by Nonnus
κύμασι λαβροτέροις πεφορημένον ὑγρὸν ὁδίτην,
Εὐρώπης μετὰ λέκτρον: ὀρινέσθω δὲ καὶ αὐτή,
δερκομένη κερόεσσαν ἐμὴν ταυρώπιδα μορφήν,
ταυροφυὴς κερόεσσα βοῶν ἐλάτειρα Σελήνη:
310 ἵξομαι ὑψικέλευθος ἐς οὐρανόν, ὄφρα νοήσω
ἰκμαλέον Κηφῆα καὶ ὑγροχίτωνα Βοώτην,
ὡς πάρος ἐννοσίγαιος, ὅτε θρασὺς ἀμφὶ Κορίνθου
ὑγρὸς Ἄρης ἀλάλαζεν ἐς ἀστερόεσσαν Ἐνυώ:
κρύψω δ᾽ ἔμπυρον Αἶγα, Διὸς τροφόν, ὑγροπόρῳ δὲ
315 ἄρμενον Ὑδροχοῆι χαρίζομαι ἄφθονον ὕδωρ.
[303] “Tethys, awake! We will drown the stars in water, that I may see the Bull, who once swam over a waveless sea, tossed on stormier waves in the paths of the waters after the bed of Europa. Selene herself, bullshaped and horned driver of cattle, may be angry to see my horned bullshaped form. I will travel high into the heaven, that I may behold Cepheus drenched and the Waggoner in soaking tunic, as Earthshaker once did when about Corinth soaking Ares once boldly shouted defiance of battle against the stars! I will swallow the shining Goat, the nurse of Zeus, and I will offer infinite water to the Waterman as a suitable gift!
Τηθύς, καὶ σύ, θάλασσα, κορύσσεο: ταυροφυῆ γὰρ
Ζεὺς νόθον υἷα λόχευσεν, ῾̣̣̓να ξύμπαντας ὀλέσσῃ
καὶ ποταμοὺς καί φῶτας ἀμεμφέας: ἀμφότερον δὲ
Ἰνδοὺς θύρσος ἔπεφνε καὶ ἔφλεγε πυρσὸς Ὑδάσπην.’
[316] “Get ready, Tethys, and you, O Sea! for Zeus has been delivered of a base son in bull shape, to destroy all rivers and all creatures together, all blameless: the thyrsus wand has slain the Indians, the torch has burnt Hydaspes!”
320 ἔννεπε παφλάζων βαθυκύμονος οἴδματι φωνῆς.
[320] So he cried blustering in a flood of speech from his deep waves.
BOOK 24
εἰκοστὸν δὲ τέταρτον ἔχει γόον ἄσπετον Ἰνδῶν
κερκίδα θ᾽ ἱστοπόνοιο καὶ ἠλακάτην Ἀφροδίτης.
Ζεὺς δὲ πατὴρ κοτέοντος ἀπέτραπε παιδὸς ἀπειλήν,
δοῦπον ὁμοπλεκέων νεφέων βρονταῖον ἱμάσσων:
καὶ χόλον ἐπρήυνεν ἀτέρμονος Ὠκεανοῖο,
ὑσμίνην φλογόεσσαν ἐρητύων Διονύσου.
5 Ἥρη δ᾽ ἐσμαράγησε δι᾽ ἠέρος ἄπλετον ἠχώ,
μῆνιν ἀναστέλλουσα πυρισθενέος Διονύσου.
BOOK XXIV
The twenty-fourth has the infinite mourning of the Indians, and the shuttle and distaff of Aphrodite working at the loom.
FATHER Zeus turned aside the menace of his angry son, for he massed the clouds and flung out a thunderclap; he stayed the flaming attack of Dionysos, and calmed the anger of boundless Ocean. Hera also made an infinite noise resound through the air, to restrain the wrath of Dionysos’s fiery power.
καὶ διερὴν παλάμην ὀρέγων οἰκτίρμονι Βάκχῳ
παιδὶ Διὸς πυρόεντι γέρων ἰάχησεν Ὑδάσπης,
μῦθον ἀναβλύζων ἱκετήσιον ἀνθερεῶνος:
[7] Then old Hydaspes held out a wet hand to merciful Bacchos, and appealed to the fiery son of Zeus in words that bubbled out of his lips:
10 ‘φείδεό μοι, Διόνυσε, διιπετέος ποταμοῖο,
ὕδασι καρποτόκοισι φέρων χάριν: ὑμετέρη γὰρ
ἐξ ὑδάτων εὔβοτρυς ἀνεβλάστησεν ὀπώρη.
ἀασάμην, Διόνυσε πυριτρεφές: οὐρανίην γὰρ
σῶν δαΐδων ἀμάρυγμα τεὴν κήρυξε γενέθλην.
15 ἀλλὰ πόθος τεκέων με βιήσατο: Δηριάδῃ γὰρ
υἱέι πιστὰ φέρων ῥοθίων ἐλέλιζον ἀπειλήν,
Ἰνδοῖς κτεινομένοισι βοηθόον οἶδμα κυλίνδων.
[10] “Spare me, Dionysos, the river fed from Zeus! Be gracious to my fertilizing waters! for your own goodly fruitage of grapes has grown up from water.
I have sinned, Dionysos, nurseling of fire! for the gleam of your torches has proclaimed your divine lineage. But love for my children constrained me. To keep faith with Deriades my son I brought up my threatening surf, to help perishing Indians I rolled my waves.
αἰδέομαι γενετῆρι φανήμεναι, ὅττι θαλάσσῃ
αἵματι μορμύροντι μεμιγμένα χεύματα σύρω
20 καὶ φονίῃ ῥαθάμιγγι Ποσειδάωνα μιαίνω:
τοῦτό με, τοῦτο κόρυσσεν ἐριδμαίνειν Διονύσῳ.
πρὸς δὲ τεοῦ ξενίοιο καὶ ἱκεσίοιο τοκῆος,
αἴδεο παφλάζοντα τεῷ πυρὶ θερμὸν Ὑδάσπην.
[18] “I am ashamed to appear before my father, because the murmuring stream which I draw is mingled with blood, and I pollute Poseidaon with clots of gore; this it was, only this that armed me to strive against Dionysos. By your father, protector of guests and suppliants, have mercy on Hydaspes, now hot and boiling with your fire!
νηιάδες φεύγουσιν ἐμὸν ῥόον: ἀμφὶ δὲ πηγάς
25 ἡ μὲν ναιετάει διερὸν δόμον, ἡ δ᾽ ἐνὶ λόχμαις
σύννομος Ἁδρυάδεσσι φυτὸν μετὰ πόντον ἀμείβει,
ἄλλη δ᾽ Ἰνδὸν ἔχει μετανάστιος, ἡ δὲ φυγοῦσα
ποσσὶ κονιομένοισιν ἐδύσατο διψάδα πέτρην
Καυκασίην, ἑτέρη δὲ μεταΐξασα Χοάσπην
30 ναίει ξεῖνα ῥέεθρα καὶ οὐκέτι πάτριον ὕδωρ.
[24] “The Naiads flee from my stream: one dwells in a watery home at my source, one leaves the deep for the thicket, and stays with Hadryads in the woods; another migrates to the Indos, another escapes on dusty feet to hide among the thirsty rocks of Caucasos, or passing to Choaspes dwells in strange livers and in her father’s water no longer.
μὴ καλάμους ὀλέσειας, ἐμῶν βλάστημα ῥοάων,
οἷσιν ἀεξομένοισιν ἐρείδεται οἰνάδος ὅρπηξ
ἀμπελόεις: δόνακες γὰρ ἐπ᾽ ἀλλήλοισι δεθέντες
ὑμετέρην εὔυδρον ἐλαφρίζουσιν ὀπώρην:
35 μὴ δόνακας φλέξειας, ὅθεν σέο Μυγδόνες αὐλοί,
μή ποτέ σοι μέμψαιτο τεὴ φιλόμολπος Ἀθήνη,
ἥ ποτε Γοργείων βλοσυρὸν μίμημα καρήνων
φθεγγομένων Λίβυν εὗρεν ὁμοζυγέων τύπον αὐλῶν:
καὶ σέο μυστιπόλοιο κυβερνήτειραν ἀοιδῆς
40 Πανιάδος σύριγγος ὁμόθροον αἴδεο μολπήν:
λῆγε τεῷ νάρθηκι ῥόον ποταμοῖο μαραίνων,
ὅττι ῥόος ποταμοῖο τεούς νάρθηκας ἀέξει.
[31] “Destroy not my canes, the growth of my stre
ams, which grow up to support the shoots and grapes of your vine! Do not the reeds tied together carry your well-watered fruit? Burn not my reeds, which make your Mygdonian hoboys, or your musical Athena may reproach you one day: she who invented the Libyan double pipes, to imitate with their tootle the voices of the Gorgons’ grim heads. Spare the harmonious tune of the pans-pipes which guides your own mystic song! Cease wasting the river stream with your fennel, when the stream of the river makes your fennels to grow!
οὐ ξένον οἶδμα πέρησας ἐπώνυμον: ἀλλοφυῆ γὰρ
ἄλλον ἐγὼ Διόνυσον ἐμοῖς φαίδρυνα λοετροῖς,
45 ὁπλοτέρου Βρομίοιο φερώνυμον, εὖτε Κρονίων
Ζαγρέα παιδοκόμοισιν ἐμαῖς παρακάτθετο Νύμφαις:
καὶ σὺ φέρεις Ζαγρῆος ὅλον δέμας: ἀλλὰ σὺ κείνῳ
δὸς χάριν ὀψιτέλεστον, ὅθεν πέλες: ἀρχεγόνου γὰρ
ἐκ κραδίης ἀνέτελλες, ἀειδομένου Διονύσου.
50 ὑμετέρου δὲ γέραιρε Λάμου κουροτρόφον ὕδωρ:
μνώεο Μαιονίης σέο πατρίδος: ὑμετέρου γὰρ
Πακτωλοῦ χαρίεντος ἀδελφεός ἐστιν Ὑδάσπης.
καὶ σὺ τόσοις ποταμοῖσι μίαν χάριν ἄρτι τιταίνων,
γνωτοῖς ἡμετέροισι, τεὴν ἀνασείρασον αἴγλην:
55 μηδὲ πυρί φλέξῃς ὑδάτων χύσιν: ἐξ ὑδάτων γὰρ
ἀστεροπὴ βλάστησε, τεοῦ Διὸς ὑέτιον πῦρ.
ἀλλὰ χόλον πρήυνε, τεοῖς ὅτι γούνασι πίπτω
μειλίχιον στορέσας ἱκέτην ῥόον: ἐν πολέμοις γὰρ
εἰ θρασὺν αὐχένα κάμπτε, καὶ ἤπιος ἔσκε Τυφωεύς,
60 καί κεν ἀπορρίψας παλινάγρετον ὄγκον ἀπειλῆς
ἀστεροπὴν ἀνέκοπτε πατήρ τεός, ὑψιμέδων Ζεύς.’
[43] “The stream you have crossed is no stranger to your name; for I have washed another Dionysos in my bath, with the same name as the younger Bromios, when Cronion entrusted Zagreus to the care of my nursing nymphs; why, you have the whole shape of Zagreus. Grant this favour then, although so long after, to him from whom you are sprung; for you came from the heart of that firstborn Dionysos, so celebrated. Respect the water of your Lamos who cherished your childhood; remember Maionia your own country, for Hydaspes is brother of your charming Pactolos. Grant now this one boon to all these rivers, my brothers, and withdraw your flame. Burn not with fire my watery stream, for the watery fire of your Zeus, the lightning, came out of water! Calm your anger, because I fall at your knees: see, I have smoothed my flood into peaceful prayer! If Typhoeus in rebellion had bent his bold neck and submitted, your father Zeus, Lord in the highest, would have checked his lightning, his overwhelming threat would have been cast aside and forgotten.”
ὣς φαμένου Διόνυσος ἑὴν ἀνεσείρασε πεύκην.
καὶ προχοὰς Ἀρκτῷος ἀνερρίπιζεν ἀήτης
χειμερίῃ μάστιγι, φέρων δυσπέμφελον αὔρην,
65 χεῦμα πυριβλήτοιο καταψύχων ποταμοῖο,
ἠέλιον καὶ Βάκχον ὁμοῦ καὶ Ζῆνα γεραίρων,
καὶ ῥοθίων ἄσβεστον ἀπέσβεσε δαιμόνιον πῦρ.
[62] When he had ended, Dionysos drew back his torch. A wind from the north began to ruffle the waters with winter’s lash, bringing bleak airs and cooling the firestruck stream of the river, and honoured Helios and Bacchos and Zeus together by quenching the unquenchable divine fire of the surf.
ὄφρα μὲν εἰσέτι Βάκχος ἐπέπλεεν ὑγρὸν Ὑδάσπην,
τόφρα δέ, θάρσος Ἄρηος ἔχων, περιμήκετον ὁρμὴν
70 Δηριάδης ἐπὶ δῆριν ἐπώνυμον ὥπλισεν Ἰνδούς,
στήσας ἀμφὶ ῥέεθρον ἑὰς στίχας, ὄφρα μαχηταὶ
λαὸν ἐρητύσωσιν ἀνερχομένων ἔτι Βάκχων.
οὐδὲ Διὸς λάθεν ὄμμα πανόψιον: ἐσσυμένως δὲ
οὐρανόθεν πεφόρητο προασπίζων Διονύσον.
75 καὶ σφετέροισιν ἰόντες ἀρηγόνες, ἄλλος ἐπ᾽ ἄλλῳ,
σὺν Διὶ πάντες ἵκοντο θεοὶ ναετῆρες Ὀλύμπου
[68] While Bacchos was still crossing the waters of Hydaspes, Deriades with the courage of Ares armed the Indians for a vast effort of battle, as a Battledown of his name should do. He posted his companies beside the river, that the warriors might repel by force the Bacchoi as they still climbed up. Nor did the allseeing eye of Zeus fail to see him: quickly he swooped down from Heaven to hold a shield before Dionysos. With Zeus came all the gods who dwell in Olympos, one after another, in a flying leap, to help their own.
ἅλματι πωτήεντι: καὶ Αἰγίνης χάριν εὐνῆς
αἰετὸς ᾐώρητο τὸ δεύτερον ὑψιπέτης Ζεὺς
Ἀσωποῦ μετὰ χεῦμα, καὶ Αἰακὸν ἠεροφοίτην
80 φειδομένων ὀνύχων δεδραγμένος ἅρπαγε ταρσῷ
κουφίζων ἐκόμισσεν ἐς Ἄρεα Δηριαδῆος
Ἰνδῴην ἐπὶ πέζαν: ἀπ᾽ εὐρυπόροιο δὲ κόλπου
υἱὸν Ἀρισταῖον γενέτης ἐσάωσεν Ἀπόλλων,
φαιδρὸς ἀλεξικάκων πεφορημένος ἄρματι κύκνων,
85 μνῆστιν ἔχων θαλάμοιο λεοντοφόνοιο Κυρήνης:
καὶ κρατέων ἕο παῖδα τανύπτερος ἥρπασεν Ἑρμῆς,
υἱέα Πηνελόπης, κεραελκέα Πᾶνα κομήτην:
Οὐρανίη δ᾽ Ὑμέναιον ἀνεζώγρησεν ὀλέθρου
παιδὸς ἑοῦ γονόεντος ἐπώνυμον, ἠερίας δὲ
90 ἀτραπιτούς ἐχάραξεν, ὁμοίιος ἀστέρος ὁλκῷ,
γνωτῷ βοτρυόεντι χαριζομένη Διονύσῳ:
Καλλιόπη δ᾽ Οἴαγρον ἑοῖς ἀνεκούφισεν ὤμοις:
καί τεκέων Ἥφαιστος ἑῶν ἀλέγιζε Καβείρων,
ἀμφοτέρους δ᾽ ἥρπαξεν, ὁμοίιος ὀξέι πυρσῷ:
95 Ἀκταίη δ᾽ ἐσάωσεν Ἐρεχθέα Παλλάς Ἀθήνη
Ἰνδοφόνον, ναετῆρα θεοκρήπιδος Ἀθήνης:
νύμφας δ᾽ Ἁδρυάδας ναέται ζώγρησαν Ὀλύμπου
πάντες, ὅσοις μεμέληντο φίλαι δρύες, ἐξοχα δ᾽ ἄλλων
δαφναίας ἐσάωσε φανεὶς δαφναῖος Ἀπόλλων,
100 καί σφιν ἄμα χραίσμησε συνέμπορος υἱέι μήτηρ,
εἰσέτι κυδαίνουσα λεχώια δένδρεα Λητώ.
Βασσαρίδων δὲ φάλαγγα κορυμβοφόρους τε γυναῖκας
ἐκ βυθίου ῥύσαντο πολυφλοίσβοιο κυδοιμοῦ
θυγατέρες Κύδνοιο, φιλοζεφύρου ποταμοῖο,
105 πλωτὸν ἐπιστάμεναι διερὸν δρόμον, ἅς ἐ
πὶ νίκῃ
Ἄρεος Ἰνδῴοιο πατὴρ δωρήσατο Βάκχῳ,
Νηιάδας πολέμοιο δαήμονας, ἅς ποτε χάρμην
μαρνάμενος Κρονίωνι Κίλιξ ἐδίδαξε Τυφωεύς.
[77] Zeus as once before by the river Asopos, for the sake of Aigina’s bed, sailed now as an eagle flying high; and like a bird of prey caught up Aiacos in gentle talons, and carried him to the Indian land for battle with Deriades. Apollo the father saved Aristaios the son from the broad gulf, riding brilliant in his car drawn by the bane-averting swans; for he remembered the bower of lionslaying Cyrene. Hermes Longwing caught up and held his own child, the son of Penelope, hornstrong hairy Pan. Urania saved Hymenaios from destruction, because he had the same name as her own creative son, and scored the airy paths like a moving star, to please Dionysos, her brother of the grapes. Calliope lifted Oiagros upon her shoulders. Hephaistos took care of his sons the Cabeiroi, and caught up both, like a flying firebrand. Pallas Athena the Attic goddess saved Erechtheus the Indians’ bane, the citizen of god-founded Athens. All the denizens of Olympos who cared for their beloved oaks, rescued Hadryad nymphs; and most especially laurel-Apollo appeared and saved the laurel-nymphs; and Leto his mother stood by her son and helped them, for she still honoured the tree which helped her childbirth. The company of Bassarids and the ivycrowned women were saved from the roaring turmoil of the deeps, by the daughters of Cydnos, the river that loved the West Wind, since they knew the ways of the floating waters; these his father had given to Bacchos for victory in the Indian War, Naiads well skilled in warfare, whom Cilician Typhoeus had taught battle while he was fighting against Cronion.
καὶ στρατὸς ὡμάρτησεν ὁμόστολος: ἐσσυμένους δὲ
110 Εὔιος ἔφθασε πάντας, ὀρεσσαύλων ἐπὶ δίφρων
ἄξονος ἀβρέκτοιο διαξύων ῥόον ὁλκῷ:
καὶ Σατύρων δρόμον εἶχεν ὁμόστολον, οἷς ἅμα Βάκχαι
