Idyll 1.64–107, 115–118
Theocritus, Idyll 1.64–107, 115–118 — Thyrsis sings the death of Daphnis: the visitors, the quarrel with Aphrodite, the farewell (Doric) · 49 lines
64Θύρσις
64ἄρχετε βουκολικᾶς, Μοῖσαι φίλαι, ἄρχετ᾽ ἀοιδᾶς.
Begin, dear Muses, begin the pastoral song.
65Θύρσις ὅδ᾽ ὡξ Αἴτνας, καὶ Θύρσιδος ἁδέα φωνά.
This is Thyrsis from Etna, and the voice of Thyrsis is sweet.
66πᾷ ποκ᾽ ἄρ᾽ ἦσθ᾽, ὅκα Δάφνις ἐτάκετο, πᾷ ποκα, Νύμφαι;
Where ever were you, when Daphnis was wasting away, where were you, Nymphs?
67ἦ κατὰ Πηνειῶ καλὰ τέμπεα, ἦ κατὰ Πίνδω;
Was it down the lovely glens of Peneios, or down Pindos?
68–69οὐ γὰρ δὴ ποταμοῖο μέγαν ῥόον εἴχετ᾽ Ἀνάπω, οὐδ᾽ Αἴτνας σκοπιάν, οὐδ᾽ Ἄκιδος ἱερὸν ὕδωρ.
For certainly you were not keeping the great stream of the river Anapos, nor Etna's peak, nor the holy water of Akis.
70ἄρχετε βουκολικᾶς, Μοῖσαι φίλαι, ἄρχετ᾽ ἀοιδᾶς.
Begin, dear Muses, begin the pastoral song.
71–72τῆνον μὰν θῶες, τῆνον λύκοι ὠρύσαντο, τῆνον χὠκ δρυμοῖο λέων ἔκλαυσε θανόντα.
For him the jackals howled, for him the wolves; for him even the lion out of the thicket wept, when he was dead.
73ἄρχετε βουκολικᾶς, Μοῖσαι φίλαι, ἄρχετ᾽ ἀοιδᾶς.
Begin, dear Muses, begin the pastoral song.
74–75πολλαί οἱ πὰρ ποσσὶ βόες, πολλοὶ δέ τε ταῦροι, πολλαὶ δὲ δαμάλαι καὶ πόρτιες ὠδύραντο.
Many cows at his feet, and many bulls, and many heifers and calves lamented.
76ἄρχετε βουκολικᾶς, Μοῖσαι φίλαι, ἄρχετ᾽ ἀοιδᾶς.
Begin, dear Muses, begin the pastoral song.
77ἦνθ᾽ Ἑρμᾶς πράτιστος ἀπ᾽ ὤρεος, εἶπε δὲ “Δάφνι,
Hermes came first from the mountain, and said, “Daphnis,
78τίς τυ κατατρύχει; τίνος, ὠγαθέ, τόσσον ἔρασαι;”
who is wearing you down? For whom, good friend, do you long so greatly?”
79ἄρχετε βουκολικᾶς, Μοῖσαι φίλαι, ἄρχετ᾽ ἀοιδᾶς.
Begin, dear Muses, begin the pastoral song.
80ἦνθον τοὶ βοῦται, τοὶ ποιμένες, ᾡπόλοι ἦνθον·
The cowherds came, the shepherds, the goatherds came.
81πάντες ἀνηρώτευν τί πάθοι κακόν. ἦνθ᾽ ὁ Πρίηπος
All of them kept asking what harm he had suffered. Priapos came
82κἤφα “Δάφνι τάλαν, τί τὺ τάκεαι;
and said, “Poor Daphnis, why are you wasting away?
82–83ἁ δέ τυ κώρα πάσας ἀνὰ κράνας, πάντ᾽ ἄλσεα ποσσὶ φορεῖται —
But the girl, over all the springs and through all the groves, is roaming on foot —
84ἄρχετε βουκολικᾶς, Μοῖσαι φίλαι, ἄρχετ᾽ ἀοιδᾶς —
— begin, dear Muses, begin the pastoral song —
85ζάτεισ᾽· ἆ δύσερώς τις ἄγαν καὶ ἀμήχανος ἐσσί.
— looking for you. Ah, you are a sort of person too unlucky in love, and beyond help.
86βούτας μὲν ἐλέγευ, νῦν δ᾽ αἰπόλῳ ἀνδρὶ ἔοικας.
You used to be called a cowherd, but now you are like a goatherd man.
87–88ᾡπόλος, ὅκκ᾽ ἐσορῇ τὰς μηκάδας οἷα βατεῦνται, τάκεται ὀφθαλμὼς ὅτι οὐ τράγος αὐτὸς ἔγεντο.
The goatherd, whenever he sees how the she-goats are mounted, melts in his eyes because he himself was not born a he-goat.
89ἄρχετε βουκολικᾶς, Μοῖσαι φίλαι, ἄρχετ᾽ ἀοιδᾶς.
Begin, dear Muses, begin the pastoral song.
90–91καὶ τὺ δ᾽ ἐπεί κ᾽ ἐσορῇς τὰς παρθένος οἷα γελᾶντι, τάκεαι ὀφθαλμὼς ὅτι οὐ μετὰ ταῖσι χορεύεις.”
And you too, whenever you see how the girls laugh, melt in your eyes because you are not dancing among them.”
92–93τὼς δ᾽ οὐδὲν ποτελέξαθ᾽ ὁ βουκόλος, ἀλλὰ τὸν αὑτῶ ἄνυε πικρὸν ἔρωτα καὶ ἐς τέλος ἄνυε μοίρας.
But the cowherd answered them nothing; instead he carried through his own bitter love, and carried it through to the fulfilment of his destiny.
94ἄρχετε βουκολικᾶς, Μοῖσαι, πάλιν ἄρχετ᾽ ἀοιδᾶς.
Begin, Muses, begin the pastoral song again.
95–96ἦνθέ γε μὰν ἁδεῖα καὶ ἁ Κύπρις γελάοισα, λάθρῃ μὲν γελάοισα, βαρὺν δ᾽ ἀνὰ θυμὸν ἔχοισα,
And indeed Cypris too came, laughing sweetly — laughing in secret, but holding up her heavy anger for all to see —
97κεῖπε “τύ θην τὸν Ἔρωτα κατεύχεο, Δάφνι, λυγιξεῖν·
and said, “You, I suppose, were the one who boasted that you would bend Eros, Daphnis;
98ἦ ῥ᾽ οὐκ αὐτὸς Ἔρωτος ὑπ᾽ ἀργαλέω ἐλυγίχθης;”
have you not yourself been bent by cruel Eros?”
99ἄρχετε βουκολικᾶς, Μοῖσαι, πάλιν ἄρχετ᾽ ἀοιδᾶς.
Begin, Muses, begin the pastoral song again.
100–101τὰν δ᾽ ἄρα χὠ Δάφνις ποταμείβετο· “Κύπρι βαρεῖα, Κύπρι νεμεσσατά, Κύπρι θνατοῖσιν ἀπεχθής,
And then Daphnis in his turn answered her: “Cypris the grievous, Cypris the resented, Cypris hateful to mortals,
102ἤδη γὰρ φράσδη πάνθ᾽ ἅλιον ἄμμι δεδύκειν;
for do you really suppose that my sun has wholly set?
103Δάφνις κἠν Ἀΐδα κακὸν ἔσσεται ἄλγος Ἔρωτι.
Daphnis, even in the house of Hades, will be a bitter pain to Eros.
104ἄρχετε βουκολικᾶς, Μοῖσαι, πάλιν ἄρχετ᾽ ἀοιδᾶς.
Begin, Muses, begin the pastoral song again.
105οὐ λέγεται τὰν Κύπριν ὁ βουκόλος — ; ἕρπε ποτ᾽ Ἴδαν,
Is the cowherd not said to have — Cypris? Off with you to Ida,
106–107ἕρπε ποτ᾽ Ἀγχίσαν· τηνεὶ δρύες ἠδὲ κύπειρος, αἱ δὲ καλὸν βομβεῦντι ποτὶ σμάνεσσι μέλισσαι.
go to Anchises; there are oaks there, and galingale, and the bees hum sweetly at the hives.
⋯
115ὦ λύκοι, ὦ θῶες, ὦ ἀν᾽ ὤρεα φωλάδες ἄρκτοι,
O wolves, O jackals, O bears that lie in your dens up in the mountains,
116χαίρεθ᾽· ὁ βουκόλος ὕμμιν ἐγὼ Δάφνις οὐκέτ᾽ ἀν᾽ ὕλαν,
farewell! I, Daphnis the cowherd, am no longer among you in the woodland,
117οὐκέτ᾽ ἀνὰ δρυμώς, οὐκ ἄλσεα. χαῖρ᾽, Ἀρέθοισα,
no longer through the thickets, not in the groves. Farewell, Arethusa,
118καὶ ποταμοὶ τοὶ χεῖτε καλὸν κατὰ Θύβριδος ὕδωρ.
and you rivers who pour your lovely water down from Thybris.