Arts & Sciences

Marsyas

by José-Maria de Heredia 1842–1905

Translated by Edward Robeson Taylor (1913) · From Greece and Sicily

Arts & Sciences

Thy natal pines which raptured heard thy strains
Burnt not thy flesh, O thou to woes decreed!
Thy bones are shattered, and thy blood-drops feed
The flood the Phrygian Mount pours toward the plains.

The pride-blown Citharist, who jealous reigns,
Has with his plectrum riven thy every reed,
That taught the birds and tamed the lion's breed;
And of Celaena's singer nought remains—

Nought but a bloody shred on yonder yew
Where the poor wretch his nameless horror knew.
O cruel God! O cries of that sweet voice!

Beneath a hand too wise no more you'll find
Maeander's stream the sighing flute rejoice,
For Marsyas' skin is plaything of the wind.

✦ ✦ ✦

Taylor adds a note to this sonnet.

MLA

Heredia, José-Maria de. “Marsyas.” Translated by Edward Robeson Taylor. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/heredia/21/.

Chicago

Heredia, José-Maria de. “Marsyas.” Translated by Edward Robeson Taylor. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/heredia/21/.

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