The Thomas Gray Archive : Primary Texts : Poems : "[Translation from Statius, Thebaid VI 646-88, 704-24]"

"[Translation from Statius, Thebaid VI 646-88, 704-24]"

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"[Translation from Statius, Thebaid VI 646-88, 704-24]"

E Lib: 6to Thebaidos

Then thus the king: `Whoe'er the quoit can wield,

And furthest send its weight athwart the field,

Let him stand forth his brawny arm to boast.'

Swift at the word, from out the gazing host

Young Pterelas with strength unequal drew,

Labouring the disc, and to small distance threw.

The band around admire the mighty mass,

A slippery weight and formed of polished brass.

The love of honour bade two youths advance,

Achaians born, to try the glorious chance;

A third arose, of Acarnania he,

Of Pisa one and three from Ephyre.

Nor more; for now Nesimachus's son,

By acclamations roused, came towering on.

Another orb upheaved his strong right hand,

Then thus: `Ye Argive flower, ye warlike band,

Who trust your arms shall raze the Tyrian towers,

And batter Cadmus' walls with stony showers,

Receive a worthier load; yon puny ball

Let youngsters toss.'

He said, and scornful flung the unheeded weight

Aloof: the champions trembling at the sight

Prevent disgrace, the palm despaired resign.

All but two youths the enormous orb decline:

These conscious shame witheld and pride of noble line.

As bright and huge the spacious circle lay,

With doubled light it beamed against the day:

So glittering shows the Thracian godhead's shield,

With such a gleam affrights Pangaea's field,

When blazing 'gainst the sun it shines from far,

And, clashed, rebellows with the din of war.

Phlegyas the long-expected play began,

Summoned his strength and called forth all the man.

All eyes were bent on his experienced hand,

For oft in Pisa's sports his native land

Admired that arm; oft on Alpheus' shore

The ponderous brass in exercise he bore:

Where flowed the widest stream he took his stand;

Sure flew the disc from his unerring hand,

Nor stopped till it had cut the further strand.

And now in dust the polished ball he rolled,

Then grasped its weight, elusive of his hold;

Now fitting to his grip and nervous arm,

Suspends the crowd with animation warm,

Nor tempts he yet the plain but, hurled upright,

Emits the mass, a prelude of his might.

Firmly he plants each knee and o'er his head,

Collecting all his force, the circle sped.

It towers to cut the clouds; now through the skies

Sings in its rapid way and strengthens as it flies;

Anon with slackened rage comes quivering down,

Heavy and huge, and cleaves the solid ground.

So from the astonished stars, her nightly train,

The sun's pale sister, drawn by magic strain,

Deserts precipitant her darkened sphere.

In vain the nations with officious fear

Their cymbals toss and sounding brass explore:

The Aemonian hag enjoys her dreadful hour,

And smiles malignant on the labouring power.

* * *

Third in the labours of the disc came on,

With sturdy step and slow, Hippomedon.

Artful and strong he poised the well-known weight,

By Phlegyas warned and fired by Mnestheus' fate,

That to avoid and this to emulate.

His vigorous arm he tried before he flung,

Braced all his nerves and every sinew strung;

Then, with a tempest's whirl and wary eye,

Pursued his cast and hurled the orb on high;

The orb on high tenacious of its course,

True to the mighty arm that gave it force,

Far overleaps all bound and joys to see

Its ancient lord secure of victory.

The theatre's green height and woody wall

Tremble ere it precipitates its fall;

The ponderous mass sinks in the cleaving ground,

While vales and woods and echoing hills rebound.

As when from Aetna's smoking summit broke,

The eyeless Cyclops heaved the craggy rock:

Where ocean frets beneath the dashing oar,

And parting surges round the vessel roar,

'Twas there he aimed the meditated harm,

And scarce Ulysses scaped his giant arm.

A tiger's pride the victor bore away,

With native spots and artful labour gay:

A shining border round the margin rolled,

And calmed the terrors of his claws in gold.

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Composition / Publication: 1736 / 1775 and 1853

Form: aa

Original Text: Holograph MS / 1775

Genre: Translation

Editorial information: A brief introduction and a list of MS witnesses is available. Spelling has been modernized throughout, except in case of conscious archaisms. Contractions, italics and initial capitalization have been largely eliminated, except where of real import. Obvious errors have been silently corrected, punctuation has been supplied. The editor would like to express his gratitude to the library staff of the Göttingen State and University Library (SUB Göttingen) for their invaluable assistance.

Versions of this text are available in the Digital Library:

1775: The Poems of Mr. Gray. To which are prefixed Memoirs of his Life and Writings by W[illiam]. Mason. York, 1775.
1782: The Poetical Works of Thomas Gray. Edinburg, 1782.
1798: The Poetical Works of Thomas Gray. London, 1798.
1799: The Poetical Works of Thomas Gray. London, [1799].
1799: The Poetical Works of Thomas Gray, LL.B. London, 1799.
1800: The Poetical Works of Thomas Gray, LL.B. London, 1800.
1800: The Poems of Gray. A new edition. London, 1800.
1805: The Poetical Works of Thomas Gray. London, 1805.
1816: The Works of Thomas Gray, Vol. I. Ed. John Mitford. London, 1816.
1826: The Poetical Works of Thomas Gray. London, 1826.
1836: The Works of Thomas Gray, Volume I. Ed. John Mitford. London, 1836.
1853: The Correspondence of Thomas Gray and William Mason. Ed. John Mitford. London, 1853.

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