Humanitext Reader

Theocritus · Idylls §2.1-2.55

Simaetha's Love Spells to Bind Delphis

Passage 3 of 44 · Greek

Summary

Simaetha, assisted by her maid Thestylis, performs a love magic ritual to bring back her missing lover, Delphis. She prays to the Moon and Hecate, recounting her emotional pain while carrying out various magical acts.

§2.1πᾷ μοι ταὶ δάφναι;
Where are my laurels?
φέρε Θεστυλί· πᾷ δὲ τὰ φίλτρα;
Bring them, Thestylis; and where are the love-charms?
§2.2στέψον τὰν κελέβαν φοινικέῳ οἰὸς ἀώτῳ, §2.3ὡς τὸν ἐμὸν βαρὺν εὖντα φίλον καταθύσομαι ἄνδρα, §2.4ὅς μοι δωδεκαταῖος ἀφʼ ὧ τάλας οὐδέποθʼ ἵκει, §2.5οὐδʼ ἔγνω πότερον τεθνάκαμες ἢ ζοοὶ εἰμές.
Wreath the bowl with fine crimson sheep's wool, so that I may bind with spells my cruel lover, who, wretched man, has not come to me for twelve days now, nor does he know whether I am dead or alive.
§2.6οὐδὲ θύρας ἄραξεν ἀνάρσιος.
He has not even knocked at my door, cruel as he is.
ἦ ῥά οἱ ἀλλᾷ §2.7ᾤχετʼ ἔχων ὅ τʼ Ἔρως ταχινὰς φρένας ἅ τʼ Ἀφροδίτα;
Has Love, indeed, elsewhere gone, carrying away his fickle heart, along with Aphrodite?
§2.8βασεῦμαι ποτὶ τὰν Τιμαγήτοιο παλαίστραν §2.9αὔριον, ὥς νιν ἴδω, καὶ μέμψομαι οἷά με ποιεῖ.
I will go to Timagetus' wrestling school tomorrow, so that I may see him, and I will reproach him for what he does to me.
§2.10νῦν δέ νιν ἐκ θυέων καταθύσομαι.
But now I will bind him with love-charms.
ἀλλὰ Σελάνα, §2.11φαῖνε καλόν· τὶν γὰρ ποταείσομαι ἅσυχα, δαῖμον, §2.12τᾷ χθονίᾳ θʼ Ἑκάτα, τὰν καὶ σκύλακες τρομέοντι §2.13ἐρχομέναν νεκύων ἀνά τʼ ἠρία καὶ μέλαν αἷμα.
But, O Moon, shine bright; for to you, goddess, I will sing softly, and to Hecate of the underworld, before whom even the puppies tremble, as she goes among the tombs of the dead and the dark blood.
§2.14χαῖρʼ Ἑκάτα δασπλῆτι, καὶ ἐς τέλος ἄμμιν ὀπάδει. §2.15φάρμακα ταῦτʼ ἔρδοισα χερείονα μήτέ τι Κίρκης §2.16μήτέ τι Μηδείας μήτε ξανθᾶς Περιμήδας.
Hail, dread Hecate, and attend us to the end, making these charms no less potent than those of Circe nor of Medea, nor of golden-haired Perimede.
§2.17Ἶυγξ, ἕλκε τὺ τῆνον ἐμὸν ποτὶ δῶμα τὸν ἄνδρα.
Iynx, drag that man of mine to my house.
§2.18ἄλφιτά τοι πρᾶτον πυρὶ τάκεται· ἀλλʼ ἐπίπασσε §2.19Θεστυλί.
First, the barley-meal is melted in the fire; come, sprinkle it, Thestylis.
δειλαία, πᾷ τὰς φρένας ἐκπεπότασαι;
Wretched girl, whither have your wits flown away?
§2.20ἦ ῥά γε τρισμυσαρὰ καὶ τὶν ἐπίχαρμα τέτυγμαι;
Am I, indeed, even to you a thing of mockery, you thrice-accursed girl?
§2.21πάσσʼ ἅμα καὶ λέγε ταῦτα· τὰ Δέλφιδος ὀστία πάσσω. §2.22ἶυγξ, ἕλκε τὺ τῆνον ἐμὸν ποτὶ δῶμα τὸν ἄνδρα.
Sprinkle and say at the same time: "I sprinkle the bones of Delphis." Iynx, drag that man of mine to my house.
§2.23Δέλφις ἔμʼ ἀνίασεν· ἐγὼ δʼ ἐπὶ Δέλφιδι δάφναν
Delphis has grieved me; and I burn laurel for Delphis.
§2.24αἴθω· χὡς αὕτα λακεῖ μέγα καππυρίσασα §2.25κἠξαπίνας ἅφθη, κοὐδὲ σποδὸν εἴδομες αὐτᾶς, §2.26οὕτω τοι καὶ Δέλφις ἐνὶ φλογὶ σάρκʼ ἀμαθύνοι.
burn; and as this crackles loudly, catching fire, and is suddenly consumed, so that we see not even its ash, so indeed may Delphis waste his flesh in the flame.
§2.27ἶυγξ, ἕλκε τὺ τῆνον ἐμὸν ποτὶ δῶμα τὸν ἄνδρα.
Iynx, drag that man of mine to my house.
§2.28ὡς τοῦτον τὸν κηρὸν ἐγὼ σὺν δαίμονι τάκω, §2.29ὣς τάκοιθʼ ὑπʼ ἔρωτος ὁ Μύνδιος αὐτίκα Δέλφις.
As I melt this wax with the help of the goddess, so may Delphis of Myndus be melted by love straightway.
§2.30χὡς δινεῖθʼ ὅδε ῥόμβος ὁ χάλκεος ἐξ Ἀφροδίτας, §2.31ὣς τῆνος δινοῖτο ποθʼ ἁμετέραισι θύραισιν.
And as this bronze wheel spins by the power of Aphrodite, so may he spin and turn before our doors.
§2.32ἶυγξ, ἕλκε τὺ τῆνον ἐμὸν ποτὶ δῶμα τὸν ἄνδρα.
Iynx, drag that man of mine to my house.
§2.33νῦν θυσῶ τὰ πίτυρα.
Now I will burn the bran.
τὺ δʼ Ἄρτεμι καὶ τὸν ἐν Ἅιδα §2.34κινήσαις ἀδάμαντα καὶ εἴ τί περ ἀσφαλὲς ἄλλο.
But you, O Artemis, could move even the adamant in Hades, and whatever else is immovable.
§2.35Θεστυλί, ταὶ κύνες ἄμμιν ἀνὰ πτόλιν ὠρύονται. §2.36ἁ θεὸς ἐν τριόδοισι· τὸ χαλκίον ὡς τάχος ἄχει.
Thestylis, the dogs are howling for us through the town; the goddess is at the crossroads; clash the bronze vessel quickly!
§2.37ἶυγξ, ἕλκε τὺ τῆνον ἐμὸν ποτὶ δῶμα τὸν ἄνδρα.
Iynx, drag that man of mine to my house.
§2.38ἠνίδε σιγῇ μὲν πόντος, σιγῶντι δʼ ἀῆται· §2.39ἁ δʼ ἐμὰ οὐ σιγῇ στέρνων ἔντοσθεν ἀνία, §2.40ἀλλʼ ἐπὶ τήνῳ πᾶσα καταίθομαι, ὅς με τάλαιναν §2.41ἀντὶ γυναικὸς ἔθηκε κακὰν καὶ ἀπάρθενον ἦμεν.
Lo, the sea is silent, and silent are the breezes; yet my pain within my breast is not silent, but I am utterly consumed with fire for him, who made me, wretched girl, no longer a wife, but a ruined maid, reft of maidenhood.
§2.42ἶυγξ, ἕλκε τὺ τῆνον ἐμὸν ποτὶ δῶμα τὸν ἄνδρα.
Iynx, drag that man of mine to my house.
§2.43ἐς τρὶς ἀποσπένδω καὶ τρὶς τάδε πότνια φωνέω· §2.44εἴτε γυνὰ τήνῳ παρακέκλιται εἴτε καὶ ἀνήρ, §2.45τόσσον ἔχοι λάθας, ὅσσόν ποκα Θησέα φαντὶ §2.46ἐν Δίᾳ λασθῆμεν ἐυπλοκάμω Ἀριάδνας.
Three times I pour libation, and three times I speak these words, lady: Whether a woman lies beside him, or even a man, may he have as much forgetfulness as they say Theseus once forgot in Dia of fair-haired Ariadne.
§2.47ἶυγξ, ἕλκε τὺ τῆνον ἐμὸν ποτὶ δῶμα τὸν ἄνδρα.
Iynx, drag that man of mine to my house.
§2.48ἱππομανὲς φυτόν ἐστι παρʼ Ἀρκάσι· τῷ δʼ ἐπὶ πᾶσαι §2.49καὶ πῶλοι μαίνονται ἀνʼ ὤρεα καὶ θοαὶ ἵπποι.
Hippomanes is a plant among the Arcadians; because of it, all the fillies and swift mares run mad through the mountains.
§2.50ὣς καὶ Δέλφιν ἴδοιμι, καὶ ἐς τόδε δῶμα περάσαι §2.51μαινομένῳ ἴκελος λιπαρᾶς ἔκτοσθε παλαίστρας.
So may I see Delphis too, and may he enter this house like one mad, from the bright wrestling school.
§2.52ἶυγξ, ἕλκε τὺ τῆνον ἐμὸν ποτὶ δῶμα τὸν ἄνδρα.
Iynx, drag that man of mine to my house.
§2.53τοῦτʼ ἀπὸ τᾶς χλαίνας τὸ κράσπεδον ὤλεσε Δέλφις, §2.54ὡγὼ νῦν τίλλοισα κατʼ ἀγρίῳ ἐν πυρὶ βάλλω.
This fringe from his cloak Delphis lost, which I now shred and throw into the fierce fire.
§2.55αἰαῖ Ἔρως ἀνιηρέ, τί μευ μέλαν ἐκ χροὸς αἷμα
Ah, cruel Love, why [have you sucked] my dark blood from my skin...

Notes

  1. §2.3βαρὺν εὖντα — εὖντα is the Doric dialect form corresponding to the Attic ἐόντα, the present active participle of εἰμί (masculine accusative singular). Together with βαρὺν (heavy, cruel), it modifies φίλον ἄνδρα.
  2. §2.4ἀφʼ ὧ — The Doric ἀφʼ ὧ corresponds to the Attic ἀφʼ οὗ, serving as a temporal conjunction meaning "since" and introducing the relative clause.
  3. §2.24λακεῖ — An unaugmented Doric form of the third-person singular aorist indicative of λάσκω (to crackle, snap), corresponding to the Attic ἔλακε. It is the verb of the subordinate clause introduced by the conjunction ὡς (as).
  4. §2.33κινήσαις — The second-person singular aorist active optative of κινέω (to move), corresponding to the Attic κινήσειας. With Artemis as the subject, it functions as a potential optative ("you could move").
  5. §2.41ἦμεν — The Doric form of the present infinitive of εἰμί (to be), corresponding to the Attic εἶναι. It functions as an infinitive of result or a complement in the accusative-and-infinitive construction governed by the verb ἔθηκε (made [me] to be).

Cite this passage

Theocritus, Idylls §2.1-2.55. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0005.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:2.1-2.55

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