Works of Nonnus
Page 225
ὣς φαμένη λίπε Βάκχον. ἀεὶ δ᾽ ὑπὸ φορβάδα λόχμην
παρθενικὴν μάστευεν ὀρίπλανον: ἐσσυμένῳ δὲ
185 σύνδρομος ὡμάρτησε κύων πινυτόφρονι θυμῷ
τόν ποτε θηρεύοντι φιλοσκοπέλῳ Διονύσῳ
ὤπασε δῶρον ἔχειν σκυλακοτρόφος ὑψίκερως Πάν.
καί μιν ἅτε φρονέοντα καὶ αὐδήεντα δοκεύων
σύννομον ἰσοκέλευθον ἐῶν ξυνήονα μόχθων,
190 Βάκχος ἐρωμανέων φιλίῳ προσπτύξατο μύθῳ:
‘τίπτε, κύων περίφοιτος, ὁμόδρομός ἐσσι Λυαίῳ
Πανὸς ἀεὶ ποθέοντος ἐπάξιε; τίπτε σὺ μοῦνος
παρθένον ἰχνεύοντι συνιχνεύεις Διονύσῳ;
ἦ ῥά σε σὸς ταμίης οἰκτίρμονα θῆκεν ἐρώτων;
195 παρθένον ἡμετέρην ἔτι δίζεο, μηδ᾽ ἐνὶ πέτραις
Βάκχον ἀλητεύοντα κατ᾽ οὔρεα μοῦνον ἐάσῃς.
μοῦνος ἐποικτείρεις με, καὶ ὡς βροτὸς εἰς ῥάχιν ὕλης
πλαζομένης λοφόεντα μετέρχεαι ἔνδια κούρης.
κάμνε τεῷ βασιλῆι: χάριν δέ σοι εἵνεα μόχθων
200 δώσω ἀμοιβαίην: μετὰ Σείριον ἀστέρα Μαίρης
αἰθέρος ἔνδον ἄγω σε καὶ ἀστερόεντα τελέσσω
ἄγχι Κυνὸς προτέρου, σταφυλὴν ἵνα καὶ σὺ πεπαίνῃς
βότρυος Εἰλείθυιαν ἀκοντίζων σέθεν αἴγλην.
τίς φθόνος ἀντέλλειν τρίτατον Κύνα; καὶ σὺ φαείνεις
205 σύνδρομος ἀστερόεντος ἐπειγομένοιο Λαγωοῦ.
εἰ θέμις, οἰκτείρων μὲ σαόφρονι μέμφεο κούρη.
δόχμιον ὄμμα φέρων Κυβεληίδος εἰς ῥάχιν ὕλης,
ὅττί με μαστεύοντα γυνὴ θεὸν εἰσέτι φεύγει:
μέμφεο δ᾽ ἀμφοτέροισιν, Ἀδώνιδι καὶ Κυθερείῃ,
210 φοιταλέην δὲ δίωκε δι᾽ οὔρεος ἄστατον Ἠχώ,
μὴ τελέσῃ φυγόδεμνον ἐμὴν πλέον εἰσέτι νύμφην:
μηδὲ λίπῃς σέο Πᾶνα δυσίμερον ἐγγύθι κούρης,
μή μιν ἑλὼν ζεύξειεν ἀναγκαίοις ὑμεναίοις.
παρθένον αἴ κεν ἴδῃς, ταχὺς ἔρχεο, μάρτυρι σιγῇ
215 ἢ νοεραῖς ὑλακῇσιν ἀπαγγέλλων Διονύσῳ:
ἄγγελος ἔσσο πόθοιο: κύων δέ τις ἄλλος ἀλάσθω
ἢ σύας ἠὲ λέοντας ἀπὸ σκοπέλοιο διώκων.
Πὰν φίλε, κικλήσκω σε μακάρτατον, ὅττι καὶ αὐτοὶ
σεῖο κύνες γεγάασιν ἐρευνητῆρες Ἐρώτων.
220 ἀνδρομέην, πολύμορφε Τύχη, παίζουσα γενέθλην
ἵλαθι, πανδαμάτειρα: μετὰ βροτέην τάχα φύτλην
καὶ σκυλάκων κρατέεις, ὅτι δύσμορος οὕτος ἀλήτης
θητεύει μετὰ Πᾶνα καὶ ἱμείροντι Λυαίῳ:
παρθενικῇ μέμψασθε, φίλαι δρύες: εἴπατε, πέτραι:
225 καὶ κύνες οἰκτείρουσι, καὶ οὐκ ἐλέαιρεν Ἀμαζών.’
εἰσὶ καὶ ἐν σκυλάκεσσιν ἐχέφρονες, οἷσι Κρονίων
ἀνδρομέην φρένα δῶκε καὶ οὐ βροτέην πόρε φωνήν.’
[183] She finished, and left Bacchos behind. But he ever searched for the mountainranging maid through the nourishing woods; and coursing beside him in that rapid chase went the dog with sagacious mind, the dog which highhorned Pan, breeder of hounds, offered as a gift to Dionysos, once on a time when he was hunting in the highlands which he loved. To him, the comrade of his ways and his labours, Bacchos lovemaddened spoke gently with kind words, as if he thought the creature had sense and voice: “why do you run with Lyaios, wandering hound, when Pan always misses you, and you are worthy of Pan? Why do you alone track the maiden along with tracking Dionysos? Did your trainer teach you to pity love? Still seek our maiden, and let not Bacchos go wandering alone over the mountains, among the rocks. You alone pity me, and like one human, you follow in the hilly spaces on the ridge where the girl wanders. Work hard for your king! I will repay you well for your labours: I will take you into the upper air, and make you a star like Seirios, the star of Maira, near the earlier Dog, that you also may ripen the clusters, shooting your light to be the grapes Eileithyia. What harm that a third Dog should arise? You also show your light, running a course with the starry Hare as he scampers on. If it is lawful, cast your eyes aside to the ridge of Cybele’s forest, and in pity for me reproach the modesthearted girl, that she still flies from my pursuit, a woman from a god! Reproach both Adonis and Cythereia, and pursue Echo, flitting inconstant over the mountains, that she may not make my nymph yet more a hater of wedlock; do not leave your rough wooer Pan near the girl, or he may catch her and yoke her under an enforced bridal. If you should see the maiden, quickly come, and with knowing silence or meaning barks give the news to Dionysos; you be loves messenger, and let another dog travel in pursuit of boars or lions from the rocks. Friend Pan, I call you most blessed, because even your dogs have become trackers of the loves. And you, Luck, how many shapes you take, how you make playthings of the children of men! Be gracious, all-subduer! First the human race, and now perhaps you possess the canine race also, when this ill-fated wanderer is a servant for Dionysos in love next after Pan. Reproach the maiden, dear trees, and say, ye rocks, ‘Even the dogs have compassion, and there is no pity in the Amazon!’ So there are dogs too with sense, to whom Cronion has given the thoughts of a man, and yet not a human voice.”
ἔννεπεν ἄγχι φυτοῖο: δι᾽ εὐπετάλου δὲ κορύμβου
φθογγῆς εἰσαΐουσα γυναιμανέος Διονύσου
230 ἀρχαίη Μελίη φιλοκέρτομον ἴαχε φωνήν:
[228] A tree was near him while he spoke; and through her clustering leaves an ancient Ashtree heard the cry of womanmad Dionysos, and she uttered a mocking voice:
,’ἄλλοι μέν, Διόνυσε, κυνοσσόοι ἰοχεαίρῃ
ἐνθάδε θηρεύουσι, σὺ δ᾽ ἀγρώσσεις Ἀφροδίτῃ:
ἡδὺς ὁ δειμαίνων ἁπαλόχροον ἄζυγα κούρην:
Βάκχος ὁ τολμήεις ἱκέτης πέλε λάτρις Ἐρώτων:
235 Ἰνδοφόνοις παλάμῃσιν ἀνάλκιδα λίσσετο κούρην.
σὸς γενέτης οὐκ οἶδε πόθου θελξίφρονι μύθῳ
εἰς γάμον, εἰς ὑμέναιον ἄγειν πειθήμονα κούρην:
οὐ Σεμέλην ἱκέτευεν, ἕως ἐτύχησεν ἐρώτων.
οὐ Δανάην παρέπεισεν, ἕως σύλησε κορείην:
240 Ζηνὶ συναπτομένην Ἰξίονος οἶσθα γυναῖκα
καὶ γάμιον χρεμέτισμα καὶ ἱππείους ὑμεναίους:
Ἀντι�
�πης ἐδάης φιλοπαίγμονα θεσμὸν Ἐρώτων
καὶ Σάτυρον γελόωντα νόθον μιμηλὸν ἀκοίτην.’
[231] “Other masters of hounds, Dionysos, hunt here for the Archeress; but you are huntsman for Aphrodite! Here’s a nice fellow to be in fear of a soft-skinned maiden girl! Bacchos the bold, bowing and scraping like a lackey to the loves! lifts in prayer to a weakling girl the hands that butchered the Indians! Your father does not know how to go awooing with heartbewitching words of love to bring the girl willing to her bridal; he made no prayer to Semele until he won her love; he did not cajole Danae until he stole her maidenhood. You know how he caught Ixion’s wife, the bridegroom’s whinney and the equine mating. You have heard of love’s game of trickery for Antiope, the laughing Satyr, the sham deceitful mate.”
ὣς φάτο κερτομέουσα νόον δειδήμονα Βάκχου.
245 καὶ δρυὸς ἐντὸς ἵκανεν ὁμήλικος. ἐν δὲ κολώναις
ἀσχαλόων Διόνυσος ὁμάρτεε θυιάδι κούρῃ
ποσσὶν ἐρωμανέεσσι, καὶ ὠκυπέδιλος Ἀμαζὼν
ἄστατος ἄκρα κάρηνα μετήιε δύσβατα πέτρης,
ἴχνος ἐρευνητῆρος ὑποκλέπτουσα Λυαίου.
[244] So she mocked the timid mind of Bacchos, and vanished into her coeval tree. But on the hills, Dionysos impatient followed the wild girl with love-mad feet; and the swift-shod Amazon, ever on the move, scoured the topmost heads of difficult mountain-paths, hiding her track from the searcher Lyaios.
250 καὶ φλογερῷ Φαέθοντος ἱμασσομένης χρόα πυρσῷ
ἄβροχα διψαλέης τερσαίνετο χείλεα κούρης:
καί δόλον ἀγνώσσουσα γυναιμανέος Διονύσου
ξανθὸν ὕδωρ ἐνόησε φιλακρήτου ποταμοῖο,
καὶ πίεν ἡδὺ ῥέεθρον, ὅθεν πίον αἴθοπες Ἰνδοί:
255 καὶ φρένα δινηθεῖσα μέθῃ βακχεύετο κούρη,
καὶ κεφαλὴν ἐλέλιζε μετήλυδα δίζυγι παλμῷ,
καὶ διδύμην ἐδόκησεν ἰδεῖν πολυχανδέα λίμνην
ὄμματα δινεύουσα: βαρυνομένου δέ καρήνου
δέρκετο θηροβότου διπλούμενα νῶτα κολώνης:
260 καὶ τρομεροῖσι πόδεσσιν ὀλισθήσασα κονίῃ
εἰς πτερὸν αὐτοκύλιστος ἐσύρετο γείτονος Ὕπνου:
καὶ γαμίῳ βαρύγουνος ἐθέλγετο κώματι νύμφη.
[250] But the dry lips of the thirsty girl were parched as Phaethon scourged her skin with his blazing fire, and knowing not the trick of womanmad Dionysos, she noticed the brown water of the tipplers’ river, and drank the sweet liquid, whence the skin-scorched Indians had drunk. With her brain on fire, the girl revelled in her intoxication, and tossed her head to match her double motions; when she turned her eyes to the wide yawning lake, she thought to see two lakes; then as her head grew heavy, she beheld the ridges of the beastfeeding hill double themselves; and with trembling feet, slipping in the dust, she was drawn unconsciously under the wing of Sleep who was not far away. So the bride heavy at knee, was spellbound by her wedding slumber.
τὴν μὲν ἰδὼν εὕδουσαν Ἔρως ἐπεδείκνυε Βάκχῳ,
ὕμνον ἐποικτείρων: νέμεσις δ᾽ ἐγέλασσεν ἰδοῦσα.
265 καὶ δολόεις Διόνυσος ἀδουπήτοισι κοθόρνοις
εἰς γάμον ἄψοφος εἷρπε ποδῶν τεχνήμονι παλμῷ.
κούρης δ᾽ ἐγγὺς ἵκανε: καὶ ἀτρέμας ἄκρον ἐρύσσας
δεσμὸν ἀσυλήτοιο φυλάκτορα λύσατο μίτρης
φειδομένῃ παλάμῃ, μὴ παρθένον ὕπνος ἐάσῃ.
[263] Eros espied her sleeping, and pointed her out to Bacchos, pitying Hymnos; Nemesis laughed at the sight. And sly Dionysos with shoes that made no noise crept soundless to his bridal, placing his footsteps with care. He came near the girl: and softly with gentle hand undid the end of the knot which guarded the girdle of innocence, that sleep might not let the maiden go.
270 γαῖα δὲ κηώεσσαν ἀναπτύξασα λοχείην
φυταλιὴν ὤδινε, χαριζομένη Διονύσῳ,
πολλὴν δ᾽ ἀμπελόεσσαν ἐλαφρίζουσα καλύπτρην
πλεκτὴ βοτρυόεντι κάμαξ ἐβαρύνετο καρπῷ:
καὶ λέχος ἦν πετάλοισι κατάσκιον: ἡμερίδων γὰρ
275 αὐτοφυὴς μίτρωσεν ἕλιξ εὐάμπελον εὐνήν:
καὶ πολὺς ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα μετάρσιος οἴνοπι καρπῷ
Κυπριδίοις ἀνέμοισιν ἐσείετο βότρυς ἀλήτης,
ἀμφοτέρους δ᾽ ἐπύκαζε: σελινοφόρῳ δὲ κορύμβῳ
ἱμερόεις ἐμέθυσσεν ὁμόζυγος οἰνάδος ὄρπηξ
280 πλεκτόν ἀεξομένης ἐπιβήτορα κισσὸν ὀπώρης.
[270] Earth unfolded her teeming fragrance, and brought forth a plot of plants, to do pleasure to Dionysos. Tangled poles of spreading vine lifted a wide covering laden with clusters of grapes, and shaded the bed with its leaves; a selfgrown arbour of vinery embowered the couch with its rich growth, and many a bunch of purple fruit swayed to and fro above it, under the Cyprian’s breezes. It screened them both, while in crinkling clumps a lovely sapling of the wine-plant entangled intoxicated the wreaths of ivy which climbed over the growing fruit.
καὶ δολόεις γάμος ἦεν ὀνειρείης τύπον εὐνῆς
ὕπνον ἔχων συνάεθλον: ἐνοσφίσθη δὲ κορείης
παρθενικὴ κνώσσουσα, καὶ ἔδρακε πομπὸν Ἐρώτων
ὕπνον ὑποδρηστῆρα μεθυσφαλέων ὑμεναίων.
285 πνοιὴ δ᾽ ὑψιπόρῳ σκιρτήματι θυιάδος ὕλης
ἄστατος αὐτοβόητος ἀνέπλεκεν ὕμνον Ἐρώτων,
καὶ μέλος ἠνεμόφοιτον ὀρεσσαύλων ὑμεναίων
αἰδομένοις στομάτεσσιν ἀμείβετο παρθένος Ἠχώ,
Πανιὰς ὑστερόφωνος: ὑπὲρ δαπέδου δὲ χορεύων
290 αὐλὸς ἐπεσμαράγησεν ‘Ὑμὴν Υμέναιε’ λιγαίνων:
‘ἱμερόεις γάμος οὗτος’ ὀρεστιὰς ἴαχε πεύκη.
[281] It was a stolen bridal, like bed in a dream with Sleep for helper. The maiden lost her maidenhood, slumbering still; she saw Sleep as marshal of the loves, and as servant of winedeceived nuptials. The breeze, unresting, self-sounding, interwove the hymn of love with caperings, high among the branches of the jubilant forest: and the melody of the mountain bridal, passing on the winds, was answered in modest tones by maiden Echo, Pan’s following voice; dancing over the ground the pipes tootled out loudly “Hymen Hymenaios”; the forest fir resounded, “A blessing on this bridal!”
ψυχὴ δ᾽ ἠνεμόφοιτος ἀναΐξασα νομῆος
παρθένον ὑπναλέην νυχίοις ἐρέθιζεν ὀνείροις:
[292] Then the soul of the herdsman, passing on the winds, started up and taunted the sleeping maiden in dreams of the night:
‘εἰσὶ καὶ
ἱμείροντος Ἐρινύες, εὔγαμε κούρη:
295 νυμφίον εἰ φύγες Ὕμνον, ἐνυμφεύθης Διονύσῳ:
λοξὰ θεμιστεύεις, θαλαμηπόλε παρθένε νύμφη:
κτείνεις γὰρ ποθέοντα, καὶ οὐ γαμέοντα διώκεις.
παρθένε, χάλκεον ὕπνον ἐρασσαμένῳ πόρες Ὕμνῳ:
παρθένε, νήδυμος ὕπνος ἀπώλεσε σεῖο κορείην.
300 οἰκτρὸν ἴδες γελόωσα δεδουπότος αἷμα νομῆς:
οἰκτρότερον στενάχουσα τεῆς ἴδες αἷμα κορείης.’
[294] “A lover also has his avenging spirits, happy bride! If you refused Hymnos as a bridegroom, Dionysos has made you a bride! You are a crooked judge, you matchmaking maiden bride! you kill the lover, you pursue him that weds not! Maiden, a brazen sleep ° you gave to your impassioned Hymnos: — maiden, a honeyed sleep lost you your maidenhood! The dead herdsman’s piteous blood you saw with a laugh; there was worse piteous groaning when you saw the blood of your maidenhood.”
ὥς φαμένη σκιόεντι πανείκελος ἔσσυτο καπνῷ
ψυχὴ δακρυόεσσα ποθοβλήτοιο νομῆος,
Ταρταρίην δ᾽ ἀκίχητος ἐδύσατο πανδόκον αὐλήν,
305 Βάκχου ζῆλον ἔχουσα μεθυσφαλέων ὑμεναίων.