284 292
284
ΣΩ. ΝΗ ΤΗΝ ΗΡΑΝ, ΚΑΛΗ ΓΕ Η ΚΑΤΑΓΩΓΗ. ῝Η ΤΕ ΓΑΡ ΠΛΑΤΑΝΟΣ ΑΥΤΗ ΜΑΛ’ ΑΜΦΙΛΑΦΗΣ ΤΕ ΚΑΙ ΥΨΗΛΗ,
ΤΟΥ ΤΕ ΑΓΝΟΥ ΤΟ ΥΨΟΣ ΚΑΙ ΤΟ ΣΥΣΚΙΟΝ ΠΑΓΚΑΛΟΝ, ΚΑΙ ΩΣ ΑΚΜΗ ΕΧΕΙ ΤΗΣ ΑΝΘΗΣ, ΩΣ ΑΝ ΕΥΩΔΕΣΤΑΤΟΝ
ΠΑΡΕΧΟΙ ΤΟΝ ΤΟΠΟΝ: ῝Η ΤΕ ΑΥ ΠΗΓΗ ΧΑΡΙΕΣΤΑΤΗ ΥΠΟ ΤΟΥ ΠΛΑΤΑΝΟ
Ῥ
ΕΙ ΜΑΛΑ ΨΥΧΡΟΥ ΥΔΑΤΟΣ, ‘ΩΣΤΕ ΓΕ
Τῼ ΠΟΔΙ ΤΕΚΜΗΡΑΣΘΑΙ...
ΕΙ Δ’ΑΥ ΒΟΥΛΕΙ, ΤΟ ΕΥΠΟΥΝ ΤΟΥ ΤΟΠΟΥ ΩΣ ΑΓΑΠΗΤΟΝ ΚΑΙ ΣΦΟΔΡΑ ΗΔΥ: ΘΕΡΙΝΟΝ ΤΕ ΚΑΙ ΛΙΓΥΡΟΝ ΥΠΗΧΕΙ
Τῼ ΤΩΝ ΤΕΤΤΙΓΩΝ ΧΟΡῼ. ΠΑΝΤΩΝ ΔΕ ΚΟΜΨΌΤΑΤΩΝ ΤΟ ΤΗΣ ΠΟΑΣ, ΟΤΙ ΕΝ ΗΡΕΜΑ ΠΡΟΣΑΝΤΕΙ ΙΚΑΝῌ
ΠΕΦΥΚΕ ΚΑΤΑΚΛΙΝΕΝΤΙ ΤΗΝ ΚΕΦΑΛΗΝ ΠΑΓΚΑΛΩΣ ΕΧΕΙΝ.
[230Β]
[230Ξ]
JESPER SVENBRO
A READING AT THE ATTIC LANDSCAPE BY THE RIVER ILISSOS... THE NAME “ILISSOS”
IS REMINISCENT OF THE VERB (AN)-ELISSEIN MEANING TO READ
(LE TOMBEAU DE LA CIGALE 53)
SONG I
THE VOICE ALONE DESIRES.
SWEET FINE VOICE AS THICK AS HONEY
IT FLOWS AND POURS DOWN ON THE EARTH.
TITHONUS IN THE CAGE.
RESOUNDING CICADA
AS THE MILK THISTLE BLOOMS AS
THE HEAT A STATE WITHIN THE STATE
OF SUMMER ARRESTS US ALL
THE NOISY CICADA POURS ON THE GROUND
THE VOICE
OF THE ONE WHO ENDLESSLY DESIRES
AND SINGS
AND THROUGH THE INEXHAUSTIBLE RHYTHM
DAZES
AND IN THE MANNER OF THE SIRENS
LULLS
ΙΙ
ODYSSEUS, HOWEVER AND SOCRATES
ARE LISTENING TO THE SONG WITH EARS
WIDE OPEN
ODYSSEUS – DESIRE FOR DESIRE
SOCRATES – DESIRE FOR IMMORTALITY
OVERDOSING ON THE PHARMAKON
COSMIC MONOTONE OF
THE CICADA SONG
DEPENDING ON THE MIND LISTENING
A DIFFERENT MELODY AND TUNE YOU TAKE
ON
PLATO: PHAEDRUS
SOCRATES. I’m going to keep my head wrapped up while I talk,
that I may get through my discourse as quickly as possible and
that I may not look at you and become embarrassed.
SOCRATES. Come then, O tuneful Muses, whether you receive
this name from the quality of your song or from the musical race
of the Ligyans, grant me your aid in the tale...
PHAEDRUS. Certainly, Socrates, you are caught by an unusual flu-
ency.
SOCRATES. Then listen to me in silence; for truly
[238d]
the place
seems filled with a divine presence; so do not be surprised if I of-
ten seem to be in a frenzy as my discourse progresses, for I am
already almost uttering dithyrambics.
[237ο]
...
[238ξ]
Γ
ARCHILOCHUS: You caught a cicada by the wing
Socrates finishes this speech, which he
gave with his head covered, and moves to
leave by crossing the river. Phaedrus tells
him that it is noon and asks that they wait
for the midday heat to abate before they
leave. As S. was about to cross the river, he
was prevented by the demon and by a sign
within himself that obstructs his intend-
ed actions, so that he does not leave before
he is purified – for in his previous speech,
he had offended the deity. Like Stesicho-
rus who did not lose his vision permanently
when he accused Helen, because when he
was blinded, unlike Homer who ignored the
promptings, St. “as a musician, was cogni-
sant of the reason why” and made the palin-
ode, in a manner similar to Socrates now.
[Socrates, from covered (shame) to uncovered (palinode) from speaking falsely
to speaking truly, from bad to good poet, proponent of MANIA and the lustiness of
HIMEROS.
The TETTIGES from human to singers from singers to cicadas, servants of the Muses]
[243B]
SOCRATES. ... which was spoken by you through my mouth that
you bewitched.
SOCRATES. ...I will try to atone by my recantation, with my head
bare this time, not, as before, covered through shame.
SOCRATES. And a third kind of possession and madness comes
from the Muses. This takes hold upon a gentle and pure soul,
arouses it and inspires it to songs and other poetry... But he who
without the divine madness comes to the doors of the Muses,
confident that he will be a good poet by art, meets with no suc-
cess, and the poetry of the sane man vanishes into nothingness
before that of the inspired madmen.