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THE DANCE OF THE MUSES, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: Begin we from the muses, o my song!
Last Line: His lambs beneath the holy helicon.
Subject(s): Dancing & Dancers; Helicon (mountain), Greece


BEGIN we from the Muses, O my song!
Muses of Helicon: their dwelling-place
The mountain vast and holy: where around
The altar of high Jove and fountain dark
From azure depth, they lightly leap in dance
With delicate feet; and having duly bathed
Their tender bodies in Permessian streams,
In springs that gushed fresh from the courser's hoof,
Or blest Olmius' waters, many a time
Upon the topmost ridge of Helicon
Their elegant and amorous dances thread,
And smite the earth with strong-rebounding feet.
Thence breaking forth tumultuous, and enwrapt
With the deep mist of air, they onward pass
Nightly, and utter, as they sleep on high,
A voice in stilly darkness beautiful.
They hymn the praise of AEgis-wielding Jove,
And Juno, named of Argos, who august
In golden sandals walks; and her, whose eyes
Glitter with azure light, Minerva born
From Jove; Apollo, sire of prophecy,
And Dian gladdened by the twanging bow;
Earth-grasping Neptune, shaker of earth's shores;
Majestic Themis and Dione fair;
And Venus twinkling bland her tremulous lids;
Hebe, her brows with golden fillet bound;
Morn, the vast Sun, and the resplendent Moon;
Latona and Japetus; and him
Of crooked wisdom, Saturn; and the Earth;
And the huge Ocean, and the sable Night,
And all the sacred race of deities
Existing ever. They to Hesiod erst
Have taught their stately song, the whilst he fed
His lambs beneath the holy Helicon.





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