Meleager's Garland
Beloved Muse, to whom do you bear this many-blossoming song? And who wove this flower-crown of poets? Meleager wrought at it and made it perfect as a gift for remembrance to lovely Diocles, weaving into it many lilies of Anyte and many white lilies of Myro, and Sappho's few, but all roses, the narcissus of Malanippides heavy with song and the young vine shoot of Simonides.
He mingled with them the myrrh-breathing lovely-flowered iris of Nossis, upon whose tablets Love melted the wax, and the sweet-breathing marjoram of Rhianus, the soft virginal crocus of Erinna, the lettered hyacinth of Alcaeus and the dark-leafed laurel bough of Samius, the flowering ivy-clusters of Leonidas and the sharp pine branch of Mnasalcus.
And he gathered the curved plane-boughs of the song of Pamphilus mingled with the shoots of the nut-tree of Pancrates and the lovely-leafed white poplar of Tymnes, the fresh mint of Nicias, the sand-dwelling sea-flower of Euphemus, the black violet of Damagetus, the sweet myrtle of Callimachus always filled with sharp honey, the red campion (Lychnis) of Euphorion and that cyclamen, whose name comes from the twin sons of Zeus ( i. e. , Dioscorides).
He bound with them the wild grape-cluster of Hegesippus and the sweet-smelling red of Perses, the ripe apple from the high twigs of Diotimus, the first flowers from the pomegranate of Menecrates, the myrrh shoots of Nicaenetus, the terebinth of Phaennus, the tall wild pear of Simmias; and he gathered a few flowers of wild parsley from the virgin meadow of Parthenis, the yellow wheat spikes of Bacchylides from the stubble-field. a garnering after the rich harvest of the honey-dropping Muses, Anacreon's wild flowers, his sweet song and delicate elegies, and the thistle of Archilochus, sharp-spined, with curled leaves — a few drops from an ocean; and with them the new olive-sprays of Alexander and the blue corn-flower of Polycletus.
He placed with them the amaracus of Polystrates, flower of poets, the young purple cypress of Antipater, the spikes of Syrian nard of the poet whose name is " the gift of Hermes ( i. e. , Hermodorus), the wind-flowers of the corn-land, Posidippus, Hedylus and Sicelides; and, moreover, the ever-golden bough of the divine Plato, shining afar with beauty. He put with them the palm of Aratus, who was skilled in the stars, whose topmost twigs reach to heaven, the lovely-tressed lotus of Chaeremon, mingling the phlox of Phaedimus with the flexible camomile of Antagoras, the fresh-budding, wine-filled thyme of Theodorides, the bean-flowers of Phanias, and many other freshly-gathered blossoms, to which he added the early white violets of his own Muse.
Now I bring this gift to my friends, for this sweet-speaking garland of the Muses is for all who love the beauty of poetry.
He mingled with them the myrrh-breathing lovely-flowered iris of Nossis, upon whose tablets Love melted the wax, and the sweet-breathing marjoram of Rhianus, the soft virginal crocus of Erinna, the lettered hyacinth of Alcaeus and the dark-leafed laurel bough of Samius, the flowering ivy-clusters of Leonidas and the sharp pine branch of Mnasalcus.
And he gathered the curved plane-boughs of the song of Pamphilus mingled with the shoots of the nut-tree of Pancrates and the lovely-leafed white poplar of Tymnes, the fresh mint of Nicias, the sand-dwelling sea-flower of Euphemus, the black violet of Damagetus, the sweet myrtle of Callimachus always filled with sharp honey, the red campion (Lychnis) of Euphorion and that cyclamen, whose name comes from the twin sons of Zeus ( i. e. , Dioscorides).
He bound with them the wild grape-cluster of Hegesippus and the sweet-smelling red of Perses, the ripe apple from the high twigs of Diotimus, the first flowers from the pomegranate of Menecrates, the myrrh shoots of Nicaenetus, the terebinth of Phaennus, the tall wild pear of Simmias; and he gathered a few flowers of wild parsley from the virgin meadow of Parthenis, the yellow wheat spikes of Bacchylides from the stubble-field. a garnering after the rich harvest of the honey-dropping Muses, Anacreon's wild flowers, his sweet song and delicate elegies, and the thistle of Archilochus, sharp-spined, with curled leaves — a few drops from an ocean; and with them the new olive-sprays of Alexander and the blue corn-flower of Polycletus.
He placed with them the amaracus of Polystrates, flower of poets, the young purple cypress of Antipater, the spikes of Syrian nard of the poet whose name is " the gift of Hermes ( i. e. , Hermodorus), the wind-flowers of the corn-land, Posidippus, Hedylus and Sicelides; and, moreover, the ever-golden bough of the divine Plato, shining afar with beauty. He put with them the palm of Aratus, who was skilled in the stars, whose topmost twigs reach to heaven, the lovely-tressed lotus of Chaeremon, mingling the phlox of Phaedimus with the flexible camomile of Antagoras, the fresh-budding, wine-filled thyme of Theodorides, the bean-flowers of Phanias, and many other freshly-gathered blossoms, to which he added the early white violets of his own Muse.
Now I bring this gift to my friends, for this sweet-speaking garland of the Muses is for all who love the beauty of poetry.
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