Wild beasts despoil it,—mortals too no less,
And wingèd tribes and treaders on the earth.
Her gushing fruitage Kypris heraldeth,
Nay, the unripe scarce suffers she to stay;
And at the virgin's daintiness of form, 980
Each passer-by, o'ercome by fond desire,
Sends from his eye a shaft of suasive spell.
Forget we not then wherefore many a toil,
And breadth of sea was furrowed by our keel.—
Shame to ourselves, but triumph to our foes,
Let us not work. A two-fold dwelling here,
(One doth Pelasgos give, the city one,)
Awaits us, free of charge;—easy the terms.
This only,—guard the mandates of your sire.
And honour bold in more respect than life. 990
Chorus.
Be the Olympians gracious in all else!
Touching my youthful bloom take courage, father;—
For I, unless new plans the gods devise,
Will never from my mind's first pathway swerve.
Semi-chorus A. Strophe I.
Praise the blest gods, state-ruling powers supreme,
The city's tutelary guardians praise,
And those who haunt old Erasinos' stream.
Semi-chorus B.
Companions of our way, take up the theme; 1000
For this Pelasgic city let us pour
The song, nor Neilos' mouths henceforth adore
With choral lays.
