Idyllium the Seventh | Sweet HESPER, thou, whose golden light

by Bion of Smyrna (flourished 100 BCE)

Translation by Richard Polwhele (1760 - 1838)

Idyllium the Seventh

Language: English after the Greek (Ελληνικά)

Sweet HESPER, thou, whose golden light
(The sacred glory of the night) 
Illumes the deep-cerulean skies; 
Whose beams so dear to VENUS rise; 
To whom the starry fires are pale
As thou to silver CYNTHIA -- hail! 
O guide me to my shepherd's feast! 
Ev'n now the lunar orb's decreas'd -- 
Soon will it set: O lend thy ray,
To gild my solitary way! 
I go not, shelter'd by the shade, 
The nightly traveller to invade; 
'Tis love impels! O HESPER, prove, 
Sweet star, propitious to my love!

Confirmed with Theocritus, Bion, Moschus, and Tyrtæus; Translated from the Greek. By the Rev. R. Polwhele. To which are added, Dissertations and Notes. In Two Volumes. Vol. I., London: Lackington, Allen, and Co., 1811, page 301.

Authorship:

by Richard Polwhele (1760 - 1838), "Idyllium the Seventh", subtitle: "To the Evening Star" [an adaptation] [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

Based on:

a text in Greek (Ελληνικά) by Bion of Smyrna (flourished 100 BCE), no title

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

[ None yet in the database ]

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Jakob Mähly (1828 - 1902) , "An den Abendstern" ; composed by Erkki Gustaf Melartin.
Also set in Italian (Italiano), a translation by Giàcomo Leopardi (1798 - 1837) , title 1: "Idillio", title 2: "Espero", subtitle: "Romanza" [an adaptation] ; composed by Charles Lefebvre, Carlo Rossaro.

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2020-02-26
Line count: 14
Word count: 86