Works of Nonnus

by Nonnus

  ‘Ἆνερ, ἀπ᾽ αἰῶνος νέος ὤλεο: κὰδ δ᾽ ἐμὲ χήρην

  ἔλλιπες ἐν μεγάροισιν ἀπειρήτην τοκετοῖο:

  115 νήπιον οὐ τέκον υἷα παραίφασιν: οὐ μετὰ νίκην

  νόστιμον ἄνδρα νόησα τὸ δεύτερον, ἀλλὰ σιδήρῳ

  αὐτὸς ἑῷ δέδμητο, καὶ οὔνομα δῶκε ῥεέθροις,

  καὶ θάνεν ἐν ξείνοισιν, ὅπως ἐμὸν ἄνδρα καλέσσω

  ἄσπορον αὐτοδάικτον ἀνόστιμον ὑγρὸν Ὀρόντην.

  120 μύρομαι ἀμφοτέρους καὶ Δηριάδην καὶ Ὀρόντην,

  ἶσον ἀποφθιμένους διερὸν μόρον: ἀνδροφόνον γὰρ

  Δηριάδην κρύφε κῦμα, ῤόος δ᾽ ἐκάλυψεν Ὀρόντην.

  μητέρι δ᾽ οὐ γενόμην πανομοίιος: Ὀρσιβόη γὰρ

  θυγατέρων ἤεισε καταφθαμένους ὑμεναίους:

  125 Πρωτονόης γάμον εἶδεν, ἐδέξατο γαμβρὸν Ὀρόντην,

  Χειροβίην δ᾽ ἔζευξεν ἀνικήτῳ παρακοίτῃ,

  ὃν τρομέει καὶ Βάκχος ὁ τηλίκος: ἀμφιέπει μὲν

  Χειροβίη ζώοντα φίλον πόσιν, οὐ δέ ἑ θύρσος,

  οὐ ῥόος ἐπρήνιξεν: ἐγὼ δ᾽ ἄρα διπλόα πάσχω,

  130 ἀνέρος οἰχομένοιο καὶ ὀλλυμένου γενετῆρος.

  [113] “Husband, how young you have lost your life! You have left me a widow in the house ere I have borne a child, no baby son I have to console me! I never saw my husband come home a second time after victory, but he slew himself with his own steel, and gave his name to the stream, and died among strangers, that I should have to call the watery Orontes my husband, childless, self-slain, never returned! I wail for both Deriades and Orontes, both perished by one watery fate: Deriades the death of many men was buried in the wave, the flood swallowed Orontes. But I am not like my mother; for Orsiboe sang her hymn over her daughters’ weddings accomplished, she saw the marriage of Protonoe, she received Orontes as goodson, she joined Cheirobie to an unconquered husband, whom Bacchos trembled at great as he is; Cheirobie has her dear husband alive, no thyrsus, no flood has brought him down — but I it seems doubly suffer, my husband gone and my father perished.

  λῆγε, μάτην σέο παῖδα παρηγορέουσα, τιθήνη,

  δός μοι ἔχειν ἐμὸν ἄνδρα, καὶ οὐ γενετῆρα γοήσω:

  δεῖξον ἐμοί τινα παῖδα, παρήγορον ἀνδρὸς ἀνίης.

  135 τίς με λαβὼν κομίσειεν ἐς εὐρυρέεθρον Ὑδάσπην,

  ὄφρα κύσω φίλον οἶδμα μελισταγέος ποταμοῖο;

  τίς με λαβὼν κομίσειεν ἐς ἱερὰ τέμπεα Δάφνης,

  ὄφρα περιπτύξαιμι καὶ ἐν προχοῇσιν Ὀρόντην;

  εἴην ἱμερόεις καὶ ἐγὼ ῥόος: αἴθε καὶ αὐτἠ

  δάκρυσιν ὀμβρηθεῖσα φανήσομαι αὐτόθι πηγή,

  140 ἧχι θανὼν εὔυδρος ἐμὸς πόσις οἶδμα κυλίνδει,

  εὐνέτις ὑδατόεσσα: καὶ ἔσσομαι οἷα Κομαιθώ,

  ἣ πάρος ἱμερόεντος ἐρασσαμένη ποταμοῖο

  τέρπεται ἀγκὰς ἔχουσα καὶ εἰσέτι Κύδνον ἀκοίτην,

  145 ἀνδράσι πὰρ Κιλίκεσσι μεμηλότα μῦθον ἀκούω:

  οὐ μὲν ἐγὼ ποθέουσα παρέρχομαι ἡδὺν Ὀρόντην,

  οἷα φυγὰς Περίβοια, καὶ οὔ ποτε καμπύλον ὕδωρ

  ἂψ ἀνασειράζουσα φυλάξομαι ὑγρὸν ἀκοίτην.

  εἰ δέ μοι οὐ πέπρωτο θανεῖν παρὰ γείτονι Δάφνῃ,

  150 κύμασι πατροπάτωρ με κατακρύψειεν Ὑδάσπης,

  μὴ Σατύρου κερόεντος ἐν ἀγκοίνῃσιν ἰαύσω,

  μὴ Φρύγα κῶμον ἴδω, μὴ κύμβαλα χερσὶ τινάξω,

  μὴ τελετὴν τελέσω φιλοπαίγμονα, μηδὲ νοήσω

  Μαιονίην, μὴ Τμῶλον ἴδω, μὴ δῶμα Λυαίου

  155 ἤ ζυγὰ δουλοσύνης βαρυαχθέα, μή τις ἐνίψῃ:

  ‘κούρη Δηριάδαο δοριθρασέος βασιλῆος

  ληιδίη μετὰ δῆριν ὑποδρήσσει Διονύσῳ.’’

  [131] “Cease to comfort your child, my nurse, all in vain. Let me have my husband, and I will not bewail my father; show me a child to console me for my husband’s loss! Who will take me and bring me to the broad stream of Hydaspes, that I may kiss the wave of that honeydropping river? Who will take me and bring me to the sacred vale of Daphne, that I may embrace Orontes even in the waters? O that I too could be a lovely stream! O that I might also become a fountain there, watered by my own tears, a watery bride where my husband dead rolls his beautiful waters! Then I shall be like Comaitho, who in olden days was enamoured of a lovely river and still has the joy of holding Cydnos her husband in her arms, as I hear is a favourite story among those Cilician men. So says Morrheus my goodbrother. But I am not like runaway Periboia; I will not pass charming Orontes whom I love, I will not draw back my winding water and avoid a watery spouse. If it was not ordained that I should die near his neighbour Daphne, may Hydaspes my father’s father drown me in his waves, and save me from sleeping in the arms of a horned Satyr, and seeing Phrygian revels, rattling their cymbals in my hands, joining their sportive rites; that I may not see Maionia and Tmolos, the house of Lyaios or the all-burdensome yoke of slavery; that men may not say—’ The daughter of Deriades the spearbold king, taken captive after the war, is now a servant to Dionysos.’”

  ὣς φαμένης ἐλεεινὰ συνεστενάχοντο γυναῖκες,

  ὧν πάις, ὧν τέθνηκεν ἀδελφεός, ὧς γενετῆρες

  160 ἢ πόσις ἀρτιγένειος ἀώριος. ἐκ δὲ καρήνου

  Χειροβίη τίλλουσα κόμην ἤμυξε παρειάς:

  διχθαδίαις δ᾽ ὀδύνῃσιν ἱμάσσετο, καὶ γενετῆρα

  οὐ τόσον ἐστενάχιζεν, ὅσον νεμέσιζεν ἀκοίτῃ:

  ἔκλυε γὰρ Μορρῆος ἐρωμανέουσαν ἀνάγκην

  165 καὶ δόλον ἠπεροπῆα σαόφρονα Χαλκομεδείης.

  καί τινα μῦθον ἔειπεν ἑὸν ῥήξασα χιτῶνα:

  [158] When she had finished the women groaned piteously with her, those who had lost a son or a brother, whose fathers were dead or husband untimely taken, with the down on his chin. And Cheirobie tore the hair from her head and scored her cheeks; she was tormented by double sorrow, and she groaned not so much for her father as she was indignant against her husband, for she had heard the enamoured passion of her husband and the delusive guile of chaste Chalcomedeia. She rent her dress and spoke:

  ‘Φειδόμενος μελίης γενέτην ἐμὸν ἔκτανε Μορρεύς:

  οὐδὲ πέλε φθιμένου τιμήορος: ἐχθομένην δὲ

  Χαλκομέδην ποθέων οὐκ ἤλασε θῆλυν Ἐνυώ,

  170 ἀλλ᾽ ἔτι Βασσαρίδεσσι χαρίζεται. εἴπατε, Μοῖραι:

&nb
sp; τίς φθόνος Ἰνδῴην πόλιν ἔπραθε; τίς φθόνος ἄφνω

  ἔχραεν ἀμφοτέρῃσι θυγατράσι Δηριαδῆος;

  θνήσκων μὲν κατὰ δῆριν ἑὴν παράκοιτιν Ὀρόντης

  Πρωτονόην ἀκόμιστον ἐθήκατο πενθάδα χήρην,

  175 Χειροβίην δ᾽ ἀπέειπεν ἔτι ζώουσαν ἀκοίτης.

  γνωτῆς δ᾽ ἡμετέρης ὀλοώτερα πήματα πάσχω:

  Πρωτονόη πόσιν ἔσχεν ἀοσσητῆρα τιθήνης,

  Χειροβίη πόσιν ἔσχεν ἑῆς δηλήμονα πάτρης,

  αἰχμητὴν ἀνόνητον, ὀπάονα Κυπρογενείης

  180 ἄλκιμον, ἀλλοπρόσαλλον, ὁμοφρονέοντα Λυαίῳ.

  εἰς ἐμὲ θωρήχθη καὶ ἐμὸς γάμος: ἡμετέρου γὰρ

  Μορρέος ἱμείροντος ἐσυλήθη πόλις Ἰνδῶν:

  πατρὸς ἐνοσφίσθην χάριν ἀνέρος: ἡ πρὶν ἀγήνωρ

  καὶ θυγάτηρ βασιλῆος, ἐγώ ποτε δεσπότις Ἰνδῶν.

  185 ἔσσομαι ἀμφιπόλων καὶ ἐγὼ μία: καὶ τάχα δειλὴ

  δμωίδα Χαλκομέδειαν ἐμὴν δέσποιναν ἐνίψω.

  σήμερον Ἰνδὸν ἔδεθλον ἔχεις, ἀπατήλιε, Μορρεῦ:

  αὔριον αὐτοκέλευστος ἐλεύσεαι εἰς χθόνα Λυδῶν,

  Χαλκομέδης διὰ κάλλος ὑποδρήσσων Διονύσῳ.

  190 ἀμφαδὰ Χαλκομέδης ἔχε δέμνια, νυμφίε Μορρεῦ:

  οὐκέτι γὰρ τρομέεις βλοσυρὸν στόμα Δηριαδῆος.

  χάζεο, κικλήσκει σε δράκων πάλιν, ὅς σε διώκει

  φρουρὸν ἀσυλήτοιο γάμου συριγμὸν ἰάλλων.’

  [167] “By sparing his spear Morrheus killed my father, and no one avenged his death. For desire of that hateful Chalcomede he did not rout the women on the field — nay, he still shows favour to the Bassarids. Tell me, Fates; what jealousy destroyed the Indian city? What jealousy came down suddenly upon both daughters of Deriades? Dying on the battlefield, Orontes made his wife Protonoe a widow to mourn uncared-for; Cheirobie still living was repudiated by her husband. And I have more cruel things to suffer than my sister. Protonoe had a husband who defended her that nursed him; Cheirobie had a husband who destroyed his country, a useless warrior, the lackey of Cyprogeneia, a strong man unstable, a partisan of Lyaios. Even my marriage was my enemy, for the Indian city was sacked because my Morrheus fell in love. I was robbed of my father for my husband’s sake; I so proud once, and daughter of a king, I once the mistress of the Indians, I too shall be one of the servants; perhaps I shall be so unhappy as to give the title of mistress to Chalcomedeia the serf! Traitor Morrheus, to-day India is your home; to-morrow unbidden you will go to the Lydian land, a menial of Dionysos because of Chalcomede’s beauty. Husband Morrheus, make no secret of your union with Chalcomede; for you fear no longer the threatening tongue of Deriades. Begone! the serpent calls you back, the one that chased you away with hisses from the wedding which you failed to force!”

  τοῖα μὲν ἀχνυμένη βαρυδάκρυος ἔννεπε νύμφη:

  195 Πρωτονόη δ᾽ ὀλόλυξε τὸ δεύτερον. ἀμφοτέραις δὲ

  χεῖρας ἐπικλίνασα κατηφέας ἴαχε μήτηρ:

  [194] Thus lamented the wife with heavy tears, and Protonoe wailed a second time. Their mother rested an arm on each and dolorously cried —

  ‘Πατρίδος ἡμετέρης πέσον ἐλπἱδες: οὐκέτι λεύσσω

  ἀνέρα Δηριαδῆα καὶ οὐκέτι γαμβρὸν Ὀρόντην.

  Δηριάδης τέθνηκεν: ἐσυλήθη πόλις Ἰνδῶν,

  200 ἀρραγὲς ἤριπε τεῖχος ἐμῆς χθονός: αἴθε καὶ αὐτὴν

  Βάκχος ἑλὼν ὀλέσῃ με σὺν ὀλλυμένῳ παρακοίτῃ,

  καί με λαβὼν ῥίψειεν ἐς ὠκυρέεθρον Ὑδάσπην,

  γαῖαν ἀναινομένην: ἐχέτω δέ με πενθερὸν ὕδωρ,

  Δηριάδην δ᾽ ἐσίδω καὶ ἐν ὕδασι: μηδὲ νοήσω

  205 Πρωτονόην ἀέκουσαν ἐφεσπομένην Διονύσῳ,

  μή ποτε Χειροβίης ἕτερον γόον οἰκτρὸν ἀκούσω

  ἑλκομένης ἐς ἔρωτα δορικτήτων ὑμεναίων:

  μὴ πόσιν ἄλλον ἴδοιμι μετ᾽ ἀνέρα Δηριαδῆα.

  εἴην Νηιάδεσσιν ὀμέστιος, ὅττι καὶ αὐτὴν

  210 Λευκοθέην ζώουσαν ἐδέξατο κυανοχαίτης,

  καὶ μία Νηρεΐδων κικλήσκεται, ἀντὶ δὲ λευκῆς

  ἄλλη κυανόπεζα φανήσομαι ὑδριὰς Ἰνώ.’

  [197] “ The hopes of our country have perished! No longer I see Deriades my husband, no longer Orontes my son. Deriades is dead; the city of the Indians is plundered. The unbreakable citadel of my country has fallen: would that I myself may be taken by Bacchos and slain with my dead husband! May he seize and cast me into the swift-flowing Hydaspes, for I refuse the earth. Let my goodfather’s water receive me, may I see Deriades even in the waters; may I not see Protonoe following Dionysos perforce, may I never hear another piteous groan from Cheirobie while she is dragged to a captive wedlock; may I not see another husband after Deriades, my man. May I dwell with the Naiads, since Seabluehair received Leucothea also living and she is called one of the Nereids; and may I appear another watery Ino, no longer white, but blackfooted.” °

  τοῖα μὲν ἑλκεχίτωνες ἐπωδύροντο γυναῖκες

  ἱστάμεναι στοιχηδὸν ἐρισμαράγων ἐπὶ πύργων.

  [213] Such were the lamentations of the longrobed women, standing in a row upon the loud-echoing battlements.

  215 βάκχοι δ᾽ ἐκροτάλιζον ἀπορρίψαντες Ἐνυώ,

  τοῖον ἔπος βοόωντες ὁμογλώσσων ἀπὸ λαιμῶν:

  ‘Ἠράμεθα μέγα κῦδος: ἐπέφνομεν ὄρχαμον Ἰνδῶν.’

  [215] But the Bacchoi rattled their cymbals, having now made an end of warring, and they cried with one voice: “We have won great glory! we have slain the Indian chieftain!”

  καὶ γελόων Διόνυσος ἐπάλλετο χάρματι νίκης,

  ἀμπνεύσας δὲ πόνοιο καὶ αἱματόεντος ἀγῶνος

  220 πρῶτα μὲν ἐκτερέιξεν ἀτυμβεύτων στίχα νεκρῶν,

  δωμήσας ἕνα τύμβον ἀπείριτον εὐρέι κόλπῳ

  ἄκριτον ἀμφὶ πυρὴν ἑκατόμπεδον: ἀμφὶ δὲ νεκροῖς

  Μυγδονὶς αἰολόμολπος ἐπέκτυπεν αἴλινα σύριγξ,

  καὶ Φρύγες αὐλητῆρες ἀνέπλεκον ἄρσενα μολπὴν

  225 πενθαλέοις στομάτεσσιν, ἐπωρχήσαντο δὲ Βάκχαι

  ἁβρὰ μελιζομένοιο Γανύκτορος Εὐάδι φωνῇ:

  καὶ Κλεόχου Βερέκυντες ὑπὸ στόμα δίζυγες αὐλοὶ

  φρικτὸν ἐμυκήσαντο Λίβυν γόον, ὃν πάρος ἄμφω

  Σθεννώ τ᾽ Εὐρυάλη τε μιῇ πολυδε�
�ράδι φωνῇ

  230 ἀρτιτόμῳ ῥοιζηδὸν ἐπεκλαύσαντο Μεδούσῃ

  φθεγγομένων κεφαλῇσι διηκοσίῃσι δρακόντων,

  ὧν ἄπο μυρομένων σκολιὸν σύριγμα κομάων

  θρῆνον πουλυκάρηνον ἐφημίξαντο Μεδούσης.

  [218] And Dionysos laughed aloud, trembling with the joy of victory. Now resting from his labours and the bloody contest, he first gave their due to the crowd of unburied dead. He built round the pyre one vast tomb for all alike with a wide bosom, a hundred feet long. Round about the bodies the melodious Mygdonian syrinx sounded their dirge, and the Phrygian pipers wove their manly tune with mournful lips, while the Bacchant women danced and Ganyctor trolled his dainty song with Euian voice. The double Berecyntian pipes in the mouth of Cleochos drooned a gruesome Libyan lament, one which long ago both Sthenno and Euryale with one manythroated voice sounded hissing and weeping over Medusa newly gashed, while their snakes gave out voice from two hundred heads, and from the lamentations of their curling and hissing hairs they uttered the “manyheaded dirge of Medusa.”

  παυσάμενος δὲ πόνοιο, καὶ ὕδατι γυῖα καθήρας,

  235 ὤπασε λυσιμόθοισι θεουδέα κοίρανον Ἰνδοῖς,

  κρινάμενος Μωδαῖον: ἐπὶ ξυνῷ δὲ κυπέλλῳ

  Βάκχοις δαινυμένοισι μιῆς ἥψαντο τραπέζης

  ξανθὸν ὕδωρ πίνοντες ἀπ᾽ οἰνοπόρου ποταμοῖο.

  καὶ χορὸς ἄσπετος ἔσκεν: ἐπεσκίρτησε δὲ πολλὴ

  240 Βασσαρὶς οἰστρήεντι πέδον κρούουσα πεδίλῳ,