Fragmenta

The grey sea, when the wind beats upon it gently, stirs up my timid soul, and no longer is the land dear to me, but far more does the great sea allure me. But when the hoary deep roars, and the sea foams up arching, and the long waves rage in fury, I look to the land and to the trees, and flee the sea, and the earth is welcome to me, and the shady wood is pleasing, where, even if a great wind blow, the pine still sings. A wretched life indeed the fisherman lives, whose home is his boat, and whose toil is the sea, and whose roving catch the fish. But for me, sweet is sleep beneath the deep-leaved plane, and I would love to hear the murmur of the spring close by, which delights the countryman with its sound, and does not trouble him.

Pan loved Echo, his neighbor, and Echo loved a leaping Satyr, and the Satyr was mad for Lyde. As much as Echo inflamed Pan, so much the Satyr burned for Echo, and Lyde for the little Satyr; and Love smoldered in turn. For just as each of them hated the one who loved, so each, being a lover, was hated, and suffered what he did. These lessons I tell to all who are loveless: love those who love you, that if you love you may be loved.

Alpheus, after Pisa, when he journeys down beneath the sea, comes to Arethusa bringing his olive-bearing water, carrying as bridal gifts fair leaves and flowers and sacred dust, and deep he enters the waves, and beneath the sea runs along below, nor does water mingle with water, and the sea knows nothing of the river passing through. That mischief-making boy, the snare-setter, teaching dread arts, Love taught even a river to dive for love.

7. ON LOVE PLOWING

Laying aside his torch and bow, mischievous Love took up an ox-driving goad, and had a wallet on his shoulder, and yoking the patient necks of bulls beneath the yoke, he sowed the wheat-bearing furrow of Deo. And looking up he said to Zeus himself: "Fill the fields, lest I set you, the bull of Europa, beneath the plow.