Ye that have your portion beside the waters of Cephisus! Ye that dwell in a home of fair horses! Ye Graces of fertile Orchomenus, ye queens of song that keep watch over the ancient Minyae, listen to my prayer! For, by your aid, all things pleasant and sweet are accomplished for mortals, if any man be skilled in song, or be fair to look upon, or hath won renown. Yea, not even the gods order the dance or the banquet, without the aid of the holy Graces. Nay, rather, they are the ministrants of all things in heaven, where their thrones are set beside the Lord of the golden bow, the Pythian Apollo, and where they adore the ever-flowing honour of the Olympian Father queen Aglaia, and Euphrosyné, that lovest the dance and song, ye daughters of the mightiest of the gods! may ye listen now; and thou Thalia, that art enamoured of the song and dance, when thou hast looked upon this triumphant chorus, as it lightly steppeth along in honour of the victor’s good
fortune. For I have come to sing the praise of Asépichus with Lydian tune and with meditated lays, because, thanks to thee, the house of the Minyae is victorious in Olympia. Now hie thee, Echo, to the dark-walled home of Persephoné, and bear the glorious tidings to the father, so that, when thou hast seen Cleodamus, thou mayest tell him that, beside the famous vale of Pisa, his son hath crowned his youthful locks with garlands won from the ennobling games.
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