Delphi Complete Works of Longus

by Longus

  Τοιαῦτα ἔπασχε, τοιαῦτα ἔλεγεν, ἐπιζητοῦσα τὸ ἔρωτος ὄνομα. Δόρκων δὲ ὁ βουκόλος, ὁ τὸν Δάφνιν ἐκ τοῦ σιροῦ ἀνιμησάμενος, ἀρτιγένειος μειρακίσκος καὶ εἰδὼς ἔρωτος καὶ τὰ ἔργα καὶ τοὔνομα, εὐθὺς μὲν ἐπ̓ ἐκείνης τῆς ἡμέρας ἐρωτικῶς τῆς Χλόης διετέθη, πλειόνων δὲ διαγενομένων μᾶλλον τὴν ψυχὴν ἐξεπυρσεύθη καὶ τοῦ Δάφνιδος ὡς παιδὸς καταφρονήσας ἔγνω κατεργάσασθαι δώροις ἢ βίᾳ. Τὰ μὲν δὴ πρῶτα δῶρα αὐτοῖς ἐκόμισε τῷ μὲν σύριγγα βουκολικὴν καλάμων ἐννέα χαλκῷ δεδεμένων ἀντὶ κηροῦ, τῇ δὲ νεβρίδα βακχικήν: καὶ αὐτῇ τὸ χρῶμα ἦν ὥσπερ γεγραμμένον χρώμασιν. Ἐντεῦθεν δὲ φίλος νομιζόμενος τοῦ μὲν Δάφνιδος ἠμέλει κατ̓ ὀλίγον, τῇ Χλόῃ δὲ ἀνὰ πᾶσαν ἡμέραν ἐπέφερεν ἢ τυρὸν ἁπαλὸν ἢ στέφανον ἀνθηρὸν ἢ μῆλον ὡραῖον: ἐκόμισε δέ ποτε αὐτῇ καὶ μόσχον ἀρτιγέννητον καὶ κισσύβιον διάχρυσον καὶ ὀρνίθων ὀρείων νεοττούς. Ἡ δὲ ἄπειρος οὖσα τέχνης ἐραστοῦ, λαμβάνουσα τὰ δῶρα ἔχαιρεν, ὅτι Δάφνιδι εἶχεν αὐτὰ χαρίζεσθαι. Καὶ ῾ἔδει γὰρ ἤδη καὶ Δάφνιν γνῶναι τὰ ἔρωτος ἔργἀ γίνεταί ποτε τῷ Δόρκωνι πρὸς αὐτὸν ὑπὲρ κάλλους ἔρις, καὶ ἐδίκαζε μὲν Χλόη, ἔκειτο δὲ ἆθλον τῷ νικήσαντι φιλῆσαι Χλόην. Δόρκων δὲ πρότερος ὧδε ἔλεγεν.

  1.15 Such were the words she spoke in her suffering, seeking in vain for the name of Love. But Dorcon, the herdsman who had extricated Daphnis and the goat from the pit, a youth whose beard was just beginning to grow, who knew the name of Love and what it meant, had felt an affection for Chloe ever since that day, and, as time went on, his passion increased. Thinking little of Daphnis, whom he looked upon as a mere child, he resolved to gain his object, either by bribery or violence. He first made them presents: to Daphnis he gave a rustic pipe, the nine reeds of which were fastened together with brass instead of wax, and to Chloe a spotted fawn’s skin, such as Bacchus was wont to wear. Then, thinking that he was on sufficiently friendly terms with them, he gradually began to neglect Daphnis, while every day he brought Chloe a fresh cheese, a garland of flowers, or some ripe fruit; and once he presented her with a young calf, a gilt cup, and some young birds which he had caught on the mountains. She, knowing nothing of the arts of lovers, was delighted to receive the presents, because she could pass them on to Daphnis. One day - since Daphnis also was destined to learn what Love meant - a discussion arose between him and Dorcon as to which of them was the handsomer. Chloe was appointed judge: and the victor’s reward was to be a kiss. Dorcon spoke first:

  ‘Ἐγώ, παρθένε, μείζων εἰμὶ Δάφνιδος, κἀγὼ μὲν βουκόλος, ὁ δ̓ αἰπόλος: τοσοῦτον κρείττων ὅσον αἰγῶν βόες: καὶ λευκός εἰμι ὡς γάλα, καὶ πυρρὸς ὡς θέρος μέλλον ἀμᾶσθαι, καὶ ἔθρεψε μήτηρ, οὐ θηρίον. Οὗτος δέ ἐστι σμικρὸς καὶ ἀγένειος ὡς γυνή, καὶ μέλας ὡς λύκος: νέμει δὲ τράγους, ὀδωδὼς ἀπ̓ αὐτῶν δεινόν, καὶ ἔστι πένης ὡς μηδὲ κύνα τρέφειν. Εἰ δ̓, ὡς λέγουσι, καὶ αἲξ αὐτῷ γάλα δέδωκεν, οὐδὲν ἐρίφου διαφέρει.’ Ταῦτα καὶ τοιαῦτα ὁ Δόρκων: καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα ὁ Δάφνις ‘Ἐμὲ αἲξ ἀνέθρεψεν ὥσπερ τὸν Δία: νέμω δὲ τράγους τῶν τούτου βοῶν μείζονας: ὄζω δὲ οὐδὲν ἀπ̓ αὐτῶν, ὅτι μηδὲ ὁ Πάν, καίτοιγε ὢν τὸ πλέον τράγος. Ἀρκεῖ δέ μοι τυρὸς καὶ ἄρτος ὀβελίας καὶ οἶνος λευκός, ὅσα ἀγροίκων πλουσίων κτήματα. Ἀγένειός εἰμι, καὶ γὰρ ὁ Διόνυσος: μέλας, καὶ γὰρ ὁ ὑάκινθος: ἀλλὰ κρείττων καὶ ὁ Διόνυσος Σατύρων καὶ ὁ ὑάκινθος κρίνων. Οὗτος δὲ καὶ πυρρὸς ὡς ἀλώπηξ καὶ προγένειος ὡς τράγος καὶ λευκὸς ὡς ἐξ ἄστεος γυνή: κἂν δέῃ σε φιλεῖν, ἐμοῦ μὲν φιλήσεις τὸ στόμα, τούτου δὲ τὰς ἐπὶ τοῦ γενείου τρίχας. Μέμνησο δέ, ὦ παρθένε, ὅτι καὶ σὲ ποίμνιον ἔθρεψεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὣς εἶ καλή.’

  1.16 “I am taller than Daphnis: I am a cowherd, while he is only a goatherd, as much superior to him as cows are superior to goats. I am white as milk, ruddy as corn fit for the sickle: my mother reared me, not a wild beast. He is short, beardless as a woman, black as a wolf. He tends goats, and stinks like them. He is so poor that he cannot even keep a clog: and if, as is reported, a goat has suckled him, he differs little from a kid.”

  After Dorcon had spoken thus, Daphnis replied:

  “Yes, like Zeus, I was suckled by a goat: I tend goats that are larger than his cows, and I do not smell of them, any more than Pan, who is more like a goat than anything else. I am content with cheese, hard bread, and sweet wine: if he have these, a man is rich in the country. I am beardless, so was Dionysus: I am dark, so is the hyacinth: and yet Dionysus is superior to the Satyrs, the hyacinth to the lily. He is as red as a fox, bearded like a goat, white as a woman from the city. If you kiss me, you will kiss my mouth: but, if you kiss him, you will only kiss the hairs on his chin. Lastly, O maiden, remember that you were suckled by a sheep: and yet how beautiful you are!”

  Οὐκέθ̓ ἡ Χλόη περιέμεινεν, ἀλλὰ τὰ μὲν ἡσθεῖσα τῷ ἐγκωμίῳ, τὰ δὲ πάλαι ποθοῦσα φιλῆσαι Δάφνιν, ἀναπηδήσασα αὐτὸν ἐφίλησεν, ἀδίδακτον μὲν καὶ ἄτεχνον, πάνυ δὲ ψυχὴν θερμᾶναι δυνάμενον. Δόρκων μὲν οὖν ἀλγήσας ἀπέδραμε ζητῶν ἄλλην ὁδὸν ἔρωτος: Δάφνις δέ, ὥσπερ οὐ φιληθείς, ἀλλὰ δηχθείς, σκυθρωπός τις εὐθὺς ἦν καὶ πολλάκις ἐψύχετο καὶ τὴν καρδίαν παλλομένην εἶχε, καὶ βλέπειν μὲν ἤθελε τὴν Χλόην, βλέπων δ̓ ἐρυθήματος ἐνεπίμπλατο. Τότε πρῶτον καὶ τὴν κόμην αὐτῆς ἐθαύμασεν ὅτι ξανθή, καὶ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ὅτι μεγάλοι καθάπερ βοός, καὶ τὸ πρόσωπον ὅτι λευκότερον ἀληθῶς καὶ τοῦ τῶν αἰγῶν γάλακτος, ὥσπερ τότε πρῶτον ὀφθαλμοὺς κτησάμενος, τὸν δὲ πρότερον χρόνον πεπηρωμένος. Οὔτε οὖν τροφὴν προσεφέρετο πλὴν ὅσον ἀπογεύσασθαι: καὶ πότον, εἴ ποτε ἐβιάσθη, μέχρι τοῦ διαβρέξαι τὸ στόμα προσεφέρετο. Σιωπηλὸς ἦν ὁ πρότερον τῶν ἀκρίδων λαλίστερος, ἀργὸς ὁ περιττότερα τῶν αἰγῶν κινούμενος. Ἠμέλητο ἡ ἀγέλη: ἔρριπτο ἡ σύριγξ: χλωρότερον τὸ πρόσωπον ἦν πόας θερινῆς. Πρὸς μόνην Χλόην ἐγίνετο λάλος: καὶ εἴ ποτε ἀπ̓ αὐτῆς ἐγένετο, τοιαῦτα πρὸς αὑτὸν ἀπελήρει

  1.17 Chloe could wait no longer: delighted at such praise, and ha
ving long been eager to kiss Daphnis, she jumped up and kissed him, simply and artlessly, but yet her kiss had power to inflame his heart. Dorcon, deeply annoyed, hastened away, to think of some other way of satisfying his desires. Daphnis, on the other hand, seemed to have received a sting, rather than a kiss. He immediately became sad and pensive: he was seized with a chill, and was unable to restrain his palpitating heart: he wanted to look at Chloe, and, when he did so, his face was covered with blushes. Then, for the first time, he admired her fair hair, her eyes as large as those of a heifer, her face whiter than goats’ milk: it seemed as if he then began for the first time to see, and had hitherto been blind. He merely tasted his food, and hardly moistened his lips with drink. He who was once more noisy than the locusts, remained silent: he who was formerly more active than his goats, sat idle: his flock was neglected, his pipe lay on the ground, his face was paler than the grass in summer. He could only speak of Chloe: and, whenever he was away from her he would rave to himself like this.

  ‘Τί ποτέ με Χλόης ἐργάζεται φίλημα; Χείλη μὲν ῥόδων ἁπαλώτερα καὶ στόμα κηρίων γλυκύτερον: τὸ δὲ φίλημα κέντρου μελίττης πικρότερον. Πολλάκις ἐφίλησα ἐρίφους, πολλάκις ἐφίλησα σκύλακας ἀρτιγεννήτους καὶ τὸν μόσχον, ὃν ὁ Δόρκων ἐδωρήσατο: ἀλλὰ τοῦτο φίλημα καινόν: ἐκπηδᾷ μου τὸ πνεῦμα, ἐξάλλεται ἡ καρδία, τήκεται ἡ ψυχή, καὶ ὅμως πάλιν φιλῆσαι θέλω. Ὢ νίκης κακῆς: ὢ νόσου καινῆς, ἧς οὐδὲ εἰπεῖν οἶδα τοὔνομα. Ἆρα φαρμάκων ἐγεύσατο ἡ Χλόη μέλλουσά με φιλεῖν; Πῶς οὖν οὐκ ἀπέθανεν; Οἷον ᾄδουσιν αἱ ἀηδόνες, ἡ δὲ ἐμὴ σύριγξ σιωπᾷ: οἷον σκιρτῶσιν οἱ ἔριφοι, κἀγὼ κάθημαι: οἷον ἀκμάζει τὰ ἄνθη, κἀγὼ στεφάνους οὐ πλέκω, ἀλλὰ τὰ μὲν ἴα καὶ ὁ ὑάκινθος ἀνθεῖ, Δάφνις δὲ μαραίνεται. Ἆρά μου καὶ Δόρκων εὐμορφότερος ὀφθήσεται;’ Τοιαῦτα ὁ βέλτιστος Δάφνις ἔπασχε καὶ ἔλεγεν, οἷα πρῶτον γευόμενος τῶν ἔρωτος ἔργων καὶ λόγων.

  1.18 “What on earth has Chloe’s kiss done to me? Her lips are tenderer than roses, her mouth is sweeter than a honeycomb, but her kiss is sharper than the sting of a bee. I have often kissed my kids: I have often kissed newly-born puppies, and the little calf which Dorcon gave me: but this kiss is something new. My pulse beats high: my heart leaps: my soul melts: and yet I wish to kiss again. O bitter victory! O strange disease, the name of which I cannot even tell! Can Chloe have tasted poison before she kissed me? why then did she not die? How sweetly sing the nightingales; but my pipe is silent! How wantonly leap the kids, but I sit still! How sweetly bloom the flowers, but I weave no garlands! The violets and hyacinths bloom, but Daphnis fades. Shall even Dorcon appear more beautiful than Daphnis?”

  Ὁ δὲ Δόρκων ὁ βουκόλος ὁ τῆς Χλόης ἐραστὴς φυλάξας τὸν Δρύαντα φυτὸν κατορύττοντα κλήματος πρόσεισιν αὐτῷ μετὰ τυρίσκων τινῶν γεννικῶν, καὶ τοὺς μὲν δῶρον εἶναι δίδωσι, πάλαι φίλος ὤν, ἡνίκα αὐτὸς ἔνεμεν: ἐντεῦθεν δὲ ἀρξάμενος ἐνέβαλε λόγον περὶ τοῦ τῆς Χλόης γάμου: καὶ εἰ λαμβάνοι γυναῖκα, δῶρα πολλὰ καὶ μεγάλα, ὡς βουκόλος, ἐπηγγέλλετο: ζεῦγος βοῶν ἀροτήρων, σμήνη τέτταρα μελιττῶν, φυτὰ μηλεῶν πεντήκοντα, δέρμα ταύρου τεμεῖν ὑποδήματα, μόσχον ἀνὰ πᾶν ἔτος, μηκέτι γάλακτος δεόμενον: ὥστε σμικροῦ δεῖν ὁ Δρύας θελχθεὶς τοῖς δώροις ἐπένευσε τὸν γάμον. Ἐννοήσας δὲ ὡς κρείττονος ἡ παρθένος ἀξία νυμφίου, καὶ δείσας μήποτε κακοῖς ἀνηκέστοις περιπέσῃ, τόν τε γάμον ἀνένευσε καὶ συγγνώμην ἔχειν ᾐτήσατο καὶ τὰ ὀνομασθέντα δῶρα παρῃτήσατο.

  1.19 Such were the passionate outbursts of the worthy Daphnis, who then for the first time felt the influence of love. But Dorcon, the herdsman, the lover of Chloe, seizing the opportunity when Dryas was planting a tree near a vine-shoot, went up to him with some cheeses and pipes. He gave him the cheeses, since he had been an old friend of his, at the time when he himself pastured his flock. Then he began to speak of marriage with Chloe, and promised him a number of valuable presents, if he should gain her hand: a yoke of oxen for ploughing, four swarms of bees, fifty young apple trees, an ox-hide for making shoes, and, every year, a calf that had been weaned. Allured by the prospect of such presents, Dryas was on the point of giving his consent. But afterwards, thinking that the maiden deserved to make a better marriage, and being afraid that, if he were found out, he might be punished and even put to death, he refused his consent, at the same time asking Dorcon not to be offended.

  Δευτέρας δὴ διαμαρτὼν ὁ Δόρκων ἐλπίδος καὶ μάτην τυροὺς ἀγαθοὺς ἀπολέσας ἔγνω διὰ χειρῶν ἐπιθέσθαι τῇ Χλόῃ μόνῃ γενομένῃ: καὶ παραφυλάξας ὅτι παῤ ἡμέραν ἐπὶ πότον ἄγουσι τὰς ἀγέλας ποτὲ μὲν ὁ Δάφνις ποτὲ δὲ ἡ παῖς, ἐπιτεχνᾶται τέχνην ποιμένι πρέπουσαν. Λύκου μεγάλου δέρμα λαβών, ὅν ταῦρός ποτε πρὸ τῶν βοῶν μαχόμενος τοῖς κέρασι διέφθειρε, περιέτεινε τῷ σώματι, ποδῆρες κατανωτισάμενος, ὡς τούς τ̓ ἐμπροσθίους πόδας ἐφηπλῶσθαι ταῖς χερσὶ καὶ τοὺς κατόπιν τοῖς σκέλεσιν ἄχρι πτέρνης καὶ τοῦ στόματος τὸ χάσμα σκέπειν τὴν κεφαλήν, ὥσπερ ἀνδρὸς ὁπλίτου κράνος: ἐκθηριώσας δὲ αὑτὸν ὡς ἔνι μάλιστα, παραγίνεται πρὸς τὴν πηγήν, ἧς ἔπινον αἱ αἶγες καὶ τὰ πρόβατα μετὰ τὴν νομήν. Ἐν κοίλῃ δὲ πάνυ γῇ ἦν ἡ πηγή, καὶ περὶ αὐτὴν πᾶς ὁ τόπος ἀκάνθαις καὶ βάτοις καὶ ἀρκεύθῳ ταπεινῇ καὶ σκολύμοις ἠγρίωτο: ῥᾳδίως ἂν ἐκεῖ καὶ λύκος ἀληθινὸς ἔλαθε λοχῶν. Ἐνταῦθα κρύψας ἑαυτὸν ἐπετήρει τοῦ πότου τὴν ὥραν ὁ Δόρκων, καὶ πολλὴν εἶχεν ἐλπίδα τῷ σχήματι φοβήσας λαβεῖν ταῖς χερσὶ τὴν χλόην.

  1.20 Dorcon, thus for the second time cheated of his hopes, and having lost his fat cheeses for nothing, determined to lay violent hands on Chloe when he found her alone. Having observed that Daphnis and Chloe took it in turns to drive their flocks to drink, he contrived a scheme worthy of a shepherd. He took the skin of a large wolf, which one of his oxen, fighting in defence of the kine, had killed with his horns, and flung it over his shoulders, whence it hung down to his feet, so that the forefeet covered his hands, and the hinder his legs down to his heels, while the head with its gaping mouth enclosed his head like a soldier’s helmet. Having thus transformed himself into a wild beast as best he could, he proceeded to the spring where the goats and sheep used to drink after they came from pasture. This fountain was in a hollow valley, and the whole spot around was full of wild brambles and thorns, low growing juniper bushes and thistles, so that even a real wolf could easily have concealed himself there. Here Dorcon hid himself, waiting fo
r the time when the animals came to drink, hoping to frighten Chloe under the guise of a wolf, and so easily lay hands upon her.

  Χρόνος ὀλίγος διαγίνεται καὶ Χλόη κατήλαυνε τὰς ἀγέλας εἰς τὴν πηγήν, καταλιποῦσα τὸν Δάφνιν φυλλάδα χλωρὰν κόπτοντα τοῖς ἐρίφοις τροφὴν μετὰ τὴν νομήν. Καὶ οἱ κύνες οἱ τῶν προβάτων ἐπὶ φυλακῇ καὶ τῶν αἰγῶν ἑπόμενοι, οἵα δὴ κυνῶν ἐν ῥινηλασίαις περιεργία, κινούμενον τὸν Δόρκωνα πρὸς τὴν ἐπίθεσιν τῆς κόρης φωράσαντες, πικρὸν μάλα ὑλακτήσαντες ὥρμησαν ὡς ἐπὶ λύκον καὶ περισχόντες, πρὶν ὅλως ἀναστῆναι δἰ ἔκπληξιν, ἔδακνον κατὰ τοῦ δέρματος. Τέως μὲν οὖν τὸν ἔλεγχον αἰδούμενος καὶ ὑπὸ τοῦ δέρματος τοῦ ἐπισκέποντος φρουρούμενος ἔκειτο σιωπῶν ἐν τῇ λόχμῃ: ἐπεὶ δὲ ἥ τε Χλόη πρὸς τὴν πρώτην θέαν διαταραχθεῖσα τὸν Δάφνιν ἐκάλει βοηθόν, οἵ τε κύνες περισπῶντες τὸ δέρμα τοῦ σώματος ἥπτοντο αὐτοῦ, μέγα οἰμώξας ἱκέτευε βοηθεῖν τὴν κόρην καὶ τὸν Δάφνιν ἤδη παρόντα. Τοὺς μὲν δὴ κύνας ἀνακλήσει συνήθει ταχέως ἡμέρωσαν, τὸν δὲ Δόρκωνα κατά τε μηρῶν καὶ ὤμων δεδηγμένον ἀγαγόντες ἐπὶ τὴν πηγὴν ἀπένιψαν τὰ δήγματα καὶ διαμασησάμενοι φλοιὸν χλωρὸν πτελέας ἐπέπασαν: ὑπό τε ἀπειρίας ἐρωτικῶν τολμημάτων ποιμενικὴν παιδιὰν νομίζοντες τὴν ἐπιβολὴν τοῦ δέρματος, οὐδὲν ὀργισθέντες, ἀλλὰ καὶ παραμυθησάμενοι καὶ μέχρι τινὸς χειραγωγήσαντες ἀπέπεμψαν.