Complete Works of Theocritus

by Theocritus

  ἄρχετε βουκολικᾶς Μοῖσαι πάλιν ἄρχετ᾽ ἀοιδᾶς.

  [115] “But ’tis wolf farewell and fox farewell and bear o’ the mountain den,

  “Your neatherd fere, your Daphnis dear, ye’ll never see agen,

  “By glen no more, by glade no more. And ’tis o farewell to thee

  “Sweet Arethuse, and all pretty watérs down Thymbris vale that flee.

  Country-song, more country-song, ye Muses.

  Δάφνις ἐγὼν ὅδε τῆνος ὁ τὰς βόας ὧδε νομεύων, 120

  Δάφνις ὁ τὼς ταύρως καὶ πόρτιας ὧδε ποτίσδων.

  ἄρχετε βουκολικᾶς Μοῖσαι πάλιν ἄρχετ᾽ ἀοιδᾶς.

  [120] “For this, O this is that Daphnis, your kine to field did bring,

  “This Daphnis he, led stirk and steer to you a-watering.

  Country-song, more country-song, ye Muses.

  ὦ Πὰν Πάν, εἴτ᾽ ἐσσὶ κατ᾽ ὤρεα μακρὰ Λυκαίω,

  εἴτε τύ γ᾽ ἀμφιπολεῖς μέγα Μαίναλον, ἔνθ᾽ ἐπὶ νᾶσον

  τὰν Σικελάν, ῾Ελίκας δὲ λίπ᾽ ἠρίον αἰπύ τε σᾶμα 125

  τῆνο Λυκαονίδαο, τὸ καὶ μακάρεσσιν ἀγητόν.

  λήγετε βουκολικᾶς Μοῖσαι ἴτε λήγετ᾽ ἀοιδᾶς.

  [123] “And Pan, O Pan, whether at this hour by Lycee’s mountain-pile

  “Or Maenal steep thy watch thou keep, come away to the Sicil isle,

  “Come away from the knoll of Helicè and the howe lift high i ‘ the lea,

  “The howe of Lycáon’s child, the howe that Gods in heav’s envye;

  Country-song, leave country-song, ye Muses.

  ἔνθ᾽ ὦναξ καὶ τάνδε φέρευ πακτοῖο μελίπνουν

  ἐκ κηρῶ σύριγγα καλάν, περὶ χεῖλος ἑλικτάν.

  ἦ γὰρ ἐγὼν ὑπ᾽ ἔρωτος ἐς ῞Αιδαν ἕλκομαι ἤδη. 130

  λήγετε βουκολικᾶς Μοῖσαι ἴτε λήγετ᾽ ἀοιδᾶς.

  [128] “Come, Master, and take this pretty pipe, this pipe of honey breath,

  “Of wax well knit round lips to fit; for Love hales me to my death.

  Country-song, leave country-song, ye Muses.

  νῦν δ᾽ ἴα μὲν φορέοιτε βάτοι, φορέοιτε δ᾽ ἄκανθαι,

  ἁ δὲ καλὰ νάρκισσος ἐπ᾽ ἀρκεύθοισι κομάσαι:

  πάντα δ᾽ ἔναλλα γένοιτο, καὶ ἁ πίτυς ὄχνας ἐνείκαι.

  Δάφνις ἐπεὶ θνάσκει: καὶ τὼς κύνας ὥλαφος ἕλκοι,

  κἠξ ὀρέων τοὶ σκῶπες ἀηδόσι γαρύσαιντο.

  λήγετε βουκολικᾶς Μοῖσαι ἴτε λήγετ᾽ ἀοιδᾶς.

  [132] “Bear violets now ye briers, ye thistles violets too;

  “Daffodilly may hang on the juniper, and all things go askew;

  “Pines may grow figs now Daphnis dies, and hind tear hound if she will,

  “And the sweet nightingale be outsung i’ the dale by the scritch-owl from the hill.”

  Country-song, leave country-song, ye Muses.

  χὡ μὲν τόσσ᾽ εἰπὼν ἀπεπαύσατο: τὸν δ᾽ ᾿Αφροδίτα

  ἤθελ᾽ ἀνορθῶσαι: τά γε μὰν λίνα πάντα λελοίπει

  ἐκ Μοιρᾶν, χὡ Δάφνις ἔβα ῥόον. ἔκλυσε δίνα 140

  τὸν Μοίσαις φίλον ἄνδρα, τὸν οὐ Νύμφαισιν ἀπεχθῆ.

  λήγετε βουκολικᾶς Μοῖσαι ἴτε λήγετ᾽ ἀοιδᾶς.

  [138] Such words spake he, and he stayed him still; and O, the Love-Ladye,

  She would fain have raised him where he lay, but that could never be.

  For the thread was spun and the days were done and Daphnis gone to the River,

  And the Nymphs’ good friend and the Muses’ fere was whelmed i ‘ the whirl for ever.

  καὶ τὺ δίδου τὰν αἶγα τό τε σκύφος, ὥς κεν ἀμέλξας

  σπείσω ταῖς Μοίσαις. ὦ χαίρετε πολλάκι Μοῖσαι,

  χαίρετ᾽: ἐγὼ δ᾽ ὔμμιν καὶ ἐς ὕστερον ἅδιον ᾀσῶ. 145

  [143] There; give me the goat and the tankard man; and the Muses shall have a libation of her milk. Fare you well, ye Muses, and again fare you well, and I’ll e’en sing you a sweeter song another day.

  GOATHERD

  Αἴπολος

  πλῆρές τοι μέλιτος τὸ καλὸν στόμα Θύρσι γένοιτο,

  πλῆρές τοι σχαδόνων, καὶ ἀπ᾽ Αἰγίλω ἰσχάδα τρώγοις

  ἁδεῖαν, τέττιγος ἐπεὶ τύγα φέρτερον ᾁδεις.

  ἠνίδε τοι τὸ δέπας: θᾶσαι φίλος, ὡς καλὸν ὄσδει:

  ῾Ωρᾶν πεπλύσθαί νιν ἐπὶ κράναισι δοκησεῖς. 150

  ὧδ᾽ ἴθι Κισσαίθα, τὺ δ᾽ ἄμελγέ νιν. αἱ δὲ χίμαιραι,

  οὐ μὴ σκιρτασεῖτε, μὴ ὁ τράγος ὔμμιν ἀναστῇ.

  [146] Be your fair mouth filled with honey and the honeycomb, good Thyrsis; be your eating of the sweet figs of Aegilus; for sure your singing’s as delightful as the cricket’s chirping in spring. Here’s the cup (taking it from his wallet). Pray mark how good it smells; you’ll be thinking it hath been washed at the well o’ the Seasons. Hither, Browning; and milk her, you. A truce to your skipping, ye kids yonder, or the buckgoat will be after you.

  IDYLL II. Φαρμακεύτριαι

  IDYLL II. THE SPELL

  This monologue, which preserves the dialogue-form by a dumb character, consists of two parts; in the first a Coan girl named Simaetha lays a fire-spell upon her neglectful lover, the young athlete Delphis, and in the second, when her maid goes off to smear the ashes upon his lintel, she tells the Moon how his love was won and lost. The scene lies not far from the sea, at a place where three roads meet without the city, the roads being bordered with tombs. The Moon shines in the background, and in the foreground is a wayside shrine and statue of Hecate with a little altar before it. Upon this altar, in the first part of the rite, the poor girl burns successively barley-meal, bay-leaves, a waxen puppet, and some bran; next, the coming of the Goddess having been heralded by the distant barking of dogs and welcomes with the beating of brass, amid the holy silence that betokens her presence Simaetha pours the libations and puts up her chief prayer; lastly she burns the herb hippomanes and a piece of the fringe of her lover’s cloak. The incantation which begins and ends the four-line stanza devoted to the burning of each of these things, as well as two central stanzas belonging to the holy silence and the libation, is addressed to the magic four-spoked wheel which still bears the name of the bird that was originally bound to such wheels, and which is kept turning by Simaetha throughout the rite. When Thestylis withdraws with the collected ashes in the libation-bowl, her mistress begins her soliloquy. This consists of two halves, the first of which is divided, by a refrain addressed to the listening Moon, into stanzas, all, except the last, of five lines; then instead of the refrain comes the climax of the story, put briefly in two lines, and the second half begins, with its tale of desertion. In the latter half the absence of the refrain with its lyric and romantic associations is intended to heighten the contrast between then and now, between the fulness of joy and the emptiness of despair. Towards the end both of the first and of the second parts of the poem there is a suggestion that Simaetha only half believes in the efficacy of her spell; for she threatens that if it fails to bring
back Delphis’ love to her, poison shall prevent his bestowing it elsewhere.

  πᾷ μοι ταὶ δάφναι; φέρε Θεστυλί: πᾷ δὲ τὰ φίλτρα;

  στέψον τὰν κελέβαν φοινικέῳ οἰὸς ἀώτῳ,

  ὡς τὸν ἐμὸν βαρὺν εὖντα φίλον καταθύσομαι ἄνδρα,

  ὅς μοι δωδεκαταῖος ἀφ᾽ ὧ τάλας οὐδέποθ᾽ ἵκει,

  οὐδ᾽ ἔγνω πότερον τεθνάκαμες ἢ ζοοὶ εἰμές. 5

  οὐδὲ θύρας ἄραξεν ἀνάρσιος. ἦ ῥά οἱ ἀλλᾷ

  ᾤχετ᾽ ἔχων ὅ τ᾽ ῎Ερως ταχινὰς φρένας ἅ τ᾽ ᾿Αφροδίτα;

  βασεῦμαι ποτὶ τὰν Τιμαγήτοιο παλαίστραν

  αὔριον, ὥς νιν ἴδω, καὶ μέμψομαι οἷά με ποιεῖ.

  [1] Where are my bay-leaves? Come, Thestylis; where are my love-charms? Come crown me the bowl with the crimson flower o’ wool; I would fain have the fire-spell to my cruel dear that for twelve days hath not so much as come anigh me, the wretch, nor knows not whether I be alive or dead, nay nor even hath knocked upon my door, implacable man. I warrant ye Love and the Lady be gone away with his feat fancy. In the morning I’ll to Timagetus’ school and see him, and ask what he means to use me so; but, for to-night, I’ll put the spell o’ fire upon him.

  νῦν δέ νιν ἐκ θυέων καταθύσομαι. ἀλλὰ Σελάνα, 10

  φαῖνε καλόν: τὶν γὰρ ποταείσομαι ἅσυχα, δαῖμον,

  τᾷ χθονίᾳ θ᾽ ῾Εκάτα, τὰν καὶ σκύλακες τρομέοντι

  ἐρχομέναν νεκύων ἀνά τ᾽ ἠρία καὶ μέλαν αἷμα.

  χαῖρ᾽ ῾Εκάτα δασπλῆτι, καὶ ἐς τέλος ἄμμιν ὀπάδει.

  φάρμακα ταῦτ᾽ ἔρδοισα χερείονα μήτέ τι Κίρκης 15

  μήτέ τι Μηδείας μήτε ξανθᾶς Περιμήδας.

  ῏Ιυγξ, ἕλκε τὺ τῆνον ἐμὸν ποτὶ δῶμα τὸν ἄνδρα.

  [10] So shine me fair, sweet Moon; for to thee, still Goddess, is my song, to thee and that Hecat infernal who makes e’en the whelps to shiver on her goings to and fro where these tombs be and the red blood lies. All hail to thee, dread and awful Hecat! I prithee so bear me company that this medicine of my making prove potent as any of Circe’s or Medea’s or Perimed’s of the golden hair.

  Wryneck, wryneck, draw him hither.

  ἄλφιτά τοι πρᾶτον πυρὶ τάκεται: ἀλλ᾽ ἐπίπασσε

  Θεστυλί. δειλαία, πᾷ τὰς φρένας ἐκπεπότασαι;

  ἦ ῥά γε τρισμυσαρὰ καὶ τὶν ἐπίχαρμα τέτυγμαι; 20

  πάσσ᾽ ἅμα καὶ λέγε ταῦτα: ‘τὰ Δέλφιδος ὀστία πάσσω.’

  ἶυγξ, ἕλκε τὺ τῆνον ἐμὸν ποτὶ δῶμα τὸν ἄνδρα.

  [18] First barley-meal to the burning. Come, Thestylis; throw it on. Alack, poor fool! whither are thy wits gone wandering? Lord! am I become a thing a filthy drab like thee may crow over? On, on with the meal, and say “These be Delphis’ bones I throw.”

  Wryneck, wryneck, draw him hither.

  Δέλφις ἔμ᾽ ἀνίασεν: ἐγὼ δ᾽ ἐπὶ Δέλφιδι δάφναν

  αἴθω: χὡς αὕτα λακεῖ μέγα καππυρίσασα

  κἠξαπίνας ἅφθη, κοὐδὲ σποδὸν εἴδομες αὐτᾶς, 25

  οὕτω τοι καὶ Δέλφις ἐνὶ φλογὶ σάρκ᾽ ἀμαθύνοι.

  ἶυγξ, ἕλκε τὺ τῆνον ἐμὸν ποτὶ δῶμα τὸν ἄνδρα.

  [23] As Delphis hath brought me pain, so I burn the bay against Delphis. And as it crackles and then lo! is burnt suddenly to nought and we see not so much as the ash of it, e’en so be Delphis’ body whelmed in another flame.

  Wryneck, wryneck, draw him hither.

  ὡς τοῦτον τὸν κηρὸν ἐγὼ σὺν δαίμονι τάκω,

  ὣς τάκοιθ᾽ ὑπ᾽ ἔρωτος ὁ Μύνδιος αὐτίκα Δέλφις.

  χὡς δινεῖθ᾽ ὅδε ῥόμβος ὁ χάλκεος ἐξ ᾿Αφροδίτας, 30

  ὣς τῆνος δινοῖτο ποθ᾽ ἁμετέραισι θύραισιν.

  ἶυγξ, ἕλκε τὺ τῆνον ἐμὸν ποτὶ δῶμα τὸν ἄνδρα.

  [28] As this puppet melts for me before Hecat, so melt with love, e’en so speedily, Delphis of Myndus. And as this wheel of brass turns by grace of Aphrodite, so turn he and turn again before my threshold.

  Wryneck, wryneck, draw him hither.

  νῦν θυσῶ τὰ πίτυρα. τὺ δ᾽ ῎Αρτεμι καὶ τὸν ἐν ῞Αιδα

  κινήσαις ἀδάμαντα καὶ εἴ τί περ ἀσφαλὲς ἄλλο.

  Θεστυλί, ταὶ κύνες ἄμμιν ἀνὰ πτόλιν ὠρύονται. 35

  ἁ θεὸς ἐν τριόδοισι: τὸ χαλκίον ὡς τάχος ἄχει.

  ἶυγξ, ἕλκε τὺ τῆνον ἐμὸν ποτὶ δῶμα τὸν ἄνδρα.

  [33] Now to the flames the bran. O Artemis, as thou movest the adamant that is at the door of Death, so mayst thou move all else that is unmovable. Hark, Thestylis, where the gods howl in the town. Sure the Goddess is at these cross-roads. Quick beat the pan.

  Wryneck, wryneck, draw him hither.

  ἠνίδε σιγῇ μὲν πόντος, σιγῶντι δ᾽ ἀῆται:

  ἁ δ᾽ ἐμὰ οὐ σιγῇ στέρνων ἔντοσθεν ἀνία,

  ἀλλ᾽ ἐπὶ τήνῳ πᾶσα καταίθομαι, ὅς με τάλαιναν 40

  ἀντὶ γυναικὸς ἔθηκε κακὰν καὶ ἀπάρθενον ἦμεν.

  ἶυγξ, ἕλκε τὺ τῆνον ἐμὸν ποτὶ δῶμα τὸν ἄνδρα.

  [38] Lo there! now wave is still and wind is still, though never still the pain that is in my breast; for I am all afire for him, afire alas! for him that hath made me no wife and left me to my shame no maid.

  Wryneck, wryneck, draw him hither.

  ἐς τρὶς ἀποσπένδω καὶ τρὶς τάδε πότνια φωνέω:

  εἴτε γυνὰ τήνῳ παρακέκλιται εἴτε καὶ ἀνήρ,

  τόσσον ἔχοι λάθας, ὅσσόν ποκα Θησέα φαντὶ 45

  ἐν Δίᾳ λασθῆμεν ἐυπλοκάμω ᾿Αριάδνας.

  ἶυγξ, ἕλκε τὺ τῆνον ἐμὸν ποτὶ δῶμα τὸν ἄνδρα.

  [43] Thrice this libation I pour, thrice, Lady, this prayer I say: be woman at this hour or man his love-mate, O be that mate forgotten even as old Theseus once forgat the fair-tressed damsel in Dia.

  Wryneck, wryneck, draw him hither.

  ἱππομανὲς φυτόν ἐστι παρ᾽ ᾿Αρκάσι: τῷ δ᾽ ἐπὶ πᾶσαι

  καὶ πῶλοι μαίνονται ἀν᾽ ὤρεα καὶ θοαὶ ἵπποι.

  ὣς καὶ Δέλφιν ἴδοιμι, καὶ ἐς τόδε δῶμα περάσαι 50

  μαινομένῳ ἴκελος λιπαρᾶς ἔκτοσθε παλαίστρας.

  ἶυγξ, ἕλκε τὺ τῆνον ἐμὸν ποτὶ δῶμα τὸν ἄνδρα.

  [48] Horse-madness is a herb that grows in Arcady, and makes every filly, every flying mare run a-raving in the hills. In like case Delphis may I see, aye, coming to my door from the oil and the wrestling-place like one that is raving mad.

  Wryneck, wryneck, draw him hither.

  τοῦτ᾽ ἀπὸ τᾶς χλαίνας τὸ κράσπεδον ὤλεσε Δέλφις,

 
ὡγὼ νῦν τίλλοισα κατ᾽ ἀγρίῳ ἐν πυρὶ βάλλω.

  αἰαῖ ῎Ερως ἀνιηρέ, τί μευ μέλαν ἐκ χροὸς αἷμα 55

  ἐμφὺς ὡς λιμνᾶτις ἅπαν ἐκ βδέλλα πέπωκας;

  ἶυγξ, ἕλκε τὺ τῆνον ἐμὸν ποτὶ δῶμα τὸν ἄνδρα.

  [53] This fringe hath Delphis lost from his cloak, and this now pluck I in pieces and fling away into the ravening flame. Woe’s me, remorseless Love! why hast clung to me thus, thou muddy leech, and drained my flesh of the red blood every drop?

  Wryneck, wryneck, draw him hither.

  σαύραν τοι τρίψασα ποτὸν κακὸν αὔριον οἰσῶ.

  Θεστυλί, νῦν δὲ λαβοῖσα τὺ τὰ θρόνα ταῦθ᾽ ὑπόμαξον

  τᾶς τήνω φλιᾶς καθ᾽ ὑπέρτερον, ἇς ἔτι καὶ νύξ, 60

  καὶ λέγ᾽ ἐπιφθύζοισα: ‘τὰ Δέλφιδος ὀστία μάσσω.’

  ἶυγξ, ἕλκε τὺ τῆνον ἐμὸν ποτὶ δῶμα τὸν ἄνδρα.

  [58] I’ll bray thee an eft to-morrow, and an ill drink thou shalt find it. But for to-night take thou these ashes, Thestylis, while ’tis yet dark, and smear them privily upon his lintel above, and spit for what thou doest and say “Delphis’ bones I smear.”

  Wryneck, wryneck, draw him hither.

  νῦν δὴ μώνα ἐοῖσα πόθεν τὸν ἔρωτα δακρύσω;

  ἐκ τίνος ἄρξωμαι; τίς μοι κακὸν ἄγαγε τοῦτο; 65

  [64] Now I am alone. Where shall I begin the lament of my love? Here b’t begun; I’ll tell who ’twas brought me to this pass.

  ἦνθ᾽ ἁ τῶὐβούλοιο κανηφόρος ἄμμιν ᾿Αναξὼ

  ἄλσος ἐς ᾿Αρτέμιδος, τᾷ δὴ τόκα πολλὰ μὲν ἄλλα

  θηρία πομπεύεσκε περισταδόν, ἐν δὲ λέαινα.

  φράζεό μευ τὸν ἔρωθ᾽ ὅθεν ἵκετο, πότνα Σελάνα.

  [66] One day came Anaxo daughter of Eubulus our way, came a-basket-bearing in procession to the temple of Artemis, with a ring of man beasts about her, a lioness one.