Pythian V

Pindar (518 BC–438 BC), translated by Arthur S. Way · 1922

iambic pentameter · 144 lines · from The Odes of Pindar

Far-reaching power has wealth for him to whomIt comes, a gift that Destiny sendsWith stainless honour linked: so leads he homeA charm that wins him friends.Thou, O Arkesilas the heaven-blest,Since from its first steps glory crownedThy life, hast held that boon of Heaven in quest,Hast sought fair fame, and found,With aid of Kastor of the chariot golden,Who bade the wintry tempest cease,And sheds upon thine hearthstone bliss-enfoldenSunlight of skies of peace.

Whoso are noble bear with fairest graceSuch power as God bestows on thee;And thou on paths of righteousness dost paceCrowned with prosperity;For over mighty cities king thou art;And thy discernment eagle-eyed,Inborn with thee, hath wedded to thine heartHonour as to a bride.And this day crowns thy bliss with triumph gloriousIn Pythian Games by fleet steeds won.Now hast thou welcomed home the chant victoriousAs sweeps the revel on,

Phoebus' delight. So, when the song they raiseAround Kyrene's garden fairOf Aphrodite, to give God the praiseFor all, have thou a care.And hold Karrhotus dearest friend, who broughtNot back, to cloak disaster's shame,Excuse, the child of late-wise Afterthought,When to the halls he cameOf Battus' sons, whose just rule lives in story;But, hailed her guest by Kastaly's Spring,Won for thee with his car a crown of glory—Thy car all-conquering!

With reins unsnapped through all that hallowed spaceAround the courses twelve he swung,Nor car nor harness brake he in the race,But dedicate hath hungOn Phoebus' wall the craftsmen's masteriesRiding whereon he passed ere thenThe hill of Krisa to the plain that liesIn the God's bosomed glen.The cypress shrine now hath them in possessionBy that self-moulded statue placedWhich Cretan bowmen 'neath the roof ParnassianUnto the God upraised.

Beseems that with blithe heart thou welcome oneWho hath done thee such service fair.Splendour ye shed on Alexibius' son,O Graces of bright hair!O happy thou, that after labour soreThou hast the praise of noblest songTo keep thy memory green! Mid those twoscoreDrivers, who mid the throngWere hurled to earth, thou with a heart undauntedDidst drive unscathed thy chariot on,And now to Libya from Games glory-hauntedAnd thy sires' home hast won.

No man is now, nor shall be, portionlessOf trouble: yet on Battus' lineStill waits the olden bliss, though happinessAnd grief may intertwine.Kyrene's warder-tower is this, a lightOf splendour on the stranger shed.Yea, thunder-throated lions in affrightFrom Battus' outcry fled—That voice from overseas! Your founder ApolloThrilled them with dread, that on the wordOf prophecy might sure fulfilment followFor him, Kyrene's lord.

'Tis Phoebus gives to men and women skillTo heal all manner of disease;He gave the lyre, he teacheth whom he willAll Song's sweet melodies.Into men's hearts Fair Governance he brings,Mother of peace: o'er Pytho's cellHe broodeth, whence his voice prophetic rings.In Sparta he made dwell,In Argos, Pylos' hallowed town, undauntedHerakles' and Aigimius' line.Now Sparta's dear renown must needs be chantedBy her son's lips, yea, mine.

Thence my forefathers sprang, the Aigeidae,Who, by the Gods' grace destiny-led,To Thera fared of old, whence also weThat Feast inheritedOf sacrifice wherein all people share,And in thy feast Karneian, KingApollo, of Kyrene builded fairThe glorious honour sing,Where dwell the brazen-harnessed Trojan strangers,Antenor's sons, who fled the warWherein they saw Troy burnt, and came, sea-rangers,With Helen from afar.

Kind welcome to that chariot-driving bandWith gifts and sacrifice they gaveWhom Aristoteles brought to Libyan landIn swift ships o'er the wave,Cleaving a deep path through the sea, and madeGreater the temple-groves divine,And for the festival-processions laidA paved road's level lineFor trampling steeds, and pilgrims magnifyingApollo, Helper of our race.There now in death apart is Battus lyingHard by the market-place.

Blest was he while with men he found a home:All reverence him, their hero, yet.Apart from him is each king's hallowed tombBefore the palace set.To them in Hades wins some echo through—If such life-music reach the dead—How prowess is besprent with kindly dewOf victory-song outshed.So theirs too is Arkesilas' triumph-story,The fame that justice doth awardWhile chant the youths, 'tis meet he sing the gloryOf Phoebus Golden-sword,

He whom glad Pythian songs immortalize—The victor's guerdon for all pains.I but repeat the praises of the wiseIn these my triumph-strains.His mind, his tongue, transcend his spring of life;In courage as a broad-winged erneMid weakling fowl, a tower in athlete-strifeNo strength can overturn.Even from his mother's knee did he give tokenOf wings with my Song-queens to soar:Of his car-driving skill the praise is spokenBy this the wide world o'er.

And all paths that exalt his Libyan homeHath he essayed. Now graciouslyGod perfecteth his powers. Through years to come,Blest Kronos' Sons, do yeVouchsafe to him alike with hand and mindStill to excel. May his work stay,Wrecked by no blast of devastating windIn his life's autumn-day.The mighty mind of Zeus is ever guidingTheir destiny whom he loveth well.To Battus' seed may he grant fame abidingAlso in Pisa's dell.

Words in this poem 46

wealth n.: Weal; welfare; prosperity; good. [OE. welthe, from wele; cf. D. weelde luxury. See Weal prosperity.]
stainless a.: Free from stain; immaculate.
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.]
hast: , 2d pers. sing. pres. of. Fave, contr. of havest.
boon n.: A prayer or petition. [OE. bone, boin, a petition, fr. Icel. b; akin to Sw. & Dan. b, AS. b, and perh. to E. ban; but influenced by F. bon good, fr. L. bonus. Ban, Bounty.]
bade: A form of the pat tense of Bid.
wintry a.: Suitable to winter; resembling winter, or what belongs to winter; brumal; hyemal; cold; stormy; wintery. [AS. wintrig.]
hearthstone n.: Stone forming the hearth; hence, the fireside; home.
whoso pron.: Whosoever. Piers Plowman.
righteousness n.: The quality or state of being righteous; holiness; purity; uprightness; rectitude. [AS. rihtwisnes.]
wedded a.: Joined in wedlock; married.
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.]
aphrodite n.: The Greek goddess of love, corresponding to the Venus of the Romans.
afterthought n.: Reflection after an act; later or subsequent thought or expedient.
whereon adv.: On which; -- used relatively; as, the earth whereon we live.
bosomed a.: Having, or resembling, bosom; kept in the bosom; hidden.
cretan a.: Pertaining to Crete, or Candia.
parnassian a.: Of or pertaining to Parnassus. [L. Parnassius.]
blithe a.: Gay; merry; sprightly; joyous; glad; cheerful; as, a blithe spirit. [AS. bli blithe, kind; akin to Goth. blei kind, Icel. bli mild, gentle, Dan. & Sw. blid gentle, D. blijd blithe, OHG. blidi kind, blithe.]
splendour n.: Great brightness; brilliant luster; brilliancy; as, the splendor ot the sun. B. Jonson. [L. fr. splendere to shine: cf. F. splendeur.]
undaunted a.: Not daunted; not subdued or depressed by fear.
didst: , the 2d pers. sing. imp. of Do.
haunted a.: Inhabited by, or subject to the visits of, apparitions; frequented by a ghost.
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,]
portionless a.: Having no portion.
olden a.: Old; ancient; as, the olden time.
warder n.: One who wards or keeps; a keeper; a guard.
overseas adv.: Over the sea; abroad. Milton.
phoebus n.: Apollo; the sun god.
governance n.: Exercise of authority; control; government; arrangement. [F. gouvernance.]
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]
needs adv.: Of necessity; necessarily; indispensably; -- often with must, and equivalent to of need. [Orig. gen. of need, used as an adverb. Cf. - wards.]
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.]
libyan a.: Of or pertaining to Libya, the ancient name of that part of Africa between Egypt and the Atlantic Ocean, or of Africa as a whole.
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.]
besprent p. p.: Sprinkled over; strewed. [OE. bespreynt, p. p. of besprengen, bisprengen, to besprinkle, AS. besprengan, akin to D. & G. besprengen; pref. be- + sprengan to sprinkle. See Sprinkle.]
award v. t.: To give by sentence or judicial determination; to assign or apportion, after careful regard to the nature of the case; to adjudge; as, the arbitrators awarded damages to the complainant. [OF. eswarder to look at, consider, decide, judge; es (L. ex) + warder, garder, to observe, take heed, keep, fr. OHG. wart to watch, guard. See Ward.]
immortalize v. t.: To render immortal; to cause to live or exist forever. S. Clarke. [Cf. F. immortaliser.]
guerdon n.: A reward; requital; recompense; -- used in both a good and a bad sense. [OF. guerdon, guerredon, LL. widerdonum (influenced by L. donum gift, cf. Donation ), fr. OHG. widarl; widar again, against (G. wider wieder) + lon reward, G. lo]
transcend v. i.: To climb; to mount.
erne n.: A sea eagle, esp. the European white-tailed sea eagle (Haliæetus albicilla). [AS. earn eagle; akin to D. arend, OHG. aro, G. aar, Icel., Sw., & Dan. örn, Goth. ara, and to Gr. Ornithology.]
weakling n.: A weak or feeble creature. [Weak + -ling.]
strife n.: The act of striving; earnest endeavor. [OF. estrif. See Strive.]
graciously adv.: In a gracious manner; courteously; benignantly.
vouchsafe v. t.: To condescend to grant; to concede; to bestow. [Vouch + safe, that is, to vouch or answer for safety.]
dell n.: A small, retired valley; a ravine. [AS. del, akin to E. dale; cf. D. delle, del, low ground. See Dale.]

Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.

About this text

Pythian V 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, Pythian V, in The Odes of Pindar (1922), text of Internet Archive, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/pindar-odes/pythian-5.html, id L29142.

Form and metre

Pythian V is 144 lines in 12 stanzas of 12 lines each. The metre is iambic pentameter, measured from the stress the words themselves fix (confidence 86%).

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 -A-ABCBCDEDE whom · sends^A · home · friends^A · blest^B · crowned^C · quest^B · found^C · golden^D · cease^E · enfolden^D · peace^E
2 A-A-BCBCDEDE grace^A · thee · pace^A · prosperity · art^B · eyed^C · heart^B · bride^C · glorious^D · won^E · victorious^D · on^E
3 ABABCDCDEFEF raise^A · fair^B · praise^A · care^B · brought^C · shame^D · afterthought^C · came^D · story^E · spring^F · glory^E · conquering^F
4 ABABCDCDD--- space^A · swung^B · race^A · hung^B · masteries^C · then^D · lies^C · glen^D · possession^D · placed · parnassian · upraised
5 ABABCDCDE-EA one^A · fair^B · son^A · hair^B · sore^C · song^D · twoscore^C · throng^D · undaunted^E · on · haunted^E · won^A
6 ABABCDCDE-E- portionless^A · line^B · happiness^A · intertwine^B · light^C · shed^D · affright^C · fled^D · apollo^E · word · follow^E · lord
7 ABABCDCD-E-E skill^A · disease^B · will^A · melodies^B · brings^C · cell^D · rings^C · dwell^D · undaunted · line^E · chanted · mine^E
8 -A-ABCBCD-D- aigeidae · led^A · we · inherited^A · share^B · king^C · fair^B · sing^C · strangers^D · war · rangers^D · afar
9 ABABCDCDEFEF band^A · gave^B · land^A · wave^B · made^C · divine^D · laid^C · line^D · magnifying^E · race^F · lying^E · place^F
10 -A-AB-B-CDCD home · yet^A · tomb · set^A · through^B · dead · dew^B · outshed · story^C · award^D · glory^C · sword^D
11 ABABCDCDE-E- immortalize^A · pains^B · wise^A · strains^B · life^C · erne^D · strife^C · overturn^D · token^E · soar · spoken^E · o'er
12 A-A-BCBCDEDE home^A · graciously · come^A · ye · mind^B · stay^C · wind^B · day^C · guiding^D · well^E · abiding^D · dell^E

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
Far-reaching power has wealth for him to whom	10	·/˘/······
It comes, a gift that Destiny sends	9	·····/˘˘·
With stainless honour linked: so leads he home	10	·/˘/˘·····
A charm that wins him friends.	6	······
Thou, O Arkesilas the heaven-blest,	10	·······/˘·
Since from its first steps glory crowned	9	·····/˘·˘
Thy life, hast held that boon of Heaven in quest,	10	·······/··
Hast sought fair fame, and found,	6	······
With aid of Kastor of the chariot golden,	11	·······/˘/˘
Who bade the wintry tempest cease,	8	···/˘/˘·
And sheds upon thine hearthstone bliss-enfolden	11	·····/˘····
Sunlight of skies of peace.	6	/·····
Whoso are noble bear with fairest grace	10	/˘·/˘··/˘·
Such power as God bestows on thee;	9	·/˘··˘/··
And thou on paths of righteousness dost pace	10	·····/˘˘··
Crowned with prosperity;	6	··˘/˘˘
For over mighty cities king thou art;	10	···/˘/˘···
And thy discernment eagle-eyed,	8	··˘/˘/˘·
Inborn with thee, hath wedded to thine heart	10	/····/˘···
Honour as to a bride.	6	/˘····
And this day crowns thy bliss with triumph glorious	11	·······/˘/˘
In Pythian Games by fleet steeds won.	9	·/˘˘·····
Now hast thou welcomed home the chant victorious	11	···/˘···˘/˘
As sweeps the revel on,	6	···/˘·
Phoebus' delight. So, when the song they raise	10	/˘˘/······
Around Kyrene's garden fair	7	····/˘·
Of Aphrodite, to give God the praise	10	··˘/˘·····
For all, have thou a care.	6	······
And hold Karrhotus dearest friend, who brought	10	·····/˘···
Not back, to cloak disaster's shame,	8	····˘/˘·
Excuse, the child of late-wise Afterthought,	10	˘/·····/˘·
When to the halls he came	6	······
Of Battus' sons, whose just rule lives in story;	11	·········/˘
But, hailed her guest by Kastaly's Spring,	10	··˘·······
Won for thee with his car a crown of glory—	11	·········/˘
Thy car all-conquering!	6	···/˘˘
With reins unsnapped through all that hallowed space	10	·······/˘·
Around the courses twelve he swung,	8	···/˘···
Nor car nor harness brake he in the race,	10	···/˘·····
But dedicate hath hung	6	·/˘···
On Phoebus' wall the craftsmen's masteries	10	·/˘··/˘/˘˘
Riding whereon he passed ere then	9	/˘˘/··˘··
The hill of Krisa to the plain that lies	10	··········
In the God's bosomed glen.	6	···/˘·
The cypress shrine now hath them in possession	11	·/˘·····˘/˘
By that self-moulded statue placed	9	···/˘/··˘
Which Cretan bowmen 'neath the roof Parnassian	11	·/˘/˘···˘/˘
Unto the God upraised.	6	······
Beseems that with blithe heart thou welcome one	10	·······/˘·
Who hath done thee such service fair.	8	·····/˘·
Splendour ye shed on Alexibius' son,	10	/˘········
O Graces of bright hair!	6	·/˘···
O happy thou, that after labour sore	10	·/˘····/··
Thou hast the praise of noblest song	8	·····/˘·
To keep thy memory green! Mid those twoscore	10	···/˘·····
Drivers, who mid the throng	6	/˘····
Were hurled to earth, thou with a heart undaunted	11	········˘/˘
Didst drive unscathed thy chariot on,	10	··˘/˘·/˘˘·
And now to Libya from Games glory-haunted	11	···/˘··/˘/˘
And thy sires' home hast won.	6	······
No man is now, nor shall be, portionless	10	·······/˘˘
Of trouble: yet on Battus' line	8	·/˘·····
Still waits the olden bliss, though happiness	10	···/˘··/˘˘
And grief may intertwine.	6	···˘˘/
Kyrene's warder-tower is this, a light	10	··/˘/˘····
Of splendour on the stranger shed.	8	·/˘··/˘·
Yea, thunder-throated lions in affright	10	·/˘/˘/˘·˘/
From Battus' outcry fled—	6	···/··
That voice from overseas! Your founder Apollo	11	···/˘/·/˘/˘
Thrilled them with dread, that on the word	9	·˘·······
Of prophecy might sure fulfilment follow	11	·/˘˘·····/˘
For him, Kyrene's lord.	5	·····
'Tis Phoebus gives to men and women skill	10	·/˘····/˘·
To heal all manner of disease;	8	···/˘·˘/
He gave the lyre, he teacheth whom he will	10	·····/˘···
All Song's sweet melodies.	6	···/˘˘
Into men's hearts Fair Governance he brings,	10	·····/˘˘··
Mother of peace: o'er Pytho's cell	8	/˘······
He broodeth, whence his voice prophetic rings.	10	·/˘···˘/˘·
In Sparta he made dwell,	6	·/˘···
In Argos, Pylos' hallowed town, undaunted	11	·/˘/˘/˘·˘/˘
Herakles' and Aigimius' line.	7	·······
Now Sparta's dear renown must needs be chanted	11	·/˘·˘/···/˘
By her son's lips, yea, mine.	6	······
Thence my forefathers sprang, the Aigeidae,	9	··/·˘····
Who, by the Gods' grace destiny-led,	9	·····/˘˘·
To Thera fared of old, whence also we	10	·/˘····/˘·
That Feast inherited	6	··˘/˘˘
Of sacrifice wherein all people share,	10	·/˘····/˘·
And in thy feast Karneian, King	7	·······
Apollo, of Kyrene builded fair	9	˘/˘···/˘·
The glorious honour sing,	7	·/˘˘/˘·
Where dwell the brazen-harnessed Trojan strangers,	11	···/˘/˘/˘/˘
Antenor's sons, who fled the war	8	········
Wherein they saw Troy burnt, and came, sea-rangers,	11	·········/˘
With Helen from afar.	6	·/˘·˘/
Kind welcome to that chariot-driving band	10	·/˘··/˘/˘·
With gifts and sacrifice they gave	8	···/˘···
Whom Aristoteles brought to Libyan land	10	·······/˘·
In swift ships o'er the wave,	6	······
Cleaving a deep path through the sea, and made	10	/˘········
Greater the temple-groves divine,	8	/˘·/˘·˘/
And for the festival-processions laid	10	···/˘˘˘/˘·
A paved road's level line	6	···/˘·
For trampling steeds, and pilgrims magnifying	11	·/˘··/˘/˘·˘
Apollo, Helper of our race.	9	˘/˘/˘·/˘·
There now in death apart is Battus lying	11	····˘/···/˘
Hard by the market-place.	6	···/˘·
Blest was he while with men he found a home:	10	··········
All reverence him, their hero, yet.	9	·/˘˘··/˘·
Apart from him is each king's hallowed tomb	10	˘/·····/˘·
Before the palace set.	6	···/˘·
To them in Hades wins some echo through—	10	···/˘··/˘·
If such life-music reach the dead—	8	···/˘···
How prowess is besprent with kindly dew	10	·/˘·˘/·/˘·
Of victory-song outshed.	6	·/˘˘··
So theirs too is Arkesilas' triumph-story,	12	········/˘/˘
The fame that justice doth award	8	···/˘·˘/
While chant the youths, 'tis meet he sing the glory	11	·········/˘
Of Phoebus Golden-sword,	6	·/˘/˘·
He whom glad Pythian songs immortalize—	11	···/˘˘·˘/˘˘
The victor's guerdon for all pains.	8	·/˘/˘···
I but repeat the praises of the wise	10	··˘/·/˘···
In these my triumph-strains.	6	···/˘·
His mind, his tongue, transcend his spring of life;	10	····˘/····
In courage as a broad-winged erne	9	·/˘····˘·
Mid weakling fowl, a tower in athlete-strife	10	·/˘··/·/··
No strength can overturn.	6	···/˘·
Even from his mother's knee did he give token	11	/··/˘····/˘
Of wings with my Song-queens to soar:	8	········
Of his car-driving skill the praise is spoken	11	···/˘····/˘
By this the wide world o'er.	6	······
And all paths that exalt his Libyan home	10	····˘/·/˘·
Hath he essayed. Now graciously	9	··˘/˘·/˘˘
God perfecteth his powers. Through years to come,	10	·˘/˘·/····
Blest Kronos' Sons, do ye	6	·/˘···
Vouchsafe to him alike with hand and mind	10	˘/··˘/····
Still to excel. May his work stay,	8	··˘/····
Wrecked by no blast of devastating wind	10	·····/˘·˘·
In his life's autumn-day.	6	···/˘·
The mighty mind of Zeus is ever guiding	11	·/˘····/˘/˘
Their destiny whom he loveth well.	9	·/˘˘·····
To Battus' seed may he grant fame abiding	11	········˘/˘
Also in Pisa's dell.	6	/˘·/˘·

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