Idylls

Question 1

Πᾷ μοι ταὶ δάφναι; φέρε, Θεστυλί. πᾷ δὲ τὰ φίλτρα;
στέψον τὰν κελέβαν φοινικέῳ οἰὸς ἀώτῳ,
ὡς τὸν ἐμὸν βαρὺν εὖντα φίλον καταδήσομαι ἄνδρα,
ὅς μοι δωδεκαταῖος ἀφ’ ὧ τάλας οὐδὲ ποθίκει,
οὐδ’ ἔγνω πότερον τεθνάκαμες ἢ ζοοὶ εἰμές,
οὐδὲ θύρας ἄραξεν ἀνάρσιος. ἦ ῥά οἱ ἀλλᾷ
ᾤχετ’ ἔχων ὅ τ’ Ἔρως ταχινὰς φρένας ἅ τ’ Ἀφροδίτα.
βασεῦμαι ποτὶ τὰν Τιμαγήτοιο παλαίστραν
αὔριον, ὥς νιν ἴδω, καὶ μέμψομαι οἷά με ποιεῖ.
νῦν δέ νιν ἐκ θυέων καταδήσομαι. ἀλλά, Σελάνα,
φαῖνε καλόν· τὶν γὰρ ποταείσομαι ἅσυχα, δαῖμον,
τᾷ χθονίᾳ θ’ Ἑκάτᾳ, τὰν καὶ σκύλακες τρομέοντι
ἐρχομέναν νεκύων ἀνά τ’ ἠρία καὶ μέλαν αἷμα.
χαῖρ’, Ἑκάτα δασπλῆτι, καὶ ἐς τέλος ἄμμιν ὀπάδει,
φάρμακα ταῦτ’ ἔρδοισα χερείονα μήτε τι Κίρκας
μήτε τι Μηδείας μήτε ξανθᾶς Περιμήδας.
Ἶυγξ, ἕλκε τὺ τῆνον ἐμὸν ποτὶ δῶμα τὸν ἄνδρα.
ἄλφιτά τοι πρᾶτον πυρὶ τάκεται. ἀλλ’ ἐπίπασσε,
Θεστυλί. δειλαία, πᾷ τὰς φρένας ἐκπεπότασαι;
ἦ ῥά γέ θην, μυσαρά, καὶ τὶν ἐπίχαρμα τέτυγμαι;
πάσσ’ ἅμα καὶ λέγε ταῦτα· “τὰ Δέλφιδος ὀστία πάσσω.”
ἶυγξ, ἕλκε τὺ τῆνον ἐμὸν ποτὶ δῶμα τὸν ἄνδρα.
Δέλφις ἔμ’ ἀνίασεν· ἐγὼ δ’ ἐπὶ Δέλφιδι δάφναν
αἴθω· χὠς αὕτα λακεῖ μέγα καππυρίσασα
κἠξαπίνας ἅφθη κοὐδὲ σποδὸν εἴδομες αὐτᾶς,
οὕτω τοι καὶ Δέλφις ἐνὶ φλογὶ σάρκ’ ἀμαθύνοι.
ἶυγξ, ἕλκε τὺ τῆνον ἐμὸν ποτὶ δῶμα τὸν ἄνδρα.
νῦν θυσῶ τὰ πίτυρα. τὺ δ’, Ἄρτεμι, καὶ τὸν ἐν Ἅιδα
κινήσαις ἀδάμαντα καὶ εἴ τί περ ἀσφαλὲς ἄλλο—
Θεστυλί, ταὶ κύνες ἄμμιν ἀνὰ πτόλιν ὠρύονται·
ἁ θεὸς ἐν τριόδοισι· τὸ χαλκέον ὡς τάχος ἄχει.

Answer 1

Where are my laurel wreaths? Bring them, Thestylis. And where are my potions?
encircle the cup with the finest scarlet of sheep’s wool, so that I can enchant my lover man who is a heavy burden to me, the wretch who has not yet come to me for 12 days, nor does he know whether I am dead or living,
nor does he knock at my door, the cruel man. Truly, Eros and Aphrodite have his fickle heart and have taken it gone off.
Tomorrow I will go to Timagetus’ wrestling school so I can see him and complain about the things he has done to me.
But for now I will enchant him with sacrifices.
But Selene, bring a fair light, for I will sing to you softly, goddess. Hecate, who lives in the underworld, who makes dogs tremble while walking through the tombs of the dead and black blood.
Rejoice/hail, frightful Hecate, and accompany me to the end,
Make these potions no lesser than Circe’s, Medea or fair-haired Perimede.

Wryneck, draw the man to my house.
First of all, melt down the barley grains. And sprinkle them, Thestylis.
Wretch, where has your mind flown off to?
truly, loathsome girl, have I become an object of malignant joy to you?
Sprinkle together while you speak these words,
‘I sprinkle the bones of Delphis’

Wryneck draw the man to my house.
Delphis grieves me, I burn the laurel against Delphis.
these crackle loudly, instantly bursting into flames as it is set on fire, we see not even ash of it.
in this way so may the flesh of Delphis be destroyed in the flames.

Wryneck, draw the man to my house.
Now I will burn the bran. And you, Artemis, who can move the unconquerable in Hades and whatever else is steadfast.
Thestylis, the dogs are howling throughout the city for us.
The goddess is on the crossroads, bang the bronze as quickly as you can.

βασεῦμαι - βησομαι

Question 2

ἶυγξ, ἕλκε τὺ τῆνον ἐμὸν ποτὶ δῶμα τὸν ἄνδρα.
ἠνίδε σιγῇ μὲν πόντος, σιγῶντι δ’ ἀῆται·
ἁ δ’ ἐμὰ οὐ σιγῇ στέρνων ἔντοσθεν ἀνία,
ἀλλ’ ἐπὶ τήνῳ πᾶσα καταίθομαι ὅς με τάλαιναν
ἀντὶ γυναικὸς ἔθηκε κακὰν καὶ ἀπάρθενον ἦμεν.
ἶυγξ, ἕλκε τὺ τῆνον ἐμὸν ποτὶ δῶμα τὸν ἄνδρα.
ὡς τοῦτον τὸν κηρὸν ἐγὼ σὺν δαίμονι τάκω,
ὣς τάκοιθ’ ὑπ’ ἔρωτος ὁ Μύνδιος αὐτίκα Δέλφις.
χὠς δινεῖθ’ ὅδε ῥόμβος ὁ χάλκεος ἐξ Ἀφροδίτας,
ὣς τῆνος δινοῖτο ποθ’ ἁμετέραισι θύραισιν.
ἶυγξ, ἕλκε τὺ τῆνον ἐμὸν ποτὶ δῶμα τὸν ἄνδρα.
ἐς τρὶς ἀποσπένδω καὶ τρὶς τάδε, πότνια, φωνῶ·
εἴτε γυνὰ τήνῳ παρακέκλιται εἴτε καὶ ἀνήρ,
τόσσον ἔχοι λάθας ὅσσον ποκὰ Θησέα φαντί
ἐν Δίᾳ λασθῆμεν ἐυπλοκάμω Ἀριάδνας.
ἶυγξ, ἕλκε τὺ τῆνον ἐμὸν ποτὶ δῶμα τὸν ἄνδρα.
ἱππομανὲς φυτόν ἐστι παρ’ Ἀρκάσι, τῷ δ’ ἔπι πᾶσαι
καὶ πῶλοι μαίνονται ἀν’ ὤρεα καὶ θοαὶ ἵπποι·
ὣς καὶ Δέλφιν ἴδοιμι, καὶ ἐς τόδε δῶμα περάσαι
μαινομένῳ ἴκελος λιπαρᾶς ἔκτοσθε παλαίστρας.
ἶυγξ, ἕλκε τὺ τῆνον ἐμὸν ποτὶ δῶμα τὸν ἄνδρα.
τοῦτ’ ἀπὸ τᾶς χλαίνας τὸ κράσπεδον ὤλεσε Δέλφις,
ὡγὼ νῦν τίλλοισα κατ’ ἀγρίῳ ἐν πυρὶ βάλλω.
αἰαῖ Ἔρως ἀνιαρέ, τί μευ μέλαν ἐκ χροὸς αἷμα
ἐμφὺς ὡς λιμνᾶτις ἅπαν ἐκ βδέλλα πέπωκας;
ἶυγξ, ἕλκε τὺ τῆνον ἐμὸν ποτὶ δῶμα τὸν ἄνδρα.
σαύραν τοι τρίψασα κακὸν ποτὸν αὔριον οἰσῶ.
Θεστυλί, νῦν δὲ λαβοῖσα τὺ τὰ θρόνα ταῦθ’ ὑπόμαξον
τᾶς τήνω φλιᾶς καθ’ ὑπέρτερον ἇς ἔτι καὶ νύξ,
καὶ λέγ’ ἐπιτρύζοισα “τὰ Δέλφιδος ὀστία μάσσω.”
ἶυγξ, ἕλκε τὺ τῆνον ἐμὸν ποτὶ δῶμα τὸν ἄνδρα.
Νῦν δὴ μώνα ἐοῖσα πόθεν τὸν ἔρωτα δακρύσω;
ἐκ τίνος ἄρξωμαι; τίς μοι κακὸν ἄγαγε τοῦτο;
ἦνθ’ ἁ τωὐβούλοιο καναφόρος ἄμμιν Ἀναξώ ἄλσος ἐς Ἀρτέμιδος, τᾷ δὴ τόκα πολλὰ μὲν ἄλλα
θηρία πομπεύεσκε περισταδόν, ἐν δὲ λέαινα.

Answer 2

Wryneck,

look there, the sea is silent, the breezes are still, my grief is not silent from within my heart. But I am burning in all of me, he has made me wretched and made me no longer a virgin, instead of his wife.

Wryneck….
just as I melt this beeswax with the help of the goddess,
so may Myndian Delphis be melted by love at once.
and as this bronze rhombos is spun round from aphrodite, so may he turn about my door.

Wryneck….
Three times I pour libations, mistress, and three times I utter these words:
‘whether a woman lies down beside him or a man, may he have so much forgetfulness, as great as they say as when Theseus forgot about fairhaired Ariadne on Dia.

Wryneck…
Hippomanes is a plant from the arcadians, the foals and swift horses across the mountains are mad for it.
so may I see Delphis and may he journey to this house, resembling a mad man, slick with oil from the wrestling school.

Wryneck…..

From his cloak, Delphis lost this edge, which I now, having torn it, I will throw into the fire.
Ah cruel love, why do you latch onto me as a leech from the marshes and drink all the black blood from my flesh?

Wryneck…..

Tomorrow I will bear the lizard to, having been crushed, as a bad drink.
Thestylis, now having taken the herbs, spread them on his threshold on the highest point while it is still night,
and say while spitting ‘I scatter the bones of Delphis’

Wryneck…
now that I am alone, from where will I weep for my love?
from where should I start?
who brought this trouble to me?
Our Anaxo, daughter of Eubulus, went as a basketbearer to the glade of Artemis, to whom many wild animals paraded, and a lioness.

τῶὐβούλοιο = τῶ Εὐβούλοιο, ‘the daughter of Eubulus.’

Question 3

φράζεό μευ τὸν ἔρωθ’ ὅθεν ἵκετο, πότνα Σελάνα.
καί μ’ ἁ Θευμαρίδα Θρᾷσσα τροφός, ἁ μακαρῖτις,
ἀγχίθυρος ναίοισα κατεύξατο καὶ λιτάνευσε
τὰν πομπὰν θάσασθαι· ἐγὼ δέ οἱ ἁ μεγάλοιτος
ὡμάρτευν βύσσοιο καλὸν σύροισα χιτῶνα
κἀμφιστειλαμένα τὰν ξυστίδα τὰν Κλεαρίστας.
φράζεό μευ τὸν ἔρωθ’ ὅθεν ἵκετο, πότνα Σελάνα.
ἤδη δ’ εὖσα μέσαν κατ’ ἀμαξιτόν, ᾇ τὰ Λύκωνος,
εἶδον Δέλφιν ὁμοῦ τε καὶ Εὐδάμιππον ἰόντας·
τοῖς δ’ ἦς ξανθοτέρα μὲν ἑλιχρύσοιο γενειάς,
στήθεα δὲ στίλβοντα πολὺ πλέον ἢ τύ, Σελάνα,
ὡς ἀπὸ γυμνασίοιο καλὸν πόνον ἄρτι λιπόντων.
φράζεό μευ τὸν ἔρωθ’ ὅθεν ἵκετο, πότνα Σελάνα.
χὠς ἴδον, ὣς ἐμάνην, ὥς μοι πυρὶ θυμὸς ἰάφθη
δειλαίας, τὸ δὲ κάλλος ἐτάκετο. οὐκέτι πομπᾶς
τήνας ἐφρασάμαν, οὐδ’ ὡς πάλιν οἴκαδ’ ἀπῆνθον
ἔγνων, ἀλλά μέ τις καπυρὰ νόσος ἐξεσάλαξεν,
κείμαν δ’ ἐν κλιντῆρι δέκ’ ἄματα καὶ δέκα νύκτας.
φράζεό μευ τὸν ἔρωθ’ ὅθεν ἵκετο, πότνα Σελάνα.
καί μευ χρὼς μὲν ὁμοῖος ἐγίνετο πολλάκι θάψῳ,
ἔρρευν δ’ ἐκ κεφαλᾶς πᾶσαι τρίχες, αὐτὰ δὲ λοιπά
ὀστί’ ἔτ’ ἦς καὶ δέρμα. καὶ ἐς τίνος οὐκ ἐπέρασα,
ἢ ποίας ἔλιπον γραίας δόμον ἅτις ἐπᾷδεν;
ἀλλ’ ἦς οὐδὲν ἐλαφρόν, ὁ δὲ χρόνος ἄνυτο φεύγων.
φράζεό μευ τὸν ἔρωθ’ ὅθεν ἵκετο, πότνα Σελάνα.
χοὔτω τᾷ δώλᾳ τὸν ἀλαθέα μῦθον ἔλεξα·
“εἰ δ’ ἄγε, Θεστυλί, μοι χαλεπᾶς νόσω εὑρέ τι μᾶχος.
πᾶσαν ἔχει με τάλαιναν ὁ Μύνδιος· ἀλλὰ μολοῖσα
τήρησον ποτὶ τὰν Τιμαγήτοιο παλαίστραν·
τηνεὶ γὰρ φοιτῇ, τηνεὶ δέ οἱ ἁδὺ καθῆσθαι.
φράζεό μευ τὸν ἔρωθ’ ὅθεν ἵκετο, πότνα Σελάνα.
κἠπεί κά νιν ἐόντα μάθῃς μόνον, ἅσυχα νεῦσον,
κεἴφ’ ὅτι ‘Σιμαίθα τυ καλεῖ’, καὶ ὑφαγέο τεῖδε.”
ὣς ἐφάμαν· ἃ δ’ ἦνθε καὶ ἄγαγε τὸν λιπαρόχρων
εἰς ἐμὰ δώματα Δέλφιν· ἐγὼ δέ νιν ὡς ἐνόησα
ἄρτι θύρας ὑπὲρ οὐδὸν ἀμειβόμενον ποδὶ κούφῳ—
φράζεό μευ τὸν ἔρωθ’ ὅθεν ἵκετο, πότνα Σελάνα—
πᾶσα μὲν ἐψύχθην χιόνος πλέον, ἐκ δὲ μετώπω
ἱδρώς μευ κοχύδεσκεν ἴσον νοτίαισιν ἐέρσαις,
οὐδέ τι φωνῆσαι δυνάμαν, οὐδ’ ὅσσον ἐν ὕπνῳ
κνυζεῦνται φωνεῦντα φίλαν ποτὶ ματέρα τέκνα·
ἀλλ’ ἐπάγην δαγῦδι καλὸν χρόα πάντοθεν ἴσα.
φράζεό μευ τὸν ἔρωθ’ ὅθεν ἵκετο, πότνα Σελάνα.
καί μ’ ἐσιδὼν ὥστοργος ἐπὶ χθονὸς ὄμματα πάξας
ἕζετ’ ἐπὶ κλιντῆρι καὶ ἑζόμενος φάτο μῦθον·
“ἦ ῥά με, Σιμαίθα, τόσον ἔφθασας, ὅσσον ἐγώ θην
πρᾶν ποκα τὸν χαρίεντα τράχων ἔφθασσα Φιλῖνον,
ἐς τὸ τεὸν καλέσασα τόδε στέγος ἢ ‘μὲ παρῆμεν.

Answer 3

Mistress of the moon, point out/reveal to me from where my love came.

and Theumaridas’ Thracian nurse, she is blessed, living next door to me, begged and entreated me to see/gaze at the parade/procession.
and I, most wretched, accompanied her, trailing in fine long linen dress and wrapped in Clearista’s cloak.

Mistress of the moon, point out/reveal to me from where my love came
By the time I was half way down the road, to where Lycon’s place is, I saw Delphis together with Eudamippus. Their beards were more golden than the gold flower, their chests gleamed by much more than you, Selene, because they had just left the good exercise from the gym.

Pointout…

and so when I saw them, I was furious, and my wretched heart was hurt with fire, and my beauty melted away. No longer did I watch that procession, no did I know how I got back home, but was shaken by a drying sickness. I lay on my bed for ten days and ten nights.

Point out…..

My skin often becomes like fustic, and all my hair fell from my head, there was only remaining was skin and bones.
and whose house did I not visit and of what kind of old woman did I not sing to (????)
It is no light matter, fleeing time has come to an end.

Point out…..

as so I told the slave girl the true story.
‘come Thestylis, find a cure for my cruel disease.
Mydian holds me all wretched. go over and watch the wrestling school of Timagetus, for there he frequents, there it is pleasant to sit.

Point out….

‘when you have perceived (found) him alone, nod to him gently, and say that Simaetha calls you’ and lead him here’
so I spoke. She went and lead the sleek skinned Delphis to my house.
when I saw him just crossing over my threshold-

Point out……

All of me became colder than snow, sweat ran from my face as wet dew,
nor was I able to say something, not as much as children in sleep whimpering for their beloved mother,
my fair body became stiff from all sides like a wax doll.

Point out……

The heartless man saw me, and fixing his eyes to the ground, he sat on the bed, sitting down, he said these words,
‘Truly Simaetha, you were in ahead of me by as much, surely as when before I overtook the graceful Philinus running,
you called me to this roof.