Works of Nonnus
Page 197
καὶ δολίην Ἀπάτην δολίῳ μειλίξατο μύθῳ
125 Ἥρη ποικιλόμητις, ἀμυνομένη παρακοίτην:
‘χαῖρε, θεὰ δολόμητι δολοπλανές: οὔ σε καὶ αὐτὸς
κλεψινόοις ὀάροισι παρέρχεται αἱμύλος Ἑρμῆς:
δὸς καὶ ἐμοὶ ζωστῆρα παναίολον, ὅν ποτε Ῥείη
δῆσεν ἑαῖς λαγόνεσσιν, ἕως ἀπάφησεν ἀκοίτην.
130 οὐ μὲν ἐγὼ Κρονίωνι φέρω πετρώδεα μορφήν,
οὐδὲ λίθῳ δολόεντι παρακλέπτω παρακοίτην,
ἀλλὰ γυνὴ χθονίη με βιάζεται, ἧς χάριν εὐνῆς
θοῦρος Ἄρης βαρύμηνις ἀναίνεται αἰθέρα ναίειν.
τί πλέον, εἰ γενόμην θεὸς ἄμβροτος; οὐτιδανὴ γὰρ
135 θνητὴ ἐμὸν πόσιν ἔσχε, τὸν οὐ θεὸς ἥρπασε Λητώ:
οὐ Δανάῃ παρίαυε τὸ δεύτερον ὑέτιος Ζεύς,
ἀλλὰ σιδηροφόροιο μετὰ σφρηγῖδα μελάθρου
μεμφομένη χρυσέοισι γάμοις ναυτίλλετο νύμφη,
καὶ λάχεν ἕδνον Ἔρωτος ὕδωρ ἁλός: ἐν δὲ θαλάσσῃ
140 σύμπλοος ἀσταθέεσσιν ἐνήχετο χηλὸς ἀήταις.
οὐδὲ μετὰ Κρήτην πάλιν ἔπλεε ταῦρος Ὀλύμπου,
οὐκ ἴδεν Εὐρώπην μετὰ δέμνιον: ὑγροβαφὴς δὲ
οἰστρηθεῖσα μύωπι κερασφόρος ἔπλεεν Ἰώ.
[124] Then subtle-minded Hera began to coax wily Deceit with wily words, hoping to have revenge on her husband: “Good greeting, lady of wily mind and wily snares! Not Hermes Hoaxthewits himself can outdo you with his plausible prattle-prattle! Lend me also that girdle of many colours, which Rheia once bound about her flanks when she deceived her husband! I bring no petrified shape for my Cronion, I do not trick my husband with a wily stone. No! a woman of the earth compels me – whose bed makes furious Ares declare that he will house in heaven no more! What do I profit by being a goddess immortal? A worthless mortal woman has taken my husband, whom Leto a goddess could not steal. Zeus and his rain did not sleep a second time with Danaë; after the seals of the ironbound prison the bride went a-sailing and had to blame her golden wedding for her lovegift of the brine – her hutch sailing with her on the sea floated where the shifting winds did blow! After Crete the Olympian bull did not swim again, he did not see Europa after the bed; but Io was soaked in the wet, and swam with horns on her head plagued by the gadfly!
οὐδὲ θεὰ γάμον εἶχεν ἐλεύθερον, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὴ
145 γαστέρι φόρτον ἔχουσα πολύστροφος ἔτρεχε Λητώ,
ἄστατα παπταίνουσα πολυπλανέων σφυρὰ νήσων
καὶ ῥόον οὐ μίμνοντα κακοξείνοιο θαλάσσης,
καὶ λοχίης μόγις εἶδεν ἐλεύθερον ἔρνος ἐλαίης.
Λητὼ τόσσα μόγησε, καὶ οὐ χραίσμησεν ἀκοίτης:
150 θνητῆς δ᾽ ὠκυμόροιο μιῆς διὰ δέμνια νύμφης
οὐρανίης ἀπέειπε κασιγνήτης λέχος Ἥρης.
[144] “Even the goddess did not have a smooth course for her wedding; she also, Leto herself, carried the unborn babe by many a turn and twist, while she gazed at the shifting slopes of many a floating island, and the flood of the inhospitable sea that never stood still. Hardly at last she espied the wild olive-tree which harboured her childbed. All that Leto suffered, and her mate could not help her; but for the bed of one shortlived mortal woman he has renounced the couch of Hera his heavenly sister.
δείδια, μὴ Κρονίδης με πόσις καὶ γνωτὸς ἀκούων
αἰθέρος ἐξελάσειε γυναικείης χάριν εὐνῆς,
μὴ Σεμέλην τελέσειεν ἑοῦ βασίλειαν Ὀλύμπου.
155 εἰ δὲ Διὶ Κρονίωνι χαρίζεαι, ἠέ περ Ἥρῃ,
μηδὲ τεὴν ὀπάσειας ἐμοὶ πανθελγέα μίτρην,
ὄφρα μόλῃ πρὸς Ὄλυμπον ἐμὸς πάλιν υἱὸς ἀλήτης,
ὑστατίην ἐπὶ πέζαν ἐλεύσομαι Ὠκεανοῖο
αἰθέρα καλλείψασα χάριν βροτέων ὑμεναίων
160 Τηθύος ἀρχεγόνοιο συνέστιος: ἔνθεν ἱκάνω
εἰς δόμον Ἁρμονίης, καὶ Ὀφίονος ἐγγύθι μίμνω.
ἀλλὰ σύ, κυδαίνουσα Διὸς παμμήτορα νύμφην,
δός μοι ἔχειν ζωστῆρα βοηθόον, ὄφρα φυγόντα
θέλξω θοῦρον Ἄρηα τὸ δεύτερον αἰθέρα ναίειν.’
[152] “I am afraid Cronides, who is called my husband and brother, will banish me from heaven for a woman’s bed, afraid he may make Semele queen of his Olympos! If you favour Zeus Cronion more than Hera, if you will not give me your all-bewitching girdle to bring back again to Olympos my wandering son, I will leave heaven because of their earthly marriage, I will go to the uttermost bounds of Oceanos and share the hearth of primeval Tethys; thence I will pass to the house of Harmonia and abide with Ophion. Come then, honour the mother of all, the bride of Zeus, and lend me the help of your girdle, that I may charm my runaway son furious Ares, to make heaven once more his home.”
165 ὣς φαμένης ἀπάμειπτο θεὰ πειθήμονι μύθῳ
‘Μῆτερ Ἐνυαλίοιο, Διὸς πρωτόθρονε νύμφη,
δώσω ἐμὸν ζωστῆρα, καὶ εἰ πλέον ἄλλο κελεύεις
πείθομαι, ὅττι θεοῖσι μετὰ Κρονίωνος ἀνάσσεις.
δέχνυσο τοῦτον ἱμάντα: περισφίγξασα δὲ κόλπῳ
170 Ἄρεα μὲν κομίσειας ἐς οὐρανόν: ἢν δ᾽ ἐθελήσῃς,
θέλγε νόον Κρονίδαο καὶ, εἰ χρέος, Ὠκεανοῖο
χωομένου: χθονίων δὲ λιπὼν ὑμέναιον Ἐρώτων
ἵξεται αὐτοκέλευστος ἐς οὐρανὸν ὑψιμέδων Ζεὺς
ἡμετέρῳ δολόεντι περιγνάμψας φρένα κεστῷ:
175 οὗτος ἐμῆς Παφίης φρενοθελγέα κεστὸν ἐλέγχει.’
[165] When she had finished, the goddess replied with obedient words: “Mother of Enyalios, bride first enthroned of Zeus! I will give my girdle and anything else you ask me; I obey, since you reign over the gods with Cronion. Receive this sash; bind it about your bosom, and you may bring back Ares to heaven. If you like, charm the mind of Zeus, and if it is necessary, charm Oceanos also from his anger. Zeus sovereign in the heights will leave his earthly loves and return selfbidden to heaven – he will change his mind by my guileful girdle. This one puts to shame the heartbewitching girdle of my Paphian!”
ὣς φαμένη δολόμητις ὑπηνέμιος φύγε δαίμων
ἠέρα πωτήεντι διαστείχουσα πεδίλῳ.
[176] This said, the wily-minded deity was off under the wind, cleaving the air with flying shoe.
Δικταίης δὲ λιποῦσα σακέσπαλον ἄντρον ἐρίπνης
καὶ λοχίην σπήλυγγα τελεσσιγόνοιο θ�
�αίνης
180 εἰς θάλαμον Σεμέλης ἀπατήλιος ἤλυθεν Ἥρη,
ζήλῳ φυσιόωσα: μελιγλώσσῳ δὲ γεραιῇ
ἰσοφανὴς φιλόπαιδι δέμας μορφοῦτο τιθήνῃ
παιδοκόμῳ, τὴν αὐτὸς ἀνηέξησεν Ἀγήνωρ,
καί οἱ κλῆρον ἔδωκε, καὶ ὤπασεν ἀνδρὶ γυναῖκα
185 οἷα πατήρ: κομιδῆς δὲ χάριν τίνουσα καὶ αὐτὴ
νήπιον εἰσέτι Κάδμον ἑᾷ μαιώσατο μαζῷ
καὶ βρέφος Εὐρώπην φιλίῳ πήχυνεν ἀγοστῷ.
τῇ δέμας ἶσον ἔχουσα διέστιχεν εἰς δόμον Ἥρη
χωομένη Σεμέλῃ καὶ Κύπριδι καὶ Διονύσῳ
190 μή πω φέγγος ἰδόντι, καὶ ἀρτιγάμῳ παρὰ παστῷ
τοῖχον ἐς ἀντικέλευθον ἑὴν ἔκλινεν ὀπωπὴν
ὄμμα παρατρέψασα, Διὸς μὴ λέκτρα νοήσῃ.
τὴν μὲν Πεισιάνασσα καθίζανεν ὑψόθι δίφρου
ἀμφίπολος Σεμέλης, Τυρίης βλάστημα γενέθλης,
195 Θελξινόη δὲ τάπητας ἐνήρμοσεν ἤνοπι δίφρῳ.
ἔνθα θεὰ σχεδὸν ἧστο δολοπλόκος: εὗρε δὲ κούρην
βριθομένην ὠδῖνι πεπαινομένου τοκετοῖο:
καὶ τόκον, οὐ ψαύοντα τελεσσιγόνοιο Σελήνης,
γαστρὸς ἀσημάντου χλοερὴ κήρυξε παρειὴ
200 καὶ χλόος οἰνώπων μελέων πάρος: ἑζομένης δὲ
Ἥρης ψευδομένης δολόεν δέμας ἔτρεμε παλμῷ
ἀντιτύπῳ, καὶ νέρθεν ἐπὶ χθόνα κάμπτετο νεύων
ὤμοις θλιβομένοισι γέρων κυρτούμενος αὐχήν.
καὶ πρόφασιν μόγις εὗρεν: ἐπεστενάχιζε δὲ μύθῳ
205 δάκρυον εὐποίητον ἀποψήσασα προσώπου,
καὶ δολόεν κατέλεξεν ἔπος φρενοθελγέι φωνῇ:
[178] Now Hera left the shieldbeswingled cave of the Dictaean rock and the cavern where the goddess of childbirth was born, and came full of guile to Semele’s chamber, puffing with jealousy. She made herself like a honeyvoiced old dame, like the loving nurse whom Agenor himself had chosen to care for his children, and made much of her – gave her a holding, found her a husband as if she had been his daughter; and she paid him back for his care, nursed Cadmos at her own breast and dandled baby Europa in her loving arms. This was what Hera looked like when she passed into the house, hating Semele and Cypris, and Dionysos who had not yet seen the light; and as she came to the chamber of the recent bridal, she turned face and eyes away to the opposite wall, that she might not see the bed of Zeus. She was led and seated on a chair by Semele’s attendant Peisianassa, a maid of Tyrian race, and Thelxinoë spread the rugs over the gleaming seat. There sat the goddess close beside her, weaving her plot. She noticed how the girl carried a burden of ripening fruit; a birth which touched not yet the moon of delivery, but a pale cheek an the pallor of limbs once rosy told of a womb no longer sealed. As treacherous Hera sat, a simulated palsy passed over her false body, and the old neck bowed downwards, nodding over the bent shoulders. Scarce finding an excuse, she groaned aloud and wiped the well-feigned tear from her face, as she spoke her false words in heart-enchanting tone:
‘Εἰπέ, πόθεν, βασίλεια, τεαὶ χλοάουσι παρειαί;
πῇ σέο κάλλος ἐκεῖνο; τίς εἴδεϊ σεῖο μεγαίρων
πορφυρέους σπινθῆρας ἀπημάλδυνε προσώπου;
210 καὶ ῥόδα τίς μετάμειψεν ἐς ὠκυμόρους ἀνεμώνας;
καὶ σὺ κατηφιόωσα τί τήκεαι; ἦ ῥα καὶ αὐτὴ
ἔκλυες αἴσχεα κεῖνα, τά περ βοόωσι πολῖται;
ἐρρέτω ἀρχεκάκων ὀλοὸν στόμα θηλυτεράων.
εἰπὲ δέ μοι, μὴ κρύπτε τεῆς συλήτορα μίτρης:
215 τίς σε θεῶν ἐμίηνε; τίς ἥρπασε σεῖο κορείην;
[207] “Tell me, my queen, why are your cheeks so pale? where is your beauty? Who has grudged that loveliness and dimmed the red sparkling colours of your face, changed the roses to quickfading anemones? Why are you downcast and languishing? Have you heard yourself those insults which the people are shouting? Curse the tongue of women, from which all troubles come! Tell me who laid rough hands on your girdle – hide it not! Which of the gods has besmirched you, which has ravished your maidenhood?
εἰ μὲν Ἄρης λαθραῖος ἐμὴν νυμφεύσατο κούρην
καὶ Σεμέλῃ παρίαυεν ἀφειδήσας Ἀφροδίτης,
ἐλθέτω εἰς σέο λέκτρα γαμήλιον ἔγχος ἀφάσσων:
γινώσκει μενέχαρμον ἑὸν γενέτην σέο μήτηρ.
220 εἰ δέ σοι ὠκυπέδιλος ἐκώμασε νυμφίος Ἑρμῆς
καὶ Σεμέλης διὰ κάλλος ἑὴν ἠρνήσατο Πειθώ,
ῥάβδον ἑὴν ὀπάσειε τεῆς αὐτάγγελον εὐνῆς,
ἠέ σε κοσμήσειεν ἑοῖς χρυσέοισι πεδίλοις
δῶρον ἄγων λεχέων σέθεν ἄξιον, ὄφρα καὶ αὐτὴ
225 εἴης χρυσοπέδιλος, ἅ περ Διὸς εὐνέτις Ἥρη.
εἰ δέ σοι οὐρανόθεν πόσις ἤλυθε καλὸς Ἀπόλλων
καὶ Σεμέλης ὑπ᾽ ἔρωτι λελασμένος ἔπλετο Δάφνης,
νόσφι δόλου κρυφίοιο δι᾽ ἠέρος εἰς σὲ χορεύσῃ
ἁβρὸς ἀσιγήτων ἐποχημένος ἅρματι κύκνων,
230 ἕδνα τεῆς φιλότητος ἑὴν φόρμιγγα κομίζων,
πιστὸν ἑῶν θαλάμων σημήιον: εἰσορόων γὰρ
Κάδμος ἐπουρανίην κιθάρην Θοίβοιο νοήσει,
ἣν ἴδεν αἰολόφωνον ἑῆς παρὰ δεῖπνα τραπέζης
Ἁρμονίης μέλπουσαν ἐπιχθονίους ὑμεναίους.
[216] “If Ares has wedded my girl in secret, if he has slept with Semele and neglected Aphrodite, let him come to your bed grasping his spear as a marriage-gift – your mother knows her begetter, the terrible warrior! If quickshoe Hermes has made merry bridal with you, if he has forgotten his own Peitho for Semele’s beauty, let him bring you his rod to herald your wedding, or let him fit you with his own golden shoes as a gift worthy of your bed, that you too may be goldshod like Hera the bedfellow of Zeus! If handsome Apollo has come from heaven to be your husband, if he has forgotten Daphne because of his love for Semele, let him away with furtive guile, and come to your through the air drawn in his car by singing swans, and dancing delicately let him offer his harp as a gift for your favours, to show a trusty proof of the wedding! Cadmos will know that heavenly harp at sight, for he saw it, and heard the melodious tones, when it made music at his festal board for the wedding of Harmonia with a mortal.
235 εἰ δὲ γυναιμανέων σε βιήσατο κυανοχαίτης,
καί σε σοφῆς προβέβουλεν ἀειδομένης Μελανίππης,
ἀμφ
αδὰ κωμάσσειε, παρὰ προπύλαια δὲ Κάδμου
νυμφιδίης πήξειεν ἑῆς γλωχῖνα τριαίνης,
ξυνώσας γέρας ἶσον ἐχιδνοκόμῳ παρὰ Δίρκῃ,
240 οἷα παρ᾽ Ἀργείοισι λεοντοβότῳ παρὰ Λέρνῃ,
σῆμα γάμων ἔστησεν Ἀμυμώνης, ὅθι νύμφης
Λερναίης ἔτι χῶρος ἐπώνυμός ἐστι τριαίνης.
ἀλλὰ τί κικλήσκω σε παρευνέτιν ἐννοσιγαίου;
ποῖα Ποσειδάωνος ἔχεις σημήια λέκτρων;
245 ὑδρηλαῖς παλάμῃσι χυθεὶς ἠγκάσσατο Τυρὼ
παφλάζων δολόεντι ῥόῳ μιμηλὸς Ἐνιπεύς.
[235] “If Seabluehair went womanmad and forced you, preferring you to Melanippe the sage, sung by the poet, let him make merry in full view, and plant the prongs of his trident as a bridal gift before the gates of Cadmos; so let him bestow the same honour beside snakecherishing Dirce, as he gave to lionbreeding Lerna in the Argive country as a mark of his marriage with Amymone, where the place of the Lernaian nymph still bears the trident’s name. But why do I call you the bedfellow of Earthshaker? What tokens have you of Poseidon’s bed? Tyro was embraced in a flood by watery hands, when counterfeit Enipeus came with his deceitful bubbling stream.
εἰ δὲ καί, ὡς ἐνέπεις, σέο νυμφίος ἐστὶ Κρονίων,
ἐλθέτω εἰς σέο λέκτρα σὺν ἱμερόεντι κεραυνῷ,