Paulus Silentiarius
[No Title]
To Lycorean Apollo doth Locrian Eunomus dedicate the brazen
cicada, in memory of his contest for the crown. The contest was
in lyre-playing, and opposite him stood his competitor, Parthis.
But when the Locrian shell rang to the stroke of the plectrum,
the string cracked with a hoarse cry. But before the running
melody could go lame, a cicada lighted on the lyre chirping
tenderly and caught up the vanishing note of the chord, adapting
to the fashion of our playing its wild music that used to echo in
the woods. Therefore, divine Son of Leto, doth he honour thee
with the gift of thy cicada, perching the brazen songster upon
thy lyre.