Humanitext Reader

Theocritus · Idylls §28.1-28.25

Address to the Distaff: A Gift for Theugenis Wife of Nicias

Passage 42 of 44 · Greek

Summary

The poet addresses an ivory distaff, a specialty of his homeland Syracuse, which he is bringing as a gift to Theugenis, the industrious wife of his physician-friend Nicias in Miletus.

§28.1Γλαύκας ὦ φιλέριθʼ ἀλακάτα δῶρον Ἀθανάας §28.2γύναιξιν, νόος οἰκωφελίας αἷσιν ἐπάβολος, §28.3θέρσεισʼ ἄμμιν ὑμάρτη πόλιν ἐς Νείλεος ἀγλάαν, §28.4ὅπᾳ Κύπριδος ἶρον καλάμω χλῶρον ὑπαπάλω.
O distaff, gift of grey-eyed Athena to women who love handiwork, whose mind is set on housewifery, take courage and accompany me to the glorious city of Neileus, where the green sanctuary of Cyprus lies under the soft reeds.
§28.5τυῖδε γὰρ πλόον εὐάνεμον αἰτήμεθα πὰρ Δίος, §28.6ὅπως ξέννον ἔμον τέρψομʼ ἴδων κἀντιφιλήσομεν, §28.7Νικίαν, Χαρίτων ἰμεροφώνων ἴερον φύτον, §28.8καὶ σὲ τὰν ἐλέφαντος πολυμόχθω γεγενημέναν §28.9δῶρον Νικιάας εἰς ὀλόχω χέρρας ὀπάσσομεν,
For thither we pray to Zeus for a fair-winded voyage, so that I may delight in seeing my guest-friend and we may welcome each other in return— Nicias, the sacred plant of the lovely-voiced Graces— and we shall present you, who are made of laborious ivory, as a gift into the hands of Nicias' wife.
§28.10σὺν τᾷ πόλλα μὲν ἔργʼ ἐκτελέσεις ἀνδρεΐοις πέπλοις, §28.11πόλλα δʼ οἷα γύναικες φορέοισʼ ὐδάτινα βράκη.
With her you will complete many works for men's cloaks, and many such watery, transparent garments as women wear.
§28.12δὶς γὰρ μάτερες ἄρνων μαλάκοις ἐν βοτάνᾳ πόκοις §28.13πέξαιντʼ αὐτοένει, Θευγένιδός γʼ ἔνεκʼ ἐυσφύρω· §28.14οὕτως ἀνυσίεργος, φιλέει δʼ ὅσσα σαόφρονες.
For twice in the same year would the mothers of lambs be shorn of their soft fleeces in the pasture, for the sake of fair-ankled Theugenis; so industrious is she, and she loves what prudent women cherish.
§28.15οὐ γὰρ εἰς ἀκίρας οὐδʼ ἐς ἀέργω κεν ἐβολλόμαν §28.16ὀπάσσαι σε δόμοις ἀμμετέρας ἔσσαν ἀπὺ χθόνος.
For I would not have wished to bestow you upon the home of some slack or idle woman, since you are from our own land.
§28.17καὶ γάρ τοι πάτρις, ἃν ὡξ Ἐφύρας κτίσσέ ποτʼ Ἀρχίας §28.18νάσω Τρινακρίας μύελον, ἄνδρων δοκίμων πόλιν.
For indeed your homeland is the city which Archias from Ephyra once founded, the very marrow of the island of Trinacria, a city of distinguished men.
§28.19νῦν μὰν οἶκον ἔχοισʼ ἄνερος, ὃς πόλλʼ ἐδάη σόφα §28.20ἀθρώποισι νόσοις φάρμακα λύγραις ἀπαλαλκέμεν, §28.21οἰκήσεις κατὰ Μίλλατον ἐράνναν πεδʼἸαόνων, §28.22ὡς εὐαλάκατος Θεύγενις ἐν δαμότισιν πέλῃ, §28.23καί οἱ μνᾶστιν ἄει τῶ φιλαοίδω παρέχῃς ξένω.
But now, holding the house of a man who has learned many wise ways to ward off painful diseases from men with remedies, you will dwell in lovely Miletus among the Ionians, so that Theugenis may be renowned for her fine distaff among the townswomen, and you may ever bring her remembrance of her song-loving guest-friend.
§28.24κῆνο γάρ τις ἔρει τὤπος ἴδων σʼ· ἦ μεγάλα χάρις §28.25δώρῳ σὺν ὀλίγῳ· πάντα δὲ τίματα τὰ πὰρ φίλων.
For anyone looking at you will say: "Surely great grace goes with a small gift; and all things from friends are precious."

Notes

  1. 28.3ὑμάρτη — An Aeolic infinitive form ὑμάρτη (corresponding to ὁμαρτεῖν), which is used here in an imperative sense, meaning "accompany" or "go along with," paired with the participle θέρσεισ'.
  2. 28.11ὐδάτινα βράκη — The adjective ὐδάτινα (literally "watery") here denotes "transparent" or "glistening like water," modifying βράκη (Aeolic for ῥάκη), which refers to garments.
  3. 28.15κεν ἐβολλόμαν — The Aeolic phrase κεν ἐβολλόμαν corresponds to ἂν ἐβουλόμην, expressing an unreal or potential past wish ("I would not have wished to bestow...").

Cite this passage

Theocritus, Idylls §28.1-28.25. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0005.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:28.1-28.25

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