Semele

And in it revel not the sisters of thunder-struck Semele, the Maenads, who are initiated into a foul distribution of flesh, but the daughters of God, the fair lambs, declaring the august rites of the Word, gathering a sober chorus.

and the Cadmean Semele bore him a shining son, having joined in love, Dionysus the bringer of much joy.

It did not escape the Oeneidae that Semele was the daughter of Cadmus, and of her was born one whom it would be sacrilegious to name at this tomb, and by him Oeneus was begotten, who was called the founder of their race.

I, the son of Zeus, have come to this land of the Thebans—Dionysus, whom once Semele, Kadmos’ daughter, bore, delivered by a lightning-bearing flame.

And I see the tomb of my thunder-stricken mother here near the palace, and the remnants of her house, smouldering with the still living flame of Zeus’ fire, the everlasting insult of Hera against my mother.

For this city must learn, even if it is unwilling, that it is not initiated into my Bacchic rites, and that I plead the case of my mother, Semele, in appearing manifest to mortals as a divinity whom she bore to Zeus.

Bromius, for whom I once dressed in the Theban fawn-skin and danced upon the hills in the holy choir of Semele—shall I now offer the gods homage that is not homage?

And Semele, daughter of Cadmus was joined with him in love and bore him a splendid son, joyous Dionysus,—a mortal woman an immortal son.

there was Semele, and Alkmene in Thebes by whom I begot my lion-hearted son Herakles, while Semele became mother to Bacchus the comforter of humankind.

And so, farewell, Dionysus, Insewn, with your mother Semele whom men call Thyone.

and others by the deep-eddying river Alpheus that pregnant Semele bare you to Zeus the thunder-lover.

I begin to sing of ivy-crowned Dionysus, the loud-crying god, splendid son of Zeus and glorious Semele.

I am loud-crying Dionysus whom Cadmus' daughter Semele bare of union with Zeus.

I will tell of Dionysus, the son of glorious Semele, how he appeared on a jutting headland by the shore of the fruitless sea, seeming like a stripling in the first flush of manhood:

Long-haired Semele, who died in the roar of the thunderbolt, lives among the Olympians;

even though father Zeus had visited the desirable bed of white-armed Thyone.