HKB
Across the still sea's moonlit wave Selene came Softly to seek the Latmian cave, Her breast aflame
With secret passion's ruthless throe, Her scruples done, And burning with desire to know Endymion.
THE CRETAN DANCE
As the moon in all her splendor Slowly rose above the forest, Silent stood the Cretan women Round the altar.
Girdled close their clinging tunics, Made of some transparent fabric, Traced the every curve and lissome Of their bodies.
With revering eyes uplifted To the round and rising planet, Soon its drifting beams of silver Lit their faces.
Soft and clear its sphere effulgent, Full defined above the treetops, Steeped in pale unearthly glamor All the landscape.
When the argent glimmer rested On the altar piled with garlands, And its glow unveiled the marble Aphrodite;
Linking hands, the Cretan women Moving gracefully with metric Steps began to dance a measure To the Goddess.
All so light their feet unsandalled Pressed the velvet grass in treading, That they scarcely bruised its tender Blooming verdure.
Slowly turning in a circle To the east, their voices chanted In a plaintive note the sacred Ithyphallics;
Then they paused, their steps retracing Toward the west, and answered strophe By antistrophe with choric Tones accordant;
With the aftersong epodic, Standing all before the altar, Lo! the hymn in praise of Paphos Was completed.
TO ALCÆUS
Countless are the cups thou drainest In thy hymns to Dionysos, O Alcæus!
War and wine alone thou singest;-- Whereforenot of Aphrodite, O Alcæus!
Spacious halls are thine where many Trophies hang in Ares' honor, O Alcæus!
Brazen shields and shining helmets, Plates of brass, Chalcidian broad-swords, O Alcæus!
When with winter roars the Thracian North wind through the leafless forest, O Alcæus!
Thou dost heap the fire and banish Care with many a tawny goblet, O Alcæus!
HYPORCHEME
Thus contend the maidens In the cretic dance, Rosy arms that glisten, Eyes that glance;
Cheeks as fair as blossoms, Parted lips that glow, With their honeyed voices Chanting low;
With their plastic bodies Swaying to the flute, Moving with the music Never mute;
Graceful the orchestric Figures they unfold, While the vesper heaven Turns to gold.
LARICHUS
While charming maids plait garlands for thy brows, Larichus, bring the pledge for this carouse Like lovely Ganymede, brother mine, And cool from thy patera pour the wine.
Thy slender limbs have all a Satyr's grace, Hylas, the Wood-God, dimples in thy face; These maids of mine, beloved and loving me, My dreams have made thy Nymphs to sport with thee.
I heard fair Mitylene's plaudits cease O'er Lykas, Menon and Dinnomenes; And hail thy beauty worthy of the prize, Cupbearer to the council of the wise.
No noble youth the prytaneum holds, Whose graceful form the purple tunic folds Can match with thee, when on affairs of state All Lesbos gathers with the wise and great.
SPRING
Come, shell divine, be vocal now for me, As when the Hebrus river and the sea To Lesbos bore, on waves harmonious, The head and golden lyre of Orpheus.
Calliope, queen of the tuneful throng, Descend and be the Muse of melic song; For through my frame life's tides renewing bring The glad vein-warming vigor of the spring.
The skies that dome the earth with far blue fire Make the wide land one temple of desire;-- Just now across my cheek I felt a God, In the enraptured breeze, pass zephyr-shod.
Was that Pan's flute, O Atthis, that we heard, Or the soft love-note of a woodland bird? That flame a scarlet wing that skimmed the stream, Or the red flash of our impassioned dream?
Ah, soon again we two shall gather fair Garlands of dill and rose to deck our bare White arms that cling, white breast that burns to breast, When the long night of love shall banish rest.
GIRL FRIENDS
PRELUDE
Deftly on my little Seven-stringed barbitos, Now to please my girl friends Songs I set to music.
Maidens fair, companions Of the Muses, never Toward you shall my feelings Undergo a change.