Polyphemus and Galatea

Polyphemus and Galatea

From an English translation of The Idylls of Theocritus, by James Henry Hallard (1901)

This story of the cyclops Polyphemus precedes the story familiar from The Odyssey, where Polyphemus traps the men of Odysseus in a cave to devour them until Odysseus finds a way to trick the cyclops and escape. Here Polyphemus, who plays the Pan-pipes, is hopelessly in love with Galatea, but feigning apathy.

Theocritus was a Hellenistic era bucolic poet born somewhere around 315 B.C. In his poems, he says he came from Syracuse. He probably worked in Alexandria because he mentions a Ptolemy. See the note and translation by J. M. Edmonds.

Also see:
"Unrequited Love: Polyphemus and Galatea in Ovid's 'Metamorphoses'"
Alan H. F. Griffin
Greece & Rome, Second Series, Vol. 30, No. 2 (Oct., 1983), pp. 190-197

Damoetas and the herd-boy Daphnis once
Into one spot, Aratus, on a day
Together drove their kine. The cheeks of one
Were touched with russet down; the other bore
A youthful beard. Both sat them by a spring
That summer morn, and sang these songs; and first
Daphnis began, for he had raised the strife.

'See how thy sweetheart pelts thy flock, Polyphemus, with apples,
Mocking the "goatherd man," calling him "luckless-in-love."
Fool! thou regardest not, but piping sweetly thou sittest.
Ah! there again, see there, look at her pelting the dog!
Faithful ward of the flock, he scampers along by the ripples
Softly that hiss on the shore, stares at his image and yelps.
Take heed lest he leap on the limbs of the maiden coming
Forth from the sea, and the girl's beautiful body be torn.
See how the wanton plies her wiles in the midst of the water,
Light as a thistle's down dried by the midsummer sun!
Wooed, she will flee, but shunned, pursue, and hazard her utmost.
  Oft, Polyphemus, with Love evil and good are as one.'
Damoetas, answering, began this lay:—

'Yea, by Pan, but I saw her, I saw her pelting my flock there,
Saw with my one sweet eye—mine it will be to the end;
Plague upon Telemus' mouth which once spake curses about it—
May they return and roost over the babes in his home!
I tease her at times, and will not return her glances,
Saying another girl lives with me now as my love.
Jealous then is she and pines, I swear by Apollo,
Eyeing from out of the sea wildly the caves and the flocks.
Whiles I tarr my hound on to bay her, because when I wooed her
He with a wistful whine nestled his nose on her thigh.
Haply beholding oft these things she will send me an envoy;
Natheless my door shall be shut till she will swear with an oath
She herself will spread my couch for me here on this island.
Surely my shape is not all so uncouth to behold!
Once on a day as I gazed on myself in the calm of the ocean,
Fair to me seemed my beard, lovely methought was my eye,
Whiter my teeth too shone than the gleam of Parian marble;
Thrice in my breast did I spit lest I should envy arouse.
This was a charm which old Cotyttaris learned me aforetime,
She who would often of yore flute to Hippocion's hinds.''

Thus sang Damoetas, and he kissed his friend,
And gave a pipe, and Daphnis gave his flute.
Damoetas fluted and the herdsman piped;
The heifer calves skipped on the tender grass;
Neither prevailed; unworsted were they both.