Tuesday, April 14, 2020
Where Are You, My Friend?
Euripides, Cyclops 63-75 (tr. Patrick O'Sullivan and Christopher Collard):
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There is no Bromius here, no choruses either,
no thyrsus-wielding Bacchants,
no rapturous cries from drums, 65
no bright drops of wine
beside the rushing waters of springs.
Nor can I sing with the Nymphs on Nysa
the song "iacchos! iacchos!"
to Aphrodite, whom I pursued, flying along 70
with the white-footed Bacchants.
O my friend, O my friend Bacchus,
where are you, wandering, separated from your followers,
are you shaking your golden hair?
οὐ τάδε Βρόμιος, οὐ τάδε χοροὶ
Βάκχαι τε θυρσοφόροι,
οὐ τυμπάνων ἀλαλαγμοί, 65
οὐκ οἴνου χλωραὶ σταγόνες 67
κρήναις παρ' ὑδροχύτοις· 66
οὐδ' ἐν Νύσᾳ μετὰ Νυμ- 68
φᾶν ἴακχον ἴακχον ᾠ-
δὰν μέλπω πρὸς τὰν Ἀφροδί- 70
ταν, ἃν θηρεύων πετόμαν
Βάκχαις σὺν λευκόποσιν.
ὦ φίλος ὦ φίλε Βακχεῖε,
ποῦ οἰοπολῶν
ξανθὰν χαίταν σείεις;
66 transp. Hermann