Works of Nonnus
Page 292
60 λέξω δ᾽, ὥς με δίδαξεν ἐμὸς δαφναῖος Ἀπόλλων.
μὴ στεροπὴν τρομέοις, μὴ δείδιθι πυρσὸν ἀλήτην,
μὴ δρόμον Ἠελίου ζοφοειδέα, μηδὲ Λυαίου
νίκης ἐσσομένης πρωτάγγελον ὄρνιν Ὀλύμπου:
ὡς ὅ γε θηγαλέων ὀνύχων κεχαραγμένος αἰχμαῖς,
65 ἅρπαγος οἰωνοῖο πεπαρμένος ὀξέι ταρσῷ,
εἰς προχοὰς ποταμοῖο δράκων ὤλισθε κεράστης,
καὶ νέκυν ἑρπηστῆρα γέρων ἔκρυψεν Ὑδάσπης,
οὕτω Δηριάδην πατρώιον οἶδμα καλύψει
εἴκελον εἶδος ἔχοντα βοοκραίρῳ γενετῆρι.’
[58] “Do you wish, Erechtheus, to hear the heart-consoling tale which only the gods know who dwell in Olympos? Well, I will speak, as my laurelled Apollo has taught me. Tremble not at the lightning, fear not the travelling brand, nor the darkened course of Helios, nor the bird of Olympos, first harbinger of Lyaios’s victory to come; as that horned snake, torn by the sharp pointed claws of the robber bird and pierced by its talons, slipt into the waters of the river, and old Hydaspes swallowed the reptile corpse, so Deriades shall be swallowed in the flood of his father’s stream under the likeness of his bullhorned sire.”
70 τοῖα γέρων ἀγόρευε θεηγόρος: ἀμφὶ δὲ μύθῳ
μαντιπόλῳ γήθησεν ὅλος στρατός: ἔξοχα δ᾽ ἄλλων
θαύματι χάρμα κέρασσεν ἀμήτορος ἀστὸς Ἀθήνης,
τοῖος ἐὼν γλυκερῇσιν ἐπ᾽ ἐλπίσιν, ὡς ἐνὶ μέσσῳ
κωμάζων Μαραθῶνι μετ᾽ Ἄρεα Δηριαδῆος.
[70] Thus spoke the old prophet; and at the diviners words all the host was glad, but beyond others the citizen of unmothered Athene mingled gladness with wonder, as full of joy in his sweet hopes as if he were triumphing in Marathon itself after the war with Deriades.
75 καὶ τότε μουνωθέντι φιλοσκοπέλῳ Διονύσῳ
σύγγονος οὐρανόθεν Διὸς ἄγγελος ἤλυθεν Ἑρμῆς,
καί τινα μῦθον ἔειπε παρηγορέων ἐπὶ νίκῃ:
[75] And now to Dionysos, alone among the rocks which he loved, came Hermes his brother from heaven as messenger of Zeus, and spoke assuring him of victory:
‘Μὴ τρομέοις τόδε σῆμα, καὶ εἰ πέλεν ἠματίη νύξ:
τοῦτό σοι, ἄτρομε Βάκχε, πατὴρ ἀνέφηνε Κρονίων
80 νίκης Ἰνδοφόνοιο προάγγελον: ἠελίῳ γὰρ
δεύτερον ἀστράπτοντι φεραυγέα Βάκχον ἐίσκω,
καὶ θρασὺν ὀρφναίῃ μελανόχροον Ἰνδὸν ὀμίχλῃ:
αἰθέρι γὰρ τύπος οὗτος ὁμοίιος: εὐφαέος δὲ
ὡς ζόφος ἠμάλδυνε καλυπτομένης φάος ἠοῦς,
85 καὶ πάλιν ἀντέλλων πυριφεγγέος ὑψόθι δίφρου
ἠέλιος ζοφόεσσαν ἀπηκόντιζεν ὀμίχλην,
οὕτω σῶν βλεφάρων μάλα τηλόθι καὶ σὺ τινάξας
Ταρταρίης ζοφόεσσαν Ἐρινύος ἄσκοπον ἀχλὺν
ἀστράψεις κατ᾽ Ἄρηα τὸ δεύτερον ὡς Ὑπερίων.
90 τηλίκον οὔ ποτε θαῦμα γέρων τροφὸς ἤγαγεν Αἰών,
ἐξ ὅτε δαιμονίοιο πυρὸς βεβολημένος ἀτμῷ
κύμβαχος Ἠελίοιο φεραυγέος ἔκπεσε δίφρου
ἡμιδαὴς Φαέθων, ποταμῷ δ᾽ ἐκρύπτετο Κελτῷ:
καὶ θρασὺν ἡβητῆρα παρ᾽ ὀφρύσιν Ἠριδανοῖο
95 Ἡλιάδες κινυροῖσιν ἔτι στενάχουσι πετήλοις.’
[78] “Tremble not at this sign, even though night came at midday. This sign, fearless Bacchos, your father Cronion has shown you to foretell your victory in the Indian War. For I liken Bacchos the light-bringer to the sun shining again, and the bold black Indian to the thick darkness. That is what is meant by the picture in the sky. For as the darkness blotted out and covered the light of shining day, and then Helios rose again in his fireshining chariot and dispersed the gross darkness, so you also shall shake from your eyes far far away the darksome sightless gloom of the Tartarian Fury, and blaze again on the battlefield like Hyperion. So great a marvel ancient eternal Time our foster-father has never brought, since Phaethon, struck by the steam of fire divine, fell tumbling half-burnt from Helios’s lightbearing chariot, and was swallowed up in the Celtic river; and the daughters of Helios are still on the banks of Eridanos, lamenting the audacious youth with their whimpering leaves.”
ὣς φαμένου Διόνυσος ἐγήθεεν ἐλπίδι νίκης:
Ἑρμείαν δ᾽ ἐρέεινε, καὶ ἤθελε μᾶλλον ἀκοῦσαι
Κελτοῖς Ἑσπερίοισι μεμηλότα μῦθον Ὀλύμπου,
πῶς Φαέθων κεκύλιστο δι᾽ αἰθέρος, ἢ πόθεν αὐταὶ
100 Ἡλιάδες παρὰ χεῦμα γοήμονος Ἠριδανοῖο
εἰς φυτὸν ἠμείβοντο, καὶ εὐπετάλων ἀπὸ δένδρων
δάκρυα μαρμαίροντα κατασταλάουσι ῥεέθροις.
[96] At these words, Dionysos rejoiced in hope of victory; then he questioned Hermes and wished to hear more of the Olympian tale which the Celts of the west know well: how Phaethon tumbled over and over through the air, and why even the daughters of Helios were changed into trees beside the moaning Eridanos, and from their leafy trees drop sparkling tears into the stream.
καί οἱ ἀνειρομένῳ πετάσας στόμα μείλιχος Ἑρμῆς
θέσκελον ἐρροίβδησεν ἔπος φιλοπευθέι Βάκχῳ:
[103] In answer, friendly Hermes opened his mouth and noised out his inspired tale to Bacchos eagerly listening:
105 ‘Ἀνδρομέου, Διόνυσε, βίου τερψίμβροτε ποιμήν,
εἴ σε παλαιγενέων ἐπέων γλυκὺς οἶστρος ἐπείγει,
μῦθον ὅλον Φαέθοντος ἐγὼ στοιχηδὸν ἐνίψω.
[105] “Dionysos, joy of mankind, shepherd of human life! If sweet desire constrains you to hear these ancient stories, I will tell you the whole tale of Phaethon from beginning to end.
Ὠκεανὸς κελάδων, μιτρούμενος ἄντυγι κόσμου,
ἰκμαλέην περὶ νύσσαν ἄγων γαιήοχον ὕδωρ,
110 Τηθύος ἀρχεγόνοισιν ὁμιλήσας ὑμεναίοις
νυμφίος ὑδατόεις Κλυμένην τέκεν, ἥν ποτε Τηθὺς
κρείσσονα Νηιάδων διερῷ μαιώσατο μαζῷ
παρθένον ὁπλοτέρην εὐώλενον, ἧς ἐπὶ μορφῇ
ἠέλιος λυκάβαντα δυωδεκάμηνον ἑλίσσων,
115 αἰθέρος ἑπτάζωνον ἴτυν στεφανηδὸν ὁδεύων,
κάμνε πυρὸς ταμίης ἑτέρῳ πυρί: καὶ φλόγα δίφρων
καὶ σέλας ἀκτίνων ἐβιήσατο πυρσὸς Ἐρώτων,
ὁππότε φοινίσσοντος ὑπὲρ κέρας Ὠκε
ανοῖο,
ἔμπυρον Ἠῴοισιν ἑὸν δέμας ὕδασι λούων,
120 παρθένον ἀγχικέλευθον ἐσέδρακεν, ὁππότε γυμνὴ
νήχετο πατρῴοισιν ἐπισκαίρουσα ῥεέθροις,
λουομένη δ᾽ ἤστραπτεν: ἔην δέ τις, ὡς ὅτε δισσῆς
μαρμαρυγὴν τροχόεσσαν ἀναπλήσασα κεραίης
ἑσπερίη σελάγιζε δι᾽ ὕδατος ὄμπνια Μήνη.
125 ἡμιφανὴς δ᾽ ἀπέδιλος ἐν ὕδασιν ἵστατο κούρη,
ἠέλιον ῥοδέῃσιν ὀιστεύουσα παρειαῖς:
καὶ προχοαῖς κεχάρακτο τύπος χροός: οὐ τότε μίτρη
κούρης στέρνα κάλυπτε, καταυγάζουσα δὲ λίμνην
ἀργυφέων εὔκυκλος ἴτυς φοινίσσετο μαζῶν.
[108] “Loudbooming Oceanos, girdled with the circle of the sky, who leads his water earth-encompassing round the turning point which he bathes, was joined in primeval wedlock with Tethys. The watery bridegroom begat Clymene, fairest of the Naiads, whom Tethys nursed on her wet breast, her youngest, a maiden with lovely arms. For her beauty Helios pined, Helios who spins round the twelvemonth licht-gang, and travels the sevenzone circuit garland-wise — Helios dispenser of fire was afflicted with another fire! The torch of love was stronger than the blaze of his car and the shining of his rays, when over the bend of the reddened Ocean as he bathed his fiery form in the eastern waters, he beheld the maiden close by the way, while she swam naked and sported in her father’s waves. Her body gleamed in her bath, she was one like the full Moon reflected in the evening waters, when she has filled the compass of her twin horns with light. Half-seen, unshod, the girl stood in the waves shooting the rosy shafts from her cheeks at Helios; her shape was outlined in the waters, no stomacher hid her maiden bosom, but the glowing circle of her round silvery breasts illuminated the stream.
130 αἰθερίῳ δ᾽ ἐλατῆρι πατὴρ ἐζεύξατο κούρην:
καὶ Κλυμένης ὑμέναιον ἀνέκλαγον εὔποδες Ὧραι
καὶ γάμον Ἠελίοιο φαεσφόρον: ἀμφὶ δὲ Νύμφαι
Νηίδες ὠρχήσαντο: παρ᾽ ὑδατόεντι δὲ παστῷ
εὔλοχος ἀστράπτοντι γάμῳ νυμφεύετο κούρη,
135 καὶ ψυχροῖς μελέεσσιν ἐδέξατο θερμὸν ἀκοίτην.
ἀστραίης δὲ φάλαγγος ἔην θαλαμηπόλος αἴγλη,
καὶ μέλος εἰς Ὑμέναιον ἀνέπλεκε Κύπριδος ἀστήρ,
συζυγίης προκέλευθος Ἑωσφόρος: ἀντὶ δὲ πεύκης
νυμφιδίην ἀκτῖνα γαμοστόλον εἶχε Σελήνη:
140 Ἑσπερίδες δ᾽ ἀλάλαζον: ἑῇ δ᾽ ἅμα Τηθύι νύμφῃ
Ὠκεανὸς κελάδησε μέλος πολυπίδακι λαιμῷ.
[130] “Her father united the girl to the heavenly charioteer. The lightfoot Seasons acclaimed Clymene’s bridal with Helios Lightbringer, the Naiad Nymphs danced around; in a watery bridal-bower the fruitful maiden was wedded in a flaming union, and received the hot bridegroom into her cool arms. The light that shone on that bridal bed came from the starry train; and the star of Cypris, Lucifer, herald of the union, wove a bridal song. Instead of the wedding torch, Selene sent her beams to attend the wedding. The Hesperides raised the joy-cry, and Oceanos beside his bride Tethys sounded his song with all the fountains of his throat.
καὶ Κλυμένης γονόεντι γάμῳ κυμαίνετο γαστήρ:
καὶ βρέφος ὠδίνουσα πεπαινομένου τοκετοῖο
γείνατο θέσκελον υἷα φαεσφόρον. ἀμφὶ δὲ κούρῳ
145 τικτομένῳ κελάδησε μέλος πατρώιος αἰθήρ:
Ὠκεανοῦ δὲ θύγατρες ἀποθρῴσκοντα λοχείης
υἱέα παππῴοισιν ἐφαιδρύναντο λοετροῖς:
σπάργανα δ᾽ ἀμφεβάλοντο: καὶ ἀστέρες αἴθοπι παλμῷ
εἰς ῥόον ἀίσσοντες ἐθήμονος Ὠκεανοῖο
150 κοῦρον ἐκυκλώσαντο, καὶ Εἰλείθυια Σελήνη
μαρμαρυγὴν πέμπουσα σελασφόρον: ἠέλιος δὲ
υἱέι δῶκεν ἔχειν ἑὸν οὔνομα μάρτυρι μορφῇ
ἅρμενον: ἠιθέου γὰρ ἐπ᾽ ἀστράπτοντι προσώπῳ
ἠελίου γενετῆρος ἐπέπρεπε σύγγονος αἴγλη.
[142] “Then Clymene’s womb swelled in that fruitful union, and when the birth ripened she brought forth a baby son divine and brilliant with light. At the boy’s birth his father’s ether saluted him with song; as he sprang from the childbed, the daughters of Oceanos cleansed him, Clymene’s son, in his grandsire’s waters, and wrapt him in swaddlings. The stars in shining movement leapt into the stream of Oceanos which they knew so well, and surrounded the boy, with Selene our Lady of Labour, sending forth her sparkling gleams. Helios gave his son his own name, as well suited the testimony of his form; for upon the boy’s shining face was visible the father’s inborn radiance.
155 πολλάκι παιδοκόμοισιν ἐν ἤθεσιν ἁβρὸν ἀθύρων
Ὠκεανὸς Φαέθοντα παλινδίνητον ἀείρων
γαστρὶ μέσῃ κούφιζε, δι᾽ ὑψιπόρου δὲ κελεύθου
ἄστατον αὐτοέλικτον ἀλήμονι σύνδρομον αὔρῃ
ἠερόθεν παλίνορσον ἐδέξατο κοῦρον ἀγοστῷ,
160 καὶ πάλιν ἠκόντιζεν: ὁ δὲ τροχοειδέι παλμῷ
χειρὸς ἐυστρέπτοιο παράτροπος Ὠκεανοῖο
δινωτῇ στροφάλιγγι κατήριπεν εἰς μέλαν ὕδωρ,
μάντις ἑοῦ θανάτοιο: γέρων δ᾽ ᾤμωξε νοήσας,
θέσφατα γινώσκων, πινυτῇ δ᾽ ἔκρυψε σιωπῇ,
165 μὴ Κλυμένης φιλόπαιδος ἀπενθέα θυμὸν ἀμύξῃ
πικρὰ προθεσπίζων Φαεθοντιάδος λίνα Μοίρης.
[155] “Often in the course of the boy’s training Oceanos would have a pretty game, lifting Phaethon on his midbelly and letting him drop down; he would throw the boy high in the air, rolling over and over moving in a high path as quick as the wandering wind, and catch him again on his arm; then he would shoot him up again, and the boy would avoid the ready hand of Oceanos, and turn a somersault round and round till he splashed into the dark waters, prophet of his own death. The old man groaned when he saw it, recognizing the divine oracle, and hid all in prudent silence, that he might not tear the happy heart of Clymene the loving mother by foretelling the cruel threads of Phaethon’s Fate.
καὶ πάις ἀρτικόμιστος ἔχων ἀνίουλον ὑπήνην
πῇ μὲν ἑῆς Κλυμένης δόμον ἄμφεπε, πῇ δὲ καὶ αὐτῆς
Θρινακίης λειμῶνα μετήιεν, ἧχι θαμίζων
170 Λαμπετίῃ παρέμιμνε, βόας καὶ μῆλα νομεύων ...
πατρὸς ἑοῦ ζαθέοιο φέρων πόθον ἡνιοχῆος,
ἄξονα τεχνήεντι συνήρμοσε δούρασι δεσμῷ,
κυκλώσας τροχόεντα τύπον ψευ
δήμονι δίφρῳ:
ἀσκήσας δὲ λέπαδνα καὶ ἀνθοκόμων ἀπὸ κήπων
175 πλέξας λεπταλέοισι λύγοις τριέλικτον ἱμάσθλην
ἀρνειοῖς πισύροισι νέους ἐπέθηκε χαλινούς:
καὶ νόθον εὐποίητον Ἑωσφόρον ἀστέρα τεύχων
ἄνθεσιν ἀργεννοῖσιν, ἴσον τροχοειδέι κύκλῳ,
θῆκεν ἑῆς προκέλευθον ἐυκνήμιδος ἀπήνης,
180 ἀστέρος Ἠῴοιο φέρων τύπον: ἀμφὶ δὲ χαίταις
ὄρθιον ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα φερυγέα δαλὸν ἐρείσας
ψευδομέναις ἀκτῖσιν ἑὸν μιμεῖτο τοκῆα,
ἱππεύων στεφανηδὸν ἁλίκτυπον ἄντυγα νήσου.
[167] “So the boy, hardly grown up, and still with no down on his lip, sometimes frequented his mother Clymene’s house, sometimes travelled even to the meadows of Thrinacia, where he would often visit and stay with Lampetie, tending cattle and sheep... There he would long for his father the charioteer divine; made a wooden axle with skilful joinery, fitted on a sort of round wheel for his imitation ear, fashioned yoke-straps, took three light withies from the flowering garden and plaited them into a lash, put unheard of bridles on four young rams. Then he made a clever imitation of the morning star round like a wheel, out of a bunch of white flowers, and fixed it in front of his spokewheeled waggon to show the shape of the star Lucifer. He set burning torches standing about his hair on every side, and mimicked his father with fictitious rays as he drove round and round the coast of the seagirt isle.
ἀλλ᾽ ὅτ᾽ ἀνηέξητο φέρων εὐάνθεμον ἥβην,
185 πολλάκι πατρῴης φλογὸς ἥψατο, χειρὶ δὲ βαιῇ
κούφισε θερμὰ λέπαδνα καὶ ἀστερόεσσαν ἱμάσθλην,
καὶ τροχὸν ἀμφιπόλευε, καὶ ἀμφαφόων δέμας ἵππων