1The pastoral Muse of Damon and Alphesiboeus—at whose contest the heifer marvelled, forgetting her grass, at whose song the lynxes stood spellbound, and the rivers, changed, stayed their courses—the Muse of Damon and Alphesiboeus we will tell. 6You, whether you are now passing the rocks of great Timavus, or coasting the shore of the Illyrian sea, will that day ever come when I may tell of your deeds? 9will it ever be that I may carry through all the world your songs, alone worthy of the Sophoclean buskin? 11With you was my beginning, with you I shall end: accept these songs begun at your bidding, and let this ivy creep round your temples among the victor's laurels.
14Scarcely had night's chill shadow left the sky, at the hour when dew on the tender grass is most welcome to the flock; 16leaning on his smooth olive staff, Damon began thus. 17Rise, Morning Star, and, coming before it, bring on the kindly day, while I, deceived by an unworthy love for my promised bride Nisa, lament, and, though I have gained nothing by having them as witnesses, still, dying, address the gods in my last hour. 21Begin with me, my pipe, the songs of Maenalus. 22Maenalus always has a tuneful grove and speaking pines; 23always it hears the loves of shepherds, and Pan, who first would not let the reeds lie idle.
25Begin with me, my pipe, the songs of Maenalus. 26Nisa is given to Mopsus: what may we lovers not hope for? 27Griffins will now be mated with mares, and in the age to come timid deer will come with hounds to drink. 29Mopsus, cut new torches: a wife is being led home for you; 30scatter nuts, bridegroom: for you the Evening Star is leaving Oeta. 31Begin with me, my pipe, the songs of Maenalus. 32O you, matched with a worthy husband, while you despise everyone, and while my pipe and my she-goats are hateful to you, and my shaggy brow and long beard, and you do not believe that any god cares for mortal things!
36Begin with me, my pipe, the songs of Maenalus. 37Within our hedges I saw you, a little girl—I was your guide—picking dewy apples with your mother. 39The year after my eleventh had just then begun for me; 40already I could reach the fragile branches from the ground. 41As I saw, so I was lost! 41How a cruel madness carried me away! 42Begin with me, my pipe, the songs of Maenalus. 43Now I know what Love is: on hard crags Tmaros or Rhodope or the remotest Garamantes bring him forth, a boy not of our race nor of our blood. 46Begin with me, my pipe, the songs of Maenalus. 47cruel Love taught a mother to stain her hands with her children's blood; 48cruel you were too, mother: was the mother more cruel, or that wicked boy?
50that boy was wicked; 50cruel you were too, mother. 51Begin with me, my pipe, the songs of Maenalus. 52now let the wolf even run from the sheep of its own accord; 52let hard oaks bear golden apples; 53let the alder bloom with narcissus; 54let tamarisks sweat rich amber from their bark; 55let owls too vie with swans; 55let Tityrus be Orpheus, Orpheus in the woods, Arion among the dolphins. 57Begin with me, my pipe, the songs of Maenalus. 58Let everything even become mid-ocean: farewell, woods! 59headlong from the lookout of a lofty mountain I will throw myself into the waves; 60take this as the last gift of a dying man.
61Cease, my pipe, cease now the songs of Maenalus. 62So sang Damon: what Alphesiboeus answered, tell, Pierian Muses; 63we cannot all do everything. 64Bring out water, and wreathe these altars with a soft fillet, and burn rich vervain and male frankincense, so that I may try to turn my lover's sound mind with magic rites; nothing is lacking here but spells. 68Bring Daphnis home from the city, my spells, bring Daphnis home. 69Spells can even draw the Moon down from the sky; 70by spells Circe changed the comrades of Ulysses; 71the cold snake in the meadows is burst by chanting. 72Bring Daphnis home from the city, my spells, bring Daphnis home.
73First I wind round you these three threads, each of a different colour, and three times I lead your image round these altars: the god delights in an odd number. 76Bring Daphnis home from the city, my spells, bring Daphnis home. 77Tie the three colours in three knots, Amaryllis; just tie them, Amaryllis, and say 'I am tying the bonds of Venus.' 79Bring Daphnis home from the city, my spells, bring Daphnis home. 80As this clay hardens and as this wax melts in one and the same fire, so may Daphnis by my love. 82Sprinkle the meal, and kindle the brittle laurels with pitch. 83Cruel Daphnis burns me; I burn this laurel against Daphnis.
84Bring Daphnis home from the city, my spells, bring Daphnis home. 85Let such love seize Daphnis as when a heifer, weary of seeking her bullock through the woods and deep groves, sinks down by a stream of water on the green sedge, lost to herself, and does not think to give way to the late night—let such love hold him, and let me have no care to heal it. 90Bring Daphnis home from the city, my spells, bring Daphnis home. 91These clothes that faithless man once left me, dear pledges of himself, which now on the very threshold I entrust to you, earth; 93these pledges owe me Daphnis. 94Bring Daphnis home from the city, my spells, bring Daphnis home.
95These herbs and these poisons, gathered in Pontus, Moeris himself gave me; 96they grow in great abundance in Pontus. 97With these I have often seen Moeris turn into a wolf and hide in the woods, often summon souls from the depths of their tombs, and charm sown crops away to another field. 100Bring Daphnis home from the city, my spells, bring Daphnis home. 101Carry the ashes out of doors, Amaryllis, and throw them over your head into the flowing stream, and do not look back: with these I will assail Daphnis; he cares nothing for gods, nothing for spells. 104Bring Daphnis home from the city, my spells, bring Daphnis home.
105Look, while I delay carrying them, the ash itself has of its own accord caught the altar with flickering flames: may it be a good sign! 107Something there surely is, and Hylax is barking on the threshold. 108Can we believe it? Or do those who love fashion dreams for themselves? 109Stop, my spells, stop now: Daphnis is coming from the city.