Isthmian VIII
For Kleandros and his comrades, O ye youths, let some of youGo and stand before his father Telesarchus' gleaming door,And wake the chant, the recompense for toils, his glorious dueFor the crowns that from the Isthmus and from Nemea he bore.What though I be stricken-hearted, to their praying have I hearkened,And on the golden Muse I call. From night of woes that darkenedAround us are we rescued, and we may not brook bereavingOf triumph-crowns, nor over cureless evils linger grieving.But let us cheer the people with the sweetness of our song,Though the pain have scarce departed; for the stone that hung so longAbove our heads—a very stone of Tantalus-at lastA God hath turned aside: the peril now is overpast,
That intolerable curse unto Hellas! But the nightOf terror hath departed, and the crushing load of careIs lifted. Yet 'tis better evermore to keep in sightThe perils that be waiting in the path whereon we fare.For Time is dogging mortals' steps, with treacherous feet on-stealing,And tangling all the ways of life. Yet even here is healingFor such as have but freedom. Let us still to hope be clinging!In Thebe seven-gated nursed, the Graces' flowers of singingI needs must give Aegina; for Asopus' daughters twainFound favour in the sight of Zeus who over all doth reign.And one of these by lovely-flowered Dirke's fair demesneHe caused to dwell, to be the chariot-loving city's queen.
But thee unto Oenopia's isle he bore, and couched with thee.And there unto the Thunder-crashing Father didst thou bearA godlike scion, Aiakus, of men most righteous he;Yea, even to the Gods in Heaven contention's arbiterWas he. His hero-sons and children's children war-delightingWith peerless valour met the clanging bronze of warriors fighting;And self-controlled they ruled their spirit, even as wisdom taught them.Now when the Gods in council met, of all this they bethought them,When Zeus with glory-girt Poseidon in contention stroveFor Thetis' hand; for either God was captive of her love,And fain would win the fairest; but impossible it wasThat Heaven's eternal counsels should bring such a thing to pass
Whence once they heard the oracle that spake them Fate's decree.For Themis wise in counsel in the Gods' assembly toldHow that Destiny ordained it that the Lady of the SeaShould bear a son more mighty than his father, who should holdIn his hand another sceptre more resistless than the levinOr the trident, were she wedded with any lord of Heaven:—'Cease to contend! In marriage to a mortal be she given.Like Ares' hands her son's shall be where battle's strife is striven,His speed of foot as lightning-flash;—but she shall see him dieIn war! I give my counsel that this honour from on highTo Peleus son of Aiakus be granted. All attestThat dweller in Iolkos' plain of mortals holiest.
Then let our message straight go forth to Cheiron's cave divine,Nor once again let Nereus' daughter set the leaves of strifeIn hands of Gods; but when the mid-month orbèd moonbeams shineAt eventide, then let her loose her maiden zone, the wifeMost lovely of a hero.' So the Goddess spake, preventingThe ruin-day of Kronos' sons. And they in one consentingBent their immortal brows. Nor did her counsel's fruitage wither;For told it is that these two Kings in friendship came togetherTo Thetis' bridal. And the lips of bards have published farTo them that saw it not the mighty prowess in the warOf young Achilles, how he poured a dusky-crimson stain,The life-blood of king Telephus, on Mysia's vine-clad plain,
And bridge-like paved the Atreids' safe return across the sea,And rescued Helen; for he hewed asunder with his spearTroy's sinews, them who strove to stay the slaughter-work that heWrought in that battle-harried plain, yea, stayed the proud careerOf Memnon's might, of Hector and the chiefs in strength excellingOf Troy, to whom Achilles showed to Queen Persephone's dwellingThe path—the Aiakids' champion he!—and glory so was bringingUnto Aegina and his race. Yea, lips immortal singingWailed o'er him dead, when Helicon s Maids, a many-voicèd choir,Stood by his death-rites, pouring forth their dirge around the pyre.Ay, so the Immortals willed that heroism, even in death,Should be a theme for Goddesses to hymn with praising breath.
Yea, to this day that law of honour holds: the Muses' carSpeeds on to sound his glory forth who won the gauntlet-fightIn Isthmus' glade, even Nikokles. Oh, peal his praise afarWho won the Dorian parsley-crown, who vanquished by his might,He too, all rivals, hurled them back with leap as of a lion.Nor him dishonoureth now his father's noble brother's scion.Twine then, ye comrades of the victor, twine the tender greennessOf myrtle for his brows! Alkathous' contest hailed his keennessOf courage with fair fortune. Yea, with welcoming acclaimThe sons of Epidaurus met him. Meet it is the fameOf such be sung by good men; for he hid not from the light,As in oblivion's pit, the splendour of his youthful might.
Words in this poem 40
- glorious a.
- Exhibiting attributes, qualities, or acts that are worthy of or receive glory; noble; praiseworthy; excellent; splendid; illustrious; inspiring admiration; as, glorious deeds. [OF. glorios, glorious, F. glorieux, fr. L. gloriosus. See Glory, n.]
- stricken p. p.
- Struck; smitten; wounded; as, the stricken deer.
- cureless a.
- Incapable of cure; incurable.
- scarce a.
- Not plentiful or abundant; in small quantity in proportion to the demand; not easily to be procured; rare; uncommon. [OE. scars, OF. escars, eschars, LL. scarpsus, for L. excerptus, p. p. of excerpere to pick out, and hence to contract, to shorten; ex (see Ex-) + carpere. See C]
- evermore adv.
- During eternity; always; forever; for an indefinite period; at all times; -- often used substantively with for.
- whereon adv.
- On which; -- used relatively; as, the earth whereon we live.
- needs adv.
- Of necessity; necessarily; indispensably; -- often with must, and equivalent to of need. [Orig. gen. of need, used as an adverb. Cf. - wards.]
- twain a.
- Two;- nearly obsolete in common discourse, but used in poetry and burlesque. [OE. twein, tweien, tweyne, AS. twegen, masc. See Two.]
- favour n.
- Kind regard; propitious aspect; countenance; friendly disposition; kindness; good will. [Written also favour.]
- dwell v. i.
- To delay; to linger. [OE. dwellen, dwelien, to err, linger, AS. dwellan to deceive, hinder, delay, dwelian to err; akin to Icel. dvelja to delay, tarry, Sw. dväljas to dwell, Dan. dv]
- isle v. t.
- To cause to become an island, or like an island; to surround or encompass; to island.
- crashing n.
- The noise of many things falling and breaking at once.
- didst
- , the 2d pers. sing. imp. of Do.
- girt v. t.
- To gird; to encircle; to invest by means of a girdle; to measure the girth of; as, to girt a tree. [From Girt, n., cf. Girth, v.]
- fain v. t.
- To be glad ; to wish or desire.
- oracle v. i.
- To utter oracles.
- themis n.
- The goddess of law and order; the patroness of existing rights.
- sceptre n.
- A staff or baton borne by a sovereign, as a ceremonial badge or emblem of authority; a royal mace. [F. sceptre, L. sceptrum, from Gr. shaft. See Shaft, and cf. Scape a stem, shaft.]
- resistless a.
- Having no power to resist; making no opposition.
- levin n.
- Lightning. Spenser. Levin brand, a thunderbolt. [Etymol. uncertain. Cf. Leven.]
- wedded a.
- Joined in wedlock; married.
- shall v. i.
- To owe; to be under obligation for. [OE. shal, schal, imp. sholde, scholde, AS. scal, sceal, I am obliged, imp. scolde, sceolde, inf. sculan; akin to OS. skulan, pres. skal, imp. skolda, D. zullen,]
- strife n.
- The act of striving; earnest endeavor. [OF. estrif. See Strive.]
- honour n.
- Esteem due or paid to worth; high estimation; respect; consideration; reverence; veneration; manifestation of respect or reverence. [OE. honor, honour, onour, onur, OF. honor, onor, honur, onur, honour, onour, F. honneur, fr. L. honor, honos.]
- attest v. t.
- To bear witness to; to certify; to affirm to be true or genuine; as, to attest the truth of a writing, a copy of record. [L. attestari; ad + testari to bear witness: cf. F. attester.]
- eventide n.
- The time of evening; evening. [AS. æfentid. See Tide.]
- fruitage n.
- Fruit, collectively; fruit, in general; fruitery. [F. fruitage.]
- prowess n.
- Distinguished bravery; valor; especially, military bravery and skill; gallantry; intrepidity; fearlessness. Chaucer. Sir P. Sidney. [OF. proece, proesce, F. prouesse. See Prow, a.]
- stayed a.
- Staid; fixed; settled; sober; -- now written staid. See Staid.
- career n.
- A race course: the ground run over. [F. carrière race course, high road, street, fr. L. carrus wagon. See Car.]
- helicon n.
- A mountain in Boeotia, in Greece, supposed by the Greeks to be the residence of Apollo and the Muses.
- dirge n.
- A piece of music of a mournful character, to accompany funeral rites; a funeral hymn. [Contraction of Lat. dirige, direct thou (imperative of dirigere), the first word of a funeral hymn (Lat. transl. of Psalm v. 8) beginning, "Dirige, Domine, in c]
- pyre n.
- A funeral pile; a combustible heap on which the dead are burned; hence, any pile to be burnt. [L. pure, Gr. Fire.]
- heroism n.
- The qualities characteristic of a hero, as courage, bravery, fortitude, unselfishness, etc.; the display of such qualities. [F. héroïsme.]
- glade n.
- An open passage through a wood; a grassy open or cleared space in a forest. [Prob. of Scand. origin, and akin to glad, a.; cf. also W. golead, goleuad, a lighting, illumination, fr. goleu light, clear, bright, goleu fwlch glade, lit., a ]
- peal v. i.
- To appeal. Spencer.
- afar adv.
- At, to, or from a great distance; far away; -- often used with from preceding, or off following; as, he was seen from afar; I saw him afar off. [Pref. a-.(for on or of) + far.]
- dorian a.
- Of or pertaining to the ancient Greeks of Doris; Doric; as, a Dorian fashion.
- acclaim v. i.
- To shout applause.
- splendour n.
- Great brightness; brilliant luster; brilliancy; as, the splendor ot the sun. B. Jonson. [L. fr. splendere to shine: cf. F. splendeur.]
Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.
About this text
Isthmian VIII is in the public domain. This text is taken from Pindar in English Verse, Internet Archive, the Arthur S. Way translation; the transcription's header, footer and licence were removed and nothing else was changed. You may copy, print and reuse it freely.
Cite as: Pindar, Isthmian VIII, in The Odes of Pindar (1922), text of Internet Archive, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/pindar-odes/isthmian-8.html, id L29168.
Form and metre
Isthmian VIII is 84 lines in 7 stanzas of 12 lines each. It is in rhyming couplets, 52% of the lines. The metre is iambic heptameter, measured from the stress the words themselves fix (confidence 86%).
See other poems in rhyming couplets, other poems in iambic heptameter.
Measured by Laurel's pipeline, not copied from a handbook: how stress and metre are counted, how rhyme is lettered, how a drifted rhyme is found. Where the dictionary cannot confirm a rhyme the letter is withheld, not guessed.
Rhyme words, stanza by stanza
The word that ends each line, lettered by the rhyme it makes; a dash is a line whose rhyme the dictionary could not confirm.
- 1 ABABCCDDEEFF youA · doorB · dueA · boreB · hearkenedC · darkenedC · bereavingD · grievingD · songE · longE · lastF · overpastF
- 2 ABABCCDDEE-- nightA · careB · sightA · fareB · stealingC · healingC · clingingD · singingD · twainE · reignE · demesne · queen
- 3 A-A-BBCC---- theeA · bear · heA · arbiter · delightingB · fightingB · themC · themC · strove · love · was · pass
- 4 ABAB--CCDDEE decreeA · toldB · seaA · holdB · levin · heaven · givenC · strivenC · dieD · highD · attestE · holiestE
- 5 ABABCC----DD divineA · strifeB · shineA · wifeB · preventingC · consentingC · wither · together · far · war · stainD · plainD
- 6 ABABCCDDEEFF seaA · spearB · heA · careerB · excellingC · dwellingC · bringingD · singingD · choirE · pyreE · deathF · breathF
- 7 ABABCCDDEEBB carA · fightB · afarA · mightB · lionC · scionC · greennessD · keennessD · acclaimE · fameE · lightB · mightB
Scansion, line by line
Each line with its syllable count and the stresses the words themselves fix: / stressed, ˘ unstressed, · a syllable the word leaves free and the metre decides. Read against iambic heptameter. How this is done.
| Line | Syl. | Stress |
|---|---|---|
| For Kleandros and his comrades, O ye youths, let some of you | 14 | ·····/········ |
| Go and stand before his father Telesarchus' gleaming door, | 15 | ······/˘····/˘· |
| And wake the chant, the recompense for toils, his glorious due | 14 | ·····/˘····/˘· |
| For the crowns that from the Isthmus and from Nemea he bore. | 14 | ······/˘······ |
| What though I be stricken-hearted, to their praying have I hearkened, | 16 | ····/˘/˘··/˘···· |
| And on the golden Muse I call. From night of woes that darkened | 15 | ···/˘········/˘ |
| Around us are we rescued, and we may not brook bereaving | 15 | ·····/˘·····˘/˘ |
| Of triumph-crowns, nor over cureless evils linger grieving. | 15 | ·/˘····/˘/˘/˘/˘ |
| But let us cheer the people with the sweetness of our song, | 14 | ·····/˘··/˘·/· |
| Though the pain have scarce departed; for the stone that hung so long | 15 | ·····˘/˘······· |
| Above our heads—a very stone of Tantalus-at last | 14 | ··/··/˘··/˘˘·· |
| A God hath turned aside: the peril now is overpast, | 14 | ····˘/·/˘····· |
| That intolerable curse unto Hellas! But the night | 14 | ·˘/˘˘˘········ |
| Of terror hath departed, and the crushing load of care | 14 | ·/˘·˘/˘··/˘··· |
| Is lifted. Yet 'tis better evermore to keep in sight | 14 | ·/˘··/˘/˘····· |
| The perils that be waiting in the path whereon we fare. | 14 | ·/˘··/˘···˘/·· |
| For Time is dogging mortals' steps, with treacherous feet on-stealing, | 15 | ···/˘/˘··/˘··/˘ |
| And tangling all the ways of life. Yet even here is healing | 15 | ·/˘······/˘··/˘ |
| For such as have but freedom. Let us still to hope be clinging! | 15 | ·····/˘······/˘ |
| In Thebe seven-gated nursed, the Graces' flowers of singing | 15 | ··/˘/˘··/˘/˘·/˘ |
| I needs must give Aegina; for Asopus' daughters twain | 14 | ···········/˘· |
| Found favour in the sight of Zeus who over all doth reign. | 14 | ·/˘··········· |
| And one of these by lovely-flowered Dirke's fair demesne | 14 | ·····/˘/˘˘··˘/ |
| He caused to dwell, to be the chariot-loving city's queen. | 14 | ·······/˘/˘/˘· |
| But thee unto Oenopia's isle he bore, and couched with thee. | 14 | ·············· |
| And there unto the Thunder-crashing Father didst thou bear | 14 | ·····/˘/˘/˘··· |
| A godlike scion, Aiakus, of men most righteous he; | 13 | ·/˘/˘·····/˘· |
| Yea, even to the Gods in Heaven contention's arbiter | 15 | ·/˘····/˘˘/˘/˘˘ |
| Was he. His hero-sons and children's children war-delighting | 15 | ···/˘··/˘/˘·˘/˘ |
| With peerless valour met the clanging bronze of warriors fighting; | 15 | ·/˘/˘··/˘··/˘/˘ |
| And self-controlled they ruled their spirit, even as wisdom taught them. | 14 | ··˘/···//·/˘·· |
| Now when the Gods in council met, of all this they bethought them, | 15 | ·····/˘·····˘/· |
| When Zeus with glory-girt Poseidon in contention strove | 14 | ···/˘·˘/˘·˘/˘· |
| For Thetis' hand; for either God was captive of her love, | 14 | ·/˘··/˘··/˘··· |
| And fain would win the fairest; but impossible it was | 14 | ·····/˘·˘/˘˘·· |
| That Heaven's eternal counsels should bring such a thing to pass | 15 | ·/˘˘/˘/˘······· |
| Whence once they heard the oracle that spake them Fate's decree. | 14 | ·····/˘˘····˘/ |
| For Themis wise in counsel in the Gods' assembly told | 14 | ·/˘··/˘···˘/˘· |
| How that Destiny ordained it that the Lady of the Sea | 14 | ··/˘˘/···/˘··· |
| Should bear a son more mighty than his father, who should hold | 14 | ·····/˘··/˘··· |
| In his hand another sceptre more resistless than the levin | 16 | ···˘/˘/˘·˘/˘··/˘ |
| Or the trident, were she wedded with any lord of Heaven:— | 15 | ··/˘··/˘·/˘··/˘ |
| 'Cease to contend! In marriage to a mortal be she given. | 15 | ··˘/·/˘··/˘··/˘ |
| Like Ares' hands her son's shall be where battle's strife is striven, | 14 | ········/˘··/˘ |
| His speed of foot as lightning-flash;—but she shall see him die | 14 | ·····/˘······· |
| In war! I give my counsel that this honour from on high | 14 | ·····/˘··/˘··· |
| To Peleus son of Aiakus be granted. All attest | 13 | ········/˘·˘/ |
| That dweller in Iolkos' plain of mortals holiest. | 13 | ·/˘·····/˘/˘˘ |
| Then let our message straight go forth to Cheiron's cave divine, | 14 | ··//˘·······˘/ |
| Nor once again let Nereus' daughter set the leaves of strife | 14 | ··˘/···/˘····· |
| In hands of Gods; but when the mid-month orbèd moonbeams shine | 13 | ··········/·· |
| At eventide, then let her loose her maiden zone, the wife | 14 | ·/˘˘·····/˘··· |
| Most lovely of a hero.' So the Goddess spake, preventing | 15 | ·/˘··/˘··/˘·˘/˘ |
| The ruin-day of Kronos' sons. And they in one consenting | 15 | ·/˘··/˘·····˘/˘ |
| Bent their immortal brows. Nor did her counsel's fruitage wither; | 15 | ··˘/˘····/˘/˘/˘ |
| For told it is that these two Kings in friendship came together | 15 | ·········/˘·˘/˘ |
| To Thetis' bridal. And the lips of bards have published far | 14 | ·/˘/˘······/˘· |
| To them that saw it not the mighty prowess in the war | 14 | ·······/˘/˘··· |
| Of young Achilles, how he poured a dusky-crimson stain, | 14 | ··˘/˘····/˘/˘· |
| The life-blood of king Telephus, on Mysia's vine-clad plain, | 14 | ·············· |
| And bridge-like paved the Atreids' safe return across the sea, | 14 | ········˘/˘/·· |
| And rescued Helen; for he hewed asunder with his spear | 14 | ·/˘/˘···˘/˘··· |
| Troy's sinews, them who strove to stay the slaughter-work that he | 14 | ·········/˘··· |
| Wrought in that battle-harried plain, yea, stayed the proud career | 14 | ···/˘/˘·····˘/ |
| Of Memnon's might, of Hector and the chiefs in strength excelling | 15 | ·/···/˘·····˘/˘ |
| Of Troy, to whom Achilles showed to Queen Persephone's dwelling | 15 | ····˘/˘······/˘ |
| The path—the Aiakids' champion he!—and glory so was bringing | 15 | ·····/˘··/˘··/˘ |
| Unto Aegina and his race. Yea, lips immortal singing | 15 | ··········˘/˘/˘ |
| Wailed o'er him dead, when Helicon s Maids, a many-voicèd choir, | 15 | ·····/˘····/·/˘ |
| Stood by his death-rites, pouring forth their dirge around the pyre. | 15 | ·····/˘······/˘ |
| Ay, so the Immortals willed that heroism, even in death, | 15 | ···˘/˘··/˘·˘/·· |
| Should be a theme for Goddesses to hymn with praising breath. | 14 | ·····/˘˘···/˘· |
| Yea, to this day that law of honour holds: the Muses' car | 14 | ·······/˘··/˘· |
| Speeds on to sound his glory forth who won the gauntlet-fight | 14 | ·····/˘····/˘· |
| In Isthmus' glade, even Nikokles. Oh, peal his praise afar | 14 | ·/˘·/˘······˘/ |
| Who won the Dorian parsley-crown, who vanquished by his might, | 14 | ···/˘/˘··/˘··· |
| He too, all rivals, hurled them back with leap as of a lion. | 15 | ···/˘········/˘ |
| Nor him dishonoureth now his father's noble brother's scion. | 15 | ··˘/˘··/˘/˘/˘/˘ |
| Twine then, ye comrades of the victor, twine the tender greenness | 15 | ···/···/˘··/˘/˘ |
| Of myrtle for his brows! Alkathous' contest hailed his keenness | 15 | ·/˘······/˘··/˘ |
| Of courage with fair fortune. Yea, with welcoming acclaim | 14 | ·/˘··/˘··/˘˘˘/ |
| The sons of Epidaurus met him. Meet it is the fame | 14 | ·············· |
| Of such be sung by good men; for he hid not from the light, | 14 | ·············· |
| As in oblivion's pit, the splendour of his youthful might. | 14 | ··˘/˘··/˘··/˘· |
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