Argonautica: Book 4: line 1601 (original) (raw)

(4.1601-1637) He spake, and cut the victim's throat over the water and cast it from the stern. And the god rose up from the depths in form such as he really was. And as when a man trains a swift steed for the broad race-course, and runs along, grasping the bushy mane, while the steed follows obeying his master, and rears his neck aloft in his pride, and the gleaming bit rings loud as he champs it in his jaws from side to side; so the god, seizing hollow Argo's keel, guided her onward to the sea. And his body, from the crown of his head, round his back and waist as far as the belly, was wondrously like that of the blessed ones in form; but below his sides the tail of a sea monster lengthened far, forking to this side and that; and he smote the surface of the waves with the spines, which below parted into curving fins, like the horns of the new moon. And he guided Argo on until he sped her into the sea on her course; and quickly he plunged into the vast abyss; and the heroes shouted when they gazed with their eyes on that dread portent. There is the harbour of Argo and there are the signs of her stay, and altars to Poseidon and Triton; for during that day they tarried. But at dawn with sails outspread they sped on before the breath of the west wind, keeping the desert land on their right. And on the next morn they saw the headland and the recess of the sea, bending inward beyond the jutting headland. And straightway the west wind ceased, and there came the breeze of the clear south wind; and their hearts rejoiced at the sound it made. But when the sun sank and the star returned that bids the shepherd fold, which brings rest to wearied ploughmen, at that time the wind died down in the dark night; so they furled the sails and lowered the tall mast and vigorously plied their polished oars all night and through the day, and again when the next night came on. And rugged Carpathus far away welcomed them; and thence they were to cross to Crete, which rises in the sea above other islands.

1601 ̂Ἠ ῥ', ἅμα δ' εὐχωλῇσιν ἐς ὕδατα λαιμοτομήσας
1602 ἧκε κατὰ πρύμνης: ὁ δὲ βένθεος ἐξεφαάνθη
1603 τοῖος ἐών, οἷός περ ἐτήτυμος ἦεν ἰδέσθαι.
1604 ὡς δ' ὅτ' ἀνὴρ θοὸν ἵππον ἐς εὐρέα κύκλον ἀγῶνος
1605 στέλλῃ, ὀρεξάμενος λασίης εὐπειθέα χαίτης,
1606 εἶθαρ ἐπιτροχάων, ὁ δ' ἐπ' αὐχένι γαῦρος ἀερθεὶς
1607 ἕσπεται, ἀργινόεντα δ' ἐνὶ στομάτεσσι χαλινὰ
1608 ἀμφὶς ὀδακτάζοντι παραβλήδην κροτέονται:
1609 ὧς ὅγ' ἐπισχόμενος γλαφυρῆς ὁλκήιον Ἀργοῦς
1610 ἦγ' ἅλαδε προτέρωσε. δέμας δέ οἱ ἐξ ὑπάτοιο
1611 κράατος, ἀμφί τε νῶτα καὶ ἰξύας ἔστ' ἐπὶ νηδὺν
1612 ἀντικρὺ μακάρεσσι φυὴν ἔκπαγλον ἔικτο:
1613 αὐτὰρ ὑπαὶ λαγόνων δίκραιρά οἱ ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα
1614 κήτεος ὁλκαίη μηκύνετο: κόπτε δ' ἀκάνθαις
1615 ἄκρον ὕδωρ, αἵ τε σκολιοῖς ἐπινειόθι κέντροις
1616 μήνης ὡς κεράεσσιν ἐειδόμεναι διχόωντο.
1617 τόφρα δ' ἄγεν, τείως μιν ἐπιπροέηκε θαλάσσῃ
1618 νισσομένην: δῦ δ' αἶψα μέγαν βυθόν: οἱ δ' ὁμάδησαν
1619 ἥρωες, τέρας αἰνὸν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖσιν ἰδόντες.
1620 ἔνθα μὲν Ἀργῷός τε λιμὴν καὶ σήματα νηὸς
1621 ἠδὲ Ποσειδάωνος ἰδὲ Τρίτωνος ἔασιν
1622 βωμοί: ἐπεὶ κεῖν' ἦμαρ ἐπέσχεθον. αὐτὰρ ἐς ἠῶ
1623 λαίφεσι πεπταμένοις αὐτὴν ἐπὶ δεξί' ἔχοντες
1624 γαῖαν ἐρημαίην, πνοιῇ ζεφύροιο θέεσκον.
1625 ἦρι δ' ἔπειτ' ἀγκῶνά θ' ὁμοῦ μυχάτην τε θάλασσαν
1626 κεκλιμένην ἀγκῶνος ὕπερ προύχοντος ἴδοντο.
1627 αὐτίκα δὲ ζέφυρος μὲν ἐλώφεεν, ἤλυθε δ' αὔρη
1628 ἀργέσταο νότου: κεχάροντο δὲ θυμὸν ἰωῇ.
1629 ἦμος δ' ἠέλιος μὲν ἔδυ, ἀνὰ δ' ἤλυθεν ἀστὴρ
1630 αὔλιος, ὅς τ' ἀνέπαυσεν ὀιζυροὺς ἀροτῆρας,
1631 δὴ τότ' ἔπειτ' ἀνέμοιο κελαινῇ νυκτὶ λιπόντος
1632 ἱστία λυσάμενοι περιμήκεά τε κλίναντες
1633 ἱστόν, ἐυξέστῃσιν ἐπερρώοντ' ἐλάτῃσιν
1634 παννύχιοι καὶ ἐπ' ἦμαρ, ἐπ' ἤματι δ' αὖτις ἰοῦσαν
1635 νύχθ' ἑτέρην. ὑπέδεκτο δ' ἀπόπροθι παιπαλόεσσα
1636 Κάρπαθος: ἔνθεν δ' οἵγε περαιώσεσθαι ἔμελλον
1637 Κρήτην, ἥ τ' ἄλλων ὑπερέπλετο εἰν ἁλὶ νήσων.

(4.1694-1730) But straightway as they sped over the wide Cretan sea night scared them, that night which they name the Pall of Darkness; the stars pierced not that fatal night nor the beams of the moon, but black chaos descended from heaven, or haply some other darkness came, rising from the nethermost depths. And the heroes, whether they drifted in Hades or on the waters, knew not one whit; but they committed their return to the sea in helpless doubt whither it was bearing them. But Jason raised his hands and cried to Phoebus with mighty voice, calling on him to save them; and the tears ran down in his distress; and often did he promise to bring countless offerings to Pytho, to Amyclae, and to Ortygia. And quickly, O son of Leto, swift to hear, didst thou come down from heaven to the Melantian rocks, which lie there in the sea. Then darting upon one of the twin peaks, thou raisedst aloft in thy right hand thy golden bow; and the bow flashed a dazzling gleam all round. And to their sight appeared a small island of the Sporades, over against the tiny isle Hippuris, and there they cast anchor and stayed; and straightway dawn arose and gave them light; and they made for Apollo a glorious abode in a shady wood, and a shady altar, calling on Phoebus the "Gleamer", because of the gleam far-seen; and that bare island they called Anaphe, for that Phoebus had revealed it to men sore bewildered. And they sacrificed all that men could provide for sacrifice on a desolate strand; wherefore when Medea's Phaeacian handmaids saw them pouring water for libations on the burning brands, they could no longer restrain laughter within their bosoms, for that ever they had seen oxen in plenty slain in the halls of Alcinous. And the heroes delighted in the jest and attacked them with taunting words; and merry railing and contention flung to and fro were kindled among them. And from that sport of the heroes such scoffs do the women fling at the men in that island whenever they propitiate with sacrifices Apollo the gleaming god, the warder of Anaphe.

1694 Λὐτίκα δὲ Κρηταῖον ὑπὲρ μέγα λαῖτμα θέοντας
1695 νὺξ ἐφόβει, τήνπερ τε κατουλάδα κικλήσκουσιν:
1696 νύκτ' ὀλοὴν οὐκ ἄστρα διίσχανεν, οὐκ ἀμαρυγαὶ
1697 μήνης: οὐρανόθεν δὲ μέλαν χάος, ἠέ τις ἄλλη
1698 ὠρώρει σκοτίη μυχάτων ἀνιοῦσα βερέθρων.
1699 αὐτοὶ δ', εἴτ' Ἀίδῃ, εἴθ' ὕδασιν ἐμφορέοντο,
1700 ἠείδειν οὐδ' ὅσσον: ἐπέτρεψαν δὲ θαλάσσῃ
1701 νόστον, ἀμηχανέοντες, ὅπῃ φέροι. αὐτὰρ Ἰήσων
1702 χεῖρας ἀνασχόμενος μεγάλῃ ὀπὶ Φοῖβον ἀύτει,
1703 ῥύσασθαι καλέων: κατὰ δ' ἔρρεεν ἀσχαλόωντι
1704 δάκρυα: πολλὰ δὲ Πυθοῖ ὑπέσχετο, πολλὰ δ' Ἀμύκλαις,
1705 πολλὰ δ' ἐς Ὀρτυγίην ἀπερείσια δῶρα κομίσσειν.
1706 Λητοΐδη, τύνη δὲ κατ' οὐρανοῦ ἵκεο πέτρας
1707 ῥίμφα Μελαντίους ἀριήκοος, αἵ τ' ἐνὶ πόντῳ
1708 ἧνται: δοιάων δὲ μιῆς ἐφύπερθεν ὀρούσας,
1709 δεξιτερῇ χρύσειον ἀνέσχεθες ὑψόθι τόξον:
1710 μαρμαρέην δ' ἀπέλαμψε βιὸς περὶ πάντοθεν αἴγλην.
1711 τοῖσι δέ τις Σποράδων βαιὴ ἀπὸ τόφρ' ἐφαάνθη
1712 νῆσος ἰδεῖν, ὀλίγης Ἱππουρίδος ἀντία νήσου,
1713 ἔνθ' εὐνὰς ἐβάλοντο καὶ ἔσχεθον: αὐτίκα δ' Ἠὼς
1714 φέγγεν ἀνερχομένη: τοὶ δ' ἀγλαὸν Ἀπόλλωνι
1715 ἄλσει ἐνὶ σκιερῷ τέμενος σκιόεντά τε βωμὸν
1716 ποίεον, Αἰγλήτην μὲν ἐυσκόπου εἵνεκεν αἴγλης
1717 Φοῖβον κεκλόμενοι: Ἀνάφην δέ τε λισσάδα νῆσον
1718 ἴσκον, ὃ δὴ Φοῖβός μιν ἀτυζομένοις ἀνέφηνεν.
1719 ῥέζον δ' ὅσσα περ ἄνδρες ἐρημαίῃ ἐνὶ ῥέζειν
1720 ἀκτῇ ἐφοπλίσσειαν: ὃ δή σφεας ὁππότε δαλοῖς
1721 ὕδωρ αἰθομένοισιν ἐπιλλείβοντας ἴδοντο
1722 Μηδείης δμωαὶ Φαιηκίδες, οὐκέτ' ἔπειτα
1723 ἴσχειν ἐν στήθεσσι γέλω σθένον, οἷα θαμειὰς
1724 αἰὲν ἐν Ἀλκινόοιο βοοκτασίας ὁρόωσαι.
1725 τὰς δ' αἰσχροῖς ἥρωες ἐπεστοβέεσκον ἔπεσσιν
1726 χλεύῃ γηθόσυνοι: γλυκερὴ δ' ἀνεδαίετο τοῖσιν
1727 κερτομίη καὶ νεῖκος ἐπεσβόλον. ἐκ δέ νυ κείνης
1728 μολπῆς ἡρώων νήσῳ ἔνι τοῖα γυναῖκες
1729 ἀνδράσι δηριόωνται, ὅτ' Ἀπόλλωνα θυηλαῖς
1730 Αἰγλήτην Ἀνάφης τιμήορον ἱλάσκωνται.