Εκέντρωσε μια μέλισσα τον έρωτα τον κλέφτη όταν της έκλεβε κερί μέσ' από την κυψέλη, κι όλα του τακροδάχτυλα τα βρήκε το κεντρί της. Κι αυτός πονούσε ο δύστυχος κ' εφύσαγε τα χέρια κ' εχτύπαγε τα πόδια του πηδώντας απ' τον πόνο· κ' έτρεξε στη μητέρα του την ώμορφη Αφροδίτη κ' έδειξε τα χεράκια του και της παραπονέθη πως είν' η μέλισσα μικρή κι όμως σκληρά πληγώνει. Κ' εγέλασ' η μητέρα του και στράφηκε και τούπε: Γιατί απορείς; μήπως και συ της μέλισσας δε μοιάζεις; Έτσι μικρός είσαι και συ κ' έτσι σκληρά πληγώνεις.
See also Anacreon's version of this tale.
Show a transliteration: DIN | ISO 843
Note on TransliterationsAuthorship:
- by Theocritus (c310 BCE - c250 BCE), "Κηριολεπτησ" [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
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 English, a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist [an adaptation] ; composed by Henry Purcell.
- Also set in English, a translation by Andrew Lang (1844 - 1912) , "Idyl XIX", appears in Theocritus, Bion and Moschus ; composed by Granville Ransome Bantock, Sir.
- Also set in French (Français), a translation by Pierre de Ronsard (1524 - 1585) , "L'Amour piqué par une abeille", appears in Odes de 1550, no. 16, Livre IV, first published 1550 [an adaptation] ; composed by Fabrice-Marin Caietain, Jean Chardavoine, Julien Tiersot.
- Also set in French (Français), [adaptation] ; composed by Gérard Condé, Charles Camille Saint-Saëns.
- Also set in French (Français), a translation by Charles-Marie-René Leconte de Lisle (1818 - 1894) , "Le kérioklépte", appears in Idylles de Théocrite et Odes anacréontiques, first published 1861 [an adaptation] ; composed by Albert Roussel.
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2018-11-27
Line count: 11
Word count: 94
The thievish Love, -- a cruel bee once stung him, as he was rifling honey from the hives, and pricked his finger-tips all; then he was in pain, and blew upon his hand, and leaped, and stamped the ground. And then he showed his hurt to Aphrodite, and made much complaint, how that the bee is a tiny creature, and yet what wounds it deals! And his mother laughed out, and said, "Art thou not even such a creature as the bees, for tiny art thou, but what wounds thou dealest!"
About the headline (FAQ)
Confirmed with Theocritus, Bion and Moschus. Rendered into English Prose with an Introductory Essay by A. Lang, M. A., Lately Fellow of Merton College, Oxford, London, MacMillan and Co., Limited, 1896, page 101. A note at the top of the translation reads: "This little piece is but doubtfully ascribed to Theocritus. The motif is that of a well known Anacreontic Ode. The idyl has been translated by Ronsard." Please note that this is a prose text, but we have added line-breaks.
Authorship:
- by Andrew Lang (1844 - 1912), "Idyl XIX", appears in Theocritus, Bion and Moschus [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in Greek (Ελληνικά) by Theocritus (c310 BCE - c250 BCE), "Κηριολεπτησ"
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Granville Ransome Bantock, Sir (1868 - 1946), "The thievish Love", published 1927 [ voice and flute with optional cello ], from Three Idylls from the Greek Anthology, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2021-04-22
Line count: 11
Word count: 90