Poetry Reading, Fall 1998
The Metamorphoses by Ovid, I. 682-722
| Sedit Atlantiades et euntem multa loquendo detinuit sermone diem iunctisque canendo vincere harundinibus servantia lumina temptat. Ille tamen pugnat molles evincere somnos et, quamvis sopor est oculorum parte receptus, parte tamen vigilat. Quaerit atque (namque reperta fistula nuper erat), qua sit ratione reperta. Tum deus "Arcadiae gelidis sub montibus" inquit "inter hamadryadas celeberrima Nonacrinas naias una fuit: nymphae Syringa vocabant. Non semel et satyros eluserat illa sequentes et quoscumque deos umbrosaque silva feraxque rus habet. Ortygiam studiis ipsaque colebat virginitate deam; ritu quoque cincta Dianae falleret, ut posset credi Latonia, si non corneus huic arcus, si non foret aureus illi; sic quoque fallebat. Redeuntem colle Lycaeo Pan videt hanc pinuque caput praecinctus acuta talia verba refert" -- restabat verba referre et precibus spretis fugisse per avia nympham, donec harenosi placidum Ladonis ad amnem venerit; hic illam cursum inpedientibus undis ut se mutarent liquidas orasse sorores, Panaque cum prensam sibi iam Syringa putaret, corpore pro nymphae calamos tenuisse palustres, dumque ibi suspirat, motos in harundine ventos effecisse sonum tenuem similemque querenti. Arte nova vocisque deum dulcedine captum "hoc mihi concilium tecum" dixisse "manebit," atque ita disparibus calamis conpagine cerae inter se iunctis nomen tenuisse puellae. Talia dicturus vidit Cyllenius omnes subcubuisse oculos adopertaque lumina somno; supprimit extemplo vocem firmatque soporem languida permulcens medicata lumina virga. Nec mora, falcato nutantem vulnerat ense, qua collo est confine caput, saxoque cruentum deiecit et maculat praeruptam sanguine rupem. Arge, iaces, quodque in tot lumina lumen habebas, exstinctum est, centumque oculos nox occupat una. |
So Atlas' grandson takes his seat, and
fills the passing hours with talk of many things; and by making music on his pipe of reeds
he tries to overcome those watchful eyes. But Argus strives valiantly against his
slumberous languor, and though he allows some of his eyes to sleep, still he continues to
watch with the others. He asks also how the reed pipe came to be invented; for at that
time it had but recently been invented. Then said the god: "On Arcadia's cool mountain slopes, among the wood nymphs who dwelt on Nonacris, there was one much sought by suitors. Her sister nymphs called her Syrinx. More than once she had eluded the pursuit of satyrs and all the gods who dwell either in the bosky woods or fertile fields. But she patterned after the Delian goddess in her pursuits and above all in her life of maidenhood. When girt after the manner of Diana she would deceive the beholder, and could be mistaken for Latona's daughter, were not her bow of horn, were not Diana's of gold. But even so she was mistaken for the goddess." "One day Pan saw her as she was coming back from Mount Lycaeus, his head wreathed with a crown of sharp pine needles, and thus addressed her..." It remained still to tell what he said and to relate how the nymph, spurning his prayers, fled through the pathless wastes until she came to Ladon's stream flowing peacefully along his sandy banks; how here, when the water checked her further flight, she besought her sisters of the stream to change her form; and how Pan, when now he thought he had caught Syrinx, instead of her held naught but marsh reeds in his arms; and while he sighed in disappointment, the soft air stirring in the reeds gave forth a low and complaining sound. Touched by this wonder and charmed by the sweet tones, the god exclaimed: "This union, at least, shall I have with thee." And so the pipes, made of unequal reeds fitted together by a joining of wax, took and kept the name of the maiden. When Mercury was going on to tell this story, he saw that all those eyes had yielded and were closed in sleep. Straightway he checks his words, and deepens Argus' slumber by passing his magic wand over those sleep-faint eyes. And forthwith he smites with his hooked sword the nodding head just where it joins the neck, and sends it bleeding down the rocks, defiling the rugged cliff with blood. Argus, thou liest low; the light which thou hadst within they many fires is all put out; and one darkness fills thy hundred eyes. |
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