Works of Nonnus

by Nonnus

  ‘ἔκλυον, ὡς Σατύρῳ πανομοίιος ὑψιμέδων Ζεὺς

  Ἀντιόπην δολόεντι τύπῳ νυμφεύσατο κούρην

  μιμηλῇ φιλότητι φιλοσκάρθμων ὑμεναίων:

  τοῖον ἔχειν ἐθέλω καὶ ἐγὼ δέμας, ὄφρα χορεύσω

  305 εἰς στρατὸν εὐκεράων Σατύρων ἄγνωστος ἱκάνων,

  Χαλκομέδης ἵνα λέκτρα φιλακρήτοιο τελέσσω.

  οἶδα, πόθεν, Κυθέρεια, χολώεαι υἱάσιν Ἰνδῶν:

  γείτονας Ἠελίοιο τεοὶ κλονέουσιν ὀιστοί:

  οὔ πω μνῆστιν ὄλεσσας ἐλεγχομένων σέο δεσμῶν.

  310 οὐ Φαέθων με φύτευσε: τί με κλονέεις, Ἀφροδίτη;

  οὐ τέκε Πασιφάη με βοοσκόπος, οὐκ Ἀριάδνης

  γνωτὸς ἐγώ. φθέγξασθε, λίθοι, πετρώδεα φωνήν.

  Χαλκομέδην ποθέω, καὶ ἀναίνεται.ἔρρε, φαρέτρη,

  ἔρρετε, φοίνια τόξα καὶ ἠνεμόεντες ὀιστοί:

  315 Ἄρης οὔ με σάωσε κορυσσομένης Ἀφροδίτης:

  βαιὸς Ἔρως με δάμασσε, τὸν οὐ κτάνε Βάκχος ἀγήνωρ.’

  [301] “I have heard how Zeus the Ruler on High once took the shape of a Satyr, and wooed the maiden Antiope under a deceitful shape, in the mock love of a dancing bridal. I wish I had such a shape myself, to dance unrecognized into the host of horned Satyrs and to enjoy the bed of wineloving Chalcomede. I know, Cythereia, why you are angry with the sons of India; as neighbours of the Sun your arrows plague them, you have not yet forgotten how your captivity was discovered by those nets. Phaethon was not my father — why do you plague me, Aphrodite? Bullgazer Pasiphae was no mother of mine, Ariadne no sister. O ye rocks, utter your stony voice! Chalcomede I desire, and she denies! Away my quiver, away with you, my murderous bow and windswift arrows! Ares did not save me when Aprodite took up arms: little Love has vanquished me, whom proud Bacchos could not kill!”

  τοῖα μάτην κατὰ νύκτα δυσίμερος ἔννεπε Μορρεύς.

  οὐδὲ νοοπλανέος πτερὸν εὔνασεν ἡδέος Ὕπνου

  Χαλκομέδην φυγόδεμνον, ἐπεὶ πόθον εἶχεν ὀλέθρου,

  320 Μορρέα δειμαίνουσα μεμηνότα, μή μιν ἐρύσσας

  θερμὸς ἀνὴρ ζεύξειεν ἀναγκαίοις ὑμεναίοις

  Βάκχου μὴ παρεόντος: Ἐρυθραίῃ δὲ θαλάσσῃ

  ἔννυχον ἴχονς ἔκαμψε καὶ ἴαχε κύματι κωφῷ:

  [317] Such were the vain cries of lovesick Morrheus through the night. Nor did the wing of sweet bewildering Sleep give rest to loveshy Chalcomede; for she longed to die, being in terror of mad Morrheus — she feared the hot man might bind her in forced wedlock while Bacchos was far away. She turned her step in the night to the Erythraian sea, and cried out to the deaf waves:

  ‘Μηλίς, ἐπολβίζω σε: σὺ γάρ ποτε, νῆις Ἐρώρων,

  325 αὐτομάτῃ στροφάλιγγι δέμας ῥίψασα θαλάσσῃ

  λέκτρα γυναιμανέοντος ἀλεύαο Δαμναμενῆος:

  σὸν μόρον ὀλβίζω φιλοπάρθενον: οἰστρομανῆ γὰρ

  νυμφίον εἰς σὲ κόρυσσεν ἁλὸς θυγάτηρ Ἀφροδίτη,

  καί σε θάλασσα φύλαξε, καὶ εἰ Παφίης πέλε μήτηρ,

  330 καὶ θάνες ἐν ῥοθίοις ἔτι παρθένος. ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὴν

  Χαλκομέδην ἐθέλουσαν ὕδωρ κρύψειε θαλάσσης

  Μορρέος ἱμείροντος ἀπειρήτην ὑμεναίων,

  ὄφρα νέη Βριτόμαρτις ἐγὼ φυγόδεμνος ἀκούσω,

  ἥν ποτε πόντος ἔδεκτο καὶ ἔμπαλιν ὤπασε γαίῃ,

  335 Κυπριδίων Μίνωος ἀφειδήσασαν Ἐρώτων.

  ὁ̣̣̓ με διεπτοίησεν ἐρωμανέων ἐνοσίχθων,

  οἷά περ Ἀστερίην φιλοπάρθενον, ἣν ἐνὶ πόντῳ

  πλαζομένην ἐδίωκε παλίνδρομον, εἰσόκεν αὐτὴν

  ἄστατον ἱππεύουσαν ἀμοιβάδι σύνδρομον αὔρῃ

  340 κύμασιν ἀστυφέλικτον ἐνερρίζωσεν Ἀπόλλων.

  δέξό με, δέξο, θάλασσα, φιλοξείνῳ σίο κόλπῳ:

  δέχνυσο Χαλκομέδην μετὰ Μηλίδα: δέξο καὶ αὐτὴν

  ὁπλοτέρην Βριτόμαρτιν ἀναινομένην ὑμεναίους,

  ὄφρα φύγω Μορρῆα καὶ ὑμετέρην Ἀφροδίτην:

  345 Χαλκομέδην ἐλέαιρε, βοηθόε παρθενικάων.’

  [324] “Melis, I call you happy! for you unacquainted with love once threw yourself of your own free will over and over into the sea, and so escaped the bed of womanmad Damnamcecus. I call your chaste lot happy. For Aphrodite daughter of the brine armed the maddened bridegroom against you, and the sea guarded you even though it was the Paphian’s mother: you died in the waves a virgin still; O may the water of the sea cover Chalcomede also, willing enough, while she is still unacquainted with the marriage that Morrheus desires; that I may be called a new loveshy Britomartis, whom once the sea received and returned to the land, where she rejected the bodily love of Minos. Earthshaker enamoured did not affright me, as he did the chaste Asterie, whom he hunted to and fro in the sea, riding restless before the changing wind, until Apollo rooted her in the waves immovable. Receive me, O sea, receive me in your hospitable breast! Receive me like Melis; receive me also, a later Dritomartis, refusing marriage, that I may escape Morrheus and your Aphrodite; pity Chalcomede, O saviour of maidens!”

  ὣς φαμένη δεδόνητο νόον παρὰ γείτονι πόντῳ:

  καί νύ κεν αὐτοκύλιστος ἐδύσατο κῦμα θαλάσσης,

  ἀλλὰ Θέτις χραίσμησε χαριζομένη Διονύσῳ,

  καὶ δέμας ἀλλάξασα παρίστατο Χαλκομεδείῃ,

  350 Βάκχης δ᾽ εἶδος ἔχουσα παρήγορον ἴαχε φωνήν:

  [346] So in her distracted mind she cried aloud by the neighbouring sea; and she would have thrown herself rolling headlong into the waves, but Thetis gave her help, to please Dionysos. She changed her shape, and stood before Chalcomedeia in the form of a Bacchant woman with comfortable words:

  ‘τέτλαθι, Χαλκομέδη, μὴ δείδιθι Μορρέος εὐνήν:

  αἴσιον ὄρνιν ἔχεις με τεῆς ἀλύτοιο κορείης,

  μαρτυρίην μεθέπουσαν ἀνυμφεύτων σἐο λέκτρων.

  εἰμὶ Θέτις φυγόδεμνος ὁμοίιος, εἰμὶ καὶ αὐτή,

  355 οἷά τε Χαλκομέδη, φιλοπάρθενος: οὐρανόθεν δὲ

  Ζεύς με πατὴρ ἐδίωκε καὶ ἤθελεν εἰς γάμον ἕλκειν,

  εἰ μή μιν ποθέοντα γέρων ἀνέκοπτε Προμηθεὺς

  θεσπίζων Κρονίωνος ἀρείονα παῖδα φυτεῦσαι,

  μὴ Θέτιδός ποτε κοῦρος ἐπιβρίσειε τοκῆι

  360 καὶ Κρονίδην ἐλάσειεν, ἅτε Κρόνο
ν ὑψιμέδων Ζεύς.

  γίνεό μοι δολόεσσα φερέσβιος: αὐτοφόνος γὰρ

  αἴ κε θάνῃς ἀδίδακτος ἀνυμφεύτων ὑμεναίων,

  Βασσαρίδων στίχα πᾶσαν ἀνάρσιος Ἰνδὸς ὀλέσσει:

  ἀλλά μιν ἠπερόπευε, καὶ ἐκ θανάτοιο σαώσεις

  365 σὴν στρατιὴν φύξηλιν ἱμασσομένου Διονύσου,

  ψευδομένη Παφίης κενεὸν πόθον: εἰ δέ σε Μορρεὺς

  εἰς εὐνὴν ἐρύσειεν ἀναινομένην ὑμεναίους,

  οὐ χατέεις ἐπὶ Κύπριν ἀρηγόνος: ὑμετέρης γὰρ

  φρουρὸν ἔχεις ἀπέλεθρον ὄφιν χραισμήτορα μίτρης:

  370 ὑμέτερον δὲ Δράκοντα λαβὼν μετὰ φύλοπιν Ἰνδῶν

  στηρίξει Διόνυσος ἐν ἀστεροφεγγέι κύκλῳ,

  ἄγγελον οὐ λήγοντα τεῆς ἀλύτοιο κορείης,

  ἐγγὺς ἑοῦ Στεφάνοιο φεραυγέος, εὖτε τελέσσῃ

  ἀστερόεν μέγα σῆμα Κυδωναίης Ἀριάδνης:

  375 Ἀρκτῴῳ δὲ Δράκοντι δράκων τεὸς ἰσοφαρίζων

  ἀστράψει μερόπεσσι, συναστράπτων Ὀφιούχῳ.

  ὕστερον αἰνήσεις ἁλίην Θέτιν, εὖτε νοήσῃς

  ἀστέρα σὸν πυρόεντα συναστράπτοντα Σελήνῃ.

  ἔσσο δὲ θαρσήεσσα γάμου χάριν: οὐ γὰρ ἀκοίτης

  380 ἔμπεδον ὑμετέρης ἀναλύσεται ἄμμα κορείης,

  οὐ μὰ σὲ καὶ Διόνυσον ἐμῆς ψαύσαντα τραπέζης,

  οὐ μὰ σὲ καὶ σέο θύρσα, καὶ εἰναλίην Ἀφροδίτην.’

  [351] “Courage, Chalcomede! fear not the bed of Morrheus. You have in me a lucky omen of your untouched maidenhead, bringing witness that no marriage shall come near your bed. I am Thetis, like you an enemy of marriage. I love maidenhood, as Chalcomede herself; yet Father Zeus drove me from heaven and would have dragged me into marriage, but that old Prometheus stopt his desires, by prophesying that I should bear a son stronger than Cronion; he wished that Thetis’s boy should not some time overpower his father and drive out Cronides as high Zeus drove out Cronos. Be astute, and save us! For if you contrive your own death, without learning what marriage is without a bridegroom, the wild Indian will destroy the whole company of Bassarids. No, you must delude him, and you will save from death your army, which is now in flight while Dionysos is under the lash. Just pretend an unreal desire for love. Then if Morrheus should drag you to bed while you refuse marriage, you need no helper against Cypris, for you have a huge serpent to protect and save your girdle. After the Indian War, Dionysos will take your Serpent and place him in the shining circle of the stars, an everlasting herald of your untouched maidenhood, near his own brilliant Crown, when he completes the great starry sign of Cydonian Ariadne; and your serpent shall be equal to the northern Serpent, and shine upon mortals along with shining Ophiuchos. By and by you shall praise Thetis of the sea, when you espy your fiery star shining along with Selene. Have no fear about marriage. No bedfellow shall loose the firm knot of your maidenhood: I swear it by Dionysos, who has touched my board, I swear it by your thyrsus, and by Aphrodite of the sea.”

  εἶπε παραιφαμένη: νεφέλῃ δ᾽ ἐκαλύψατο κούρην,

  μή μιν ἐσαθρήσωσι φυλάκτορες ἢ σκοπὸς ἀνήρ,

  385 φώριον ἴχνος ἔχων δολίῳ ποδὶ νυκτὸς ὁδίτης,

  ἠὲ γυναιμανέων θρασὺς αἰπόλος, ἑσπερίην δὲ

  παρθενικὴν ἐρύσειε παρ᾽ εἰνοδίους ὑμεναίους.

  [383] She ended her consolation; and then hid the girl in a cloud, that the guards might not see her, or some spy walking cunningly in the night with secret foot, or some bold goatherd womanmad, and drag the maiden in the evening to a wayside wedding.

  BOOK 34

  Κτεινομέναις ἑκάτερθε τριηκοστοῖο τετάρτου

  Δηριάδης Βάκχῃσι κορύσσεται ἔνδοθι πύργων.

  κούρη δ᾽ οὐρεσίφοιτος ἑῷ ταχυδίνεϊ ταρσῷ

  ἄψοφον ἴχνος ἔχουσα διέστιχεν εἰς ῥάχιν ὕλης:

  οὐδὲ Θέτις δήθυνεν ἐπ᾽ ᾐόνος, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὴ

  πατρῴην βρυόεσσαν ἐδύσατο Νηρέος αὐλήν.

  BOOK XXXIV

  In the thirty-fourth, Deriades attacks and massacres the Bacchant women within the walls.

  THE girl passed over the hills in her quickmoving step, until she silently passed into the woody uplands; nor did Thetis herself linger upon the shore, but she too returned to the weedy hall of her father Nereus.

  5 ἤδη δ᾽ ἀννεφέλοιο δι᾽ ἠέρος ὄμμα τιταίνων

  ἄντυγας ἀστραίας ὁρόων ἐκορέσσατο Μορρεύς:

  καί τινα μῦθον ἔειπε μεληδόσι θυμὸν ἱμάσσων:

  [5] Morrheus already had enough of staring through the cloudless heaven and watching the circling stars; and he spoke, lashing his spirit with cares:

  ‘πλάζεται ἀλλοπρόσαλλος ἐμὸς νόος: οὐ μία βουλή,

  εἷς νόος οὐ μεθέπει με: πολυσπερέες δὲ μενοιναὶ

  10 ἀμφ᾽ ἐμὲ κυκλώσαντο, καὶ οὐ μίαν οἶδα τελέσσαι:

  κτείνω Χαλκομέδειαν ἐπήρατον; ἀλλὰ τί ῥέξω,

  μή με πόθῳ μετὰ πότμον ἀποκτείνειε καὶ αὐτή;

  ἀλλὰ λίπω ζώουσαν ἀνούτατον, ἀμφαδίην δὲ

  παρθένον εἰς ὑμέναιον ἐφέλκομαι; ἀλλ᾽ ἐνὶ θυμῷ

  15 Δηριάδην τρομέω καὶ Χειροβίην ἐλεαίρω.

  οὐ μὲν ἐγὼ κτείνω ποτὲ παρθένον: ἢν δὲ δαμάσσω,

  πῶς δύναμαι ζώειν, ὅτε παρθένον οὐκέτι λεύσσω;

  κάμνω, Χαλκομέδης ὅτε λείπομαι εἰς μίαν ὥρην.’

  [8] “My mind moves unsteadily every way. No one counsel guides me, no one resolve; wishes throng round me in crowds, and I cannot fulfil one of them. Shall I kill Chalcomedeia, my beloved? Then what can I do, that she too may not kill me with longing, after her fate? Or shall I leave her alive and unwounded, and drag the girl openly into marriage? But in my heart I fear Deriades and pity Cheirobië. I will never kill the girl; if I strike her down, how can I live when I see the girl no more? I am in pain when I am without Chalcomede for one hour.”

  τοῖα μάτην ἐνέπων πολυμήχανος ἤιε Μορρεύς,

  20 παφλάζων ὀδύνῃσι ποθοβλήτοιο μερίμνης.

  [19] So Morrheus went raving and pondering vainly many plans, boiling with the pangs of his desire-struck imagination.

  τὸν δὲ παλινδίνητον ἀλώμενον ὑψόθεν ὄχθης

  μουνάδος ἀμνήστοιο λελοιπότα δέμνια νύμφης,

  ἔδρακεν ἐγρήσσων θρασὺς Ὕσσακος: ὡς δολόεις δὲ

  κρυπτὸν ἀτεκμάρτων ἐφράσσατο κέντρον Ἐρώτων,

  25 πιστότατος θεράπων: δολίῳ δέ μιν εἴρ�
�το μύθῳ,

  τοῖον ἔπος προχέων ἀπατήλιον ἀνθερεῶνος:

  [21] As he walked alone on the bank, wandering up and down and forgetful of his bride left alone in her bed, bold Hyssacos his trusty guardian, wide awake, saw him. He was shrewd enough to recognize the secret sting of some undivined love, so he began to ask crafty questions and spoke in beguiling words, as follows:

  ‘τίπτε λιπὼν σέο λέκτρα καὶ ὑπναλέην σέο νύμφην

  πλάζεαι ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα κατὰ κνέφας, ἄτρομε Μορρεῦ;

  μὴ τάχα Δηριάδης σε διεπτοίησεν ἀπειλῇ;

  30 μή σοι Χειροβίη κοτέει ζηλήμονι θυμῷ

  ἐλπομένη φιλέειν σε δορικτήτην τινὰ Βάκχην;

  καὶ γὰρ ὅτ᾽ εἰσορόωσιν ἐρωμανέοντας ἀκοίτας,

  κρυπταδίην διὰ Κύπριν ἀεὶ φθονέουσι γυναῖκες.

  μὴ τάχα πανδαμάτωρ θρασὺς Ἵμερος εἰς σὲ κορύσσει

  35 νυμφιδίους σπινθῆρας ἀκοιμήτοιο φαρέτρης;

  μή τινα Βασσαρίδων ποθέεις μίαν; ὡς μὲν ἀκούω,

  τρεῖς Χάριτες γεγάασι, χορίτιδες Ὀρχομενοῖο,

  ἀμφίπολοι Φοίβοιο, χοροπλεκέος δὲ Λυαίου