Works of Nonnus

by Nonnus

  γίνεο κυανέη ψευδώνυμος, ὅττι καὶ αὐτὴ

  ἀντιτύποις μελέεσσιν, ὅτε χρέος ἐστὶν ἀνάγκης,

  120 εἰς Θέμιν, εἰς Κυθέρειαν, ἐς Ἄρτεμιν εἶδος ἀμείβω.

  Πασιθέης δ᾽ ὑμέναιον ὑπόσχεο, τῆς διὰ κάλλος

  ἱμείρων ἀνύσειεν ἐμὸν χρέος: οὔ σε διδάξω,

  ὅττι γυναιμανέων τις ἐπ᾽ ἐλπίδι πάντα τελέσσει.’

  [110] “Iris, goldenwing bride of plantnourishing Zephyros, happy mother of Love! Hasten with stormshod foot to the home of gloomy Sleep in the west. Seek also about seagirt Lemnos, and if you find him tell him to charm the eyes of Zeus uncharmable for one day, that I may help the Indians. But change your shape, take the ugly form of Sleep’s mother the blackgirdled goddess Night; take a false name and become darkness, since I also change my limbs into the aspect of Themis, of Cythereia, of Artemis when need compels. Promise him Pasithea for his bride, and let him do my need from desire of her beauty. I need not tell you that one lovesick will do anything for hope.”

  ὣς φαμένης πεπότητο θεὰ χρυσόπτερος Ἶρις

  125 ἠέρα παπταίνουσα, καὶ εἰς Πάφον, εἰς χθόνα Κύπρου

  ἀπλανὲς ὄμμα τίταινε, τὸ δὲ πλέον ὑψόθι Βύβλου

  Ἀσσυρίου σκοπίαζεν Ἀδώνιδος εὔγαμον ὕδωρ,

  διζομένη περίφοιτον ἀλήμονος ἴχνιον Ὕπνου.

  εὗρε δέ μιν γαμίοιο παρὰ κλέτας Ὀρχομενοῖο:

  130 κεῖθι γὰρ αὖτις ἔμιμνε νοοπλανές ἴχνος ἐλίσσων,

  Πασιθέης ἐρόεντα παρὰ προπύλαια θαμίζων.

  [124] At these words, Iris goldenwing flew away, peering through the air. To Paphos, to the land of Cyprus she directed her unwavering eye; most of all she gazed above Byblos, on the wedding water of Assyrian Adonis, seeking the wandering track of vagrant Sleep. She found him on the slopes of nuptial Orehomenosa; for there he delayed again and trailed his distracted foot, a frequent visitor at the door of his beloved Pasithea.

  καὶ δέμας ἀλλάξασα μετάτροπον ἄσκοπος Ἶρις

  κυανέης ἄγνωστον ἐδύσατο Νυκτὸς ὀπωπήν:

  ὕπνου δ᾽ ἐγγὺς ἵκανε δολοπλόκος: οἶα δὲ μήτηρ

  135 κλεψινόοις ὀάροις ἀπατήλιον ἴαχε φωνήν:

  [132] Then Iris changed her shape, and all unseen she put on the look of dark Night unrecognizable. She came near to Sleep, weaving guile; and in his mother’s guise uttered her deceitful speech in cajoling whispers:

  ‘τέκνον ἐμόν, ἐμόν, τέο μέχρις ἐμὲ Κρονίδης ἀθερίζει;

  οὐχ ἅλις, ὡς Φαέθων με βιάζεται, ὅττι καὶ αὐτὸς

  ὄρθρος ἀκοντίζει με καὶ ἠριγένεια διώκει;

  Ζεὺς νόθον υἷα φύτευσεν, ὅπως ἐμὸν Ὕπνον ἐλέγξῃ.

  140 εἶς βροτὸς αἰσχύνει με καὶ υἱέα: παννύχιος γὰρ

  μυστιπόλῳ σπινθῆρι φεραυγέα δαλὸν ἀνάπτων

  Βάκχος ἀμαλδύνει με, καὶ ἐγρήσσων σε χαλέπτει.

  Ὕπνε, τί πανδαμάτωρ κικλήσκεαι; οὐκέτι θέλγεις

  ἀνέρας ἐγρήσσοντας, ὅτι χθονίοιο Λυαίου

  145 κῶμον ἐμόν νίκησε νόθον σέλας: ἡμετέρων γάρ

  φαιδροτέραις δαΐδεσσι κατακρύπτει φλόγας ἄστρων.

  εἷς βροτὸς αἰσχύνει με φαεσφόρος, ὅττι καλύπτει,

  καὶ μεγάλην περ ἐοῦσαν, ἐμῆς ἀκτῖνα Σελήνης.

  ἅζομαι ἠριγένειαν ἐπεγγελόωσαν Ὀμίχλῃ,

  150 ὅττι νόθον μεθέπω νύχιον σέλας: ἀλλοτρίῳ γὰρ

  ποιητῷ Φαέθοντι φαείνομαι ἠματίη Νύξ.

  ἀλλά σύ μοι, φίλε κοῦρε, χολώεο δίζυγι θεσμῷ

  μυστιπόλοις Σατύροισι καὶ ἀγρύπνῳ Διονύσῳ:

  155 δὸς χάριν ἀχνυμένῃ σέο μητέρι, δὸς χάριν Ἥρῃ,

  καὶ Διὸς ὑψιμέδοντος ἀθελγέα θέλξον ὀπωπήν

  εἰς μίαν ἠριγένειαν, ὅπως Ἰνδοῖσιν ἀρήξῃ,

  [136] “My child, how long is Cronides to despise me? Is it not enough that Phaethon does me violence, that Morning shoots me, and Dawn pursues me? Zeus has got a bastard son, just to confound my dear Sleep! One mortal by himself insults me and my son: all night long Bacchos destroys me, and provokes you, by keeping wide awake and kindling his blazing torch with mystic sparks. Why are you named Allvanquisher, Sleep? No longer you charm wakeful men, now that the spurious gleam of earthborn Lyaios has conquered my revels — for he hides the flames of my stars by brighter torches of his own. One mortal by himself insults me, a new Lightbringer who covers the beams of my Moon great as they are. I am shamed before Day when she mocks at darkness, because I have a false brightness in the night: for a foreign unnatural Sun makes me shine as if night were day. O my dear son! you must resent this on two counts — resist the mystical Satyrs, resist Dionysos the sleepless! Grant this boon to your sorrowful mother, grant this boon to Hera, and charm the charmproof eye of Zeus in the Highest, just for one day, that she may help the Indians whom the Satyrs scatter in rout and still Bacchos harries.

  οὓς Σάτυροι κλονέουσι καὶ εἰσέτι Βάκχος ὀρίνει.

  Ὕπνε, τί πανδαμάτωρ κικλήσκεαι; ἥν ἐθελήσῃς,

  τρέψον ἐμοὶ τεὸν ὄμμα, καὶ ἑπταπύλῳ παρὰ Θήβῃ

  160 πάννυχον ἐγρήσσοντα πάλιν Κρονίωνα νοήσεις:

  λῦσον ἀτασθαλίην ἀδίκου Διός: Ἀμφιτρύων μὲν

  νόσφιν ἑοῦ θαλάμοιο σιδηροχίτων μετανάστης

  μάρναται: Ἀλκμήνῃ δὲ παρέζεται ἐνδόμυχος Ζεύς,

  νυμφιδίην ἀκόρητος ἔχων τρισέληνον ὀμίχλην.

  165 μὴ Διὸς ἐγρήσσοντος ἴδω καὶ νύκτα τετάρτην.

  [158] “O Sleep, why are you named All vanquisher? If it be your pleasure, pray turn your eye, and you shall perceive Cronion wakeful once again through the night in sevengate Thebes. Make an end of the wantonness of Zeus Lawbreaker! Amphitryon is far from his bridal chamber, steelclad and in the battle; Zeus makes himself at home by the side of Alcmena, enjoying insatiate three moons of bridal darkness! Let me not see Zeus yet wakeful for a fourth night.

  ἀλλά, τέκος, Κρονίωνι κορύσσεο, μὴ πάλιν ἄλλην,

  μὴ πάλιν ἐννεάκυκλον ἀναπλήσειεν ὀμίχλην.

  Μνημοσύνης προτέρης μιμνήσκεο: τῇ παριαύων

  ἐννέα νύκτας ἔμιμνεν, ἔχων ἄγρυπνον ὀπωπήν,

  170 οἶστρον ἔχων πολύτεκνον ἀκοιμήτων ὑμεναίων.

  πανδαμάτωρ θεὸς ἄλλος ὁμόπτερος, εἴκελος Ὕπνῳ,

  βαιὸς Ἔρως, Κρονίδην ὀλίγῳ νίκησε βελέμνῳ.

  [166] “Nay, my son, arm you against Cronion — let him not have
more darkness, nine full circles more! Remember Mnemosyne in the old time before us; how he lay by her side for nine whole nights, with eyes ever wakeful, full of passion for many children in that unresting bridal. Another allvanquishing god, winged like Sleep, little Love, conquered Cronides with a tiny dart.

  γηγενέων δ᾽ ἐλέαιρε γονήν μελανόχροον Ἰνδῶν:

  δός χάριν: ὑμετέρης γὰρ ὁμόχροές εἰσι τεκούσης:

  175 ῥύεο κυανέους, κυανόπτερε: μηδὲ χαλέψῃς

  γαῖαν ἐμοῦ γενετῆρος ὁμήλικα, τῆς ἄπο μούνης

  πάντες ἀνεβλάστησαν, ὅσοι ναετῆρες Ὀλύμπου.

  μὴ τρομέοις Κρονίδην, ὅτε σύγγαμος ἵλαος Ἥρη:

  μὴ τρομέοις Σεμέλην, ἣν ἔφλεγεν αὐτός ἀκοίτης.

  180 οὐ στεροπὴ πυρόεσσα δυνήσεται ἰσοφαρίζειν,

  οὐ βροντὴ βαρύδουπος ἀρασσομένων νεφελάων:

  μοῦνον ἐμοὶ πτερὰ πάλλε, καὶ ἀκλινέων ἐπὶ λέκτρων

  μίμνει Ζεὺς ἀτίνακτος, ὅσον χρόνον, Ὕπνε, κελεύεις.

  ἔκλυον, ὡς ποθέεις Χαρίτων μίαν: ἀλλ᾽ ἐνὶ θυμῷ

  185 οἶστρον ἔχων θαλάμοιο φυλάσσεο, μηδὲ χαλέψῃς

  μητέρα Πασιθέης, ζυγίην θαλαμηπόλον Ἥρην.

  εἰ δὲ σὺ ναιετάεις παρὰ Τηθύι Λευκάδα πέτρην.

  Δηριάδῃ χραίσμησον, ὅν ἤροσεν Ἰνδὸς Ὑδάσπης:

  γείτονι πιστὰ φύλαξον, ἐπεὶ τεὸς ἠχέτα γείτων

  190 Ὠκεανὸς κελάδων προπάτωρ πέλε Δηριαδῆος.’

  [173] “Pity the blackskin nation of earthborn Indians! Grant this boon — for they have the same colour as your mother — save the black ones, O Blackwing! Do not provoke Earth, my father’s age-mate, from whom alone we are all sprung, we who dwell in Olympos. Tremble not before Zeus, when his consort Hera is favourable: tremble not before Semele, whom her own bedfellow burnt up. No fiery lightning can equal you, no loud thunderclaps from the bursting clouds: do but flap me your wings, and Zeus lies immovable on unshaken bed, so long as you command him, Sleep! I have heard that you want one of the Graces; then if you have in your heart an itch for her bedchamber, have a care! Do not provoke Pasithea’s mother, Hera the handmaid of wedded love! And if you dwell with Tethys by the Leucadian Rock, do help Deriades the son of Indian Hydaspes: be true to a neighbour, for resounding Ocean your loud-voiced neighbour was an ancestor of Deriades.”

  ὣς φαμένη παρέπεισε. καὶ οἶά τε μητρὸς ἀκούων

  ὕπνος ἀνεπτοίητο, καὶ ὤμοσεν ὄμματα θέλγειν

  Ζηνὸς ἀκοιμήτοιο καὶ εἰς τριτάτης δρόμον Ἠοῦς:

  ἀλλά μιν ᾔτεεν Ἶρις, ἴνα Κρονίωνα πεδήσῃ

  195 ὑπνώειν ἕνα μοῦνον ἐπὶ δρόμον ἠριγενείης.

  αὐτόθι δ᾽ Ὕπνος ἔμιμνε, δεδεγμένος εὔγαμον ὥρην.

  [191] With this appeal, she won his consent. Then Sleep as one obeying a mother started up, and swore to charm the eyes of unresting Zeus even until the third dawn should come; but Iris begged him to fasten Cronion with slumber for the course of one day only. There Sleep remained, awaiting the happy season of marriage.

  καὶ ταχινὴ πεπότητο θεὰ παλινόστιμος Ἶρις:

  σπερχομένη δ᾽ ἤγγειλεν ἀμεμφέα μῦθον ἀνάσσῃ.

  [197] Then goddess Iris returned flying at speed, and hastened to deliver her welcome message to her queen.

  ἡ δὲ θυελλήεντι δι᾽ ἠέρος Ἵπτατο ταρσῷ

  200 καὶ δόλον ἔπλεκεν ἄλλον, ὅπως Διὸς ἐγγύθεν ἔλθῃ

  κεστὸν ἀερτάζουσα, πόθου θελξίφρονα μίτρην.

  καὶ Παφίην μάστευεν: ὑπὲρ Λιβάνοιο δὲ μούνην

  Ἀσσυρίην ἐκίχησεν ἐρημαίην Ἀφροδίτην

  ἑζομένην: Χάριτες γὰρ ἐς ἄνθεα ποικίλα κήπων

  205 εἰαριναὶ στέλλοντο, χορίτιδες Ὀρχομενοῖο,

  ἡ μέν ἀμεργομένη Κίλικα κρόκον, ἡ δὲ κομίζειν

  βάλσαμον ἱμείρουσα καὶ Ἰνδῴου δονακῆος

  φυταλίην, ἑτέρη δὲ ῥόδων εὐώδεα ποίην.

  [199] But Hera flew through the air on stormswift sole, and wove another plan, to visit Zeus carrying the cestus, that mindcharming girdle of desire. She sought for the Paphian; and found Assyrian Aphrodite seated in a solitary spot upon Libanos, alone, for the Graces, those dancers of Orchomenos, had been sent away to gather the various flowers of spring in the gardens — one to gather Cilician crocus, one eager to bring balsam and sprouts of the Indian reed, another for the fragrant petals of the rose.

  Θαμβαλέη δ᾽ ἀδόκητος ἑῶν ἀνεπήλατο δίφρων,

  210 ὡς Διὸς εἶδε δάμαρτα, Διὸς θυγάτηρ Ἀφροδίτη:

  ἀχνυμένην δ᾽ ὁρόωσα πολύτροπον ἴαχε φωνήν:

  [209] Wondering and startled, Aphrodite the daughter of Zeus leapt up from her seat, when she saw the consort of Zeus in sorrow; and the wily creature cried out —

  ‘Ἥρη, Ζηνὸς ἄκοιτι, τί σοι χλοάουσι παρειαί;

  τίπτε τεαί, βασίλεια, κατηφέες εἰσὶν ὀπωπαί;

  ἦ ῥα πάλιν πέλεν ὄμβρος ἐπίκλοπος ὑέτιος Ζεύς;

  215 μὴ πάλιν ἔπλετο ταῦρος ἐν ὕδασιν ὑγρὸς ὁδίτης;

  τις πάλιν Εὐρώπη σε βιάζεται; ἠὲ τίς ἄλλη

  Ἀντιόπη Νυκτῆος ἀναινομένου γενετῆρος

  ψευδαλέου Σατύρου λασίῃ νυμφεύεται εὐνῇ;

  μὴ νέος εἰς γάμον ἄλλον ἐπείγεται ἵππος ἐχέφρων,

  220 μιμηλοῖς στομάτεσσι νόθον χρεμετισμὸν ἰάλλων;

  μὴ Σεμέλην ἑτέρην λοχίῳ μνηστεύσατο πυρσῷ

  καὶ στεροπὴν ἐλέλιζε κυβερνήτειραν Ἐρώτων;

  μὴ δαμάλης ἐπὶ λέκτρον ἐυκραίροιο χορεύει

  μυκηθμὸν προχέων φιλοτήσιον; ἢν ἐθελήσῃς,

  225 Ζηνὸς ὀπιπευτῆρα βοοσκόπον ἄλλον ἐγείροις,

  βουκόλον ἀγρύπνοις κεχαραγμένον Ἀργον ὀπωπαῖς.

  εἰπέ μοι εἰρομένῃ, καὶ ὅσον σθένος ἐστίν, ἀρήξω.’

  [212] “Hera, queen of Zeus! why are your cheeks pale! Why are your eyes downcast, my queen? Can it be that Rainy Zeus has once more become a shower of deceit? Has he become a bull again, a drenched wayfarer in the waters? What second Europa is disturbing you? Is there another Antiope in the hairy embrace of a sham Satyr, although Nycteus her father forbids? Is there a new horse with a mind in him hasting to another bridal, while he lets out a false whinny between mimicking lips? Has he wooed another Semele with birthdelivering brand, and cast his lightning to show the way for love? Does he dance to the bed of some prettyhorned heifer while he utters a loving moo? Well, if you like, you can find up
another cowkeeper to spy upon Zeus, a herdsman Argos, tattooed with unsleeping eyes! Answer my questions, and I will help all I can.”

  ὣς φαμένην δολόεντι θεὰ προσπτύξατο μύθῳ:

  [228] The goddess greeted her kindly with deceitful words:

  ‘Κύπρι θεά, θνητοῖσιν ἐάσομεν οὖδας Ὀλύμπου:

  230 Ζεὺς Σεμέλην ἐς Ὄλυμπον ἀνήγαγε, μητέρα Βάκχου,

  ἄξει καὶ Διόνυσον ἐς αἰθέρα. τίς δόμος Ἥρην

  δέξεται; ἢ τίνα χῶρον ἐλεύσομαι; αἰδέομαι δέ,

  μὴ Σεμέλην ἐσίδοιμι νόθην βασίλειαν Ὀλύμπου.

  δείδια, μὴ ζοφόεντος ἴδω δόμον Ἰαπετοῖο,

  235 μή με λαβὼν ἐλάσειε μετὰ Κρόνον ἐκτὸς Ὀλύμπου.

  δείδια, μὴ μετὰ μαῖαν ἐν αἰθέρι νέκταρ ἐλέγχων

  ἄμπελον, ἥν καλέουσι, καὶ ἐν μακάρεσσι φυτεύσῃ.

  [229] “Cypris goddess, we must leave the ground of Olympos for mortals. Zeus has brought to Olympos Semele the mother of Bacchos, and he will bring Dionysos himself to heaven. What mansion will receive Hera? To what place shall I go? I am ashamed lest I behold Semele, the usurping queen of Olympos. I fear he may take me and drive me out of Olympos like Cronos, and I may have to see the dark house of Iapetos. I fear he may shame the nectar, and bring from earth what they call the vine, to plant it in heaven even among the Blessed.

  240 μή ποτε τοῦτο γένοιτο, Δίκη καὶ Γαῖα καὶ Ὕδωρ.

  κλήματα μὴ κομίσειεν ἐς αἰθέρα, μὴ χάριν αἴνης

  οὐρανὸν ἀμπελόεντα μετ᾽ ἀστερόεντα καλέσσω,

  μηδὲ πίω ποτὸν ἄλλο μετὰ γλυκὺ νέκταρ Ὀλύμπου.

  δείδια, μὴ μενέχαρμον ἴδω μεθύουσαν Ἀθήνην,