CHORUS People who a victim slay Always cut the tongue away.
MESSENGER O all-successful, more than tongue can tell! O ye, thrice blesséd wingéd race of birds, Welcome your King returning to his halls! He comes; no Star has ever gleamed so fair, Sparkling refulgent in its gold-rayed home. The full far-flashing splendour of the Sun Ne’er shone so gloriously as he, who comes Bringing a bride too beautiful for words, Wielding the wingéd thunderbolt of Zeus. Up to Heaven’s highest vault, sweet sight, ascends Fragrance ineffable; while gentlest airs The fume of incense scatter far and wide. He comes; he is here! Now let the heavenly Muse Open her lips with pure auspicious strains.
CHORUS Back with you! out with you! off with you! up with you!
CHORUS
Flying around Welcome the Blesséd with blessedness crowned. O! O! for the youth and the beauty, O! Well hast thou wed for the town of the Birds. Great are the blessings, and mighty, and wonderful, Which through his favour our nation possesses. Welcome them back, both himself and Miss Sovereignty, Welcome with nuptial and bridal addresses. Mid just such a song hymenaean Aforetime the Destinies led The King of the thrones empyréan, The Ruler of Gods, to the bed Of Hera his beautiful bride. Hymen, O Hymenaeus! And Love, with his pinions of gold, Came driving, all blooming and spruce, As groomsman and squire to behold The wedding of Hera and Zeus,
CHORUS Of Zeus and his beautiful bride. Hymen, O Hymenaeus! Hymen, O Hymenaeus!
PEISTHETAERUS I delight in your hymns, I delight in your songs; Your words I admire.
CHORUS Now sing of the trophies he brings us from Heaven, The earth-crashing thunders, deadly and dire, And the lightning’s angry flashes of fire, And the dread white bolt of the levin. Blaze of the lightning, so terribly beautiful, Golden and grand! Fire-flashing javelin, glittering ever in Zeus’s right hand! Earth-crashing thunder, the hoarsely resounding, the Bringer of showers!
CHORUS He is your Master, ’tis he that is shaking the Earth with your powers! All that was Zeus’s of old Now is our hero’s alone; Sovereignty, fair to behold, Partner of Zeus on his throne, Now is for ever his own. Hymen, O Hymenaeus!
PEISTHETAERUS Now follow on, dear feathered tribes, To see us wed, to see us wed; Mount up to Zeus’s golden floor, And nuptial bed, and nuptial bed. And O, my darling, reach thine hand, And take my wing and dance with me, And I will lightly bear thee up, And carry thee, and carry thee.
CHORUS Raise the joyous Paean-cry, Raise the song of Victory. Io Paean, alalalae, Mightiest of the Powers, to thee!
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