ODES OF ANACREON. ODE I. I SAW the smiling bard of pleasure, He beam'd upon my wondering sight; This ode is the first of the series in the Vatican manuscript, which does not attribute it to any other poet than Anacreon. They who assert that the manuscript imputes it to Basilius, have been misled by the words His tresses wore a silv'ry die, But beauty sparkled in his eye; The fragrance of the racy tide; Te aury Barixxws in the margin, which are merely intended as a title to the following ode. Whether it be the production of Anacreon or not, it has all the features of ancient simplicity, and is a beautiful imitation of the poet's happiest manner. Sparkled in his eyes of fire, Through the mist of soft desire.] (says Baxter) that the poet was qλEUVOS ?" there are surely many tell-tales of this propensity; and the following are the indices, which the physiognomist gives, describing a disposition perhaps not unlike that of Anacreon - Οφθαλμοι κλυζομενοι, κυμαίνοντες εν αυτοις, εις αφροδίσια και ευπαθείαν επτοηνται. ετε δε αδικοι, ετε κακεργοι, ετε φυσεως φαύλης, ετε αμεσοι-Adamantius. “ The eyes that are humid and fluctuating show a propensity to pleasure and love; they bespeak too a mind of integrity and beneficence, a generosity of disposition, and a genius for poetry." "How could he know at the first look Baptista Porta tells us some strange opinions of the ancient physiognomists on this subject, their reasons for which were curious, and perhaps not altogether fanciful. Vide Physiognom. Johan. Baptist. Portæ. And, as with weak and reeling feet, An infant, of the Cyprian band, Guided him on with tender hand Quick from his glowing brows he drew I took the braid of wanton twine It breath'd of him and blush'd with wine! his I took the braid of wanton twine It breath'd of him, &c.] Philostratus has the same thought in one of ερωτικά, where he speaks of the garland which he had sent to his mistress. Ει δε βελει τι φίλω χαρίζεσθαι, τα λείψανα αντιπέμψον, μηκετι πνεοντα ροδων μονον αλλα και σ8. "If thou art inclined to gratify thy lover, send me back the remains of the garland, no longer breathing of roses only, but of thee !" Which pretty conceit is borrowed (as the author of the Observer remarks) in a well-known little song of Ben Johnson's : "But thou thereon didst only breathe, "And sent it back to me; "Since when it looks and smells I swear, "Not of itself, but thee!" I twin'd it round my thoughtless brow, I feel that ev'n his garland's touch Can make the bosom love too much! And ah! I feel it's magic now!] This idea, as Longepierre remarks, is in an epigram of the feventh book of the Anthologia. Εξοτε μοι πινοντι συνεσίαεσα Χαρικλώ Λαθρη της ιδιες αμφέβαλε σεφανές, Πυρ ολοον δαπτει με While I unconscious quaff'd my wine, 'Twas then thy fingers slyly stole Upon my brow that wreath of thine, Which since has madden'd all my soul ! ODE II. GIVE me the harp of epic song, And reel us through the dance's round. Proclaim the laws of festal rite-] The ancients prescribed certain laws of drinking at their festivals, for an account of which see the commentators. Anacreon here acts the symposiarch, or master of the festival. I have translated according to those, who consider xUTEλλα σ as an inversion Οι θεσμός κυπελλων. |