Classic Poem

The S ECOND Idyl OF TheOCRITOS .

TheSTYLIS , where are the laurel-leaves? Quick, girl! bring me the love-spells!
Fasten the scarlet thread in and out round the brim of the beaker!
Quick! for I mean to charm my lover, my false-hearted lover.
Twelve long days are past, and he never has once come to see me,
Knows not if I be living or dead — never sends me a message,
No! not even a word at my door! Has he gone to some new love,
Light as the wings of Eros and fleeting as Queen Aphrodite?
Down to the town I will hasten to-morrow and see him and ask him
Face to face why he treats me so coldly: but, Thestylis! thou, now
Help me to try him with charms, and oh, Moon! glitter thy brightest!
Shine, pale Moon! for thee I invoke and thy sister and shadow
Hecate — the under-world Moon, whom even the little dogs howl at
When she goes forth o'er the graves and all her footmarks are bloody:
Make my magic to-night as strong as ever was Circe's,
Potent as white Perimede's and mighty as Colchian Medea's!

Little bird! whirl and scream and whirl and bring me my lover!

Turn, wheel, turn, and burn, cake, burn! Ah, Thestylis, sprinkle!
What are you doing to tremble so? sprinkle the salt on the brazier!
Where are your wits gone, girl! or is it that you too must vex me?
Sprinkle the salt and say: " Flesh and blood of Delphis I scatter! "

Little bird! scream and whirl and scream and bring me my lover!

Delphis grieves me — in my turn
I will grieve him. Laurel, burn!
As thy bright leaves curl and crack,
Smoke and blaze and vanish black,
Leaving not a leaf to see:
May his heart love-scorched be!

Little bird! whirl and scream, little bird! and bring me my lover!

As I melt this waxen ball
May the great gods hear me call,
And Delphis melt with love for me!
And as this wheel turns rapidly
So may Queen Venus speed the charms
And bring him quickly to my arms!

Little bird, whirl, whirl, whirl! scream! scream! and bring me my lover!

Now I scatter on the flame
Bran. Oh! Artemis! thy name
Moves the Judge of Hell to fear,
Rhadamanth himself! Then hear!
Hear, oh, hear me! Thestylis,
Did the dogs bark? Yes, it is!
'T is the goddess in the street!
Beat the cymbals! Quick, girl, beat!
Look! the restless sea is sleeping,
Milk-white ripples curling, creeping!
Listen! all the winds are quiet,
Folded up from rage and riot!
Only in my heart the pain
Wakes and will not sleep again!
Bitter pain the sport to be
Of him who hath unmaidened me.

Little bird, whirl — whirl fast! scream sharp — scream! call me my lover!

Thrice libations due I pay
Thrice, great goddess! this I say:
Whom he loves now I know not,
But leTher come to be forgot!
Clean forgot from head to feet
As Ariadne was of Crete.

Scream, little bird! more — more! and whirl, and fetch me my lover!

In Arcady there grows a flower,
Stings the herds with subtle power,
Drives them mad on vale and height:
Would I had that flower to-night!
Delphis should come quick to me,
Come whate'er his company!

Scream for me still, little bird! scream once, and call me my lover!

Delphis left this gift with me:
In the fire I fling it. See! Burn it red and burn it black,
Angry hissing flames! Alack!
It leaps away — he'll not return!
It only burneth as I burn,
And now 't is ashes, pale and gray,
As pale as I grow day by day.

Scream ere you die, little bird! one cry to call me my lover!

Lizards green and gold I take
(Mighty magic this will make),
Slit them down from chin to tail,
Squeeze their cold blood, cold and pale.
Thestylis, take this to-morrow
(It can work him bliss or sorrow),
Lay it on his threshold stone,
Spit to the left and say alone,
" She whose heart you tread on here
Charms you, Delphis! Love or fear! "

Dead are you, poor little fool! and you could not bring me my lover!

Ah me! what shall I do? Alone, alone! —
I'll think the story over of my love,
How it began — what made the sweet pain come.
It was the day Anaxo was to walk
Bearing for great Artemis,
With striped and spotted beasts in the procession.
Oh! — and you recollect — a lioness!

Lady Moon! listen and pity! and help me, bringing my lover!

And my old Thracian nurse, Theucharila
Came — you remember — teasing, tempting
To go and see them pass, and so I went.
O fool! I went wearing the yellow bodice,
And Clearista's purple train from Tyre.

Lady Moon! listen and pity, and say where tarries my lover!

And when we came hard by where Lycon lives
Upon the paved way, there I saw him first;
Delphis, with Eudamippos — oh, you know!
His hair danced back from off his brow, like sprays
Of bright amaracus, when the west blows,
And all his neck, flusht with the heat of the games,
Shone as thou shinest, Moon! but rosier pearl!

Lady Moon! Lady Moon, listen and pity and bring me my lover!

I saw him — lookt! loved! oh, my foolish eyes!
Oh me! the coward colour of my cheeks!
Oh, heart that straight went mad! I did not mark
Those tame beasts any more; how I came home
I cannot call to mind; you know I lay
Ten days and nights indoors, and never rose.

Lady Moon, sweet pale Moon! have mercy and bring me this lover!

I grew as pale — as white as thapsus-wood!
Say if I braided up my hair or sang?
Say if I grew not to a ghost, with thinking?
When was the day you sought not who he was,
Where was the crone we did not plague for charms
To bring him? All in vain; he never came!

Oh, Moon! hide not thy face. Oh, white Moon! listen and pity!

So I grew sick with waiting, and I said: —
" Oh, Thestylis, help! — heal me or I die!
This Greek boy hath bewitched me, Go, my friend!
Watch at the gateway of the wrestling-school.
He cometh there, I think, to play or sit.

Silver-faced Queen of the stars, thou know'st we are not as immortals!

" And when he is alone, whisper full soft
And say, " Simoitha bids thee come," and then
If he will, bring him! " So you went and came,
Bringing my love to me. But when I heard
His sandals on the step and saw his face —

Lady Moon! hear this now and pity and shine while I tell you!

And saw his face, turned as cold as snow,
And tears — I wot not why — sprang to my lids,
And how to speak I knew not; not so much
As little children startled in the night,
That sob and know it is all well — but sob,
And will not stint even for their mother's voice.
I was as dumb as dead things, Thestylis.

Queen of the planets and stars! forgive and listen and pity!

For he with a bright gladness — not too bold —
Entered; and lookt hard once and then lookt down!
And sat against my feet; and sitting, said: —
" Only so little, sweet Simoitha! thou
Hast been the first to speak — as I was first
Against Philinos in the race to-day, —

White-sandalled Mistress of Night! have patience and hear me and help me.

" I should have come, I swear it by my head!
To-morrow at the dusk. I meant to bring
Some choice rose-apples in my breast. Mayhap
You love them; and a crown of poplar leaves
Twisted with myrtle-buds and tied with red;

Lady Moon, where is he now? so soft, so gentle, so fickle?

" And if you had seemed kind I should have spoke.
I was not hopeless, for I won the prize
At running, and the maidens call me fair.
The one prize I have longed for since the feast
Was once to touch the goal of those dear lips;
Then I could rest — not else! But had you frowned,
And bade me go, and barred your door on me,
Oh, Sweet! I think I should have come with lamps,
And axes and have stolen you like gold!

Lady Moon, where is he now? so gentle, so earnest, so winning!

" How shall I, " he went on, " thank the gods first,
And next you — you! the queen and life of me!
My kindest love — who badst me hither come
When I did burn for leave — yea! for I think
Hephaistos hath no flame like Eros knows! "
Lady Moon, look out of heaven and find him and bring him for pity.

So he spake, low and fair, and I, alas!
What could I do, but reach my hand to him,
And let him take it, and take me and have
The kiss he sued for and another such?
My cheeks were white no more, nor my heart sad,
Nor any trouble left; but we sat close
And the light talk bubbled from lip to lip
Like fountains in the roses. All that time,
And many a time we sat so: never once
He failed to keep his word and never once
Left save with lingering foot. But one ill day
He did not come and then it was I heard
Stories that vext me of another love:
Melixa's mother and the harp-player
Told me — and both are friends — he'd come no more,
And that his house was loud with pipes and songs,
And gay with crowns, not woven now for me.
Oh, Thestylis! twelve days ago this was,
And never have I seen him since that day,
And never shall unless my magic works:
Therefore blow up the flame, and whirl the wheel!

Lady Moon! speed this spell; and fetch me my false hearted lover.

Speed this spell! if it brings you,
Delphis, love shall live anew:
If in vain I watch and wait,
Delphis, love will turn to hate!
Subtle drugs I treasure here,
Drugs of awful force and fear:
A Syrian witch culled these for me
In lonely caverns by the sea.
Delphis, if I brew this drink
It will send you, as I think,
Down to Hades' gate, to seek
A sweeter lip, a fairer cheek.
Oh, Moon! spare me this at last!
Oh, Moon! speed it — if I must.
And now farewell! for one day more
I wait and love him as before!
Farewell, pale Moon and planets bright,
Watchers with me this silent night!