Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca

θέσφατα μαστεύουσα παρήγορα· μαντοσύναι γὰρ

seeking consoling oracles; for divinations

ἐλπίσιν ἐσσομένῃσιν ὑποκλέπτουσιν ἀνίας.

steal away griefs with hopes of what is to come.

οὐδὲ γέρων Ἀστραῖος ἀναίνετο· μουνοτόκου δὲ

Nor did old Astraios refuse; and of the only-born

κούρης ἀρτιλόχευτα γενέθλια μέτρα νοήσας

girl, having grasped the measures of her nativity at the moment of birth,

καὶ χρόνον οὐ πταίοντα καὶ ἀπλανέος δρόμον Ὥρης

and the time that does not stumble, and the course of the unerring Hour

ἀρχεγόνου, κάμψας δὲ μετάτροπα δάκτυλα χειρῶν

of origin, he bent the fingers of his hands in turn

ἀμφὶ παλιννόστοιο μετήλυδα κύκλον ἀριθμοῦ

around the shifting cycle of the number that comes round again,

ἐκ παλάμης παλάμῃ διεμέτρεε δίζυγι παλμῷ·

and measured it out from palm to palm with a twofold beat;

καί οἱ κεκλομένῳ θεράπων εὔκυκλον ἀείρας

and at his command a servant, lifting the well-rounded

σφαῖραν ἑλισσομένην, τύπον αἰθέρος, εἰκόνα κόσμου,

revolving sphere, the pattern of the heavens, the image of the cosmos,

Ἀστερίων παρέθηκε λαβὼν ἐπὶ πώματι χηλοῦ.

Asterion, took it and set it beside him on the lid of a chest.

ἔνθα γέρων πεπόνητο, καὶ ἄξονος ἄκρον ἑλίσσων

There the old man laboured, and, turning the tip of the axis,

ζῳδιακὸν περὶ κύκλον ἑὴν ἐτίταινεν ὀπωπὴν

he stretched his gaze around the zodiac circle,

λεύσσων ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα καὶ ἀπλανέας καὶ ἀλήτας·

looking this way and that, at both the fixed stars and the wanderers;

καὶ πόλον ἀμφελέλιζε· πολυστροφάλιγγι δὲ ῥιπῇ

and he whirled the pole round; and with many-turning impulse

μορφὴν ἀλλοπρόσαλλον ὀπιπεύουσα Λυαίου·

spying out the ever-changing shape of Lyaeus;

καὶ Βρομίου φυλάκεσσιν ἐχώσατο· δεξαμένη δὲ

and she was angry with the guardians of Bromios; and, having received

Θεσσαλίδος δολόεντα παρʼ Ἀχλύος ἄνθεα ποίης

from Achlys the treacherous flowers of a Thessalian herb,

ὕπνον θελγομένων φυλάκων ἐπέχευε καρήνῳ,

she poured sleep over the head of the spellbound guards,

μάγγανα φαρμακόεντα κατασταλάουσα κομάων·

dripping sorcerous charms down over their hair;

καὶ μάγον ἁβρὸν ἄλειφα περιχρίσασα προσώπῳ

and, smearing a delicate magic ointment over their faces,

ἀνδρομέης ἤμειψε παλαίτερον εἶδος ὀπωπῆς·

she changed the former look of their human appearance;

τοῖσι μὲν οὐατόεσσα φυῆς ἰνδάλλετο μορφή,

on them appeared an eared shape of body,

ἱππείη δʼ ἀνέτελλε διʼ ἰξύος ὄρθιος οὐρὴ

and a horse's tail rose upright through their loins,

ὠμοβόρους δὲ λέοντας ἐπὶ κλόνον Ἰνδὸν ἱμάσσων,

Whipping flesh-eating lions on against the Indian throng,

μὴ τρομέοις ἐλέφαντας, ἐπεὶ τεὸς ὑψιμέδων Ζεὺς

do not fear elephants, since your high-ruling Zeus

Κάμπην ὑψικάρηνον ἀπηλοίησε κεραυνῷ,

crushed high-headed Kampe with the thunderbolt,

ἧς σκολιὸν πολύμορφον ὅλον δέμας· ἀλλοφυῆ γὰρ

whose whole body was twisted and many-formed; for a strange,

λοξὴν αὐτοέλικτον ἀνερρίπιζον Ἐνυὼ

slanting, self-coiling Enyo [battle] they fanned up

ἄρκτον ὀιστεύω, καὶ δένδρεον ἄορι τέμνω·

I shoot the bear with arrows, and I cut the tree with the sword;

ψευδομένου δὲ λέοντος ἐγὼ κενεῶνα χαράξω.

and I will gash the flank of the counterfeit lion.

ἀλλὰ σοφοὺς Βραχμῆνας ἀτευχέας εἰς σὲ κορύσσω·

But against you I arm the wise Brahmans, who bear no weapons;

γυμνοὶ γὰρ γεγάασι, θεοκλήτοις δʼ ἐπαοιδαῖς

for they are naked, and with god-summoning incantations

πολλάκις ἠερόφοιτον, ὁμοίιον ἄζυγι ταύρῳ,

often the air-roaming one, like an unyoked bull,

οὐρανόθεν κατάγοντες ἐφαρμάξαντο Σελήνην,

they have drawn down from heaven and bewitched, the Moon;

πολλάκι δʼ ἱππεύοντος ἐπειγομένων ἐπὶ δίφρων

and often, as he drove on his hastening chariot,

ἀσταθέος Φαέθοντος ἀνεστήσαντο πορείην.

they have halted the course of restless Phaethon.

ἔννεπε παπταίνων ἑτερότροπα φάσματα Βάκχου·

So he spoke, staring at the shape-changing apparitions of Bacchus;

καὶ νόον εἶχεν ἄπιστον· ἀκηλήτῳ δὲ μενοινῇ

and he kept an unbelieving mind; and with a purpose no charm could sway