250Thus far Tritonia had given herself as companion to her gold-born brother: then, wrapped in a hollow cloud, she leaves Seriphos, with Cythnos and Gyaros left on her right, and, by the way over the sea that seemed shortest, makes for Thebes and maiden Helicon. 254Having reached that mountain she halted and addressed the learned sisters thus: 'The report of a new spring has reached our ears, which the hard hoof of Medusa's winged steed broke open. 258That is the reason for my journey. 258I wished to see the marvellous thing: I saw the horse himself born from his mother's blood.' 260Urania answers: 'Whatever the reason for your visiting these homes of ours, goddess, you are most welcome to our hearts.
262But the report is true, and Pegasus is the origin of this spring,' and she led Pallas down to the sacred waters. 264She, after long admiring the waters made by the blows of the hoof, looks round at the groves of ancient woods, and the caves, and the grass studded with countless flowers, and calls the daughters of Mnemosyne happy alike in their pursuits and in their place. 268One of the sisters addressed her thus: 'O Tritonia, who would have come to join our choir had not your valour carried you to greater works, you speak the truth and rightly approve both our arts and our place, and we have a pleasing lot, if only we were safe.
273But (so true is it that nothing is forbidden to crime) everything frightens maiden minds, and dread Pyreneus is always before my eyes, and I have not yet wholly recovered my composure. 276That fierce man had seized Daulis and the Phocian lands with Thracian soldiery and was holding an unjust kingdom. 278We were making for the temple on Parnassus: he saw us going, and, worshipping our divinity with a deceitful face, he said, "Daughters of Mnemosyne" (for he had recognised us), "stop, and do not hesitate, I beg you, to shelter from the harsh weather and the rain" (it was raining) "beneath my roof: the gods have often entered humbler cottages."
283Moved by his words and by the weather, we nodded assent to the man and entered the front rooms of the house. 285The rain had ceased, and, the south wind defeated by the north winds, the dark clouds were fleeing from the cleansed sky. 287We felt an urge to go: Pyreneus shuts up his house and prepares violence. 288We escaped it by taking to our wings. 289He himself, like one about to follow, stood high on his citadel and said, "Whatever way is yours shall be mine too," and madly hurls himself from the top of the highest tower, and falls on his face, and, the bones of his face shattered, he beats, dying, the ground stained with his wicked blood.' 294The Muse was speaking: wings sounded through the air, and the voices of those giving greeting came from the high branches.
296Jupiter's daughter looks up and asks where the sound of tongues speaking so distinctly comes from, and thinks a human being has spoken: it was birds, nine in number, lamenting their fate, magpies, mimics of everything, perched on the branches. 300As she wonders, the goddess began thus to the goddess: 'These too lately swelled the throng of birds, defeated in a contest. 302Pierus, rich in Pellaean fields, fathered them; Paeonian Euippe was their mother. 303Nine times she called on mighty Lucina, nine times about to give birth. 305Puffed up by their number, the throng of foolish sisters came here through so many Haemonian and so many Achaean cities, and joins battle with words like these: "Stop deceiving the unlearned crowd with your empty sweetness: compete with us, Thespian goddesses, if you have any confidence.
310We shall not be beaten in voice or in skill, and we are as many as you. 311Either be beaten and give up Medusa's spring and Hyantean Aganippe, or let us give up the Emathian plains as far as snowy Paeonia. 314Let the nymphs decide the contest." 315It was shameful indeed to contend, but it seemed more shameful to yield. 316The nymphs chosen as judges swear by their rivers, and sat on seats made of living rock. 318Then, without drawing lots, she who had declared she would compete first sings of the wars of the gods above, and gives the Giants undeserved honour, and belittles the deeds of the great gods; 321and how Typhoeus, sent up from the lowest seat of the earth, had struck fear into the heavenly ones, and all had turned their backs in flight, until the land of Egypt took them in, weary, and the Nile, parted into seven mouths.
325She tells how earth-born Typhoeus came there too, and how the gods above hid themselves in false shapes; 327"and Jupiter," she said, "becomes leader of a flock; 327whence even now Libyan Ammon is shaped with curving horns. 329The Delian hid in a raven, Semele's offspring in a goat, Phoebus' sister in a cat, Saturn's daughter in a snow-white cow, Venus in a fish, the Cyllenian in the wings of an ibis." 332Thus far she had moved her singing lips to the lyre: then we Aonians are called upon. 333But perhaps you have no leisure, and no time to lend your ears to our songs.' 335'Do not hesitate, but relate your song to me in order,' says Pallas, and sat down in the light shade of the grove.
337The Muse relates: 'We gave the whole conduct of the contest to one. 338Calliope rises, and, binding her flowing hair with ivy, tries out the plaintive strings with her thumb, and, striking the chords, adds these songs to them: