8
DAMON
mother, thou too wert cruel; say wert thou
more cruel, mother, or more ruthless he?
65
Ruthless the boy, thou, mother, cruel too.
Now let the wolf turn tail and fly the sheep,
tough oaks bear golden apples, alder-trees
bloom with narcissus-flower, the tamarisk
70
sweat with rich amber, and the screech-owl vie
in singing with the swan: let Tityrus
be Orpheus, Orpheus in the forest-glade,
arion 'mid his dolphins on the deep.
Yea, be the whole earth to mid-ocean turned!
Farewell, ye woodlands I from the tall peak
of yon aerial rock will headlong plunge
into the billows: this my latest gift,
from dying lips bequeathed thee, see thou keep.
80
Cease now, my flute, now cease Maenalian lays.’”
ALPHESIBOEUS
“Bring water, and with soft wool-fillet bind
85
these altars round about, and burn thereon
rich vervain and male frankincense, that I
may strive with magic spells to turn astray
