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Xenophon of Ephesus, An Ephesian Tale 1.9.5 · 1.9.5

The love drink

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Ἀλλʼ ἰδού, δάκρυα μὲν ὑποδέχου τἀμά, καὶ ἡ καλή σου κόμη πινέτω πῶμα τὸ ἐρωτικόν, καὶ συμφύντες ἀλλήλοις ἀναμιγῶμεν, καταβρέχωμεν δὲ καὶ τοὺς στεφάνους τοῖς παρʼ ἀλλήλων δάκρυσιν, ἵνʼ ἡμῖν καὶ οὗτοι συνερῶσιν.

"But look: catch my tears, and let your beautiful hair drink the love drink. Let us cling to each other and be mingled together, and let us wet our garlands too with each other's tears, so that they too may love along with us."

Word by word

ἈλλʼAll’butἰδούidoúlook,δάκρυαdákryatearsμὲνmèn—ὑποδέχουhypodéchoucatchτἀμάtamámy,καὶkaìandἡhē—καλήkalḗbeautifulσουsouyourκόμηkómēhairπινέτωpinétōdrinkπῶμαpômadrinkτὸtòtheἐρωτικόνerōtikónlove,καὶkaìandσυμφύντεςsymphýntesclingingἀλλήλοιςallḗloisto each otherἀναμιγῶμενanamigômenlet us be mingled,καταβρέχωμενkatabréchōmenlet us wetδὲdèandκαὶkaìtooτοὺςtoùsourστεφάνουςstephánousgarlandsτοῖςtoîswith theπαρʼpar’fromἀλλήλωνallḗlōneach otherδάκρυσινdákrysintears,ἵνʼhín’so thatἡμῖνhēmînusκαὶkaìtooοὗτοιhoûtoitheyσυνερῶσινsynerôsinmay love along with.

The setting

Book 1, chapter 9. Anthia goes on with her answer.

A note on this passage

Anthia turns her tears into πῶμα τὸ ἐρωτικόν, "the love drink," and gives it to his hair. The adjective is the one used of the love drugs Eros carried against Habrocomes in 1.2.1, ἐρωτικῶν φαρμάκων; this drink comes from the bride's own eyes. κόμη, "hair," is the second half of his name (1.1.1), and the garlands she wants wet with both their tears are the wreaths of the wedding.

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Xenophon of Ephesus, An Ephesian Tale 1.9.5 — The Great Library Project interlinear edition · greatlibraryproject.com/book/ephesiantale/1.9.5/