28 Reconciliation: Ode to the Lyre and the Exchange (-503)
The Lyre
Let me teach you:
Regarding
this beautiful-escort-with-a-sharp-tongue
embrace her in your arms, just like this and
make sweet, sweet
music.
So long as you know
how to flirt with her
conversing skillfully and
with proper manners,
then, whenever desire fills you,
you can take her:
in the bountiful feast, 480
in dances, which stir desire, and
in the drunken parties of a glory-hungry victor.
You can make sweet joy with her, day or night.
If someone has properly learned the art, and
with gentleness, practice, and playful creativity,
approaches her
explores her body with his touch, and
asks her what she likes, in conversation.
Then she
will teach him where to go next and
will make such beautiful sounds
enough to make the mind and heart go wild.
Do not fear to have fun with her,
she is obliging and
accustomed to gentle intercourse 485
But beware:
She avoids those who try to play with her roughly.
If someone inexperienced
approaches her like a virgin, for his first time
explores her body forcibly
demands what he wants too quickly,
Then she
will never fall into a pleasing rhythm with him
will only make noises:
shrill,
broken
at random.
The Exchange
If your heart desires to possess more…
it is, of course, perfectly within your power and rights
to hold an even greater abundance than you already do.
And so I will give her away
forever, without cost or proviso
to you,
heir of Zeus,
most glorious prince. 490
For my part,
I suppose that I will have to head back to
the mountainside and
the horse-grazing fields.
But king-whose-worth-and-glories-are-far-known,
…Not alone, of course.
along with me…
I will be driving all these field-dwelling cattle.
[Although they many not be worth as much as my lyre now…]
Back in my pasture,
my own bulls can impregnate them —
after they have come together
(like animals are accustomed to do)
This will multiply my wealth in the future:
producing more male and female cattle alike.
So, there is no way
–for anyone–
to be violent and angry
about this trade,
no matter how greedy one might be
[or their reputation for anger].” 495
He concluded and offered:
the lyre.
Happily,
Purifying-light, Phoebus Apollo took it.
Without reluctance, he traded and entrusted to him
the cattle-driving whip,
which-makes an echoing crack, and
the care of the herd.
Happily,
Hermes, The son of Maia took them.
Apollo’s Song
Then,
He took the kithara into his right hand
the son of Leto,
glorious king,
whose-worth-and-glories-are-far-known:
Apollo 500
and with his pick
tuned the strings,
one
after
the
other.
And underneath his touch
once separate voices cried out together, as one:
sharp notes,
shocking,
never-before-heard.
And in counterpoint:
the god sang something wondrous.