Complete Works of Theocritus

by Theocritus

  ποιμένες, εἴπατέ μοι τὸ κρήγυον: οὐ καλὸς ἐμμί;

  ἆρά τις ἐξαπίνας με θεὸς βροτὸν ἄλλον ἔτευξε; 20

  καὶ γὰρ ἐμοὶ τὸ πάροιθεν ἐπάνθεεν ἁδύ τι κάλλος

  ὡς κισσὸς ποτὶ πρέμνον, ἐμὰν δ᾽ ἐπύκαζεν ὑπήναν,

  χαῖται δ᾽ οἷα σέλινα περὶ κροτάφοισι κέχυντο,

  καὶ λευκὸν τὸ μέτωπον ἐπ᾽ ὀφρύσι λάμπε μελαίναις:

  ὄμματά μοι γλαυκᾶς χαροπώτερα πολλὸν ᾿Αθάνας, 25

  καὶ στόμα δ᾽ αὖ πακτᾶς γλυκερώτερον, ἐκ στομάτων δὲ

  ἔρρεέ μοι φωνὰ γλυκερωτέρα ἢ μέλι κηρῶ.

  ἁδὺ δέ μοι τὸ μέλισμα, καὶ ἢν σύριγγι μελίσδω,

  κἢν αὐλῷ δονέω, κἢν δώνακι, κἢν πλαγιαύλῳ.

  καὶ πᾶσαι καλόν με κατ᾽ ὤρεα φαντὶ γυναῖκες, 30

  καὶ πᾶσαί με φιλεῦντι: τὰ δ᾽ ἀστικά μ᾽ οὐκ ἐφίλασεν,

  ἀλλ᾽ ὅτι βουκόλος ἐμμὶ παρέδραμε κοὔποτ᾽ ἀκούει,

  [19] Tell me true, master Shepherds; see you not here a proper man, or hath some power taken and transmewed him? Marry, ’twas a sweet piece of ivy bloomed ere now on this tree, and a sweet piece of ivy bloomed ere now on this tree, and a sweet piece of beauty put fringe to this lip; the hair o’ these temples lay lush as the parsley; this forehead did shine me white above and these eyebrows black below; these eyes were beamy as the Grey-eyed Lady’s, this mouth trim as a cream-cheese; and the voice which came forth o’ this mouth was even as honeycomb. Sweet also is the music I make, be it o’ the flute or the crossflute. And there’s not a lass in the uplands but says I am good to look to, not one but kisses me, neither; but your city pieces, look you, never a kiss got I o’ them, but they ran me by and would not listen because I herd cows.

  ὡς ὁ καλὸς Διόνυσος ἐν ἄγκεσι πόρτιν ἔλαυνεν:

  οὐκ ἔγνω δ᾽, ὅτι Κύπρις ἐπ᾽ ἀνέρι μήνατο βούτᾳ

  καὶ Φρυγίοις ἐνόμευσεν ἐν ὤρεσι καὶ τὸν ῎Αδωνιν 35

  ἐν δρυμοῖσι φίλασε καὶ ἐν δρυμοῖσιν ἔκλαυσεν.

  ᾿Ενδυμίων δὲ τίς ἦν; οὐ βουκόλος; ὅν γε Σελάνα

  βουκολέοντα φίλασεν, ἀπ᾽ Οὐλύμπω δὲ μολοῖσα

  λάθριον ἀν νάπος ἦλθε καὶ εἰς ἕνα παιδὶ κάθευδε.

  καὶ τὺ ῾Ρέα κλαίεις τὸν βουκόλον. οὐχὶ δὲ καὶ τὺ 40

  ὦ Κρονίδα διὰ παῖδα βοηνόμον ὄρνις ἐπλάγχθης;

  Εὐνείκα δὲ μόνα τὸν βουκόλον οὐκ ἐφίλασεν,

  ἁ Κυβέλας κρέσσων καὶ Κύπριδος ἠδὲ Σελάνας.

  μηκέτι μηδὲ σὺ Κύπρι τὸν ἁδέα μήτε κατ᾽ ἄστυ

  μήτ᾽ ἐν ὄρει φιλέοις, μούνη δ᾽ ἀνὰ νύκτα καθεύδοις.

  [33] Doth not the beautiful Dionysus ride a bull i’ the dells? Wist she not Cypris ran mad after a neatherd and tended cattle i’ the Phrybian hills? And the same Cypris, loved she not Adonis in the woods and in the woods bewailed him? And what of Endymion? Was it not a neatherd the Lday Moon loved when he was at his labour, and came down from Olympus into Latmos vale to bow herself over him of her choice? Thou too, great Rhea, dost bewail a neatherd; and didst not e’en thou, thou Son of Cronus, become a wandering bird for the sake of a lad o’ the kine? Nay, ’twas left to mistress Eunica to deny a neatherd her love, this piece that is a greater than Cybelè and Cypris and the Lady Moon! Wherefore I beseech thee, sweet Cypris, the same may never more whether in upland or in lowland come at the love of her leman, but may lie lone and sleep sole for the rest of her days.

  IDYLL XXI. ἁλιεῖς

  IDYLL XXI. THE FISHERMEN

  The poet begins with a dedication in the manner of XI, and passes quickly to his story. Two fishermen lie awake at night in their cabin on the shore, and one of them tells a dream he has just had of the catching of a golden fish. He asks his friend what the dream may mean, for he fears he may have to break his dream-oath that he would be a fisherman no longer. To this the friend replies that it was no oath he took, and that the moral of the dream is that his only wealth is the sea. Many considerations go to show that the traditional ascription of the poem to Theocritus is mistaken.

  ῾Α πενία Διόφαντε μόνα τὰς τέχνας ἐγείρει,

  αὐτὰ τῶ μόχθοιο διδάσκαλος: οὐδὲ γὰρ εὕδειν

  ἀνδράσιν ἐργατίναισι κακαὶ παρέχοντι μέριμναι.

  κἂν ὀλίγον νυκτός τις ἐπιμύσσῃσι, τὸν ὕπνον

  αἰφνίδιον θορυβεῦσιν ἐφιστάμεναι μελεδῶναι. 5

  [1] There’s but one stirrer-up of the crafts, Diophantus, and her name is Poverty. She is the true teacher of labour; for a man of toil may not so much as sleep for the disquietude of his heart. Nay, if he nod ever so little o’ nights, then is his slumber broke suddenly short by the cares that beset him.

  ᾿Ιχθύος ἀγρευτῆρες ὅμως δύο κεῖντο γέροντες,

  στρωσάμενοι βρύον αὖον ὑπὸ πλεκταῖς καλύβαισι,

  κεκλιμένοι τοίχῳ τῷ φυλλίνῳ: ἐγγύθι δ᾽ αὐτοῖν

  κεῖτο τὰ ταῖν χειροῖν ἀθλήματα, τοὶ καλαθίσκοι,

  τοὶ κάλαμοι, τἄγκιστρα τὰ φυκιόεντα δέλητα 10

  ὁρμιαὶ κύρτοι τε καὶ ἐκ σχοίνων λαβύρινθοι,

  μήρινθοι κώπα τε γέρων τ᾽ ἐπ᾽ ἐρείσμασι λέμβος:

  νέρθεν τᾶς κεφαλᾶς φορμὸς βραχύς, εἷμά τ᾽ ἐπί σφι

  οὗτος τοῖς ἁλιεῦσιν ὁ πᾶς πόρος, οὗτος ὁ πλοῦτος.

  οὐδεὶς δ᾽ οὐ σισύραν εἶχ᾽ οὐ λίνα: πάντα περισσά, 15

  πάντ᾽ ἐδόκει τήνοις: ἁ γὰρ πενία σφας ἔτειρε

  οὐδεὶς δ᾽ ἐν μέσσῳ γείτων: πενίᾳ δὲ παρ᾽ αὐτὰν

  θλιβομέναν καλύβαν τρυφερὸν προσέναχε θάλασσα.

  [6] One night against the leafy wall of a wattled cabin there lay together upon a bed of dry tangle two old catchers of fish. Beside them were laid the instruments of their calling; their creels, their rods their hooks, their weedy nets and lines, their weels and rush-woven lobster-pots, some net-ropes, a pair of oars, and upon its props an aged coble. Beneath their heads lay a little mat, and for coverlets they had their jackets of frieze. This was all the means and all the riches of these poor fishermen. Key, door, watchdog, had they none; all such things were ill-store to the likes of them, seeing in that house kept Poverty watch and ward; neither dwelt there any neighbour at their gates, but the very cabin-walls were hemmed by the soft and delicate upflowing of the sea.

  κοὔπω τὸν μέσατον δρόμον ἄνυεν ἅρμα Σελάνας,

  τοὺς δ᾽ ἁλιεῖς ἤγειρε φίλος πόνος, ἐκ βλεφάρων δὲ 20

  ὕπνον ἀπωσάμενοι σφετέραις φρεσὶν ἤρεθον αὐδάν.

  [19] Now or ever the chariot of the Moon was half-way of its course, the fishermen’
s labour and trouble did rouse them, and thrusting slumber from their eyelids stirred up speech in their hearts.

  ASPHALION

  Ἀσφαλίων

  ψεύδοντ᾽ ὦ φίλε πάντες, ὅσοι τὰς νύκτας ἔφασκον

  τῶ θέρεος μινύθειν, ὅτε τἄματα μακρὰ φέρει Ζεύς.

  ἤδη μυρί᾽ ἐσεῖδον ὀνείρατα, κοὐδέπω ἀώς.

  μὴ λαθόμην; τί τὸ χρῆμα; χρόνον δ᾽ αἱ νύκτες ἔχοντι. 25

  [22] It seems they speak not true, friend, that say the summer nights grow less when they bring us the long days. Already I have had a thousand dreams, and the dawn is not yet. Or am I wrong when I say how long the watches of these nights are?

  FRIEND

  Ἑταῖρος

  ᾿Ασφαλίων, μέμφῃ τὸ καλὸν θέρος; οὐ γὰρ ὁ καιρὸς

  αὐτομάτως παρέβα τὸν ἑὸν δρόμον: ἀλλὰ τὸν ὕπνον

  ἁ φροντὶς κόπτοισα μακρὰν τὰν νύκτα ποιεῖ τοι.

  [26] Asphalion, the pretty summer deserves not thy fault-finding. ’Tis not that Time hath truly and in himself over-run his course, but Care makes thy night long by curtailing thy slumber.

  ASPHALION

  Ἀσφαλίων

  ἆρ᾽ ἔμαθες κρίνειν πόκ᾽ ἐνύπνια; χρηστὰ γὰρ εἶδον.

  οὔ δε θέλω τὠμῶ φαντάσματος ἦμεν ἄμοιρον. 30

  [29] Hast ever learnt to interpret a dream? I’ve had a good one this night, and am fain thou go shares in’t.

  FRIEND

  ὡς καὶ τὰν ἄγραν, τὠνείρατα πάντα μερίζευ.

  ὃς γὰρ ἂν εἰκάξῃ κατὰ τὸν νόον οὗτος ἄριστος

  ἐστὶν ὀνειροκρίτας, ὁ διδάσκαλός ἐστι παρ᾽ ᾧ νοῦς.

  ἄλλως καὶ σχολά ἐστι: τί γὰρ ποιεῖν ἂν ἔχοι τις

  κείμενος ἐν φύλλοις ποτὶ κύματι μηδὲ καθεύδων, 35

  ἀλλ᾽ ὄνος ἐν ῥάμνῳ τό τε λύχνιον ἐν πρυτανείῳ:

  φαντὶ γὰρ ἀγρυπνίαν τόδ᾽ ἔχειν.

  Ἑταῖρος

  λέγε μοί ποτε νυκτὸς

  ὄψιν, ἐπεὶ τά τις οἶδε λέγει μανύεν ἑταίρῳ.

  [31] Aye, we share our catch, and e’en let’s share all our dreams. For shall I not be making conjecture of thee according to the saying, the best interpreter of dreams is he that learns of understanding? And what’s more, we have time and to spare, for there’s little enough for a man to do lying sleepless in a greenbed beside the sea. ‘Faith, ’tis the ass in the thorns and the lamp in the town-hall, and they are the morals for waking. Come, thy dream; for a friend, look you, is always told a man’s dreams.

  ASPHALION

  Ἀσφαλίων

  δειλινὸν ὡς κατέδαρθον ἐν εἰναλίοισι πόνοισιν

  （οὐ μὰν ἦν πολύσιτος, ἐπεὶ δειπνεῦντες ἐν ὥρᾳ, 40

  εἰ μέμνῃ, τᾶς γαστρὸς ἐφειδόμεθ᾽）, εἶδον ἐμαυτὸν

  ἐν πέτρᾳ μεμαῶτα, καθεζόμενος δ᾽ ἐδόκευον

  ἰχθύας, ἐκ καλάμων δὲ πλάνον κατέσειον ἐδωδάν.

  καί τις τῶν τραφερῶν ὠρέξατο: καὶ γὰρ ἐν ὕπνοις

  πᾶσα κύων ἄρκτον μαντεύεται, ἰχθύα κἠγών. 45

  χὡ μὲν τὠγκίστρῳ ποτεφύετο, καὶ ῥέεν αἷμα,

  τὸν κάλαμον δ᾽ ὑπὸ τῶ κινήματος ἀγκύλον εἶχον

  τὼ χέρε τεινόμενον περικλώμενον, εὐρὺν ἀγῶνα,

  πῶς νιν ἕλω μέγαν ἰχθὺν ἀφαυροτέροισι σιδάροις.

  εἶθ᾽ ὑπομιμνάσκων τῶ τρώματος ἠρέμ᾽ ἔνυξα, 50

  καὶ νύξας ἐχάλαξα, καὶ οὐ φεύγοντος ἔτεινα.

  ἤνυσα δ᾽ ὦν τὸν ἄεθλον, ἀνείλκυσα χρύσεον ἰχθύν,

  παντᾷ τοι χρυσῷ πεπυκασμένον: εἶχε δὲ δεῖμα,

  μήτι Ποσειδάωνι πέλοι πεφιλημένος ἰχθὺς

  ἢ τάχα τᾶς γλαυκᾶς κειμήλιον ᾿Αμφιτρίτης. 55

  ἠρέμα δ᾽ αὐτὸν ἐγὼν ἐκ τὠγκίστρω ἀπέλυσα,

  μή ποτε τῶ στόματος τἀγκίστρια χρυσὸν ἔχοιεν.

  καὶ τὸν μὲν πίστευσα καλεῖν τὸν ἐπήρατον ἰχθύν,

  ὤμοσα δ᾽ οὐκέτι λοιπὸν ὑπὲρ πελάγους πόδα θεῖναι,

  ἀλλὰ μενεῖν ἐπὶ γᾶς καὶ τῷ χρυσῷ βασιλεύσειν. 60

  ταῦτά με κἀξήγειρε, τὺ δ᾽ ὦ ξένε λοιπὸν ἔρειδε

  τὰν γνώμαν: ὅρκον γὰρ ἐγὼ τὸν ἐπώμοσα ταρβῶ.

  [39] When I fell asleep last night after my labours o’ the sea – and faith, ’twas not for fulness, if you mind, seeing we supped early to give our bellies short commons – I dreamt I was hard at my work upon a rock, seated watching for the fish and dangling my piece of deception from my rod’s end, when there rose me a right gallant fellow – for mark you, I surmise a fish as a sleeping dog will a bear, – well hooked too, for ‘a showed blood, and my rod all bended wi’ the pull of him, bended straining and bowing in my hand, insomuch that I questioned me sore how I was to deal with so great a fish with so weak tools to my hand. Howbeeit I gently pricked him to mind him o’ the hook, and pricking let him have line, and when he ran not away showed him the butt. Now was the prize mine. I drew up a golden fish, a fish smothered in gold, such indeed that I feared me lest he were a fish favoured of Poseidon, or mayhap a treasured possession of sea-green Amphitritè; aye, and unhooked him very carefully and slow lest ever the tackle should come away with gold from his mouth. Then, standing over, I sang the praises of that my glorious catch, my seaman made landsman, and sware I’ld nevermore set foot o’ the sea, but I would rest ashore rather and king it there with my gold. And with that I awoke. And now, good friend, it remains for you to lend me your understanding; for troth, that oath I sware –

  FRIEND

  Ἑταῖρος

  καὶ σύγε τί τρέσσεις; οὐκ ὤμοσας: οὐδὲ γὰρ ἰχθὺν

  χρύσεον ὡς ἴδες εὗρες, ἴσα δ᾽ ἦν ψεύδεσιν ὄψις,

  ἐλπὶς τῶν ὕπνων. ζάτει τὸν σάρκινον ἰχθύν,

  εἰ γάρ πᾳ κνώσσων ἔτ᾽ ἐτώσια ταῦτα ματεύσεις, 65

  μὴ σὺ θάνῃς λιμῷ καίτοι χρυσοῖσιν ὀνείροις.

  [63] Be of good cheer; never you fear that. ’Twas no swearing when you sware that oath any more than ’twas seeing when you saw the golden fish. Howbeit there’s wisdom to be hand of empty shows; for if you will make real and waking search in these places there’s hope of your sleep and your dreams. Go seek the fish of flesh and blood, or you’ll die of hunger and golden visions.

  IDYLL XXII. Διόσκουροι

  IDYLL XXII. THE DIOSCURI

  This hymn to Castor and Polydeuces consists, first, of a prelude common to both, and secondly, of two main parts concerned one with Polydeuces and the other with Castor. The first of these, in a combination of the Epic style with the dialogue, tells how Polydeuces fought fisticuffs with Amycus on his way to Colchis, and the seco
nd how, when the brothers carried off the daughters of Leucippus, Castor fought Lynceus with spear and sword.

  ῾Υμνέομεν Λήδας τε καὶ αἰγιόχου Διὸς υἱώ,

  Κάστορα καὶ φοβερὸν Πολυδεύκεα πὺξ ἐρεθίζειν

  χεῖρας ἐπιζεύξαντα μέσας βοέοισιν ἱμᾶσιν.

  ὑμνέομεν καὶ δὶς καὶ τὸ τρίτον ἄρσενα τέκνα

  κούρης Θεστιάδος, Λακεδαιμονίους δύ᾽ ἀδελφούς, 5

  ἀνθρώπων σωτῆρας ἐπὶ ξυροῦ ἤδη ἐόντων,

  ἵππων θ᾽ αἱματόεντα ταρασσομένων καθ᾽ ὅμιλον,

  νηῶν θ᾽, αἳ δύνοντα καὶ οὐρανὸν ἐξανύοντα

  ἄστρα βιαζόμεναι χαλεποῖς ἐνέκυρσαν ἀήταις.

  οἱ δέ σφεων κατὰ πρύμναν ἀείραντες μέγα κῦμα, 10

  ἠὲ καὶ ἐκ πρῴρηθεν, ἢ ὅππῃ θυμὸς ἑκάστου,

  ἐς κοίλην ἔρριψαν, ἀνέρρηξαν δ᾽ ἄρα τοίχους

  ἀμφοτέρους: κρέμαται δὲ σὺν ἱστίῳ ἄρμενα πάντα

  εἰκῇ ἀποκλασθέντα: πολὺς δ᾽ ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ὄμβρος

  νυκτὸς ἐφερπούσης: παταγεῖ δ᾽ εὐρεῖα θάλασσα, 15

  κοπτομένη πνοιαῖς τε καὶ ἀρρήκτοισι χαλάζαις.

  ἀλλ᾽ ἔμπης ὑμεῖς γε καὶ ἐκ βυθοῦ ἕλκετε νῆας

  αὐτοῖσιν ναύτῃσιν ὀιομένοις θανέεσθαι:

  αἶψα δ᾽ ἀπολήγοντ᾽ ἄνεμοι, λιπαρὴ δὲ γαλάνη

  ἀμπέλαγος: νεφέλαι δὲ διέδραμον ἄλλυδις ἄλλαι: 20

  ἐκ δ᾽ ἄρκτοι τ᾽ ἐφάνησαν, ὄνων τ᾽ ἀνὰ μέσσον ἀμαυρὴ