Meleager

Meleager of Gadara 1st C. BCA Translated by G. Theodoridis 2012 All rights reserved http://bacchicstage.wordpress.com

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57 To Eros Eros! If you keep burning my already overburnt soul, It will fly away. It, too, has wings of its own, You little savage!

68. Vows Oh, holy Night Oh, holy Lamp! No one else was with us to witness our vows. And he Swore to love me And I Never to leave him. But now! Now he says that our vows were written in Flowing water And You Lamp! There! You can see him in the folds of another!

96

To Timarion Timarion! Your kiss burns like lime and your eyes Like fire! You burn when you see me And You bite when you kiss me!

136 To the Cup Bearer (1) Come, fill your cup and shout again and again, To Heliodora! Shout out again and again, this sweet name And Mix it with the unmixed wine! And Let me wear that garland again, It is yesterdays garland, I know But Let me wear this scent-dripping garland To remember her! Ah, but look! Look how the rose is weeping! This is the flower of lovers And It is weeping because it sees her! Ah, Heliodora! It sees her not in my arms but Elsewhere!

137 To the Cup Bearer (2) Come, fill your cup! Once for Heliodora Peitho, Once for Heliodora Cypris And Once for Heliodora the sweet voiced Grace! She is the one! A goddess! And I mix her name with unmixed wine Before I bring it to my lips!

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To Zenophila This melody you are striking on your harp, Zenophila, This tune by Pan of Arcady, is sweet. Yes, by Pan! You strike a sweet tune! But where should I go to escape from you? I am surrounded! One love after another comes And Im left with not even a moment to Breath! One minute it is your beauty that stirs my desire Another, it is your song And Yet another it is your charm! And Well what can I say, another time it is all three! I am burning, Zenophila! I am burning in fire!

140 The Muses, Peitho and the three Graces The Muses, Zenophila, Those lovers of sweet melodies, together with your plucking of the lyre And Peitho, together with your wise words And Eros, together with the beauty of your charioteers Handed you the throne of Desires Since the Three Graces gave you Three charms.

141/264 I swear! By Eros! Id rather let my ear hear a whisper from Heliodora Than the harp of Letos son, Apollo!

143/265 Heliodoras garland 1

The garland on Heliodoras head is withering But she shines brighter than the brightest garland.

151/20 Suckers of mens blood! Shrill, shameful mosquitoes! Suckers of mens blood! Great beasts of the night that fly with two wings! Let Zenophila sleep in peace, I beg you! Let her sleep And you can come here And you can devour the flesh of my own Limbs! But what is the point of begging you? No, it is pointless! Even the heartless, wild beasts love Snuggling in the warm folds of Her tender body! But I warn you, you evil creatures! Enough of your audacity or you will feel The force of jealous hands!

152/62 Mosquito leave me! Mosquito leave me! Be my rushing messenger and fly over to Zenophilas ear And Whisper my message. Say, Zenophila, you sleep while he is awake and waiting for you! And, say, sleepyhead, you care not for those who love you! Go! Yes, go, now, lover of song! Go but speak to her in quiet tones I dont want you to wake up her partner-in-bed And rouse the pains of jealousy against me! And Dear Mosquito, If you manage to bring my Zenophila here, Ill give you all that Hercules ever had: A lion skin for your head and a club for your Hand!

154 Yes, by Cypris!

Yes, by Cypris! Tryphera enjoys swimming in the waves And there, Tryphera, the delicate, is truly delicate!

155/267 In my Heart Eros has fashioned sweet-voiced Heliodora, Soul of my soul, Inside my heart.

156/58 Asclepias Asclepias the lover of love, with her serene, blue eyes Persuades all to make the Voyage of love.

157/268 Heliodoras finger nail It was made by Eros Grown by him! Sharpened by him! Its slightest touch pierces the heart!

160 Oh Demo! Oh, Demo with your pale cheeks! Someone has you lying next to him Enjoying you, Naked While my heart sighs deeply! And, If your lover is some Jew, observer of the Sabbath, Well, that is no great wonder. Even on cold Sabbaths, love burns hot!

171/260 The Wine Cup The wine cup enjoys the sweet delights of Touching that ever-chattering

mouth of Zenophila, the lover of love! It tells me so! O, happy cup! And, O, how happy Id be if only she put her lips to my lips And With one breathless gulp drank my soul.

174/44 You Sleep Zenophila! Zenophila of the tender leaves, you sleep! Oh, how I wish! How I wish I were Sleep, himself And Creep, with no wings, beneath your lashes so that not even Hypnos, He who lulls the shining eyes of Zeus Might visit you! And Then, Id have you all to myself!

192/147/17 Heliodoras garland 2 I shall knit white violets And I shall knit the soft narcissus with the myrtle berries And I shall knit the laughing lilies And I shall knit the sweet crocus And I shall knit the red hyacinths And Roses, the flower that lovers love And then, The garland on Heliodoras brow Shall scatter flowers upon her gorgeous curls, The scented cascade of her curls!

193/252/66 Noisy Cicada The cool dew drops made you drunk Noisy Cicada And so you sing your rustic song

And it fills the deserted hollows with whispers Ah, there you are! You are perched there, At the uppermost leaves And with your serrated legs And your sunburnt skin You shriek out a lyres tune! But, my dear friend! Sing something new, Strike some playful melody that will please The Nymphs of the forest, In tune with Pans song. Then, I can escape Eros And manage to get some Noon time sleep, as I lie here, under the shade of This plane tree.

196 Zenophilas Beauty Zenophilas beauty was a gift from Eros. Cypris gave her the love potions for her bed And The Graces gave her charm.

208 Boys No, My heart does not pine for boys. What joy is there in mounting a man? You give but you do not receive! One hand should help another. No, I have a beautiful wife waiting for me back home. Damn all the males with their male grip!