The Hymns of Callimachus, Translated from the Greek into English Verse, With Explanatory Notes To which are added, Select Epigrams, and the Coma Berenices of the same Author, Six Hymns of Orpheus, and The Encomium of Ptolemy by Theocritus. By William Dodd |
 |
 |
|
COMA BERENICES:
|
|
 | The Hymns of Callimachus, Translated from the Greek into English Verse, With Explanatory Notes |  |
179
COMA BERENICES:
OR, The Lock of Berenice.
------ The tresses Ægypt's princess wore,
Which sweet Callimachus so sung before.
Parnell.
Which sweet Callimachus so sung before.
Parnell.
He, who with curious and enlarged eye
Survey'd the splendid glories of the sky;
Who found how stars to rise and setting run,
How shades obscure the brightness of the Sun:
At certain times how certain stars decay;
And how soft love from her aërial way
Wheels gentle Trivia, in her nightly charms,
To stolen pleasures and Endymion's arms:
ME, that same Conon, in the skies survey'd
The shining Lock from Berenice's head:
Which fond she promis'd to the pow'rs above,
What time, her hands uprais'd, with heav'n she strove,
For her dear king, just happy in her love,
To battles hurried, and severer fights,
From softer wars, and hymeneal rites.
Survey'd the splendid glories of the sky;
Who found how stars to rise and setting run,
How shades obscure the brightness of the Sun:
At certain times how certain stars decay;
And how soft love from her aërial way
180
To stolen pleasures and Endymion's arms:
ME, that same Conon, in the skies survey'd
The shining Lock from Berenice's head:
Which fond she promis'd to the pow'rs above,
What time, her hands uprais'd, with heav'n she strove,
For her dear king, just happy in her love,
To battles hurried, and severer fights,
From softer wars, and hymeneal rites.
Is Venus, then, to other loves so true,
To virgins only, and to bride a foe:
And feign'd or real are those sighs and tears,
Which damp the parent's bliss with tender fears?
Which, when approaching to the nuptial bed,
The blushing virgins in abundance shed?
In troth those tears by no means are sincere:
And those soft sighs, the sighs of hope, not fear:
So taught experience, when I heard my queen,
True virgin-like, in tim'rous sort complain:
When furious rush'd the bridegroom to her arms,
Love's war to wage, and spoil her virgin charms.
To virgins only, and to bride a foe:
And feign'd or real are those sighs and tears,
Which damp the parent's bliss with tender fears?
Which, when approaching to the nuptial bed,
The blushing virgins in abundance shed?
181
And those soft sighs, the sighs of hope, not fear:
So taught experience, when I heard my queen,
True virgin-like, in tim'rous sort complain:
When furious rush'd the bridegroom to her arms,
Love's war to wage, and spoil her virgin charms.
But you, whate'er your maiden sighs might say,
Sincerely wept your husband torn away:
And on your lonely pillow truly shed
A flood of sorrow for your lover fled:
What anxious fondness then your bosom prov'd,
How much you languish'd, and how much you lov'd!
Where then, my queen, was all that courage flown,
Which Berenice from a child had shown?
And quite forgot was that illustrious deed,
By which you mounted the imperial bed:
Greater than which no female ever dar'd,
As meed more happy never female shar'd?
Sincerely wept your husband torn away:
And on your lonely pillow truly shed
A flood of sorrow for your lover fled:
What anxious fondness then your bosom prov'd,
How much you languish'd, and how much you lov'd!
Where then, my queen, was all that courage flown,
Which Berenice from a child had shown?
And quite forgot was that illustrious deed,
By which you mounted the imperial bed:
182
As meed more happy never female shar'd?
But when about to part, what words you spoke,
From your soft lips what love enamour'd broke?
How oft you sighing told your doubts and fears,
And dew'd his hands with kisses and with tears?
What God cou'd change you thus? or was it hence,
That with each other lovers ill dispense?
'Twas then you made a solemn vow to heav'n,
“Shou'd to your arms your prince again be giv'n,
“That I lov'd Lock, with blood of goats, shou'd prove
“A willing present to the pow'rs above.”
They heard your vow, and quickly to your arms
Restor'd your hero with encrease of charms,
His cheeks fresh flush'd with victory's bright glow,
And Asia's laurels verdant on his brow!
For this your vow discharging, 'midst the host
Of heav'n, I gain'd an honourable post!
From your soft lips what love enamour'd broke?
How oft you sighing told your doubts and fears,
And dew'd his hands with kisses and with tears?
What God cou'd change you thus? or was it hence,
That with each other lovers ill dispense?
'Twas then you made a solemn vow to heav'n,
“Shou'd to your arms your prince again be giv'n,
“That I lov'd Lock, with blood of goats, shou'd prove
“A willing present to the pow'rs above.”
They heard your vow, and quickly to your arms
Restor'd your hero with encrease of charms,
His cheeks fresh flush'd with victory's bright glow,
And Asia's laurels verdant on his brow!
183
Of heav'n, I gain'd an honourable post!
From your dear head unwilling I withdrew,
Unwilling—swear I by that head and you:
Who swears in vain shall dreadful vengeance feel;—
But what, what's equal to all-conqu'ring steel!
By that o'erthrown, the mightiest mountain lay,
O'er which bright Sol directs his fiery way:
By that great Athos felt the rushing flood
Bear thro' its parted sides the Persian crowd:
And when sharp steel can such dread force subdue,
Ah, what can Lady's Locks defenceless do?
Perish, good God, dire steel's destructive race;
And him, who first dare earth's dark bowels trace,
So fell a mischief from its seat to bring,
And handle such a hard death-doing thing!
Unwilling—swear I by that head and you:
Who swears in vain shall dreadful vengeance feel;—
But what, what's equal to all-conqu'ring steel!
By that o'erthrown, the mightiest mountain lay,
O'er which bright Sol directs his fiery way:
By that great Athos felt the rushing flood
Bear thro' its parted sides the Persian crowd:
And when sharp steel can such dread force subdue,
Ah, what can Lady's Locks defenceless do?
Perish, good God, dire steel's destructive race;
And him, who first dare earth's dark bowels trace,
So fell a mischief from its seat to bring,
And handle such a hard death-doing thing!
184
As my hard hap, from my companions torn,
My sister Locks in friendly sorrow mourn,
Flutt'ring his airy pinions thro' the skies,
Adown the gently-breathing Zephyr flies:
(The gentle Zephyr from great Memnon springs,
And bears Arsinoë's mandates on his wings:
He took and bore me thro' the realms of air,
To the chaste bosom of that virtuous fair,
Whom Venus licens'd her own name to bear.
For such was Zephyritis' kind intent,
When thus her winged messenger she sent,
To those sweet shores, where once delighted rov'd
Her beauteous daughter with the nymphs she lov'd:
That not amidst the starry track alone
Shou'd brightly glitter Ariadne's crown:
But that we too, the heav'n-devoted hair,
With golden lustre might adorn the air.
From ocean wet, by her kind aid I rise
To the great temple of the Gods, the skies,
And by her guidance to my place repair,
Amidst the stars to shine a fellow star.
Just by the Virgin and the Lion plac'd
I lead the slow Bootes to the west,
Who tardy rolls along his lab'ring wain,
And scarce, tho' late, slow sinks into the main.
My sister Locks in friendly sorrow mourn,
Flutt'ring his airy pinions thro' the skies,
Adown the gently-breathing Zephyr flies:
(The gentle Zephyr from great Memnon springs,
And bears Arsinoë's mandates on his wings:
He took and bore me thro' the realms of air,
To the chaste bosom of that virtuous fair,
Whom Venus licens'd her own name to bear.
For such was Zephyritis' kind intent,
When thus her winged messenger she sent,
To those sweet shores, where once delighted rov'd
Her beauteous daughter with the nymphs she lov'd:
That not amidst the starry track alone
Shou'd brightly glitter Ariadne's crown:
But that we too, the heav'n-devoted hair,
With golden lustre might adorn the air.
From ocean wet, by her kind aid I rise
To the great temple of the Gods, the skies,
185
Amidst the stars to shine a fellow star.
Just by the Virgin and the Lion plac'd
I lead the slow Bootes to the west,
Who tardy rolls along his lab'ring wain,
And scarce, tho' late, slow sinks into the main.
But tho' such honour and such place is mine,
Tho' nightly prest by Gods and feet divine:
To hoary Tethys tho' with light restor'd,
These—let me speak,—and truth defend the word:
Thou too, Rhamnusian virgin, pard'ning hear,
For I must speak; since neither force nor fear
Can make me cover what I so revere:
Not tho' enrag'd the pow'rs on high shou'd rise,
Revenging tear and hurl me from the skies!
All these—bear no proportion to the pain
Of fatal final absence from my queen.
With whom while yet an unexperienc'd maid,
I shar'd such unguents, on her lovely head!
Tho' nightly prest by Gods and feet divine:
To hoary Tethys tho' with light restor'd,
These—let me speak,—and truth defend the word:
Thou too, Rhamnusian virgin, pard'ning hear,
For I must speak; since neither force nor fear
Can make me cover what I so revere:
Not tho' enrag'd the pow'rs on high shou'd rise,
Revenging tear and hurl me from the skies!
All these—bear no proportion to the pain
Of fatal final absence from my queen.
With whom while yet an unexperienc'd maid,
I shar'd such unguents, on her lovely head!
Haste, happy maids, whom Hymen's bonds have join'd,
To the dear choice and partner of your mind,
In box of alabaster grateful bear
The pleasing gifts to Berenice's hair:
Before your trembling hands withdraw the vest
From the soft beauties of your throbbing breast,
Such gifts alone let chaster matrons pay;
But be th'adultress and impure away:
Their impious presents let the dust receive,
I scorn the wretches, and each boon they give!
But you, ye virtuous, as with duteous care
Your queen you honour, and her Lock revere,
Concord and peace shall ever smile around,
And all your days with faithful love be crown'd!
To the dear choice and partner of your mind,
186
The pleasing gifts to Berenice's hair:
Before your trembling hands withdraw the vest
From the soft beauties of your throbbing breast,
Such gifts alone let chaster matrons pay;
But be th'adultress and impure away:
Their impious presents let the dust receive,
I scorn the wretches, and each boon they give!
But you, ye virtuous, as with duteous care
Your queen you honour, and her Lock revere,
Concord and peace shall ever smile around,
And all your days with faithful love be crown'd!
You too, my queen, when Venus shall demand,
On solemn feasts due off'rings from your hand;
When, lifting up to heav'n your pious eyes,
Bright on your view your once lov'd Lock shall rise;
Then let sweet unguents your regard express,
And with large gifts, as you esteem me, bless!
Ah, why, amidst the stars must I remain?
Wou'd God, I grew on thy dear head again!
Take heav'n who wou'd, were that wish'd pleasure mine,
Orion's self might next Hydrochous shine!
On solemn feasts due off'rings from your hand;
When, lifting up to heav'n your pious eyes,
Bright on your view your once lov'd Lock shall rise;
Then let sweet unguents your regard express,
And with large gifts, as you esteem me, bless!
Ah, why, amidst the stars must I remain?
Wou'd God, I grew on thy dear head again!
187
Orion's self might next Hydrochous shine!
| The Hymns of Callimachus, Translated from the Greek into English Verse, With Explanatory Notes | |