Translated into English verse the hymn reads:
“The venerable Lady I adore, Queen Aphrodite, owner of the shore Of seagirt Cyprus. Thither Zephyr’s breeze Had wafted her as babe with gentle ease. While yet unborn, in briny foam lay she Floating on billows of the surging sea, Whence she came forth. The Seasons young and fair With gold-embroidered bridles guided her, They took her to their arms and they caressed The little maid and had her beauty dressed In garments of Ambrosian fabric wrought. And then a crown of golden weight they brought, Three-handled, which above her head they placed. Her soft white neck with carcanets was graced, The strands of which her silver breast adorn In such a way as by the Seasons worn At dances in sylvestrian resort Or in Olympus at their father’s court. They carried up the babe so fair and wee To the immortals, who in ecstacy Began at once to hug and fondle her And kiss her hands. All vowed that they would wear The sacred flower of this divine fair maid At Hymen’s feast in festival parade. Yea, such great charm the Gods e’en never saw; They gazed and wondered and they stood in awe. O goddess, dark-browed, sweet of voice, In thee my song shall glory to rejoice! On us poor mortals here on earth below Life’s palm and heaven’s happiness bestow.
[Illustration: ANOTHER VIEW OF THE CNIDIAN VENUS.]
Praised be forever thy divinity, And the fair sex which representeth thee.”
The nature of Venus as the mother of the universe, the mistress of existence, and the representative of all that is charming and lovely endeared her to the philosopher as well as to the poet, and so in Rome at a later day even the freethinker among classical poets, Titus Lucretius, dedicated to her his philosophical book of poetry, _De rerum natura_, in these often quoted words:[44]
“Mother of Rome, delight of Gods and men, Dear Venus that beneath the gliding stars Makest to teem the many-voyaged main And fruitful lands--for all of living things Through thee alone are evermore conceived, Through thee are risen to visit the great sun-- Before thee, Goddess, and thy coming on, Flee stormy wind and massy cloud away; For thee the dedal Earth bears gentle flowers; For thee wide waters of the unvexed deep Smile, and the hollows of the sérene sky Glow with diffusèd radiance for thee! For soon as comes the springtime face of day, And procreant gales blow from the West unbarred. First fowls of air, smit to the heart by thee, Foretoken thy approach, O thou Divine, And leap the wild herds round the happy fields Or swim the bounding torrents. Then amain, Seized with the spell, all creatures follow thee Whithersoever thou walkest forth to lead; And thence through seas and mountains and swift streams, Through leafy homes of birds and greening plains. Kindling the lure of love in every breast, Thou bringest the eternal generations forth. Kind after kind. And since ’tis thou alone Guidest the Cosmos, and without thee naught Is risen to reach the holy shores of light, Nor aught of joyful or of lovely born, Thee do I crave co-partner in that verse Which I presume on Nature to compose For Memmius mine, whom thou hast willed to be Peerless in every grace at every hour-- Wherefore, indeed, Divine one, give my words Immortal charm. Lull to a timely rest O’er sea and land the savage works of war, For thou alone hast power with public peace To aid mortality; since he who rules The savage works of battle, puissant Mars, How often to thy bosom flings his strength, O’ermastered by the eternal wound of love-- And there, with eyes and full throat backward thrown, Gazing, my Goddess, open-mouthed at thee, Pastures on love his greedy sight, his breath Hanging upon thy lips? Him thus reclined Fill with thy holy body, round, above! Pour from those lips soft syllables to win Peace for the Roman, glorious Lady, peace! For in a season troublous to the state Neither may I attend this task of mine With thought untroubled, nor may mid such events The illustrious scion of the Memmian house Neglect the civic cause.”