Hymn to Day

Lykeia

Muses lend your voices, to Apollon’s lyre, and aid my song of day,
For there under Helios’ track and Apollon’s grace of light do the gods often play.
I sing of the sun-drenched meadows, the noonday shadows wherein Pan may lurk,
And among the herds Lykios, the wolfish and destroying, keeps vigil and watch.
The song of the lute carries upon the warm day breeze, to delight the ears of nymphs,
There they with joyous abadon come to dance upon the feilds so fair and green.

And the day heat wears down the hunt, so spy among the shaded trees, the cooling bath.
Artemis unclasps her chiton and draws it down, and to her delight the nymphs spray up the waters,
She will deign to play there, with her companions, maidens all, to wash away the rigorous hunt.
When their wetted bodies sleekly emerge, in purity they are reclaimed, draped in virgin gown,
And so the great company will make a rowdy dance, under the path of the traveling sun.
But before too long they race again away, sounding the hunters mighty song.

As Apollon, golden-locked, travels across the breadth of the heavenly way,
Below he may catch glimpse of boutiful Demeter tending to laughing Persephone.
Flowers crowning her youthful head, and winsome smiling curving her lip,
Persephone takes her art to the plants that are her mother’s blooming gift.
And there wide-skirted Demeter sits among the growing corn,
Her heart content and grasping in her hand the bread of the valley.

O what trick is Hermes playing, as he lies beside the fresh faced maiden,
Her complacent mortal lover dozes not to much afar, the girl unattended.
Lusty Hermes has tended the herds, with dark-eyed Hekate in company,
But now that they beasts have been sated, Hermes turns to pleasure to be abated.
He cares not if the light may spy upon his good fortune that he takes,
Indeed he welcomes the light that warms his flowered bed, his resting place!

And Day she flies across the bright lit sky, sister of dreaded Nyx,
The heavenly gods in her company, in their route and path.
She laughs afar and breathes her heated breath upon those below,
Her gold-sandaled feet stride across the sky from the east, to the horizon west.
There she does shimmer and sway, and delights in the tricks of human vision,
For blue- robed Day dances and sings in tune with Apollon’s sweet playing.