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ARGONAUTICA BOOK 1 [834]

(1.834-835) She spoke, glozing over the murder that had been wrought upon the men; and Jason addressed her in answer:

834    Ἴσκεν, ἀμαλδύνουσα φόνου τέλος, οἷον ἐτύχθη
835 ἀνδράσιν: αὐτὰρ ὁ τήνγε παραβλήδην προσέειπεν

(1.836-841) "Hypsipyle, very dear to our hearts is the help we shall meet with, which thou grantest to us who need thee. And I will return again to the city when I have told everything in order due. But let the sovereignty of the island be thine; it is not in scorn I yield it up, but grievous trials urge me on."

836     "Ὑψιπύλη, μάλα κεν θυμηδέος ἀντιάσαιμεν
837 χρησμοσύνης, ἣν ἄμμι σέθεν χατέουσιν ὀπάζεις.
838 εἶμι δ' ὑπότροπος αὖτις ἀνὰ πτόλιν, εὖτ' ἂν ἕκαστα
839 ἐξείπω κατὰ κόσμον. ἀνακτορίη δὲ μελέσθω
840 σοίγ' αὐτῇ καὶ νῆσος: ἔγωγε μὲν οὐκ ἀθερίζων
841 χάζομαι, ἀλλά με λυγροὶ ἐπισπέρχουσιν ἄεθλοι."

(1.842-852) He spake, and touched her right hand; and quickly he turned to go back: and round him the young maids on every side danced in countless numbers in their joy till he passed through the gates. And then they came to the shore in smooth-running wains, bearing with them many gifts, when now he had related from beginning to end the speech which Hypsipyle had spoken when she summoned them; and the maids readily led the men back to their homes for entertainment. For Cypris stirred in them a sweet desire, for the sake of Hephaestus of many counsels, in order that Lemnos might be again inhabited by men and not be ruined.

842     ̂Ἠ, καὶ δεξιτερῆς χειρὸς θίγεν: αἶψα δ' ὀπίσσω
843 βῆ ῥ' ἴμεν, ἀμφὶ δὲ τόνγε νεήνιδες ἄλλοθεν ἄλλαι
844 μυρίαι εἱλίσσοντο κεχαρμέναι, ὄφρα πυλάων
845 ἐξέμολεν. μετέπειτα δ' ἐυτροχάλοισιν ἀμάξαις
846 ἀκτὴν εἰσαπέβαν, ξεινήια πολλὰ φέρουσαι,
847 μῦθον ὅτ' ἤδη πάντα διηνεκέως ἀγόρευσεν,
848 τόν ῥα καλεσσαμένη διεπέφραδεν Ὑψιπύλεια:
849 καὶ δ' αὐτοὺς ξεινοῦσθαι ἐπὶ σφέα δώματ' ἄγεσκον
850 ῥηιδίως. Κύπρις γὰρ ἐπὶ γλυκὺν ἵμερον ὦρσεν
851 Ἡφαίστοιο χάριν πολυμήτιος, ὄφρα κεν αὖτις
852 ναίηται μετόπισθεν ἀκήρατος ἀνδράσι Λῆμνος.

(1.853-864) Thereupon Aeson's son started to go to the royal home of Hypsipyle; and the rest went each his way as chance took them, all but Heracles; for he of his own will was left behind by the ship and a few chosen comrades with him. And straightway the city rejoiced with dances and banquets, being filled with the steam of sacrifice; and above all the immortals they propitiated with songs and sacrifices the illustrious son of Hera and Cypris herself. And the sailing was ever delayed from one day to another; and long would they have lingered there, had not Heracles, gathering together his comrades apart from the women, thus addressed them with reproachful words:

853     Ἔνθ' ὁ μὲν Ὑψιπύλης βασιλήιον ἐς δόμον ὦρτο
854 Αἰσονίδης: οἱ δ' ἄλλοι ὅπῃ καὶ ἔκυρσαν ἕκαστος,
855 Ἡρακλῆος ἄνευθεν, ὁ γὰρ παρὰ νηὶ λέλειπτο
856 αὐτὸς ἑκὼν παῦροί τε διακρινθέντες ἑταῖροι.
857 αὐτίκα δ' ἄστυ χοροῖσι καὶ εἰλαπίνῃσι γεγήθει
858 καπνῷ κνισήεντι περίπλεον: ἔξοχα δ' ἄλλων
859 ἀθανάτων Ἥρης υἷα κλυτὸν ἠδὲ καὶ αὐτὴν
860 Κύπριν ἀοιδῇσιν θυέεσσί τε μειλίσσοντο.
861 ἀμβολίη δ' εἰς ἦμαρ ἀεὶ ἐξ ἤματος ἦεν
862 ναυτιλίης: δηρὸν δ' ἂν ἐλίνυον αὖθι μένοντες,
863 εἰ μὴ ἀολλίσσας ἑτάρους ἀπάνευθε γυναικῶν
864 Ἡρακλέης τοίοισιν ἐνιπτάζων μετέειπεν:

(1.865-874) "Wretched men, does the murder of kindred keep us from our native land? Or is it in want of marriage that we have come hither from thence, in scorn of our countrywomen? Does it please us to dwell here and plough the rich soil of Lemnos? No fair renown shall we win by thus tarrying so long with stranger women; nor will some god seize and give us at our prayer a fleece that moves of itself. Let us then return each to his own; but him leave ye to rest all day long in the embrace of Hypsipyle until he has peopled Lemnos with men-children, and so there come to him great glory."

865     "Δαιμόνιοι, πάτρης ἐμφύλιον αἷμ' ἀποέργει
866 ἡμέας; ἦε γάμων ἐπιδευέες ἐνθάδ' ἔβημεν
867 κεῖθεν, ὀνοσσάμενοι πολιήτιδας; αὖθι δ' ἕαδεν
868 ναίοντας λιπαρὴν ἄροσιν Λήμνοιο ταμέσθαι;
869 οὐ μὰν εὐκλειεῖς γε σὺν ὀθνείῃσι γυναιξὶν
870 ἐσσόμεθ' ὧδ' ἐπὶ δηρὸν ἐελμένοι: οὐδέ τι κῶας
871 αὐτόματον δώσει τις ἑλὼν θεὸς εὐξαμένοισιν.
872 ἴομεν αὖτις ἕκαστοι ἐπὶ σφέα: τὸν δ' ἐνὶ λέκτροις
873 Ὑψιπύλης εἰᾶτε πανήμερον, εἰσόκε Λῆμνον
874 παισὶν ἐσανδρώσῃ, μεγάλη τέ ἑ βάξις ἵκηται."

(1.875-887) Thus did he chide the band; but no one dared to meet his eye or to utter a word in answer. But just as they were in the assembly they made ready their departure in all haste, and the women came running towards them, when they knew their intent. And as when bees hum round fair lilies pouring forth from their hive in the rock, and all around the dewy meadow rejoices, and they gather the sweet fruit, flitting from one to another; even so the women eagerly poured forth clustering round the men with loud lament, and greeted each one with hands and voice, praying the blessed gods to grant him a safe return. And so Hypsipyle too prayed, seizing the hands of Aeson's son, and her tears flowed for the loss of her lover:

875     Ὧς νείκεσσεν ὅμιλον: ἐναντία δ' οὔ νύ τις ἔτλη
876 ὄμματ' ἀνασχεθέειν, οὐδὲ προτιμυθήσασθαι:
877 ἀλλ' αὔτως ἀγορῆθεν ἐπαρτίζοντο νέεσθαι
878 σπερχόμενοι. ταὶ δέ σφιν ἐπέδραμον, εὖτ' ἐδάησαν.
879 ὡς δ' ὅτε λείρια καλὰ περιβρομέουσι μέλισσαι
880 πέτρης ἐκχύμεναι σιμβληίδος, ἀμφὶ δὲ λειμὼν
881 ἑρσήεις γάνυται, ταὶ δὲ γλυκὺν ἄλλοτε ἄλλον
882 καρπὸν ἀμέργουσιν πεποτημέναι: ὧς ἄρα ταίγε
883 ἐνδυκὲς ἀνέρας ἀμφὶ κινυρόμεναι προχέοντο,
884 χερσί τε καὶ μύθοισιν ἐδεικανόωντο ἕκαστον,
885 εὐχόμεναι μακάρεσσιν ἀπήμονα νόστον ὀπάσσαι.
886 ὧς δὲ καὶ Ὑψιπύλη ἠρήσατο χεῖρας ἑλοῦσα
887 Αἰσονίδεω, τὰ δέ οἱ ῥέε δάκρυα χήτει ἰόντος:

(1.888-898) "Go, and may heaven bring thee back again with thy comrades unharmed, bearing to the king the golden fleece, even as thou wilt and thy heart desireth; and this island and my father's sceptre will be awaiting thee, if on thy return hereafter thou shouldst choose to come hither again; and easily couldst thou gather a countless host of men from other cities. But thou wilt not have this desire, nor do I myself forbode that so it will be. Still remember Hypsipyle when thou art far away and when thou hast returned; and leave me some word of bidding, which I will gladly accomplish, if haply heaven shall grant me to be a mother."

888     "Νίσσεο, καὶ σὲ θεοὶ σὺν ἀπηρέσιν αὖτις ἑταίροις
889 χρύσειον βασιλῆι δέρος κομίσειαν ἄγοντα
890 αὔτως, ὡς ἐθέλεις καί τοι φίλον. ἥδε δὲ νῆσος
891 σκῆπτρά τε πατρὸς ἐμεῖο παρέσσεται, ἢν καὶ ὀπίσσω
892 δή ποτε νοστήσας ἐθέλῃς ἄψορρον ἱκέσθαι.
893 ῥηιδίως δ' ἂν ἑοῖ καὶ ἀπείρονα λαὸν ἀγείραις
894 ἄλλων ἐκ πολίων: ἀλλ' οὐ σύγε τήνδε μενοινὴν
895 σχήσεις, οὔτ' αὐτὴ προτιόσσομαι ὧδε τελεῖσθαι.
896 μνώεο μὴν ἀπεών περ ὁμῶς καὶ νόστιμος ἤδη
897 Ὑψιπύλης: λίπε δ' ἧμιν ἔπος, τό κεν ἐξανύσαιμι
898 πρόφρων, ἢν ἄρα δή με θεοὶ δώωσι τεκέσθαι."

(1.899-909) And Aeson's son in admiration thus replied: "Hypsipyle, so may all these things prove propitious by the favour of the blessed gods. But do thou hold a nobler thought of me, since by the grace of Pelias it is enough for me to dwell in my native land; may the gods only release me from my toils. But if it is not my destiny to sail afar and return to the land of Hellas, and if thou shouldst bear a male child, send him when grown up to Pelasgian Iolcus, to heal the grief of my father and mother if so be that he find them still living, in order that, far away from the king, they may be cared for by their own hearth in their home."

899     Τὴν δ' αὖτ' Αἴσονος υἱὸς ἀγαιόμενος προσέειπεν:
900 "Ὑψιπύλη, τὰ μὲν οὕτω ἐναίσιμα πάντα γένοιτο
901 ἐκ μακάρων: τύνη δ' ἐμέθεν πέρι θυμὸν ἀρείω
902 ἴσχαν', ἐπεὶ πάτρην μοι ἅλις Πελίαο ἕκητι
903 ναιετάειν: μοῦνόν με θεοὶ λύσειαν ἀέθλων.
904 εἰ δ' οὔ μοι πέπρωται ἐς Ἑλλάδα γαῖαν ἱκέσθαι
905 τηλοῦ ἀναπλώοντι, σὺ δ' ἄρσενα παῖδα τέκηαι,
906 πέμπε μιν ἡβήσαντα Πελασγίδος ἔνδον Ἰωλκοῦ
907 πατρί τ' ἐμῷ καὶ μητρὶ δύης ἄκος, ἢν ἄρα τούσγε
908 τέτμῃ ἔτι ζώοντας, ἵν' ἄνδιχα τοῖο ἄνακτος
909 σφοῖσιν πορσύνωνται ἐφέστιοι ἐν μεγάροισιν."


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