Georgics

Virgil

Vergil. The Poems of Vergil. Rhoades, James, translator. London: Oxford University Press, 1921.

  1. But that cry,
  2. Even from her chamber in the river-deeps,
  3. His mother heard: around her spun the nymphs
  4. Milesian wool stained through with hyaline dye,
  5. Drymo, Xantho, Ligea, Phyllodoce,
  6. Their glossy locks o'er snowy shoulders shed,
  7. Cydippe and Lycorias yellow-haired,
  8. A maiden one, one newly learned even then
  9. To bear Lucina's birth-pang. Clio, too,
  10. And Beroe, sisters, ocean-children both,
  11. Both zoned with gold and girt with dappled fell,
  12. Ephyre and Opis, and from Asian meads
  13. Deiopea, and, bow at length laid by,
  14. Fleet-footed Arethusa. But in their midst
  15. Fair Clymene was telling o'er the tale
  16. Of Vulcan's idle vigilance and the stealth
  17. Of Mars' sweet rapine, and from Chaos old
  18. Counted the jostling love-joys of the Gods.
  19. Charmed by whose lay, the while their woolly tasks
  20. With spindles down they drew, yet once again
  21. Smote on his mother's ears the mournful plaint
  22. Of Aristaeus; on their glassy thrones
  23. Amazement held them all; but Arethuse
  24. Before the rest put forth her auburn head,
  25. Peering above the wave-top, and from far
  26. Exclaimed, “Cyrene, sister, not for naught
  27. Scared by a groan so deep, behold! 'tis he,
  28. Even Aristaeus, thy heart's fondest care,
  29. Here by the brink of the Peneian sire
  30. Stands woebegone and weeping, and by name
  31. Cries out upon thee for thy cruelty.”
  32. To whom, strange terror knocking at her heart,
  33. “Bring, bring him to our sight,” the mother cried;
  34. “His feet may tread the threshold even of Gods.”
  35. So saying, she bids the flood yawn wide and yield
  36. A pathway for his footsteps; but the wave
  37. Arched mountain-wise closed round him, and within
  38. Its mighty bosom welcomed, and let speed
  39. To the deep river-bed. And now, with eyes
  40. Of wonder gazing on his mother's hall
  41. And watery kingdom and cave-prisoned pools
  42. And echoing groves, he went, and, stunned by that
  43. Stupendous whirl of waters, separate saw
  44. All streams beneath the mighty earth that glide,
  45. Phasis and Lycus, and that fountain-head
  46. Whence first the deep Enipeus leaps to light,
  47. Whence father Tiber, and whence Anio's flood,
  48. And Hypanis that roars amid his rocks,
  49. And Mysian Caicus, and, bull-browed
  50. 'Twixt either gilded horn, Eridanus,
  51. Than whom none other through the laughing plains
  52. More furious pours into the purple sea.
  53. Soon as the chamber's hanging roof of stone
  54. Was gained, and now Cyrene from her son
  55. Had heard his idle weeping, in due course
  56. Clear water for his hands the sisters bring,
  57. With napkins of shorn pile, while others heap
  58. The board with dainties, and set on afresh
  59. The brimming goblets; with Panchaian fires
  60. Upleap the altars; then the mother spake,
  61. “Take beakers of Maconian wine,” she said,
  62. “Pour we to Ocean.” Ocean, sire of all,
  63. She worships, and the sister-nymphs who guard
  64. The hundred forests and the hundred streams;
  65. Thrice Vesta's fire with nectar clear she dashed,
  66. Thrice to the roof-top shot the flame and shone:
  67. Armed with which omen she essayed to speak: