Thou wilt not say that Athens can compare With Aether, nor that Minos rules like Zeus, Nor yet that Gnossus has such golden air As high Olympus. Ha! for noble use We came to Naxos! Love has well intended To change thy bridegroom! Happy thou, defended From entering in thy Theseus' earthly hall, That thou mayst hear the laughters rise and fall Instead, where Bacchus rules! Or wilt thou choose A still-surpassing glory?—take it all,— A heavenly house, Kronion's self for And as my queen and spouse thou shalt be knownThus, at Mine, the crown-lover's!' length, he proved His comfort on her; and the maid was moved; And casting Theseus' memory down the brine, She straight received the troth of her divine Fair Bacchus; Love stood by to close the rite: The marriage-chorus struck up clear and light, Flowers sprouted fast about the chamber green, And with spring-garlands on their heads, I ween, The Orchomenian dancers came along And danced their rounds in Naxos to the song. A Hamadryad sang a nuptial dit And leapt in chorus, with her steadfast front, While prophet Love, the stars have called a brother, Burnt in his crown, and twined in one another His love-flower with the purple roses, given In type of that new crown assigned in heaven. PARAPHRASE ON HESIOD BACCHUS AND ARIADNE THE golden-hairèd Bacchus did espouse Where such protective gifts Kronion brought her, But I will wreathe thee, sweet, an astral Nor Death nor Age could find her when crown, they sought her. Love, turned from his own name Can help no more at all. And Eos' self, the fair, white-steeded Her light which blesses other lands, Has changed to a gloomy pall ! For this young child, and this most sad myself, Who soon shall be thy widow-since that soon The Greeks will slay thee in the general rush And then, for me, what refuge, 'reft of thee, She looked across the land with eyes of But to go graveward? Then, no comfort amber, She saw the city's fall, She, who, in pure embraces, Had held there, in the hymeneal chamber, Her children's father, bright Tithonus old, Whom the four steeds with starry brows and paces Bore on, snatched upward, on the car of gold, And with him, all the land's full hope The love-charms of the gods are vain for PARAPHRASES ON HOMER HECTOR AND ANDROMACHE Iliad, Lib. VI more Shall touch me, as in the old sad times thou know'st Grief only-grief! I have no father now, Cilicia's populous city, and slew its king, The Oreads, daughters of the goat-nursed Tripped in a ring, and planted their There were seven brothers with me in the house, Who all went down to Hades in one day, SHE rushed to meet him: the nurse For he slew all, Achilles the divine, following Bore on her bosom the unsaddened child, Like a starshining when the world is dark. the rest Named him Astyanax, the city's prince, 1 Rendered after Mr. Burges's, reading. in some respects-not quite all. Famed for his swift feet,-slain among their herds Ofcloven-footed bulls and flocking sheep! My mother too, who queened it o'er the woods Of Hippoplacia, he, with other spoil, Since, as she went home, arrowy Artemis me Father and mother!—yes, and brother To Argos, thou shalt throw the distaff dear, O thou, who art my sweetest spouse beside! Come now, and take me into pity! Stay I' the town here with us! Do not make thy child An orphan, nor a widow, thy poor wife! Call up the people to the fig-tree, where The city is most accessible, the wall Most easy of assault !—for thrice thereby there, Not for thy uses—or shalt carry instead Upon thy loathing brow, as heavy as doom, The water of Greek wells-Messeis' own, Or Hyperea's!-that some stander-by, Marking thy tears fall, shall say, "This is She, The wife of that same Hector who fought best The boldest Greeks have mounted to Of all the Trojans, when all fought for Troy_" Aye!-and, so speaking, shall renew thy pang That, 'reft of Him so named, thou shouldst survive To a slave's life! But earth shall hide my corse Ere that shriek sound, wherewith thou art dragged from Troy.' Thus Hector spake, and stretched his arms to his child. Against the nurse's breast, with childly cry, The boy clung back, and shunned his father's face, And feared the glittering brass and waving hair Of the high helmet, nodding horror down. brow Then he lifted from his The helm, and set it on the ground to shine: Then, kissed his dear child—raised him with both arms, And thus invoked Zeus and the general gods: 'Zeus, and all godships! grant this boy of mine To be the Trojans' help, as I myself,— To live a brave life and rule well in Troy! Till men shall say, "The son exceeds the sire By afar glory." Let him bring home spoil Heroic, and makeglad his mother's heart.' With which prayer, to his wife's extended arms ANOTHER VERSION So the storms bore the daughters of Pandarus out into thrall The gods slew their parents; the orphans And there, came, to feed their young were left in the hall. lives, Aphroditè divine, With the incense, the sweet-tasting Here brought them her wit above honey, the sweet-smelling wine; woman's, and beauty of face; And pure Artemis gave them her stature, And Athenè instructed their hands in that form might have grace : her works of renown; Then, afar to Olympus, divine Aphrodite moved on: Past Memphis, down Nile! Help the young and the poor Loves, If a noise comes from one, Can I bear all this rout of a hundred and more Loves ? III I My child, we were two children, Small, merry by childhood's law; We used to crawl to the hen-house And hide ourselves in the straw. II We crowed like cocks, and whenever 'Twas a real cock that crew. III |