Metamorphoses by Ovid

Warn'd by the dreadful admonition, all Of Thebes the new solemnities approve; Bring incense, and to Bacchus' altars bend. Alcithoe only, Minyaes' daughter, views His orgies still with unbelieving eyes. Boldly, herself and sisters, partners all In impious guilt, refuse the god to own, The progeny of Jove. The prophet bids Each mistress with her maids, to join the feast: (Sacred the day from toil). Their breasts to clothe In skins; the fillets from their heads to loose; With ivy wreathe their brows; and in their hands The leafy Thyrsus grasp. Threatening, he spoke, In words prophetic, how th' affronted god Would wreak his ire. Matrons and virgins haste; Throw by their baskets; quit the loom, and leave Th' unfinish'd threads: sweet incense they supply Invoking Bacchus by his various names. Bromius! Lyaeus! power in flames produc'd!-- Produc'd a second time! god doubly born! Born of two mothers! Nyseus! they exclaim; Long-hair'd Thyoneus!--and the planter fam'd Of genial grapes! Lenaeus! too, they sing; Nyctelius! Elelcus! and aloud Iaecchus! Evan! with the numerous names, O Liber! in the Grecian land thou hold'st. Unwaning youth is thine, eternal boy! Most beauteous form in heaven! a virgin's face Thou seem'st to bear, when seen without thy horns. Stoops to thy arms the East, where Ganges bounds The dusky India:Deity rever'd! Thou impious Pentheus sacrific'd; and thou, The mad Lycurgus punish'd with his axe: By thee the Tyrrhene traitors, in the main Were flung: Adorn'd with painted reins, thou curb'st The lynxes in thy chariot yok'd abreast: Thy steps the Satyrs and Bacchantes tread; And old Silenus; who with wine o'ercharg'd, With a long staff his tottering steps sustains: Or on a crooked ass, unsteady sits: Where'er thou enterest shout the joyous youth, Females and males immingled: loud the drums Struck by their hands resound; --and loudly clash The brazen cymbals: soft the boxen flutes Deep and melodious sound!

Now prays all Thebes The god's approach in mildness; and perform His sacred rites as bidden. Sole remain At home secluded, Minyaes' daughters,--they With ill-tim'd industry the feast prophane. Busy, they form the wool, and twirl the thread; Or to the loom stick close, and all their maids Urge to strict labor. One with dexterous thumb The slender thread extending, cries;--"while all, "Idly, those rites imaginary tend, "Let us, whom Pallas, deity more great, "Detains, our useful labors lighter make "By vary'd converse. Each in turn relate "Her tale, while others listen; thus the time "Less tedious shall appear." All pleas'd applaud The proposition; and her sisters beg That she the tales commence. Long she demurs, What story first, of those she knew, to tell; For numerous was her store. In doubt, thy tale, Dercetis Babylonian, to relate, Whose form, the Syrians think, with scales is cloth'd; The stagnant pools frequenting: or describe Thy daughter's change, on waving pinions borne; Who lengthen'd age obtain'd, on lofty towers Safe dwelling: or of Nais, who the youths With magic works, and potent witching words To silent fishes turn'd; till she the same Vile transformation suffer'd: or the tree, Which once in clusters white its berries bore, Now blood besprinkled, growing black. This tale Most novel, pleas'd the most: and as she spun Her slender thread, the nymph the tale began.