Metamorphoses

Ovid

Ovid. Metamorphoses. More, Brookes, translator. Boston: Cornhill Publishing Co., 1922.

  1. Thus was the story ended. All were charmed
  2. to hear recounted such mysterious deeds.
  3. While some were doubting whether such were true
  4. others affirmed that to the living Gods
  5. is nothing to restrain their wondrous works,
  6. though surely of the Gods, immortal, none
  7. accorded Bacchus even thought or place.
  8. When all had made an end of argument,
  9. they bade Alcithoe take up the word:
  10. she, busily working on the pendent web,
  11. still shot the shuttle through the warp and said;
  12. “The amours of the shepherd Daphnis, known
  13. to many of you, I shall not relate;
  14. the shepherd Daphnis of Mount Ida, who
  15. was turned to stone obdurate, for the Nymph
  16. whose love he slighted—so the rivalry
  17. of love neglected rouses to revenge:
  18. neither shall I relate the story told
  19. of Scython, double-sexed, who first was man,
  20. then altered to a woman: so I pass
  21. the tale of Celmus turned to adamant,
  22. who reared almighty Jove from tender youth:
  23. so, likewise the Curetes whom the rain
  24. brought forth to life: Smilax and Crocus, too,
  25. transpeciated into little flowers:
  26. all these I pass to tell a novel tale,
  27. which haply may resolve in pleasant thoughts.
  28. Learn how the fountain, Salmacis, became
  29. so infamous; learn how it enervates
  30. and softens the limbs of those who chance to bathe.
  31. Although the fountain's properties are known,
  32. the cause is yet unknown. The Naiads nursed
  33. an infant son of Hermes, surely his
  34. of Aphrodite gotten in the caves
  35. of Ida, for the child resembled both
  36. the god and goddess, and his name was theirs.
  37. The years passed by, and when the boy had reached
  38. the limit of three lustrums, he forsook
  39. his native mountains; for he loved to roam
  40. through unimagined places, by the banks
  41. of undiscovered rivers; and the joy
  42. of finding wonders made his labour light.
  43. Leaving Mount Ida, where his youth was spent,
  44. he reached the land of Lycia, and from thence
  45. the verge of Caria, where a pretty pool
  46. of soft translucent water may be seen,
  47. so clear the glistening bottom glads the eye:
  48. no barren sedge, no fenny reeds annoy,
  49. no rushes with their sharpened arrow-points,
  50. but all around the edges of that pool
  51. the softest grass engirdles with its green.
  52. A Nymph dwells there, unsuited to the chase,
  53. unskilled to bend the bow, slothful of foot,
  54. the only Naiad in the world unknown
  55. to rapid-running Dian. Whensoever
  56. her Naiad sisters pled in winged words,
  57. “Take up the javelin, sister Salmacis,
  58. take up the painted quiver and unite
  59. your leisure with the action of the chase;”
  60. she only scorned the javelin and the quiver,
  61. nor joined her leisure to the active chase.
  62. Rather she bathes her smooth and shapely limbs;
  63. or combs her tresses with a boxwood comb,
  64. Citorian; or looking in the pool
  65. consults the glassed waters of effects
  66. increasing beauty; or she decks herself
  67. in gauzy raiment, and reposing lolls
  68. on cushioned leaves, or grass-enverdured beds;
  69. or gathers posies from the spangled lawns.
  70. Now, haply as she culled the sweetest flowers
  71. she saw the youth, and longing in her heart
  72. made havoc as her greedy eyes beheld.
  73. Although her love could scarcely brook delay,
  74. she waited to enhance her loveliness,
  75. in beauty hoping to allure his love.
  76. All richly dight she scanned herself and robes,
  77. to know that every charm should fair appear,
  78. and she be worthy: wherefore she began:
  79. “O godlike youth! if thou art of the skies,
  80. thou art no other than the god of Love;
  81. if mortal, blest are they who gave thee birth;
  82. happy thy brother; happy, fortunate
  83. thy sister; happy, fortunate and blest
  84. the nurse that gave her bosom; but the joys
  85. surpassing all, dearest and tenderest,
  86. are hers whom thou shalt wed. So, let it be
  87. if thou so young have deigned to marry, let
  88. my joys be stolen; if unmarried, join
  89. with me in wedlock.” So she spoke, and stood
  90. in silence waiting for the youth's reply.
  91. He knows nor cares for love—with loveliness
  92. the mounting blushes tinge his youthful cheeks,
  93. as blush-red tint of apples on the tree,
  94. ripe in the summer sun, or as the hue
  95. of painted ivory, or the round moon
  96. red-blushing in her splendour, when the clash
  97. of brass resounds in vain. And long the Nymph
  98. implored; almost clung on his neck, as smooth
  99. and white as ivory; unceasingly
  100. imploring him to kiss her, though as chaste
  101. as kisses to a sister; but the youth
  102. outwearied, thus:
  103. “I do beseech you make
  104. an end of this; or must I fly the place
  105. and leave you to your tears?” Affrighted then
  106. said Salmacis, “To you I freely give—
  107. good stranger here remain.” Although she made
  108. fair presence to retire, she hid herself,
  109. that from a shrub-grown covert, on her knees
  110. she might observe unseen.
  111. As any boy
  112. that heedless deems his mischief unobserved,
  113. now here now there, he rambled on the green;
  114. now in the bubbly ripples dipped his feet,
  115. now dallied in the clear pool ankle-deep;—
  116. the warm-cool feeling of the liquid then,
  117. so pleased him, that without delay he doffed
  118. his fleecy garments from his tender limbs.
  119. Ah, Salmacis, amazement is thy meed!
  120. Thou art consumed to know his naked grace!
  121. As the hot glitters of the round bright sun
  122. collected, sparkle from the polished plate,
  123. thine eyes are glistened with delirious fires.
  124. Delay she cannot; panting for his joy,
  125. languid for his caressing, crazed, distract,
  126. her passion difficult is held in check.—
  127. He claps his body with his hollow palms
  128. and lightly vaults into the limped wave,
  129. and darting through the water hand over hand
  130. shines in the liquid element, as though
  131. should one enhance a statue's ivorine,
  132. or glaze the lily in a lake of glass.
  133. And thus the Naiad, “I have gained my suit;
  134. his love is mine,—is mine!” Quickly disrobed,
  135. she plunged into the yielding wave—seized him,
  136. caressed him, clung to him a thousand ways,
  137. kissed him, thrust down her hands and touched his breast:
  138. reluctant and resisting he endeavours
  139. to make escape, but even as he struggles
  140. she winds herself about him, as entwines
  141. the serpent which the royal bird on high
  142. holds in his talons; —as it hangs, it coils
  143. in sinuous folds around the eagle's feet;—
  144. twisting its coils around his head and wings:
  145. or as the ivy clings to sturdy oaks;
  146. or as the polypus beneath the waves,
  147. by pulling down, with suckers on all sides,
  148. tenacious holds its prey. And yet the youth,
  149. descendant of great Atlas, not relents
  150. nor gives the Naiad joy. Pressing her suit
  151. she winds her limbs around him and exclaims,
  152. “You shall not scape me, struggle as you will,
  153. perverse and obstinate! Hear me, ye Gods!
  154. Let never time release the youth from me;
  155. time never let me from the youth release!”