Danaë and her baby son Perseus have been cast out to sea in a chest by her husband Akrisios, who fears a Delphic prophecy that his son will one day kill him. Akrisios is too afraid to kill his wife, as Zeus is the father of Perseus.
The lyric poet Simonides wrote about it and a fragment survives. I translated it as best as I could, with help, and tried to retain some sense of the alliteration.
In a box curiously built,
the wind gasping over her, the sea in motion
struck with terror, tears tearing down her cheeks
she clasps Perseus tightly in her arm and says:
Oh child, such suffering,
you sleep well for you are young
but your sleep is disposed to melancholy
In our bronze-bolted boat
illuminated by the dark dusky night laid out
With the sea high above your hair
don’t take notice of the waves going by,
or of the crying of the wind
gathered in your glittering garment, you look pretty,
But were the terror really a terror to you
You would lend your little ear to my Epic speech
Now I command:
sleep: newborn child
sleep: the sea
sleep: this excessive evil
I hope things will soon change
Zeus, father,
This insolent speech I assert is far from right.
Forgive me.
Posted 9 months ago with Notes