Muse, tell me about Pan, the dear son of Hermes, with his
goat's feet and two horns--a lover of merry noise. Through wooded glades
he wanders with dancing nymphs who foot it on some sheer cliff's edge,
calling upon Pan, the shepherd-god, long-haired, unkempt. He has every
snowy crest and the mountain peaks and rocky crests for his domain;
hither and thither he goes through the close thickets, now lured by soft
streams, and now he presses on amongst towering crags and climbs up to
the highest peak that overlooks the flocks. Often he courses through the
glistening high mountains, and often on the shouldered hills he speeds
along slaying wild beasts, this keen-eyed god. Only at evening, as he
returns from the chase, he sounds his note, playing sweet and low on his
pipes of reed: not even she could excel him in melody--that bird who in
flower-laden spring pouring forth her lament utters honey-voiced song
amid the leaves. At that hour the clear-voiced nymphs are with him and
move with nimble feet, singing by some spring of dark water, while Echo
wails about the mountain-top, and the god on this side or on that of
the choirs, or at times sidling into the midst, plies it nimbly with
his feet. On his back he wears a spotted lynx-pelt, and he delights in
high-pitched songs in a soft meadow where crocuses and sweet-smelling
hyacinths bloom at random in the grass.
They sing of the blessed gods and high Olympus and choose
to tell of such an one as luck-bringing Hermes above the rest, how he
is the swift messenger of all the gods, and how he came to Arcadia, the
land of many springs and mother of flocks, there where his sacred
place is as god of Cyllene. For there, though a god, he used to tend
curly-fleeced sheep in the service of a mortal man, because there fell
on him and waxed strong melting desire to wed the rich-tressed daughter
of Dryops, and there he brought about the merry marriage. And in the
house she bare Hermes a dear son who from his birth was marvellous
to look upon, with goat's feet and two horns--a noisy, merry-laughing
child. But when the nurse saw his uncouth face and full beard, she was
afraid and sprang up and fled and left the child. Then luck-bringing
Hermes received him and took him in his arms: very glad in his heart
was the god. And he went quickly to the abodes of the deathless gods,
carrying the son wrapped in warm skins of mountain hares, and set him
down beside Zeus and showed him to the rest of the gods. Then all the
immortals were glad in heart and Bacchie Dionysus in especial; and they
called the boy Pan because he delighted all their hearts.
And so hail to you, lord! I seek your favour with a song.
And now I will remember you and another song also.
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