by Antipater of Sidon (flourished 1st century BCE)
Translation by William Roger Paton (1857 - 1921)

οὐκέτι θελγομένας, Ὀρφεῦ, δρύας, οὐκέτι...
Language: Greek (Ελληνικά) 
οὐκέτι θελγομένας, Ὀρφεῦ, δρύας, οὐκέτι πέτρας
ἄξεις, οὐ θηρῶν αὐτονόμους ἀγέλας:
οὐκέτι κοιμάσεις ἀνέμων βρόμον, οὐχὶ χάλαζαν,
οὐ νιφετῶν συρμούς, οὐ παταγεῦσαν ἅλα. 
ὤλεο γάρ: σὲ δὲ πολλὰ κατωδύραντο θύγατρες
Μναμοσύνας, μάτηρ δ᾽ ἔξοχα Καλλιόπα.
τί φθιμένοις στοναχεῦμεν ἐφ᾽ υἱάσιν, ἁνίκ᾽ ἀλαλκεῖν
τῶν παίδων Ἀΐδην οὐδὲ θεοῖς δύναμις ;

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Show a transliteration: DIN | ISO 843

Note on Transliterations

Text Authorship:

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

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Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

  • ENG English (William Roger Paton) , no title


Researcher for this page: Joost van der Linden [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2026-11-07
Line count: 8
Word count: 48

Never again, Orpheus
Language: English  after the Greek (Ελληνικά) 
Never again, Orpheus
Will you lead the enchanted oaks,
Nor the rocks, nor the beasts
Independent of men and their twisted cloaks.

Never again will you sing to sleep
The roaring wind, nor the hail,
Nor the drifting snow, nor the boom
Of the sea wave, pale.

You are murdered now.
Led by your, mother, Calliope,
The Muses shed tears,
Over you, for years, their bright poetry.

What good does it do to mourn
For our sons when the immortal
Gods are powerless to save
Their children from death’s dark portal!

About the headline (FAQ)

Confirmed with, The Greek Anthology., English Translation by. W. R. Paton, London : William Heinemann Ltd, 1917


Text Authorship:

Based on:

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 ]


Researcher for this page: Joost van der Linden [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2026-11-07
Line count: 16
Word count: 91