Chloe and Daphnis.

Chloe and Daphnis.

Sweet maid of Lesbos, left exposed but suckled by a ewe,
found as a babe by shepherd Dryas who took care of you.
Two years before, coincidentally, left out to meet
his fate, a baby boy was nurtured by a she-goat’s teat.

The goatherd, Lamon, took him in and raised him like a son
and named him Daphnis (by which name he’s known to everyone.)
Your foster-parents named you Chloe, watching as you grew
in face and figure. None there was as beautiful as you.

In Daphnis’ fifteenth year, both foster-fathers had a dream
that Cupid came into the cave where both you babes had been
and touched you with his arrow in the region of each heart
thus destining you both as lovers, though two years apart.

You both felt close attraction raised as sister to a brother
not realising that you’d fall in love with one another
for Cupid’s darts had pierced your hearts thus setting both your fates
eventually twained to be inseparable mates.

A local cowherd, Dorcon, being enamoured of your beauty,
attempted to seduce you but your sheep-dogs did their duty,
attacking the molester who gave up and ran away
when Daphnis, on arrival with his own hounds, saved the day.

Now Dorcon, in his flight, had left behind his pipes of reed
which he had told you not to play except in time of need
for, at their sound, his cattle would immediately stampede
and straightway rush toward the piper, looking for their feed.

It’s Springtime and you feel intensity of passions, leaning
to Daphnis but, in innocence, can’t comprehend their meaning.
Likewise, the untaught Daphnis simply hasn’t got a clue
as to why he gets this stirring in his loins at sight of you..

The goats and sheep are mating  and, when naked you both bathe
then go to make your offerings to the nymphs inside their cave,
you try to emulate what you have seen the creatures do
but it doesn’t work, frustrating and confusing both of you.

However, Lycaenion, a knowing nymph who sees
how Daphnis and yourself  encounter problems such as these,
offers to give him lessons. Daphnis readily agrees
and quickly learns with her to overcome difficulties.

He’s anxious now to show you his new-found ability
but Lycaenion warns him that your lost virginity
will cause you lots of pain and blood. He, not wishing to hurt you
but fearful he might lose control, determines to desert you.

As usual when your work is done you wait inside the cave
for Daphnis to arrive when you will both undress and bathe,
make offering to the nymphs who dwell within this sacred place
and afterwards you’ll innocently lie in his embrace.

When Daphnis does not come to you, you start to fear the worst,
thinking that possibly, since Lycaenion had him first,
he’s gone to lie with her and will not come to you again,
oblivious that he’s only kept away to save you pain.

When Mytilenian pirates capture Daphnis and his goats
and all of Dorcon’s cattle which they herd aboard two boats,
because you’re feeling lonely and are suffering from gripes,
to cheer yourself you try to play a tune on Dorcon’s pipes.

Immediately all the cattle stampede at the sound,
capsizing both the boats; the armoured pirates all are drowned.
Though wounded, Daphnis swims with all the cattle to the shore
where you are reunited  and you love him even more.

You tend his wounds and when he’s healed, you hope that he will show
you what he’s learned that you so desperately want to know.
Yet still he will not teach you for he fears to cause you pain
though the passions building up in both are driving each insane.

As an unforseen distraction, your real parents next arrive
and both of them are overjoyed to find you still alive.
Your father, Megacles, when his finances went awry,
could not afford to keep you so had left you out to die.

He has no children now but has immense wealth chanced to save
and bitterly regretted that he left you in that cave.
They clean you up and, in fine raiments, dress you splendidly
so your astounding beauty everybody there can see.

Then Daphnis’ father. Dionysophanes tells how he
had left him as a babe exposed to die down by the sea.
As a royal he’d already sired abundant family
and could not see his way to raise another properly.

But, in the intervening years, his eldest sons have died
and, thinking Astylus the only son left by his side,
he’s absolutely rapt to find that now he has another.
Astylus is beside himself to find he has a brother.

Thus there is great rejoicing and they hold a mighty feast
with sufficient mutton, beef and goats’ meat for six days at least
and even Lycaenion, Daphnis’ first mate will attend
but that’s another story for she now is just a friend.

Well, of course you two get married; we can guess what happens next
when you talk Daphnis into showing you the arts of sex.
At first it’s rather messy but you like it all the same
and now can’t get enough of it if Daphnis plays the game.

You’ve had two children, first a son and then a daughter too
who, like their parents have as nurse, a she-goat and a ewe.

Hugh Wyles, August 12th. 2008.
Oil on Canvas, “Chloe” (1875) by Jules Joseph Lefebvre (1836-1911)