Works of Nonnus

by Nonnus

  ὣς φαμένης δάκρυσε Χάρις καὶ ἀμείβετο μύθῳ:

  [41] When Aphrodite had said this, the Charis weeping replied:

  ‘ἀενάου κόσμοιο φυτοσπόρε, μῆτερ Ἐρώτων,

  βουκόλος οὐ κλονέει με, καὶ οὐ θρασὺς ἵμερος Ὕπνου.

  οὐ πέλον Ἠριγένεια δυσίμερος ἠὲ Σελήνη,

  45 ἀλλὰ πόνος περίφοιτος ἀνιάζει με Λυαίου,

  πατρὸς ἐμοῦ φρίσσοντος Ἐρινύας: ὑμετέρου δέ,

  εἰ δύνασαι, προμάχιζε κασιγνήτου Διονύσου.’

  [42] “O mother of the Loves! O sower of life in the everlasting universe! No herdsman troubles me, no bold desire of Sleep. I am no lovesick Dawn or Selene. No, I am tormented by the afflictions of Lyaios my father, driven about in terror by the Furies. He is your brother — protect Dionysos if you can!”

  ἔννεπε, καὶ γενετῆρος ὅλον πόνον εἶπεν ἀνάσσῃ

  Βασσαρίδων τε φάλαγγας ἀπείρονας, ἅς κτάνε Μορρεύς,

  50 καὶ Σατύρων φύξηλιν ὅλον στρατόν, εἶπε καὶ αὐτὴν

  δαιμονίην μάστιγα τινασσομένου Διονύσου

  καὶ κινυρὴν σπαίρουσαν ὑπὲρ δαπέδοιο Γιγαρτώ,

  Κωδώνην τ᾽ ἀγόρευε προώριον: αἰδομένη δὲ

  πένθος ὁμοῦ καὶ κάλλος ἐπέφραδε Χαλκομεδείης.

  [48] Then she recounted all her father’s afflictions to her mistress, and the countless ranks of Bassarids that Morrheus had killed, and all the fugitive host of Satyrs, even Dionysos lashed with the fury’s whip, and wailing Gigarto gasping on the ground, and Codone gone before her season: with shame she described the sorrows and beauty of Chalcomedeia.

  55 καὶ ῥοδέου σπινθῆρα μεταλλάξασα προσώπου

  ἠθάδα ῥῖψε γέλωτα φιλομμειδὴς Ἀφροδίτη.

  ἀγλαΐην δ᾽ ἐκέλευσε διάκτορον, ὄφρα καλέσσῃ

  υἱέα θοῦρον Ἔρωτα μετάρσιον ἠεροφοίτην,

  ἀνδρομέης γονόεντα κυβερνητῆρα γενέθλης.

  [55] Then sweetsmiling Aphrodite put off the wonted laugh from her radiant rosy face, and told her messenger Aglaia to call Eros her son, that swift airy flyer, that guide to the fruitful increase of the human race.

  60 καὶ Χάρις ἴχνος ἔκαμψε, πολυστρέπτῳ δὲ προσώπῳ

  σὺν χθονὶ πόντον ὄπωπε καὶ οὐρανόν, εἴ που ἐφεύροι

  ἄστατον ἴχνος Ἔρωτος, ἐπεὶ πτερὰ πάντοθι πάλλει,

  τέτραχα τεμνομένην κυκλούμενος ἄντυγα κόσμου.

  [60] The Charis moved her footsteps, and turned her face this way and that way over earth and sea and sky, if somewhere she might find the restless track of Eros — for he beats his wings everywhere circling the four separate regions of the universe.

  Εὖρε δέ μιν χρυσέοιο περὶ ῥίον ἄκρον Ὀλύμπου

  65 νεκταρέας ῥαθάμιγγας ἀκοντίζοντα κυπέλλοις:

  πὰρ δέ οἱ ἵστατο κοῦρος ὁμέψιος ἁβρὸν ἀθύρων,

  εὐχαίτης Ὑμέναιος: ἀερσινόου δὲ τεκούσης

  οὐρανίης σοφὸν ἔργον ἐπισταμένης δρόμον ἄστρων

  σφαῖραν ἄγων τροχόεσσαν ἀέθλια θήκατο νίκης,

  70 Ἄργου δαιδαλέης ἀντίρροπον εἰκόνα μορφῆς:

  καὶ πτερόεις εὔκυκλον Ἔρως μητρῷον ἀείρων

  χρύσεον ὁρμὸν ἔθηκε θαλασσαίης Ἀφροδίτης,

  νίκης φαιδρὸν ἄγαλμα παναίολον: ἀργύρεος δὲ

  κεῖτο λέβης ἐν ἀγῶνι, καὶ οἰνοχύτου βρέτας Ἥβης

  75 μεσσοφανῆ σκοπὸν εἶχε: καὶ ἱμερόεις Γανυμήδης

  οἰνοχόος Κρονίδαο δικασπόλος ἦεν ἀγῶνος,

  στέμμα φέρων παλάμῃσι. Φιλακρήτων δὲ βολάων

  λαχμὸς ἔην, μεθέπων ἑτερότροπα δάκτυλα χειρῶν:

  καὶ τὰ μὲν ὀρθώσαντες ἀνέσχεθον, ἄλλα δὲ καρπῷ

  80 χειρὸς ἐπεσφήκωτο συνήορα σύζυγι δεσμῷ:

  [64] She found him on the golden top of Olympos, shooting the nectar-drops from a cup. Beside him stood Hymenaios, his fairhaired playfellow in the dainty game. He had put up as a prize for the victor something clever made by his haughty mother Urania, who knew all the courses of the stars, a revolving globe like the speckled form of Argos; winged Eros had taken and put up a round golden necklace which belonged to his mother sea-born Aphrodite, a shining glorious work of art, as a prize of victory. A large silver basin stood for their game, and the shooting mark before them was a statue of Hebe shown in the middle pouring the wine. The umpire in the game was adorable Ganymedes, cupbearer of Cronides, holding the garland. Lots were cast for the shots of unmixed wine, with varied movements of the fingers: these they held out, these they pressed upon the root of the hand closely joined together. A charming match it was between them.

  ἀμφοτέροις δ᾽ ἔρις ἦεν ἐπήρατος. Ἁβροκόμης δὲ

  πρῶτα λαχὼν Ὑμέναιος ἕλεν δέπας, ἱπταμένην δὲ

  νεκταρέην ῥαθάμιγγα μετάρσιον ἠέρι πέμπων

  ῥῖψε λέβητος ὕπερθε: καὶ οὐ τότε μητέρι Μούσῃ

  85 εὐχωλὴν ἀνέφηνε: διεσσυμένη δὲ κυπέλλου

  ἠέρα μέσσον ἔτυψεν ἀερσιπότητος ἐέρση,

  ἀλλὰ παρατρέψασα βολὴν βητάρμονι παλμῷ

  ἑλκομένη παλίνορσος ἀγάλματος ἀμφὶ προσώπῳ

  ἄψοφος ἄκρον ἔτυψεν ἀδουπήτοιο καρήνου:

  90 δεύτερος αἰολόμητις Ἔρως τεχνήμονι θεσμῷ

  ἱμερόεν δέπας εἶλε, καὶ εὔξατο Κυπρογενείῃ

  λάθριος ἐν πραπίδεσσι, καὶ ἀπλανὲς ὄμμα τανύσσας

  εἰς σκοπὸν ἠκόντιζεν ἑκηβόλον ἰκμάδα πέμπων:

  νεκταρέου δὲ ποτοῖο παλινδίνητος ἐέρση

  95 ἰθυτενὴς ἄγναμπτος ἀγάλματος ὑψόθι κόρσης

  ἠερόθεν βαρύδουπος ἐπεσμαράγησε μετώπῳ:

  ἴαχε δ᾽ ἁβρὸν ἄγαλμα, καὶ υἱέι Κυπρογενείης

  χρυσέῳ ἐσμαράγησε λέβης ἐπινίκιον ἠχώ:

  καὶ στέφος ἁβρὸν Ἔρωτι πόρεν γελάσας Γανυμήδης:

  100 καὶ ταχὺς αἰόλον ὁρμὸν ἑλὼν καὶ σφαῖραν ἀείρων

  διπλόον εἶχεν ἄεθλον ἐυρραθάμιγγος ἀγῶνος,

  σκιρτήσας δὲ πόδεσσι, κυβιστήσας δὲ καρήνῳ

  κυδιόων ἐχόρευεν Ἔρως θρασύς: ἀντιπάλου δὲ

  πολλάκις ἀχνυμένοιο κατήγαγε χεῖρα προσώπου.

  [81] Daint
yhair Hymenaios drew the first try. He took the cup, and shot the flying nectar-drop high in the air over the basin; but he offered no prayer then to his mother the Muse: darting from the cup the dew went scattering high through the air, but the leaping drops turned aside and swerving fell back about the face of the statue so as to touch the top of the head without a sound. Second, crafty Eros took hold of the lovely cup in a masterly way, and secretly in his heart prayed to Cyprogeneia; then with a steady eye on the mark, he shot the liquid into the distance — the dewy nectar went straight, unswerving, and curved round until it fell from the air upon the forehead above the temple with a loud plop. The elegant statue rang, and the basin echoed the sound of victory for the golden son of Cyprogeneia. Ganymedes laughing handed the dainty garland to Eros. Quickly he picked up the beautiful necklace and lifted the globe, and kept the two prizes of their cleverdrop game. Bold Eros went skipping and dancing for joy and turned a somersault, and tried often to pull his rival’s hands from his sorrowful face.

  105 ἀγλαΐη δέ οἱ ἄγχι παρίστατο: τερψινόου δὲ

  δέξατο χερσὶν ἄνακτος ἀέθλια: νεῦσε δὲ κούρῳ

  νόσφι μολεῖν, καὶ Ἔρωτος ἐς οὔατα μάρτυρι σιγῇ

  ψευδομένης ἀγόρευε δολόφρονα μῦθον ἀνάσσης:

  [105] Now Aglaia stood by him, and she received the prizes from the hands of the prince of heart’s delight. She beckoned the boy aside, and with silence their only witness, she whispered into his ear the artful message of her intriguing mistress:

  ‘πανδαμάτωρ ἀδάμαστε, βιοσσόε σύγχρονε κόσμου,

  110 σπεῦσον, ἐπεὶ Κυθέρεια βιάζεται, οὐδέ τις αὐτῇ

  ἀμφιπόλων παρέμιμνε, Χάρις φύγεν, ᾤχετο Πειθώ,

  καὶ Πόθος ἀστήρικτος ἐχάζετο: σοὶ δέ με μούνην

  πέμψεν ἀνικήτοιο τεῆς χατέουσα φαρέτρης.’

  [109] “Allvanquisher unvanquished, preserver of life co-eval with the universe, make haste! Cythereia is in distress. None of her attendants has remained with her; Charis has gone, Peitho has vanished, Pothos the inconstant has left her; she had none to send but me. She needs your invincible quiver!”

  ὣς φαμένην ἐρέεινεν Ἔρως, ἴνα πάντα δαείη:

  115 ὅττι νέοι ξύμπαντες, ἀτέρμονος ὁππότε μύθου

  ἀρχὴν εἰσαΐουσι, τέλος σπεύδουσιν ἀκοῦσαι:

  καὶ στομάτων ἀχάλινον ἀπερροίβδησεν ἰωήν:

  [114] No sooner had she spoken, than Eros wanted to know all about it; for all young people, when they hear only the beginning of a story, are eager to hear the end. So he rattled out with that unbridled tongue of his —

  ‘τίς Παφίην ἀκάχησεν ἐμήν; ἵνα χεῖρα κορύσσω

  μαρνάμενος πάντεσσι: βιαζομένης δὲ τεκούσης

  120 νευρὴν πανδαμάτειραν ἐπὶ Κρονίωνα τανύσσω,

  καὶ πάλιν οἰστρηθέντα γαμοκλόπον ὄρνιν Ἐρώτων

  αἰετόν, ἤ τινα ταῦρον ἁλὸς πλωτῆρα τελέσσω:

  εἰ δέ ἑ Παλλὰς ὄρινε καὶ ἤκαχεν ἀμφιγυήεις

  Κεκροπίου λύχνοιο φεραυγέα δαλόν ἀνάψας,

  125 μάρναμαι ἀμφοτέροισι, καὶ Ἡφαίστῳ καὶ Ἀθήνῃ:

  εἰ δέ μιν ἰοχέαιρα λαγωβόλος εἰς χόλον ἕλκει,

  ἔμπυρον Ὠρίωνος Ὀλύμπιον ἆορ ἐρύσσας

  Ἄρτεμιν οἰστρήσαιμι, καὶ αἰθέρος ἐκτὸς ἐλάσσω ...

  κουφίζων πτερύγεσσιν ὁμόστολον υἱέα Μαίης,

  130 οὐτιδανὴν καλέοντα μάτην ἐπαρηγόνα Πειθώ:

  καλλείψας δὲ βέλεμνα καὶ ἔμπυρον ἄμμα φαρέτρης

  δαφναίοις πετάλοισι θελήμονα Φοῖβον ἱμάσσω,

  δέσμιον αὐδήεντι περισφίγξας ὑακίνθῳ:

  οὐ μὲν Ἐνυαλίου τρομέω σθένος, οὐδὲ μογήσω

  135 Ἄρεα μαστίζων πεπεδημένον ἡδέι κεστῷ:

  καὶ διδύμους φωστῆρας ὑποδρήσσοντας ἐρύσσω

  εἰς Πάφον οὐρανόθεν, καὶ ὀπάονα μητρὶ κομίσσω

  σὺν Κλυμένῃ Φαέθοντα, σὺν Ἐνδυμίωνι Σελήνην,

  πάντες ἴνα γνώωσιν, ὅτι ξύμπαντα δαμάζω.’

  [118] “Who has hurt my dear Paphian? Let me take arms in hand and fight all the world! If my mother is in distress, let me stretch my allvanquishing bowstring against even Cronion, to make him once more a mad ravishing love-bird, an eagle, or a bull swimming the sea! Or if Pallas has provoked her, if Crookshank has hurt her by lighting the bright torch of the Cecropian light, I will fight them both, Hephaistos and Athena! Or if Archeress hareslaver moves her to anger, I will draw the fiery Olympian sword of Orion to prick Artemis and drive her out of the sky! (Or if it is Hermes) I will carry off with me Maia’s son on my wings, and let him call useless Peitho in vain to his help. Or I will leave my arrows and the fiery belt of my quiver, I will lash Phoibos a willing victim with cords of laurel leaves, holding him bound in a belt of speaking iris. Indeed I fear not the strength of Envalios, it will not weary me to flog Ares when he is shackled by the delightful cestus. The two luminaries I will drag down from heaven to be drudges in Paphos, and give my mother for a servant Phaethon with Clymene, Selene with Endymion, that all may know that I vanquish all things!”

  140 εἶπε, καἰ ἰθυκέλευθον ἐν ἠέρι ταρσὸν ἑλίσσων

  ἔφθασεν Ἀγλαΐην πτερύγων διδυμάονι ῥοίζῳ,

  ἄχρι δόμων ἐπέβαινεν ἐπειγομένης Ἀφροδίτης.

  [140] He spoke, and straight through the air he plied his feet, and reached the dwelling of eager Aphrodite long before Aglaia with his pair of whirring wings.

  καὶ μέσον ἀγκὰς ἑλοῦσα γαληνιόωντι προσώπῳ

  πεπταμένῳ πήχυνε γεγηθότι κοῦρον ἀγοστῷ,

  145 γούνασι κουφίζουσα φίλον βάρος: ἑζομένου δὲ

  καὶ στόμα παιδὸς ἔκυσσε καὶ ὄμματα: θελξινόου δὲ

  ἁπτομένη τόξοιο καὶ ἀμφαφόωσα φαρέτρην,

  οἶα χόλου πνείουσα, δολόφρονα ῥήξατο φωνήν:

  [143] His mother with serene countenance took him into her embrace, and threw one happy arm round her boy, lifting him on her knees, a welcome burden. He sat there while she kissed the boy’s lips and eyes: then she touched his mindcharming bow, and handled the quiver, and pretending to breathe anger, spoke these delusive words:

  ‘τέκνον ἐμόν, Φαέθοντος ἐλήσαο καὶ Κυθερείης:

  150 οὐκέτι Πασιφάη μυκώμενα λέκτρα διώκει:

  ἠέλιος γελάᾳ με, καὶ Ἀστρίδος αἷμα κορύσσει

  παιδὸς ἑῆς υἱῆα μαχήμονα Δηριαδῆα,

  Βασσαρίδων ὀλετῆρα γυναιμανέος Διονύσου,

  καὶ Σατύρων Βρομίοιο ποθοβλήτων ἐλατῆρα.

  155 τοῦτό με μᾶλλον ὄρινεν, ὅτι βροτοειδέι μορφῇ

  �
��ρης ἐγρεκύδοιμος ἔχων συνάεθλον Ἐνυώ,

  ἀρχαίης φιλότητος ἀφειδήσας Ἀφροδίτης,

  νεύμασιν Ἡραίοισιν ἐθωρήχθη Διονύσῳ,

  Ἰνδῴῳ βασιλῆι συνέμπορος. ἀλλ᾽ ἐνὶ χάρμῃ

  160 Ἄρης Δηριάδαο, σὺ δὲ προμάχιζε Λυαίου:

  ἔγχος ἔχει, σὺ δὲ τόξον ὑπέρτερον, ᾧ γόνυ κάμπτει

  Ζεὺς ὕπατος καὶ θοῦρος Ἄρης καὶ θέσμιος Ἑρμῆς:

  δειμαίνει σέο τόξα καὶ ὁ κλυτότοξος Ἀπόλλων.

  εἰ δὲ τεῇ, φίλε κοῦρε, χαρίζεαι ἀφρογενείῃ,

  165 Βασσαρίδων προμάχιζε καὶ ἡμετέρου Διονύσου.

  ἀλλὰ μολὼν ἀκίχητος Ἑώιον εἰς κλίμα γαίης

  Ἰνδῴην παρὰ πέζαν, ὅπῃ θεράπαινα Λυαίου

  ἔστί τις ἐν Βάκχῃσιν, ὑπέρτερος ἥλικος ἤβης,

  οὔνομα Χαλκομέδη φιλοπάρθενος — εἰ δέ κεν ἄμφω

  170 Χαλκομέδην καὶ Κύπριν ἔσω Λιβάνοιο νοήσῃς,

  οὐ δύνασαι, φίλε κοῦρε, διακρίνειν Ἀφροδίτην — .

  καῖθι μολὼν χραίσμησον ἐρημονόμῳ Διονύσῳ,

  Μορρέα τοξεύσας ἐπὶ κάλλεϊ Χαλκομεδείης:

  σεῖο δὲ τοξοσύνης γέρας ἄξιον ἐγγυαλίξω

  175 Λήμνιον εὐποίητον ἐγὼ στέφος, εἴκελον αἴγλαις

  ἠελίου φλογεροῖο: σὺ δὲ γλυκὺν ἰὸν ἰάλλων

  δὸς χάριν ἀμφοτέροις, καὶ Κύπριδι καὶ Διονύσῳ:

  σὸν καὶ ἐμὸν κύδαινε γαμοστόλον ὄρνιν Ἐρώτων,