2.135
The Sorceress 2.135 · Too quick to believe2.135Too quick to believe
Lines 135–143. The end of his speech, and what followed.
· · ·
φράζεό1
phrázeó
Seeconsider
, πότνα2
pótna
ladyqueen
Σελάνα3
Selána
Moon
, ὅθεν4
hóthen
from wherewhence
μευ5
meu
my
τὸν6
tòn
—
ἔρωθʼ7
érōth’
love
ἵκετο8
híketo
camearrived
. δὲ9
dè
And
σὺν10
sỳn
with
κακαῖς11
kakaîs
wickedevil
μανίαις12
maníais
madnessfrenzies
he
ἐφόβησʼ13
ephóbēs’
drives headlongput to flight
καὶ14
kaì
—both
παρθένον15
parthénon
a girlmaiden
ἐκ16
ek
from
θαλάμοιο17
thalámoio
her roombedroom
, καὶ18
kaì
and
νύμφαν19
nýmphan
a bride
λιποῖσαν20
lipoîsan
leavinghaving left
δέμνια21
démnia
the bedbedstead
ἀνέρος22
anéros
of her husbandof a man
ἔτι23
éti
still
θερμὰ24
thermà
warm
. ὣς25
hṑs
So
ὁ26
ho
he
μὲν27
mèn
—
εἶπεν28
eîpen
spokesaid
. δέ29
dé
And
ἐγὼ30
egṑ
I
ἁ31
ha
—
ταχυπειθὴς32
tachypeithḕs
too quick to believequickly persuaded
, ἐφαψαμένα33
ephapsaména
takinghaving laid hold of
οἱ34
hoi
his
χειρὸς35
cheiròs
hand
ἔκλινʼ36
éklin’
laidmade lie
him
ἐπὶ37
epì
on
μαλακῶν38
malakôn
the soft
λέκτρων39
léktrōn
bed
. καὶ40
kaì
And
ταχὺ41
tachỳ
soonquickly
χρὼς42
chrṑs
skin
πεπαίνετο43
pepaíneto
warmedripened
ἐπὶ44
epì
againstupon
χρωτὶ45
chrōtì
skin
, καὶ46
kaì
and
τὰ47
tà
our
πρόσωπα48
prósōpa
faces
ἦς49
ês
werewas
θερμότερʼ50
thermóter’
hotterwarmer
ἢ51
ḕ
than
πρόσθε52
prósthe
before
, καὶ53
kaì
and
ἐψιθυρίσδομες54
epsithyrísdomes
we whispered
ἁδύ55
hadý
sweetlysweet
. χὥς56
chhṓs
And so
κά57
ká
—
μὴ58
mḕ
I won'tnot
θρυλέοιμι59
thryléoimi
babblechatter
μακρὰ60
makrà
on and onlong
τοι61
toi
to you
φίλα62
phíla
dear
Σελάνα63
Selána
Moon
: τὰ64
tà
the
μέγιστα65
mégista
greatest thing
ἐπράχθη66
epráchthē
was donewas accomplished
, καὶ67
kaì
and
ἄμφω68
ámphō
we both
ἤνθομες69
ḗnthomes
came
ἐς70
es
to
our
πόθον71
póthon
desirelonging
. See, lady Moon, where my love came from. And with wicked madness he drives a girl headlong from her room, and a bride from her husband's bed while it is still warm. So he spoke. And I, too quick to believe, took his hand and laid him on the soft bed. And soon skin warmed against skin, and our faces were hotter than before, and we whispered sweetly. And so I won't babble on to you, dear Moon: the greatest thing was done, and we both came to our desire.
See, lady Moon, where my love came from. And with wicked madness he drives a girl headlong from her room, and a bride from her husband's bed while it is still warm. So he spoke. And I, too quick to believe, took his hand and laid him on the soft bed. And soon skin warmed against skin, and our faces were hotter than before, and we whispered sweetly. And so I won't babble on to you, dear Moon: the greatest thing was done, and we both came to our desire.
Interpretation
See, lady Moon, where my love came from. "With wicked madness he drives a girl from her room and a bride from her husband's bed while it is still warm." So he spoke. And I, too quick to believe, took his hand and drew him down on the soft bed. Soon skin warmed against skin, our faces were hotter than before, and we whispered sweetly. Not to tell you all of it, dear Moon: the greatest thing was done, and we both came to our desire.
Delphis ends on Eros, who drives a girl from her room and a bride from a bed still warm. Cholmeley takes the verb ἐφόβησε as a statement of what Eros always does, "drives headlong." Simaetha, ταχυπειθής, "too quick to believe," takes his hand.
She tells the rest briefly. Skin warms against skin: the verb, πεπαίνετο, is the word for fruit ripening. Then she stops herself, "not to tell all at length," in Cholmeley's words, and says only that the greatest thing was done.
2.144
The Sorceress 2.144 · News at dawn2.144News at dawn
Lines 144–153. Today a visitor brought news: Delphis is in love with someone else.
· · ·
And he found no fault with me until yesterday, nor I, in turn, with him. But today there came to me the mother of Philista, the blind flute-girl, and of Melixo, at the hour when the horses were racing up the sky, bringing rosy-armed Dawn from Ocean. And she told me many things, and that Delphis is in love; and whether desire for a woman has him now, or for a man, she said she did not know for sure, only this: he kept pouring himself unmixed wine to his love, and in the end he hurried away, and said he would cover that house with garlands.