Olympian XI
Sometimes the wind-battalions shouting loudDo men most service, now againThe rains of heaven, the children of the cloud,Bring blessing in their train.But when by toil one winneth victory,The singer's honey-throated laysUpringing, plant for fame that yet shall beA sure foundation, are a prophecyOf exploits worthy praise.
Far beyond envy are the praises storedFor victors at Olympia crowned.Songs are my sheep; I, as some shepherd-lord,Find them fair pasture-ground.By God's gift inspiration bloometh ayeIn the bard's heart unfadingly.Son of Archestratus, know thou this day,Agesidamus, that my victory-layShall sweetly sound for thee,
Shall for the triumph of thy ring-craft graceWith splendour thy bright olive-wreath,And honour therewithal the Lokrian raceFanned by the West-wind's breath.O Song-queens, hither speed your festal feet!I pledge me in sincerityNo guest-repelling folk ye there shall meet,Nor in fair chivalryUnschooled: nay, over wisdom's heights they range,They with the spear were valiant ever.That these be like their sires is nowise strange:Red fox and thunder-throated lion changeTheir inborn nature never.
Words in this poem
- 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,]
- craft n.
- Strength; might; secret power. [AS. cr strength, skill, art, cunning; akin to OS., G., Sw., & Dan. kraft strength, D. kracht, Icel. kraptr; perh. originally, a drawing together, stretching, fr]
- splendour n.
- Great brightness; brilliant luster; brilliancy; as, the splendor ot the sun. B. Jonson. [L. fr. splendere to shine: cf. F. splendeur.]
- 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.]
- therewithal adv.
- Over and above; besides; moreover. Daniel.
- festal a.
- Of or pertaining to a holiday or a feast; joyous; festive. [L. festum holiday, feast. See feast.]
- folk n.
- In Anglo-Saxon times, the people of a group of townships or villages; a community; a tribe. [AS. folc; akin to D. volk, OS. & OHG. folk, G. volk, Icel. f, Sw. & Dan. folk, Lith. pulkas crowd, and perh. to E. follow.]
- valiant a.
- Vigorous in body; strong; powerful; as, a valiant fencer. [OE. valiant, F. vaillant, OF. vaillant, valant, originally p. pr. of OF. & F. valoir to be worth, L. valere to be strong. See Wield, and cf. Avail, Convalesce, ]
- nowise adv.
- Not in any manner or degree; in no way; noways. [For in no wise. See Wise, n.]
Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.
About this text
Olympian XI 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, Olympian XI, in The Odes of Pindar (1922), text of Internet Archive, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/pindar-odes/olympian-11.html, id L29134.
Form and metre
Olympian XI is 31 lines in 3 stanzas. The metre is iambic pentameter, measured from the stress the words themselves fix (confidence 88%).
See other poems in iambic pentameter.
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 ABAB-C--C loudA · againB · cloudA · trainB · victory · laysC · be · prophecy · praiseC
- 2 ABABC-DDC storedA · crownedB · lordA · groundB · ayeC · unfadingly · dayD · layD · theeC
- 3 A-A-B-B-CDCCD graceA · wreath · raceA · breath · feetB · sincerity · meetB · chivalry · rangeC · everD · strangeC · changeC · neverD
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 pentameter. How this is done.
| Line | Syl. | Stress |
|---|---|---|
| Sometimes the wind-battalions shouting loud | 10 | ˘/··˘/˘/˘· |
| Do men most service, now again | 8 | ···/˘·˘/ |
| The rains of heaven, the children of the cloud, | 10 | ···/·/˘··· |
| Bring blessing in their train. | 6 | ·/˘··· |
| But when by toil one winneth victory, | 10 | ·····/˘/˘˘ |
| The singer's honey-throated lays | 8 | ·/˘/˘/˘· |
| Upringing, plant for fame that yet shall be | 10 | ·········· |
| A sure foundation, are a prophecy | 10 | ··˘/˘··/˘˘ |
| Of exploits worthy praise. | 6 | ·/·/˘· |
| Far beyond envy are the praises stored | 10 | ···/˘··/˘· |
| For victors at Olympia crowned. | 10 | ·/˘·˘/˘˘·˘ |
| Songs are my sheep; I, as some shepherd-lord, | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| Find them fair pasture-ground. | 6 | ···/˘· |
| By God's gift inspiration bloometh aye | 10 | ····˘/˘/˘· |
| In the bard's heart unfadingly. | 8 | ········ |
| Son of Archestratus, know thou this day, | 10 | ·········· |
| Agesidamus, that my victory-lay | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| Shall sweetly sound for thee, | 6 | ·/˘··· |
| Shall for the triumph of thy ring-craft grace | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| With splendour thy bright olive-wreath, | 8 | ·/˘··/˘· |
| And honour therewithal the Lokrian race | 11 | ·/˘········ |
| Fanned by the West-wind's breath. | 6 | ······ |
| O Song-queens, hither speed your festal feet! | 10 | ···/˘··/˘· |
| I pledge me in sincerity | 8 | ····˘/˘˘ |
| No guest-repelling folk ye there shall meet, | 10 | ··˘/˘····· |
| Nor in fair chivalry | 6 | ···/˘˘ |
| Unschooled: nay, over wisdom's heights they range, | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| They with the spear were valiant ever. | 9 | ·····/˘/˘ |
| That these be like their sires is nowise strange: | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| Red fox and thunder-throated lion change | 10 | ···/˘/˘/˘· |
| Their inborn nature never. | 7 | ·/·/˘/˘ |
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