VIII
For Kleandros of Aegina, on his victory in the boys’ Pankration, BC 478 (?). It was shortly after the battle of Plataea: the poet, while thankful for the liberation of Greece, is filled with sorrow for the traitorous part which his native Thebes has played in that war.
Strophe 1
For Kleandros and his comrades, O ye youths, let some of you
Go and stand before his father Telesarchus’ gleaming door,
And wake the chant, the recompense for toils, his glorious due
For the crowns that from the Isthmus and from Nemea he bore.
What though I be stricken-hearted, to their praying have I hearkened,
And on the golden Muse I call. From night of woes that darkened
Around us are we rescued, and we may not brook bereaving
Of triumph-crowns, nor over cureless evils linger grieving.
But let us cheer the people with the sweetness of our song,
Though the pain have scarce departed; for the stone that hung so long
Above our heads—a very stone of Tantalus—at last
A God hath turned aside: the peril now is overpast,
Strophe 2
That intolerable curse unto Hellas! But the night
Of terror hath departed, and the crushing load of care
Is lifted. Yet ’tis better evermore to keep in sight
The perils that be waiting in the path whereon we fare.
For Time is dogging mortals’ steps, with treacherous feet on-stealing,
And tangling all the ways of life. Yet even here is healing
For such as have but freedom. Let us still to hope be clinging!
In Thebe seven-gated nursed, the Graces’ flowers of singing
I needs must give Aegina; for Asopus’ daughters twain
Found favour in the sight of Zeus who over all doth reign.
And one of these by lovely-flowered Dirke’s fair demesne
He caused to dwell, to be the chariot-loving city’s queen.
Strophe 3
But thee unto Oenopia’s isle he bore, and couched with thee.
And there unto the Thunder-crashing Father didst thou bear
A godlike scion, Aiakus, of men most righteous he;
Yea, even to the Gods in Heaven contention’s arbiter
Was he. His hero-sons and children’s children war-delighting
With peerless valour met the clanging bronze of warriors fighting;
And self-controlled they ruled their spirit, even as wisdom taught them.
Now when the Gods in council met, of all this they bethought them,
When Zeus with glory-girt Poseidon in contention strove
For Thetis’ hand; for either God was captive of her love,
And fain would win the fairest; but impossible it was
That Heaven’s eternal counsels should bring such a thing to pass
Strophe 4
Whence once they heard the oracle that spake them Fate’s decree.
For Themis wise in counsel in the Gods’ assembly told
How that Destiny ordained it that the Lady of the Sea
Should bear a son more mighty than his father, who should hold
In his hand another sceptre more resistless than the levin
Or the trident, were she wedded with any lord of Heaven:—
“Cease to contend! In marriage to a mortal be she given.
Like Ares’ hands her son’s shall be where battle’s strife is striven,
His speed of foot as lightning-flash;—but she shall see him die
In war! I give my counsel that this honour from on high
To Peleus son of Aiakus be granted. All attest
That dweller in Iolkos’ plain of mortals holiest.
Strophe 5
“Then let our message straight go forth to Cheiron’s cave divine,
Nor once again let Nereus’ daughter set the leaves of strife
In hands of Gods; but when the midmonth orbèd moonbeams shine
At eventide, then let her loose her maiden zone, the wife
Most lovely of a hero.” So the Goddess spake, preventing
The ruin-day of Kronos’ sons. And they in one consenting
Bent their immortal brows. Nor did her counsel’s fruitage wither;
For told it is that these two Kings in friendship came together
To Thetis’ bridal. And the lips of bards have published far
To them that saw it not the mighty prowess in the war
Of young Achilles, how he poured a dusky-crimson stain,
The life-blood of king Telephus, on Mysia’s vine-clad plain,
Strophe 6
And bridge-like paved the Atreids’ safe return across the sea,
And rescued Helen; for he hewed asunder with his spear
Troy’s sinews, them who strove to stay the slaughter-work that he
Wrought in that battle-harried plain, yea, stayed the proud career
Of Memnon’s might, of Hector and the chiefs in strength excelling
Of Troy, to whom Achilles showed to Queen Persephone’s dwelling
The path—the Aiakids’ champion he!—and glory so was bringing
Unto Aegina and his race. Yea, lips immortal singing
Wailed o’er him dead, when Helicon s Maids, a many-voicèd choir,
Stood by his death-rites, pouring forth their dirge around the pyre.
Ay, so the Immortals willed that heroism, even in death,
Should be a theme for Goddesses to hymn with praising breath.
Strophe 7
Yea, to this day that law of honour holds: the Muses’ car
Speeds on to sound his glory forth who won the gauntlet-fight
In Isthmus’ glade, even Nikokles.30 Oh, peal his praise afar
Who won the Dorian parsley-crown, who vanquished by his might,
He too,31 all rivals, hurled them back with leap as of a lion.
Nor him dishonoureth now his
