσοντας ἰδὼν γελόωντι προσώπῳ
120 Βάκχος ἄναξ ἀγόρευε, χέων σημάντορα φωνήν:
‘Ἰνδοφόνοι θεράποντες ἀνικήτου Διονύσου,
νόσφι μόθου σφίγξαντες ἀολλέας υἱέας Ἰνδῶν
πάντας ἀναιμάκτῳ ζωγρήσατε δηιοτῆτι:
καὶ βριαρῷ γόνυ δοῦλον ὑποκλίνας Διονύσῳ
125 Ἰνδὸς ὑποδρήσσειεν ἐμῇ θιασώδει Ῥείῃ,
σείων οἴνοπα θύρσον, ἀπορρίψας δὲ θυέλλαις
ἀργυρέην κνημῖδα πόδας σφίγξειε κοθόρνοις,
καὶ κεφαλὴν στέψειεν ἐμῷ κισσώδεϊ δεσμῷ,
γυμνώσας πλοκαμῖδας ἀερσιλόφου τρυφαλείης,
130 καὶ πολέμων ἀλάλαγμα λιπὼν καὶ δούριον ἠχὼ
εὔιον ἀείσειε κορυμβοφόρῳ Διονύσῳ.’
[119] Now seeing his foes stupefied, Lord Bacchos spoke with laughing countenance, and uttered his word of command: “Indianslaying servants of invincible Dionysos! bind them all fast unresisting, the sons of the Indians, take them all prisoners in bloodless conflict: let the Indian bend a slave’s knee to mighty Dionysos, and do menial service to my Rheia and her company, shaking the purple thyrsus; let him throw to the storms his silver greaves, and bind his feet in buskins; let him strip his tresses of highplumed helmet, and crown his head with my ivybond; let him leave the yell of wars and the din of spears, and uplift the Euian song to grapeladen Dionysos.”
ὣς φαμένου δρηστῆρες ἐποίπνυον: ὧν ὁ μὲν αὐτῶν
αὐχένι δυσμενέων ὀφιώδεα δεσμὸν ἑλίξας
εἷλκε δρακοντείῃ πεπεδημένον ἀνέρα σειρῇ,
135 ἄλλος ἑλὼν λασίης κεχαλασμένον ὁλκὸν ὑπήνης
ἄνδρα βαθυσμήριγγος ἀνείρυσεν ἀνθερεῶνος:
καί τις ἑὰς παλάμας τανύσας σκολιότριχι κόρσῃ
ἀνέρα δουρίκτητον ἀδέσμιον εἷλκεν ἐθείρης:
ἄλλος ὁμοπλέκτους παλάμας περί νῶτα καθάψας
140 δήιον εἱλικόεντι λύγων μιτρώσατο δεσμῷ
αὐχενίῳ: τρομερῷ δὲ Μάρων ἐλελίζετο παλμῷ
ὤμῳ γηραλέῳ βεβαρημένον Ἰνδὸν ἀείρων:
ἄλλος ἀκοντιστῆρα λαβὼν βεβιημένον ὕπνῳ,
δεσμῷ βοτρυόεντι περίπλοκον αὐχένα σύρων,
145 στικτῶν πορδαλίων ὑπὲρ ἄντυγα θήκατο δίφρων:
ἄλλου κεκλιμένοιο φιλεύιος ἑσμὸς ἀλήτης
χεῖρας ὀπισθοτόνους ἀλύτῳ σφηκώσατο δεσμῷ,
καὶ λοφίης ἐπέβησεν ἀκαμπτοπόδων ἐλεφάντων:
καὶ πολὺς εὐκύκλοιο λαβὼν τελαμῶνα βοείης
150 Ἰνδὸν ἐπωμαδίῳ πεπεδημένον εἶχεν ἱμάντι.
[132] He spoke, and the menials were busy. One of them wound a snaky bond round the enemy’s throat, and dragged the man shackled with a rope of serpents. Another caught the straggling load of a hairy cheek, and drew the man along by the deepbristling chin. One stretching his palms over curlyhaired temples, dragged the man captive, unbound, by the shag. Another binding a prisoner’s hands clasped behind the back, girded him with an encircling bond of withies about the neck. Maron staggered along with trembling totterings as he lifted on his aged shoulder an Indian sleepladen. Another took up a spearman overpowered by sleep, put a halter of vines about his neck, pulled him along and dropped him over the rim of a car with dappled panthers. Another reclining was seized by the wandering swarm, with cries of Euoi! they stretched his hands behind him and bound them tight with an inextricable knot, and threw him upon the neck of the elephant which never bends the knee; and many a one took hold of the sling of an Indian’s shield, and kept him shackled by the strap over the shoulder.
καί τις ἀερτάζουσα καλαύροπα μηλοβοτῆρος
Βασσαρίς, ἀφριόωσα λαθίφρονι κύματι λύσσης,
Ἰνδὸν ἐρευνητῆρα βαθυπλούτοιο θαλάσσης
τολμηρῇ παλάμῃ πολυκαμπέος εἷλκεν ἐθεί
ρης
155 δούλιον εἰς ζυγόδεσμον. ἐπειγομένου δὲ Λυαίου
δήιον εὐθώρηκα σιδήρεος εἶχεν Ἐρεχθεὺς
ὤμοις ἀκλινέεσσι: μεθυσφαλέος δὲ φορῆος
θῆρα κελαινόρρινον ὀρεστιὰς ἤλασε Βάκχη,
ἰσχία μαστίζουσα δορικτήτων ἐλεφάντων:
160 καὶ χρυσέην Ὑμέναιος ἀνηέρταζε βοείην
ἀνέρα συλήσας χρυσάσπιδα, γηθόσυνος δὲ
κοῦρον ἐρωμανέεσσιν ἐδέρκετο Βάκχος ὀπωπαῖς
τεύχεσιν ὑπναλέοιο καταυγάζοντα φορῆος:
καὶ νέος ἠκόντιζεν ἐν ἔντεσιν ὄλβιον αἴγλην,
165 ὡς Λυκίου Γλαύκοιο λαβὼν ἀμάρυσσε μαχηταῖς,
ἀφνειοῖς σακέεσσιν ἀπαστράπτων, Διομήδης.
ἄλλους δ᾽ ἀντιβίους στρατιὴ ληίσσατο Βάκχων,
νήδυμον ὕπνον ἔχοντας ὁμόστολον ἡδέος οἴνου.
[151] Now some Bassarid, foaming under a witdrowning wave of madness, caught up a shepherd’s crook, and with daring hand dragged off by his curly hair to the yokeband of slavery, an Indian searcher-out of the deep riches of the sea. At the bidding of Lyaios, iron Erechtheus held on unbending shoulders a foe with fine cuirass; and a Bacchant of the mountains drove away from its intoxicated owner his black-skinned beast, flogging the flanks of some elephant, spoil of the spear. Hymenaios robbed a man of his golden shield, and lifted up the golden buckler, while Bacchos delighted watched him with ardent gaze all gleaming in the armour of the sleeping owner. The young man in his harness shot out a rich brilliance, like as Diomedes sparkled among the warriors, flashing with the rich target he had taken from Lycian Glaucos. And the army of Bacchants despoiled other adversaries, possessed of sweet sleep and sweet wine its comrade.
ἔνθά τις ἀγκυλότοξος, ἐρημάδι σύννομος ὕλῃ,
170 παρθένος Ἀστακίδεσσιν ὁμότροφος ἤνθεε Νύμφαις
καλλιφυὴς Νίκαια, λαγωβόλος Ἄρτεμις ἄλλη,
ἀλλοτρίη φιλότητος, ἀπειρήτη Κυθερείης,
θῆρας ὀιστεύουσα καὶ ἰχνεύουσα κολώναις:
οὐδὲ μυχῷ θυόεντι καλύπτετο παρθενεῶνος.
175 καί οἱ ἐνὶ σκοπέλοισιν ἐρημονόμῳ παρὰ πέζῃ
ἠλακάτη πέλε τόξον, ἀεὶ δέ οἱ ἔνδοθι λόχμης
μηκεδανοὶ κλωστῆρες ἔσαν πτερόεντες ὀιστοί,
καὶ σταλίκων ξύλον ὀρθὸν ὀρειάδος ἱστὸς Ἀθήνης:
καὶ καθαρῇ συνάεθλος ὁμίλεεν ἰοχεαίρῃ,
180 καὶ λίνον ἐν σκοπέλοισιν ἀνέπλεκεν ἠθάδος ἄγρης
νήματος ἀσκητοῖο φιλαίτερον: οὔ ποτε τόξῳ
ποικίλον εἶδος ἔχοντος ἀνάλκιδος ἥπτετο νεβροῦ,
δορκάδας οὐκ ἐδίωκε, καὶ οὐκ ἔψαυε λαγωοῦ,
ἀλλὰ περιζεύξασα δαφοινήεντι χαλινῷ
185 γλαυκὰ δασυστέρνων ἐπεμάστιε νῶτα λεόντων,
πολλάκι δ᾽ ἔγχος ἄειρε καταντία λυσσάδος ἄρκτου:
μέμφετο δ᾽ ἰοχέαιραν ἑκηβόλον, ὅττι λιποῦσα
στικτῶν πορδαλίων γενεὴν καὶ φῦλα λεόντων
οὐτιδαναῖς ἐλάφοισιν ἑὴν ἔζευξεν ἀπήνην.
190 οὐδὲ μύρῳ μεμέλητο, μελικρήτων δὲ κυπέλλων
ὑδατόεν προβέβουλε χαραδραίης πόμα πηγῆς
ψυχρὸν ὕδωρ προχέουσα: καὶ αὐτορόφῳ κενεῶνι
κούρης δύσβατος οἶκος ἐρημάδες ἦσαν ἐρίπναι:
πολλάκι δ᾽ εὐκαμάτοιο μετὰ δρόμον ἠθάδος ἄγρης
195 πορδαλίων σχεδὸν ἧστο, μιῇ δ᾽ ὑπὸ κοιλάδι πέτρῃ
μίμνε μεσημβρίζουσα λεχωίδος ἄγχι λεαίνης:
ἡ δὲ γαληναίῃσιν ὑπ᾽ ὀφρύσι μειλιχίη θὴρ
ἀδρύπτοις γενύεσσι δέμας λιχμάζετο κούρης,
καὶ κινυρῆς μίμημα κυνὸς δειδήμονι λαιμῷ
200 ὠμοτόκου στόμα λάβρον ὑπεκνυζᾶτο λεαίνης
χείλεϊ φειδομένῳ, δοκέων δέ μιν Ἄρτεμιν εἶναι
εἰς πέδον ἱκεσίοιο καθελκομένοιο καρήνου
αὐχένι λαχνήεντι λέων ἐκλίνετο νύμφῃ.
[169] There was one with a crook-bow, a maiden denizen of the lonely wood, comrade hale and fresh among the nymphs of Astacia, beautiful Nicaia, a new harehuntress Artemis, a stranger to love, unacquainted with Cythereia, ever shooting and tracking the beasts upon the hills. She did not hide in the scented nook of the women’s room. She was ever among the rocks, by lonefaring path, where the bow was her distaff; she was ever in the forest, where winged arrows were her long threads, the upright wood of the net-stakes was a loom for this Athena of the mountains; she shared the tasks of the chaste Archeress, and she netted the meshes for her wonted hunting among the rocks more gladly than she would make twisted yarn. Never did she touch with shaft the timid dappled fawn, the gazelle she followed not, nor handled the hare; but the shaggy breasted lion she fitted about with bloodred bridle, and whipt his gray flanks, and often lifted spear against a maddened bear; and she blamed farshooting Archeress, for letting alone the generation of speckled pards and the tribes of lions, and yoking worthless deer to her car. Nor did she care for perfume: rather than honeymixed bowls she preferred watery draughts from a mountain brook, as she poured out cool water; lonely cliffs with nature’s vaulted roof were the maiden’s inaccessible dwelling. Often, her task well done, after the course of her wonted hunting, she sat beside the pards, and remained under one hollow roof at midday near a lioness newly delivered; then the beast gentle with calm brows would lick the girl’s body with unscratching jaws, and with timid throat like a whimpering dog, the greedy mouth of the lioness newdelivered purred softly through self-denying lips, while the lion, thinking her to be Artemis, drooped his head to the ground in supplication, and bent his hairy neck before the nymph.
καί τις ἐνὶ ξυλόχοις ὀρεσίτροφος ἤνθεε βούτης,
205 ἰθυτενής, περίμετρος, ὑπέρτερος ἥλικος ἥβης:
οὔνομά οἱ πέλεν Ὕμνος, ὃς ἀγριάδος μέσον ὕλης
ἱμερτὰς ἐνόμευε βόας παρὰ γείτονι κούρῃ:
καὶ νομίην ἐρατῇσι καλαύροπα χερσὶ τινάσσων
εἰς βαθὺν ἦλθεν ἔρωτα καὶ οὐκέτι τέρπετο ποίμνῃ,
210 εἴκελος Ἀγχίσῃ ῥοδοειδέι, τοῦ ποτε Κύπρις
ἀργεννὴν ἐνόμευεν ὀρεσσινόμων στίχα ταύρων
κεστὸν ἐλαφρίζουσα βοοσσόον: ἀμφὶ δὲ λόχμην
βουκόλος ἀγρώσσουσαν ἰδὼν χιονώδεα κούρην
οὐ β�
�έης ἀγέλης ἐμπάζετο: φοιταλέη δὲ
215 εἰς ἕλος αὐτοκέλευστος ἐβόσκετο πόρτις ἐρήμη
ἀρχαίου δυσέρωτος ἀποπλαγχθεῖσα νομῆος,
καὶ δαμάλη πεφόρητο περισκαίρουσα κολώναις
ποιμένα μαστεύουσα: νέος δ᾽ ἐπλάζετο βούτης
παρθενικῆς ὁρόων ῥοδοειδέα κύκλα προσώπου.
[204] And in the forests was a highland oxherd, hale and fresh, his figure stout-built, tall and upright, beyond the youths of his age. His name was Hymnos, and in the midst of the wild wood he tended his lovely cattle where the nymph was his neighbour: he flourished the herdsman’s truncheon in lovely hands. But he fell deep in love, and no more took joy of his herd, like a rosy Anchises, whose white string of mountainranging bulls Cypris once tended, swinging her girdle to shoo the cattle on. When the herdsman saw the snowywhite girl hunting about the woods, he cared not for his herd of cattle; the calf strayed into the marsh at its own will and grazed alone, wandering from its ancient herdsman now sick in love, and the heifer scampered capering over the hills in search of her keeper. But the young oxherd was wandering, for he saw the rosy round of a maiden’s face.
220 καὶ δολόεις ἐρέθιζεν Ἔρως ποθέοντα νομῆα
οἴστρῳ λαβροτέρῳ δεδονημένον: ἐν σκοπέλοις γὰρ
παρθενικῆς ἀκίχητον ἐπεσσυμένης δρόμον ἄγρης
πέπλον ὅλον κόλπωσεν ἐς ἠέρα κοῦφος ἀήτης:
καὶ χροὸς ἤνθεε κάλλος: ἐλευκαίνοντο δὲ μηροὶ
225 καὶ σφυρὰ φοινίσσοντο, καὶ ὡς κρίνον, ὡς ἀνεμώνη
χιονέων μελέων ῥοδόεις ἀνεφαίνετο λειμών:
καὶ νέος ἱμερόφοιτος ἔχων ἀκόρητον ὀπωπὴν
ἀσκεπέων ἐδόκευεν ἐλεύθερον ἄντυγα μηρῶν
