down from thy locks.[1] †Come to this dwelling, come, having thy mind,† with counselling Jove, and also grant grace to my song.
XXIII. TO THE MUSES AND APOLLO.
From the Muses[2] I commence, and from Apollo and Jove, for from the Muse and far-darting Apollo are bards and minstrels upon the earth, and from Jove are kings. But blessed is he whom the Muses love! sweet flows the voice from his mouth. Hail! children of Jove, and honour my song; but I will be mindful of you and of another song.
XXIV. TO BACCHUS.
I begin to sing ivy-crowned, roving Bacchus, the glorious son of Jove and renowned Semele, whom the fair-haired nymphs, receiving him from his royal sire in their bosoms, nurtured, and brought up assiduously in the valleys of Nyssa. But he grew up under the care of his sire in a fragrant-smelling cave, being numbered among the immortals. But when the goddesses had trained up him of much renown, then indeed he used to go through the woody recesses, thickly crowned with ivy and laurel; but the nymphs followed with him, and he led the way, and noisy possessed the mighty[3]* wood. And do thou thus hail, O many-clustered Bacchus, and grant that we rejoicing may again come round to the seasons, and from the seasons again to many years.
XXV. TO DIANA.
I sing Diana, of the golden distaff, mistress of the cry,[4] the hallowed virgin, striker of stags, rejoicing in arrows, own sister of golden-sworded Apollo; who, delighting in the chace,
