by Theocritus
GORGO (referring to the style of the overfold)
Γοργώ
Πραξινόα, μάλα τοι τὸ καταπτυχὲς ἐμπερόναμα
τοῦτο πρέπει: λέγε μοι, πόσσω κατέβα τοι ἀφ᾽ ἱστῶ; 35
[34] Praxinoa, that full gathering suits you really well. Do tell me what you gave for the material.
PRAXINOA
Πραχινόα
μὴ μνάσῃς Γοργοῖ: πλέον ἀργυρίω καθαρῶ μνᾶν
ἢ δύο: τοῖς δ᾽ ἔργοις καὶ τὰν ψυχὰν ποτέθηκα.
[36] Don’t speak of it, Gorgo; it was more than eight golden sovereigns, and I can tell you I put my very soul into making it up.
GORGO
Γοργώ
ἀλλὰ κατὰ γνώμαν ἀπέβα τοι.
[38] Well, all I can say is, it’s most successful.
PRAXINOA
Πραχινόα
τοῦτο κάλ᾽ εἶπες.
τὠμπέχονον φέρε μοι καὶ τὰν θολίαν κατὰ κόσμον
ἀμφίθες. οὐκ ἀξῶ τυ τέκνον. μορμώ, δάκνει ἵππος.
δάκρυ᾽, ὅσσα θέλεις, χωλὸν δ᾽ οὐ δεῖ τυ γενέσθαι.
ἕρπωμες. Φρυγία, τὸν μικκὸν παῖσδε λαβοῖσα,
τὰν κύν᾽ ἔσω κάλεσον, τὰν αὐλείαν ἀπόκλᾳξον. —
[38] I’m inclined to agree with you. (to Eunoa) Come, put on my cloak and hat for me, and mind you do it properly. (Eunoa puts her cloak about her head and shoulders and pins the straw sun-hat to it). (taking up the child) No; I’m not going to take you, Baby. Horse-bogey bites little boys. (the child cries) You may cry as much as you like; I’m not going to have you lamed for life. (to Gorgo, giving the child to the nurse) Come along. Take Baby and amuse him, Phyrgia, and call the dog indoors and lock he front-door.
(in the street) GORGO
ὦ θεοί, ὅσσος ὄχλος. πῶς καὶ πόκα τοῦτο περᾶσαι
χρὴ τὸ κακόν; μύρμακες ἀνάριθμοι καὶ ἄμετροι. 45
[44] Heavens, what a crowd! How we’re to get through this awful crush and how long it’s going to take us, I can’t imagine. Talk of an antheap!
PRAXINOA
πολλά τοι ὦ Πτολεμαῖε πεποίηται καλὰ ἔργα,
ἐξ ὧ ἐν ἀθανάτοις ὁ τεκ̣̣ν: οὐδεὶς κακοεργὸς
δαλεῖται τὸν ἰόντα παρέρπων Αἰγυπτιστί,
οἷα πρὶν ἐξ ἀπάτας κεκροτημένοι ἄνδρες ἔπαισδον,
ἀλλάλοις ὁμαλοί, κακὰ παίγνια, πάντες ἐρειοί. 50
[46] I must say, you’ve done us many a good turn, my good Ptolemy, since your father went to heaven. We have no villains sneaking up to murder us in the streets nowadays in the good old Egyptian style. They don’t play those awful games now – the thorough-paced rogues, every one of them the same, all queer!
ἁδίστα Γοργοῖ, τί γενοίμεθα; τοὶ πολεμισταὶ
ἵπποι τῶ βασιλῆος. ἄνερ φίλε, μή με πατήσῃς.
ὀρθὸς ἀνέστα ὁ πυρρός: ἴδ᾽ ὡς ἄγριος. κυνοθαρσὴς
Εὐνόα, οὐ φευξῇ; διαχρησεῖται τὸν ἄγοντα.
ὠνάθην μεγάλως, ὅτι μοι τὸ βρέφος μένει ἔνδον. 55
[51] Gorgo dearest! what shall we do? The Royal Horse! Don’t run me down, my good man. That bay’s rearing. Look, what temper! Stand back, Eunoa, you reckless girl! He’ll be the death of that man. Thank goodness I left Baby at home!
GORGO
Γοργώ
θάρσει Πραξινόα: καὶ δὴ γεγενήμεθ᾽ ὄπισθεν,
[56] It’s all right, Praxinoa, We’ve got well behind them, you see. They’re all where they ought to be, now.
PRAXINOA (recovering)
τοὶ δ᾽ ἔβαν ἐς χώραν.
Πραχινόα
καὐτὰ συναγείρομαι ἤδη.
ἵππον καὶ τὸν ψυχρὸν ὄφιν τὰ μάλιστα δεδοίκω
ἐκ παιδός. σπεύδωμες: ὄχλος πολὺς ἄμμιν ἐπιρρεῖ.
[57] And fortunately I can say the same of my poor wits. Ever since I was a girl, two things have frightened me more than anything else, a horrid chilly snake and a horse. Let’s go on. Here’s ever such a crowd pouring after us.
GORGO (to an Old Woman)
Γοργώ
ἐξ αὐλᾶς ὦ μᾶτερ; 60
Γραῦς
ἐγὼν ὦ τέκνα.
Γοργώ
παρενθεῖν
εὐμαρές;
Γραῦς
ἐς Τροίαν πειρώμενοι ἦνθον ᾿Αχαιοί,
καλλίστα παίδων: πείρᾳ θην πάντα τελεῖται.
Γοργώ
χρησμὼς ἁ πρεσβῦτις ἀπῴχετο θεσπίξασα.
Πραχινόα
πάντα γυναῖκες ἴσαντι, καὶ ὡς Ζεὺς ἠγάγεθ᾽ ῞Ηρην.
Γοργώ
θᾶσαι Πραξινόα, περὶ τὰς θύρας ὅσσος ὅμιλος. 65
Πραχινόα
θεσπέσιος. Γοργοῖ, δὸς τὰν χέρα μοι: λάβε καὶ τὺ
Εὐνόα Εὐτυχίδος: πότεχ᾽ αὐτᾷ, μή τι πλαναθῇς.
πᾶσαι ἅμ᾽ εἰσένθωμες: ἀπρὶξ ἔχευ Εὐνόα ἁμῶν.
οἴμοι δειλαία, δίχα μευ τὸ θερίστριον ἤδη
ἔσχισται Γοργοῖ. πὸτ τῶ Διός, εἴτι γένοιο 70
εὐδαίμων ὤνθρωπε, φυλάσσεο τὠμπέχονόν μευ.
Ξένος
οὐκ ἐπ᾽ ἐμὶν μέν, ὅμως δὲ φυλαξεῦμαι:
Πραχινόα
ὄχλος ἄθρως.
ὠθεῦνθ᾽ ὥσπερ ὕες.
Ξένος
θάρσει γύναι: ἐν καλῷ εἰμές.
Πραχινόα
κεἰς ὥρας κἤπειτα φίλ᾽ ἀνδρῶν ἐν καλῷ εἴης
ἄμμε περιστέλλων. χρηστῶ κᾠκτίρμονος ἀνδρός. 75
φλίβεται Εὐνόα ἇμιν: ἄγ᾽ ὦ δειλὰ τὺ βιάζευ.
κάλλιστ᾽: ἔνδοι πᾶσαι, ὁ τὰν νυὸν εἶπ᾽ ἀποκλᾴξας.
Γοργώ
Πραξινόα, πόταγ᾽ ὧδε. τὰ ποικίλα πρᾶτον ἄθρησον,
λεπτὰ καὶ ὡς χαρίεντα: θεῶν περονάματα φασεῖς.
[60] Have you come from the palace, mother?
OLD WOMAN
Yes, my dears.
GORGO
Then we can get there all right, can we?
OLD WOMAN
Trying took Troy, my pretty; don’t they say where there’s a will there’s a way?
GORGO
That old lady gave us some oracles, didn’t she?
PRAXINOA (mock-sententiously)
My dear, women knew everything. They know all about Zeus marrying Hera.
GORGO
Do look, Praxinoa; what a crowd there is at the door! It’s marvellous!
PRAXINOA
Give me your arm, Gorgo; and you take hold of Eutychis’ arm, Eunoa; and you take care, Eutychis, not to get separated. We’ll all go in together. Mind you keep hold of me, Eunoa. Oh dear, oh dear, Gorgo
! my summer cloak’s torn right in two (to a stranger) For Heaven’s sake, as you wish to be saved, mind my cloak, sir.
FIRST STRANGER
I really can’t help what happens; but I’ll do my best.
PRAXINOA
The crowd’s simply enormous; they’re pushing like a drove of pigs.
FIRST STRANGER
Don’t be alarmed, madam; we’re all right.
PRAXINOA
You deserve to be all right to the end of your days, my dear sir, for the care you’ve been taking of us (to Gorgo) What a kind considerate man! Poor Eunoa’s getting squeezed. (to Eunoa) Push, you coward, can’t you? (they pass in)
That’s all right. All inside, as the bridegroom said when he shut the door.
GORGO (referring, as they move forward towards the dais, to the draperies which hang between the pillars)
Praxinoa, do come here. Before you do anything else I insist upon your looking at the embroideries. How delicate they are! and in such good taste! They’re really hardly human, are they?
PRAXINOA
Πραχινόα
πότνι᾽ ᾿Αθαναία, ποῖαί σφ᾽ ἐπόνασαν ἔριθοι, 80
ποῖοι ζῳογράφοι τἀκριβέα γράμματ᾽ ἔγραψαν.
ὡς ἔτυμ᾽ ἑστάκαντι, καὶ ὡς ἔτυμ᾽ ἐνδινεῦντι,
ἔμψυχ᾽, οὐκ ἐνυφαντά. σοφόν τοι χρῆμ᾽ ὥνθρωπος.
αὐτὸς δ᾽ ὡς θαητὸς ἐπ᾽ ἀργυρέας κατάκειται
κλισμῶ, πρᾶτον ἴουλον ἀπὸ κροτάφων καταβάλλων, 85
ὁ τριφίλητος ῎Αδωνις, ὃ κἠν ᾿Αχέροντι φιλεῖται.
[80] Huswife Athena! the weavers that made that material and the embroiderers who did that close detailed work are simply marvels. How realistically the things all stand and move about in it! they’re living! It is wonderful what people can do. And then the Holy Boy; how perfectly beautiful he looks lying on his silver couch, with the down of manhood just showing on his cheeks, – (religioso) the thrice-beloved Adonis, beloved even down below!
SECOND STRANGER
Ἕτερος Ξένος
παύσασθ᾽ ὦ δύστανοι, ἀνάνυτα κωτίλλοισαι
τρυγόνες. ἐκκναισεῦντι πλατειάσδοισαι ἅπαντα.
[87] Oh dear, oh dear, ladies! do stop that eternal cooing. (to the bystanders) They’ll weary me to death with their ah-ah-ah-ing.
PRAXINOA
Γοργώ
μᾶ, πόθεν ὥνθρωπος; τί δὲ τίν, εἰ κωτίλαι εἰμές;
πασάμενος ἐπίτασσε. Συρακοσίαις ἐπιτάσσεις; 90
ὡς δ᾽ εἰδῇς καὶ τοῦτο: Κορίνθιαι εἰμὲς ἄνωθεν,
ὡς καὶ ὁ Βελλεροφῶν: Πελοποννασιστὶ λαλεῦμες:
δωρίσδεν δ᾽ ἔξεστι δοκῶ τοῖς Δωριέεσσι.
Πραχινόα
μὴ φύη Μελιτῶδες ὃς ἁμῶν καρτερὸς εἴη,
πλὰν ἑνός. οὐκ ἀλέγω. μή μοι κενεὰν ἀπομάξῃς. 95
[89] My word! where does that person come from? What business is it of yours if we do coo? Buy your slaves before you order them about, pray. You’re giving your orders to Syracusans. If you must know, we’re Corinthians by extraction, like Bellerophon himself. What we talk’s Peloponnesian. I suppose Dorians may speak Doric, mayn’t they? Persephone! let’s have no more masters than the one we’ve got. I shall do just as I like. Pray don’t waste your breath.
GORGO
Γοργώ
σιγᾷ Πραξινόα: μέλλει τὸν ῎Αδωνιν ἀείδειν
ἁ τᾶς ᾿Αργείας θυγάτηρ πολύιδρις ἀοιδός,
ἅτις καὶ πέρυσιν τὸν ἰάλεμον ἀρίστευσε.
φθεγξεῖταί τι σάφ᾽ οἶδα καλόν: διαθρύπτεται ἤδη.
[96] Be quiet, Praxinoa. She’s just going to being the song, that Argive person’s daughter, you know, the “accomplished vocalist” that was chosen to sing the dirge last year. You may be sure she’ll give us something good. Look, she’s making her bow.
THE DIRGE
Γυνή Ἀοιδός
δέσποιν᾽, ἃ Γολγώς τε καὶ ᾿Ιδάλιον ἐφίλασας 100
αἰπεινάν τ᾽ ᾿Ερύκαν, χρυσῷ παίζοισ᾽ ᾿Αφροδίτα:
οἷόν τοι τὸν ῎Αδωνιν ἀπ᾽ ἀενάω ᾿Αχέροντος
μηνὶ δυωδεκάτῳ μαλακαὶ πόδας ἄγαγον ̂̔Ωραι.
βάρδισται μακάρων ̂̔Ωραι φίλαι, ἀλλὰ ποθειναὶ
ἔρχονται πάντεσσι βροτοῖς αἰεί τι φορεῦσαι. 105
Κύπρι Διωναία, τὺ μὲν ἀθανάταν ἀπὸ θνατᾶς,
ἀνθρώπων ὡς μῦθος, ἐποίησας Βερενίκαν,
ἀμβροσίαν ἐς στῆθος ἀποστάξασα γυναικός:
τὶν δὲ χαριζομένα, πολυώνυμε καὶ πολύναε,
ἁ Βερενικεία θυγάτηρ ῾Ελένᾳ εἰκυῖα 110
᾿Αρσινόα πάντεσσι καλοῖς ἀτιτάλλει ῎Αδωνιν.
πὰρ μέν οἱ ὥρια κεῖται, ὅσα δρυὸς ἄκρα φέρονται,
πὰρ δ᾽ ἁπαλοὶ κᾶποι πεφυλαγμένοι ἐν ταλαρίσκοις
ἀργυρέοις, Συρίω δὲ μύρω χρύσει᾽ ἀλάβαστρα.
εἴδατα δ᾽ ὅσσα γυναῖκες ἐπὶ πλαθάνω πονέονται, 115
ἄνθεα μίσγοισαι λευκῷ παντοῖα μαλεύρῳ,
ὅσσά τ᾽ ἀπὸ γλυκερῶ μέλιτος τά τ᾽ ἐν ὑγρῷ ἐλαίῳ,
πάντ᾽ αὐτῷ πετεηνὰ καὶ ἑρπετὰ τεῖδε πάρεστι.
[100] Lover of Golgi and Idaly and Eryx’ steepy hold,
O Lady Aphrodite with the face that beams like gold,
Twelve months are sped and soft-footéd Heav’n’s pretty laggards, see,
Bring o’er the never-tarrying stream Adonis back to thee.
The Seasons, the Seasons, full slow they go and come,
But some sweet thing for all they bring, and so they are welcome home.
O Cypris, Dion’s daughter, of thee annealed, ’tis said,
Our Queen that was born of woman is e’en immortal made;
And now, sweet Lady of many names, of many shrines Ladye,
They guerdon’s giv’n; for the Queen’s daughtér, as Helen fair to see,
Thy lad doth dight with all delight upon this holyday;
For there’s not a fruit the orchard bears but is here for his hand to take,
And cresses trim all kept for him in many a silver tray,
And Syrian balm in vials of gold; and O, there’s every cake
That ever woman kneaded of bolted meal so fair
With blossoms blent of every scent or oil or honey rare –
Here’s all outlaid in semblance made of every bird and beast.
χλωραὶ δὲ σκιάδες μαλακῷ βρίθοντι ἀνήθῳ
δέδμανθ᾽: οἱ δέ τε κῶροι ὑπερπωτῶνται ῎Ερωτες, 120
οἷοι ἀηδονιδῆες ἀεξομενᾶν ἐπὶ δένδρων
πωτῶνται πτερύγων πειρώμενοι ὄζον ἀπ᾽ ὄζω.
ὢ ἔβενος, ὢ χρυσός, ὢ ἐκ λευκῶ ἐλέφαντος
αἰετοὶ οἰνοχόον Κρονίδᾳ Διὶ παῖδα �
�έροντες.
πορφύρεοι δὲ τάπητες ἄνω μαλακώτεροι ὕπνω, 125
ἁ Μίλατος ἐρεῖ χὡ τὰν Σαμίαν κάτα βόσκων:
‘ἔστρωται κλίνα τῷ ᾿Αδώνιδι τῷ καλῷ ἄλλα.’
τὰν μὲν Κύπρις ἔχει, τὰν δ᾽ ὁ ῥοδόπαχυς ῎Αδωνις
[119] Two testers green they have plight ye, with dainty dill well dressed,
Whereon, like puny nightingales that flit from bough to bough
Trying their waxing wings to spread, the Love-babes hovering go.
How fair the ebony and the gold, the ivory white how fair,
And eagles twain to Zeus on high bringing his cup-bearer!
Aye, and he coverlets spread for ye are softer spread than sleep –
Forsooth Miletus town may say, or the master of Samian sheep,
“The bridal bed of Adonis spread of my own making is;
Cypris hath this for her wrapping, Adonis that for his.”
ὀκτωκαιδεκέτης ἢ ἐννεακαίδεχ᾽ ὁ γαμβρός.
οὐ κεντεῖ τὸ φίλαμ᾽, ἔτι οἱ περὶ χείλεα πυρρά. 130
νῦν μὰν Κύπρις ἔχοισα τὸν αὐτᾶς χαιρέτω ἄνδρα:
ἀῶθεν δ᾽ ἁμές νιν ἅμα δρόσῳ ἀθρόαι ἔξω
οἰσεῦμες ποτὶ κύματ᾽ ἐπ᾽ ἀιόνι πτύοντα,
λύσασαι δὲ κόμαν καὶ ἐπὶ σφυρὰ κόλπον ἀνεῖσαι
στήθεσι φαινομένοις λιγυρᾶς ἀρξώμεθ᾽ ἀοιδᾶς: 135
῞Ερπεις ὦ φίλ᾽ ῎Αδωνι καὶ ἐνθάδε κεἰς ᾿Αχέροντα
ἡμιθέων, ὡς φαντί, μονώτατος. οὔτ᾽ ᾿Αγαμέμνων
τοῦτ᾽ ἔπαθ᾽, οὔτ᾽ Αἴας ὁ μέγας βαρυμάνιος ἥρως,
οὔθ᾽ ῞Εκτωρ ῾Εκάβας ὁ γεραίτερος εἴκατι παίδων,
οὐ Πατροκλῆς, οὐ Πύρρος ἀπὸ Τροίας ἐπανελθών, 140
οὔθ᾽ οἱ ἔτι πρότερον Λαπίθαι καὶ Δευκαλίωνες,
οὐ Πελοπηιάδαι τε καὶ ῎Αργεος ἄκρα Πελασγοί:
[129] Of eighteen years or nineteen is turned the rose-limbed groom;
His pretty lip is smooth to sip, for it bears but flaxen bloom.