Odes of Pindar With several other Pieces in Prose and Verse, Translated from the Greek. To which is added a dissertation on the Olympick games. By Gilbert West |
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THE Song of Orpheus, AND THE Setting out of the Argo. |
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 | Odes of Pindar |  |
267
THE Song of Orpheus, AND THE Setting out of the Argo.
Then too the jarring Heroes to compose
Th'inchanting Bard, Oeagrian Orpheus rose,
And thus, attuning to the trembling Strings:
His soothing Voice, of Harmony he sings.
Th'inchanting Bard, Oeagrian Orpheus rose,
And thus, attuning to the trembling Strings:
His soothing Voice, of Harmony he sings.
In the Beginning how Heav'n, Earth, and Sea
In one tumultuous Chaos blended lay;
Till Nature parted the conflicting Foes,
And beauteous Order from Disorder rose:
How roll'd incessant o'er th'etherial Plain
Move in eternal Dance the Starry Train;
How the pale Orb of Night, and golden Sun,
Thro' Months and Years their radiant Journeys run;
Whence rose the Mountains clad with waving Woods,
The rushing Rivers; and resounding Floods,
With all their Nymphs; from what celestial Seed
The various Tribes of Animals proceed.
Next how Ophion held his ancient Reign,
With his fam'd Consort, Daughter of the Main:
On high Olympus' snowy Head enthron'd,
The new-created World their Empire own'd:
Till Force superior, and successless War
Divested of their Crowns the regal Pair;
On Saturn's Head Ophion's Honours plac'd,
And with his Consort's Glories Rhea grac'd.
Thence to old Ocean's watry Kingdoms hurl'd
Thus they resign'd the Scepter of the World:
And Saturn rul'd the bless'd Titanian Gods,
While Infant Jove possess'd the dark Abodes
Of Dicte's Cave; his Mind yet uninform'd
With heav'nly Wisdom, and his Hand unarm'd:
Forg'd by the Cyclops, Earth's Gigantick Race,
Flam'd not as yet the Lightning's scorching Blaze,
Nor roar'd the Thunder thro' the Realms above,
The Strength and Glory of Almighty Jove.
In one tumultuous Chaos blended lay;
268
And beauteous Order from Disorder rose:
How roll'd incessant o'er th'etherial Plain
Move in eternal Dance the Starry Train;
How the pale Orb of Night, and golden Sun,
Thro' Months and Years their radiant Journeys run;
Whence rose the Mountains clad with waving Woods,
The rushing Rivers; and resounding Floods,
With all their Nymphs; from what celestial Seed
The various Tribes of Animals proceed.
Next how Ophion held his ancient Reign,
With his fam'd Consort, Daughter of the Main:
On high Olympus' snowy Head enthron'd,
The new-created World their Empire own'd:
Till Force superior, and successless War
Divested of their Crowns the regal Pair;
On Saturn's Head Ophion's Honours plac'd,
And with his Consort's Glories Rhea grac'd.
Thence to old Ocean's watry Kingdoms hurl'd
Thus they resign'd the Scepter of the World:
And Saturn rul'd the bless'd Titanian Gods,
While Infant Jove possess'd the dark Abodes
Of Dicte's Cave; his Mind yet uninform'd
With heav'nly Wisdom, and his Hand unarm'd:
Forg'd by the Cyclops, Earth's Gigantick Race,
Flam'd not as yet the Lightning's scorching Blaze,
269
The Strength and Glory of Almighty Jove.
This said, the tunefull Bard his Lyre unstrung,
And ceas'd th'inchanting Musick of his Tongue.
But with the Sound entranc'd th'attentive Ear
Thought him still singing, still stood fix'd to hear.
In silent Rapture ev'ry Chief remains,
And feels within his Heart the thrilling Strains.
Forthwith the Bowl they crown with rosy Wine,
And pay due Honours to the Pow'r divine.
The pure Libations on the Fire they pour,
While rising Flames the mystick Tongues devour.
And ceas'd th'inchanting Musick of his Tongue.
But with the Sound entranc'd th'attentive Ear
Thought him still singing, still stood fix'd to hear.
In silent Rapture ev'ry Chief remains,
And feels within his Heart the thrilling Strains.
Forthwith the Bowl they crown with rosy Wine,
And pay due Honours to the Pow'r divine.
The pure Libations on the Fire they pour,
While rising Flames the mystick Tongues devour.
Now fable Night ascends her starry Throne,
And Argo's Chiefs her drowsy Influence own.
But when the bright-ey'd Morning rear'd her Head,
And look'd o'er Pelion's Summits ting'd with Red;
Light skimm'd the Breezes o'er the watry Plain,
And gently swell'd the fluctuating Main.
Then Tiphys rose, and summon'd by his Care
Embark the Heroes, and their Oars prepare.
Portentous now along the winding Shores
Hoarse-sounding Pagasæan Neptune roars.
Impatient Argo the glad Signal took,
While from her vocal Keel loud Murmurs broke;
Her Keel of sacred Oak divinely wrought
Itonian Pallas from Dodona brought.
And Argo's Chiefs her drowsy Influence own.
But when the bright-ey'd Morning rear'd her Head,
And look'd o'er Pelion's Summits ting'd with Red;
Light skimm'd the Breezes o'er the watry Plain,
And gently swell'd the fluctuating Main.
Then Tiphys rose, and summon'd by his Care
Embark the Heroes, and their Oars prepare.
270
Hoarse-sounding Pagasæan Neptune roars.
Impatient Argo the glad Signal took,
While from her vocal Keel loud Murmurs broke;
Her Keel of sacred Oak divinely wrought
Itonian Pallas from Dodona brought.
On their allotted Posts now rang'd along
In seemly Order sat the princely Throng:
Fast by each Chief his glitt'ring Armour flames;
The midmost Station bold Ancæus claims,
With great Alcides, whose enormous Might
Arm'd with a massy Club provokes the Fight,
Now plac'd beside him: in the yielding Flood
The Keel deep-sinking feels the Demi-God.
In seemly Order sat the princely Throng:
Fast by each Chief his glitt'ring Armour flames;
The midmost Station bold Ancæus claims,
With great Alcides, whose enormous Might
Arm'd with a massy Club provokes the Fight,
Now plac'd beside him: in the yielding Flood
The Keel deep-sinking feels the Demi-God.
Their Hausers now they loose, and on the Brine
To Neptune pour the consecrated Wine.
Then from his native Shores sad Jason turns
His oft-reverted Eye, and silent mourns.
As in Ortygia, or the Delphick Fane,
Or where Ismenus laves Bœotia's Plain,
Apollo's Altars round, the youthfull Choir,
The Dance according with the sounding Lyre,
The hallow'd Ground with equal Cadence beat,
And move in Measure their harmonious Feet;
Together so Thessalia's Princes sweep
With well-tim'd Oars the silver-curling Deep.
While, raising high the Thracian Harp, presides
Melodious Orpheus and the Movement guides.
On either Side the dashing Surges broke,
And fierce remurmur'd to each mighty Stroke;
Thick flash the brazen Arms with streaming Light,
While the swift Bark pursues her rapid Flight,
And ever as the Sea-green Tide she cleaves,
Foams the long Track behind, and whitens all the Waves:
So shines the Path, across some verdant Plain
Trac'd by the Footsteps of the Village Swain.
To Neptune pour the consecrated Wine.
Then from his native Shores sad Jason turns
His oft-reverted Eye, and silent mourns.
As in Ortygia, or the Delphick Fane,
Or where Ismenus laves Bœotia's Plain,
Apollo's Altars round, the youthfull Choir,
The Dance according with the sounding Lyre,
The hallow'd Ground with equal Cadence beat,
And move in Measure their harmonious Feet;
271
With well-tim'd Oars the silver-curling Deep.
While, raising high the Thracian Harp, presides
Melodious Orpheus and the Movement guides.
On either Side the dashing Surges broke,
And fierce remurmur'd to each mighty Stroke;
Thick flash the brazen Arms with streaming Light,
While the swift Bark pursues her rapid Flight,
And ever as the Sea-green Tide she cleaves,
Foams the long Track behind, and whitens all the Waves:
So shines the Path, across some verdant Plain
Trac'd by the Footsteps of the Village Swain.
Jove on that Day from his celestial Throne,
And all th'immortal Pow'rs of Heav'n look'd down,
The Godlike Chiefs and Argo to survey
As thro' the Deep they urg'd their daring Way.
Then too on Pelion's cloud-top'd Summits stood
The Nymphs and Fauns and Sisters of the Wood,
With Wonder viewing the tall Pine below,
That shaded once the Mountain's shaggy Brow,
Now fram'd by Pallas o'er the sounding Sea
Thessalia's mighty Heroes to convey.
But, lo! from Pelion's highest Clift descends,
And downward to the Sea his Footsteps bends
The Centaur Chiron; on the Beach he stood
And dip'd his Fetlocks in the hoary Flood.
Then waving his broad hand, the Bark he hales,
And speeds with prosp'rous Vows the parting Sails.
With him advanc'd his Consort to the Shore;
The young Achilles in her Arms she bore:
Then raising high in Air the pleasing Load,
To his fond Sire the smiling Infant shew'd.
And all th'immortal Pow'rs of Heav'n look'd down,
The Godlike Chiefs and Argo to survey
As thro' the Deep they urg'd their daring Way.
Then too on Pelion's cloud-top'd Summits stood
The Nymphs and Fauns and Sisters of the Wood,
With Wonder viewing the tall Pine below,
That shaded once the Mountain's shaggy Brow,
Now fram'd by Pallas o'er the sounding Sea
Thessalia's mighty Heroes to convey.
But, lo! from Pelion's highest Clift descends,
And downward to the Sea his Footsteps bends
The Centaur Chiron; on the Beach he stood
And dip'd his Fetlocks in the hoary Flood.
227
And speeds with prosp'rous Vows the parting Sails.
With him advanc'd his Consort to the Shore;
The young Achilles in her Arms she bore:
Then raising high in Air the pleasing Load,
To his fond Sire the smiling Infant shew'd.
| Odes of Pindar | |