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On the island of Lesvos
honey flows like wine in summer.
Forests and mountains grace the land.
The sea resonates the sound of waves.
Coastal rocks glisten in the sun.
Zephyrs sing music through the leaves.
Fragrances perfume the air at night.
My homeland visits me in dreams
by day and night, while I think of you, beloved.
MUSIC DRIFTS THROUGH MY MIND
As the boat curls through the sea
My journey lasts several days.
Dark blue is the water,
Sails furl in the wind
The sea is dangerous and cruel.
Many have lost their lives.
O King Neptune, grant us passage
through the islands,
May we set our feet on land.
Music drifts through the mind.
My song cannot outwit Aeolius.
ALCMAN, THE GREAT POET
The great Alcman, my teacher,
the master of all poets
possesses wisdom of the age.
A scholar, he was born a slave.
A passionate man, he never loved.
Born in Lydia, he came to Sparta
a free man in his fortieth year.
O Zeus, what he knows
would fill the heavens.
May his knowledge rain down
and shower me with brilliance.
Next to him, I know nothing.
THE RAPTURE
I sing for a choir of virgin girls
Fifty beauties dancing in a circle
Their voices sound like sea nymphs
calling in the breeze.
Dionysius brings forth purple wine.
Share the joy and get a little tipsy.
But do not touch these girls
They are so pure.
One day they will marry.
Until then Arion invites you to enjoy,
and feel the rapture of these verses.
THE ORACLE
Move graceful through the air
like seagulls along the shore,
While you dance, I dance
on the strings of my harp;
My song in purest voice
fills the hall with lyric singing.
The gods come down to Earth.
Harken to the message.
The Delphic Oracle speaks
and each must listen.
Ask your question wisely
and be prepared for answers.
Woe to the one who expects
good omens yet who knows
his heart betrays the truth.
When the Gods intone the Oracle,
receive their words with grace.
A bad omen may presage beginning
while a good one may bring darkness.
Apollo sings of love and beauty
and his father's wields his wrath.
KING PERIANDER
O Great King Periandros,
I owe allegiance to you.
As one of the wise
you bring me to the gate
of your palace
and beyond the Corinthian door.
Your trust in me is legion
and I would ever give you my life.
Your love for music
and lust for poetry
guides my inner light.
TRITON
Out of the womb
man wanders the Earth.
Into the womb
man thrusts his seeds.
Triton rules the waves
his spear is mightier
than words of love.
If you have evil in your heart
don't go in the water.
Your blood may redden the waves.
How will you then mate
and bring children to the world?
Evil turns to stone
and goodness melts in water.
CORINTHIAN
O Corinth, O Corinth
Your treasures are known
throughout the world.
Your wealth brings good fortune
to all who engage in commerce
and enterprise.
Your painted vases
are beyond compare.
Your sailing ships
travel near and far.
Your great king speaks wisely
and he reins in that human
taste for luxury.
His taxation is fair.
Listen to his guidance
and taste the fruit of olives
delivered directly to your table
from the western regions -
Magna Graecia.
PLEASE COME TO ME NOW
O love speaks kinder than words.
My arms embrace your power.
In your grasp I am in the clutch
of gods and goddesses.
Please come to me now.
May love follow every footstep
to your presence, and O
sweet love, wherever you are
I will sweeten my way with flowers.
DRINK OF THE EARTH
Lucid are the eyes
I gaze into.
My heart wells up
and I lift out cool water
with clay pot in hands.
Come, drink the freshness
from the Earth
and let me gaze
into the heart of you.
CORINNE
Old Alcman had it right.
The Gods have power over Man.
O Aphrodite I am stung with love.
Even the bee has more
power than I.
And do I die when he stings me?
No, he is the one who dies.
Eros wields arrows of fire
and every one shreds me apart.
O Corinne, cool my brow,
it swelters in love for you.
ISLAND OF LESVOS
In my native Lesvos,
the air is thick with fruits and olives.
Myteline buzzes with action.
There is music in the streets.
Noble men and women
are benevolent.
There are no wars.
Only peace.
On the lands to the east we know
of bloodshed and conquests,
yet who will come to our island
over the water?
What navy dares conquers
a peaceful people?
We have little wealth.
Ours is an oasis of enlightenment
surrounded by a sea of antiquity.
FISH
My father is a fisherman,
we go out at night, lighting lanterns.
My mother tends the olive trees.
They must be pruned in winter.
When we return home,
our nets are filled with fresh-caught fish,
mother cooks them in olive oil.
O, how I love the flavors
all mixed in, according to the season.
I picked herbs in the countryside
yesterday - a delicacy.
My sister cut the vegetables.
Later I will pick up my lyre
and sing a hymn to the goddess
of appreciation.
The sun sets violet, red and orange.
THE DOLPHIN
Who is this creature
swum out of the blue world?
A dolphin I suppose.
But who is he?
What is he?
A fish too fast to catch.
He blows air above his head.
I hear him breathe.
He likes to play with me,
come near my side.
His skin feels so smooth.
Will he be my guide?
O ZEUS
Winds of the sea rise up.
Whitecaps crown the waves.
Our sails whip the air fast and hard.
The boat weaves through water.
Will we outlast the storm?
Or will king Neptune claim
us for his own?
The fish dive even deeper.
We are listing awfully far.
O Zeus, save us from death
and a trip down to the netherworld.
PERIANDER'S OMEN
The king has returned home
after a trip to Delphi
where he consulted the Oracle.
His face is ashened, bloodless.
He possesses the look of doom.
I sing to him and play the lyre,
yet to no avail. He will not stir.
O Periandros. I fear the worst.
You cannot even put on a brave face.
My music does not move you.
The gods have given you bad omens.
Come, hear my words of grace.
WILL YOU BE MINE?
I have rapture on my face
when I think of you Corinne.
Your skin is more translucent
than sculptured marble.
Your eyes sparkle like the Pleiades
and your smile is radiant with sunlight.
I love you with a passion unknown
even to my song-filled heart.
Will you be mine in love?
WINE
At issue is the womb,
song of fertile Earth.
Within you we are born,
Children of the gods
and goddesses, never fear.
Bacchus comes on wings
of song to lighten our night
and fulfill our days.
Drink the wine of purple
nectars and I will dance
the dance only satyrs shine
upon their hoofs.
The flute shouts joyful songs
as we honor all virgins.
DIONYSIUS
Fifty virgins dancing in a circle
softly singing love songs
in the Lydian mode.
At the center, Dyonisius
dancing in a wild frenzy
plays the flute in ecstasy.
From the hall fifty youths
stream out in unison
and form a larger circle
outside the virgin girls.
The men move right,
The girls move left.
Dionysius raises his flute
to a higher power,
the dance quickens`
the song grows louder
until it reaches piercing shrills.
Then dies away.
All grow silent, then move away.
FOR MY LOVE
Corinne, Corinne,
I love you deeply.
Be my lover now.
I wish to hold you
in my wings
and fly you
to Apollo's world
where we shall drink
the nectar of the Gods.
Come, soar away
with me forever,
O Corinne,
my lovely Corinne.
TERPANDER - THE GREAT POET
I owe my soul to my fellow countryman
son from Lesbos - Terpandros
inventor of the choral Ode.
He influenced Alcman, my teacher
and thus me. O muse,
grant me inspiration to sing such poetry
that would bring Zeus back to Earth.ds.
KITHARA - THE LYRE
Terpandros added three strings to the lyre
transforming four into seven. O glory be.
Music will never be the same.
It shines forth with fresh sound and harmony
adding dimension to the song.
Terpandros, you have given us a vision
we poets, bow down our heads to you.
A LOVE SONG
I sing lyrics of great beauty,
of life, nature and the gods.
Hear my chant to you, Corinne.
mistress of my heart,
enchantress of my soul.
My harp strums golden tones
let them pierce your heart,
these arrows of love,
may they sear your skin
with my kisses.
O Corinne, I love you so.
A CHORAL ODE
Beloved one, dawn arises
with a breath of spring.
As we sleep in harmony
we awaken to a new song.
Our love is pure.
Listen to the sounds of birds.
They too sing a choral ode.
GREEN MORNING
My love, the morning is green
with the light of forest trees.
Let us go up into the mountains
and wander the streams.
The rocks speak your name
and each word is a poem
inscribed in my heart.
O Corinne, my Corinne.
MASTER FROM THE SEA
Dolphin, you saved me from death
and Triton's watery tomb.
For this I owe you my eternal gratefulness.
The greatest friendship I ever knew
lasted only for a day and night.
A dolphin saved me from a plight
that would have surely led me to death
beneath the ocean waves.
I was carried on his back safe to shore
and lived to tell the tale,
how the dolphin "Seamaster"
rescued me from fate.
All through the night we spoke in poetry.
In Greek and Dolphinese.
Don't ask me how we communicated
We simply talked and understood
each other's language by osmosis.
Now he's gone to the watery depths.
Somewhere in my mind I see him
swimming with his family,
navigating the sea, swallowing fish
and thinking still of me.
GRATITUDE TO DOLPHINS
O Pearl, Seamaster's mate,
you led us through the night,
flanked by your progeny
Target and Gull-watcher,
you brought up the rear,
protecting us from harm.
I am alive because of you.
May the sea-nymphs
ever guide you on your way.
A WARNING
The Oracle speaks.
You will go to Magna Graecia
and win the prize of prizes.
Danger lurks upon homecoming
and you must be careful.
The waters might take you.
INTO DREAMS
Artemis, sister of Apollo,
I serve you with devotion.
The mountain peaks grow dark.
The animals vanish for the night
The sea falls into slumber.
The birds quiet on their wings.
Into deep dreams I go.
Arion's paraphrase of Alcman's poem.
A FRESH MORNING
In the fresh morning we awaken
to the sound of waves crashing.
Orange blossoms perfume the air.
My love, these joyous days
inspire the muse to chant new songs.
Look! Doves are circling overhead.
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