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 |
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THE ENCOMIUM of Ptolemy,
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 | The Hymns of Callimachus, Translated from the Greek into English Verse, With Explanatory Notes |  |
188
THE ENCOMIUM of Ptolemy,
BEING THE XVII Idyllium of Theocritus.
With Jove begin, and end the song with Jove,
Ye Muses, wou'd ye of immortals sing
The best, the greatest: if of mortals, first,
And midst, and last, let Ptolemy adorn
The sacred song; for he of men is noblest.
Heroes, of race immortal, erst obtain'd
Wise bards, their glorious actions to record:
But thou, my Muse, for well thou know'st to sing,
Shalt hymn illustrious Ptolemy: and hymns
Are of the Gods themselves the honour'd meed.
To Ida's top approach'd with forests clad,
Amidst such plenty hesitating looks
The woodman round, where first to fix the blow:
So, where shall I begin? Ten thousand themes
Of praise at hand to crowd th'applauding verse,
Wherewith the Gods have crown'd the best of kings,
Ev'n from his ancestors! Like Lagides,
Those mighty plans, which other mind than his
Cou'd ne'er have form'd, where other cou'd be found
Nobly to execute? Him the sire of Gods
Hath equal'd with th'immortals, and in heav'n
A golden dome bestow'd: near which the wise
And dread destroyer of the Persian race
Holds social habitation: opposite
Of firmest adamant compact, the dome
Of fam'd Alcides stands: he, as he shares
With heav'n's blest habitants the joyous banquet,
Triumphs his great descendants to behold
From mortal coil set free, by Jove's high gift
Drawing ætherial air, and Gods like him:
For from Alcides both descend: and hence
When satiated with nectar's od'rous juice,
Their father to fair Hebe's bed retires,
This takes his bow and quiver; that, his club,
Rugged with pointed knots; and these they bear
Before their sire, conducting Jove's great son
To his immortal wife's ambrosial bed.
Ye Muses, wou'd ye of immortals sing
The best, the greatest: if of mortals, first,
And midst, and last, let Ptolemy adorn
The sacred song; for he of men is noblest.
189
Wise bards, their glorious actions to record:
But thou, my Muse, for well thou know'st to sing,
Shalt hymn illustrious Ptolemy: and hymns
Are of the Gods themselves the honour'd meed.
To Ida's top approach'd with forests clad,
Amidst such plenty hesitating looks
The woodman round, where first to fix the blow:
So, where shall I begin? Ten thousand themes
Of praise at hand to crowd th'applauding verse,
Wherewith the Gods have crown'd the best of kings,
Ev'n from his ancestors! Like Lagides,
Those mighty plans, which other mind than his
Cou'd ne'er have form'd, where other cou'd be found
Nobly to execute? Him the sire of Gods
Hath equal'd with th'immortals, and in heav'n
A golden dome bestow'd: near which the wise
190
Holds social habitation: opposite
Of firmest adamant compact, the dome
Of fam'd Alcides stands: he, as he shares
With heav'n's blest habitants the joyous banquet,
Triumphs his great descendants to behold
From mortal coil set free, by Jove's high gift
Drawing ætherial air, and Gods like him:
For from Alcides both descend: and hence
When satiated with nectar's od'rous juice,
Their father to fair Hebe's bed retires,
This takes his bow and quiver; that, his club,
Rugged with pointed knots; and these they bear
Before their sire, conducting Jove's great son
To his immortal wife's ambrosial bed.
How bright above the wisest of her sex
Illustrious Berenice shone: the pride
And glory of her parents! Venus' self,
With her own soft and rosy fingers fill'd
Her odorif'rous snowy breast with love!
And hence 'tis said, no woman ever pleas'd,
Her raptur'd husband, as this beauteous bride
Her royal Ptolemy: and, blest in love,
With more than equal fondness she returns
His tenderest affection: to his sons
Hence in full confidence the prince resigns
The weight of cares and kingdoms, and retires
With love transported to her arms of love.
Ere on forbidden joys rove the wild thoughts
Of faithless wives, by no affection bound:
Num'rous their progeny, but none can shew
The face and features of the hapless sire!
Fair Venus, all-excelling, beauty's queen,
She was thy care: and 'twas from thee alone,
That Berenice pass'd not o'er the flood
Of baneful Acheron: her the Goddess caught,
Or ere sh' approach'd the stream, where gloomy stands
The melancholy porter of the dead:
And in her temple placing, to partake
Her own high honours gave: to mortals kind,
Hence breathes she gentle loves, and pleasing cares
Thro' each glad votary's enamour'd breast.
Illustrious Berenice shone: the pride
And glory of her parents! Venus' self,
191
Her odorif'rous snowy breast with love!
And hence 'tis said, no woman ever pleas'd,
Her raptur'd husband, as this beauteous bride
Her royal Ptolemy: and, blest in love,
With more than equal fondness she returns
His tenderest affection: to his sons
Hence in full confidence the prince resigns
The weight of cares and kingdoms, and retires
With love transported to her arms of love.
Ere on forbidden joys rove the wild thoughts
Of faithless wives, by no affection bound:
Num'rous their progeny, but none can shew
The face and features of the hapless sire!
192
She was thy care: and 'twas from thee alone,
That Berenice pass'd not o'er the flood
Of baneful Acheron: her the Goddess caught,
Or ere sh' approach'd the stream, where gloomy stands
The melancholy porter of the dead:
And in her temple placing, to partake
Her own high honours gave: to mortals kind,
Hence breathes she gentle loves, and pleasing cares
Thro' each glad votary's enamour'd breast.
To mighty Tydeus fair Deipale
Great Diomed, dread thunderbolt of war,
Brought forth: to Peleus beauteous Thetis gave
Warlike Achilles: but to Ptolemy
A Ptolemy, illustrious as his sire,
Fair Berenice bore: the new-born babe
From his glad mother favour'd Cos receiv'd:
For there the queen Lucina's aid invok'd:
Benign the Goddess came, and o'er her limbs
Diffus'd a soft insensibility:
And thus the son was born, so like the sire.
Cos saw, and all her cliffs with songs of joy
Resounded: in her arms she held the babe,
“Be born, blest infant, she began, be born:
“Nor with less honour dignify my isle,
“Than her Apollo, Delos; let the mount
“Of Triopus, and neighb'ring Dorians, share
“No less renown from thee, than from the God
“Rhenæa, neigh'bring to his native isle.”
She spoke: on high the eagle, bird of Jove,
Thrice from the clouds resounding clapp'd his wings,
Auspicious omen of the thund'ring God:
Kings are the care of Jove: and whom first-born
His eye indulgent views, pre-eminence
Attends, with copious bliss: wide o'er the sea,
And wide o'er earth unbounded roams his power!
Great Diomed, dread thunderbolt of war,
Brought forth: to Peleus beauteous Thetis gave
Warlike Achilles: but to Ptolemy
A Ptolemy, illustrious as his sire,
Fair Berenice bore: the new-born babe
From his glad mother favour'd Cos receiv'd:
For there the queen Lucina's aid invok'd:
Benign the Goddess came, and o'er her limbs
Diffus'd a soft insensibility:
193
Cos saw, and all her cliffs with songs of joy
Resounded: in her arms she held the babe,
“Be born, blest infant, she began, be born:
“Nor with less honour dignify my isle,
“Than her Apollo, Delos; let the mount
“Of Triopus, and neighb'ring Dorians, share
“No less renown from thee, than from the God
“Rhenæa, neigh'bring to his native isle.”
She spoke: on high the eagle, bird of Jove,
Thrice from the clouds resounding clapp'd his wings,
Auspicious omen of the thund'ring God:
Kings are the care of Jove: and whom first-born
His eye indulgent views, pre-eminence
Attends, with copious bliss: wide o'er the sea,
And wide o'er earth unbounded roams his power!
On nations numberless great Jove pours down
His fertile show'rs and full increase: but none,
Ægypt, can vie in plenteousness with thee;
Thy rich glebe mellow'd by th'o'erflowing Nile;
None boasts such num'rous cities: and o'er all
Sole monarch reigns great Ptolemy: his sway
O'er the Phœnicians, Syria's, Lybia's sons,
Arabia and the tawny Æthiop,
Extends: Cilicia's war-delighting race,
Pamphylians, Lydians, and the Carians own
His universal pow'r: the Cyclades
Confess the monarch: for the spacious sea
His warlike fleet commands; the best that sails
Old Neptune's wide domain: to Ptolemy
Sea, land, and barrier floods submissive bow!
Around him troops of horse and spearmen crowd
Clanging their arms, a terror to the foe.
In opulence all monarchs he exceeds,
Such tributes daily to his heap immense,
A boundless Ocean, flow: his people ply
Secure their occupations: Nilus' banks
No hostile footsteps tread; nor warlike din
Disturbs the peaceful village: on the shore
Ne'er from their vessels leap invading foes
The flocks to plunder, and lay waste the plains.
Such is the influence of a prince like thee,
Such is the terror of thy warlike name,
Oh Ptolemy! Thou all thy father's rights
Art strenuous to assert: (as well beseems
Good kings:) and not less zealous to acquire
New glories of thy own. Not unemploy'd
Lies in his splendid dome the glitt'ring ore,
Like that on India's plain by lab'ring ants
Fruitless amass'd: full royally he gives
To the bright temples of the Gods, first fruits,
And noblest presents numberless: to kings
Less pow'rful and less opulent than he
Much he bestows, and much to friendly states;
And much, much more to his illustrious friends.
His fertile show'rs and full increase: but none,
Ægypt, can vie in plenteousness with thee;
Thy rich glebe mellow'd by th'o'erflowing Nile;
194
Sole monarch reigns great Ptolemy: his sway
O'er the Phœnicians, Syria's, Lybia's sons,
Arabia and the tawny Æthiop,
Extends: Cilicia's war-delighting race,
Pamphylians, Lydians, and the Carians own
His universal pow'r: the Cyclades
Confess the monarch: for the spacious sea
His warlike fleet commands; the best that sails
Old Neptune's wide domain: to Ptolemy
Sea, land, and barrier floods submissive bow!
Around him troops of horse and spearmen crowd
Clanging their arms, a terror to the foe.
In opulence all monarchs he exceeds,
Such tributes daily to his heap immense,
A boundless Ocean, flow: his people ply
195
No hostile footsteps tread; nor warlike din
Disturbs the peaceful village: on the shore
Ne'er from their vessels leap invading foes
The flocks to plunder, and lay waste the plains.
Such is the influence of a prince like thee,
Such is the terror of thy warlike name,
Oh Ptolemy! Thou all thy father's rights
Art strenuous to assert: (as well beseems
Good kings:) and not less zealous to acquire
New glories of thy own. Not unemploy'd
Lies in his splendid dome the glitt'ring ore,
Like that on India's plain by lab'ring ants
Fruitless amass'd: full royally he gives
To the bright temples of the Gods, first fruits,
And noblest presents numberless: to kings
Less pow'rful and less opulent than he
Much he bestows, and much to friendly states;
And much, much more to his illustrious friends.
Is there a bard, well skill'd in sacred song,
Who unrewarded from our prince descends,
And meets not favours equal to his worth?
Munificence like this, great Ptolemy,
Hath charm'd the Muses prophets to resound
Thy fame in song immortal: what reward
Than this more excellent, for pow'r and wealth
To gain the stamp of worth, and honest fame
Midst all mankind? This, this th'Atridæ have:
When all the plunder of old Priam's house
And all their mighty wealth is lost in night,
And buried in oblivion's greedy grave!
Who unrewarded from our prince descends,
196
Munificence like this, great Ptolemy,
Hath charm'd the Muses prophets to resound
Thy fame in song immortal: what reward
Than this more excellent, for pow'r and wealth
To gain the stamp of worth, and honest fame
Midst all mankind? This, this th'Atridæ have:
When all the plunder of old Priam's house
And all their mighty wealth is lost in night,
And buried in oblivion's greedy grave!
Of Ptolemy's fam'd ancestors, like him
None in their father's footsteps trod so close,
And o'er them rose so nobly: high he rear'd
The fragrant temples to his parents honour:
Where form'd of gold and ivory he plac'd
The new divinities: henceforth invok'd
The guardians and protectors of mankind.
There on the hallow'd altars, red with blood
Of victims, as the mighty months roll round,
The fatted sacrifice the monarch burns,
He and his lov'd Arsinoë: than whom
No fairer woman in a happier bed
A greater spouse embraces: there improv'd
The nat'ral tye, with double warmth she loves
The brother and the husband: so the race
Immortal of great Rhea hold above
Their sacred nuptials: where the blushing maid,
From whose bright hands perfumes distil their sweets,
Ambrosial Iris decks one od'rous bed
For Jove, and Jove's lov'd sister and his wife!
None in their father's footsteps trod so close,
And o'er them rose so nobly: high he rear'd
The fragrant temples to his parents honour:
197
The new divinities: henceforth invok'd
The guardians and protectors of mankind.
There on the hallow'd altars, red with blood
Of victims, as the mighty months roll round,
The fatted sacrifice the monarch burns,
He and his lov'd Arsinoë: than whom
No fairer woman in a happier bed
A greater spouse embraces: there improv'd
The nat'ral tye, with double warmth she loves
The brother and the husband: so the race
Immortal of great Rhea hold above
Their sacred nuptials: where the blushing maid,
From whose bright hands perfumes distil their sweets,
Ambrosial Iris decks one od'rous bed
For Jove, and Jove's lov'd sister and his wife!
Hail royal Ptolemy! equal to the race
Of god-born heroes, thee the Muse extols:
And what she sings, if prescient ought, shall prove
Not unacceptable to future times.
Hail, and increase of virtue ask of Jove!
198
And what she sings, if prescient ought, shall prove
Not unacceptable to future times.
Hail, and increase of virtue ask of Jove!
| The Hymns of Callimachus, Translated from the Greek into English Verse, With Explanatory Notes | |