The bolt and glowing lightning in his grasp, Since by the strong ascendant of his arm Saturn his father fell: he to the gods Appoints the laws, and he their honours names. So sing the Muses; dwellers on the mount Of heaven: nine daughters of the mighty Jove: Melpomene, Euterpe, Erato, Polymnia, Terpsichore, Thalia, Urania, Clio, and Calliope: The chiefest she: who walks upon the steps Of kingly judges in their majesty: And whomsoe’er of heavenly-nurtured kings Jove’s daughters will to honour, looking down With smiling aspect on his cradled head They pour a gentle dew upon his tongue: And words, as honey sweet, drop from his lips. To him the people look: on him all eyes Wait awful, who in righteousness discerns The ways of judgment: in a single breath, Utter’d with knowledge, ends the mightiest strife, And all is peace. The wisdom this of kings: That in their judgment-hall they from the oppress’d Turn back the tide of ills, retrieving wrongs With mild accost of [151]soothing eloquence. On him, the judge and king, when passing forth Among the city-ways, all reverent look With a mild worship, as he were a god: And in [152]the great assembly first is he. Such is the Muses’ goodly gift to man. The Muses, and Apollo darting far The arrows of his splendour, raise on earth [153]Harpers and men of song: but kings arise From Jove himself. Oh blessed is the man Whome’er the Muses love! sweet is the voice That from his lips flows ever. [154]Is there one Who hides some fresh grief in his wounded mind And mourns with aching heart? but he, the bard, [155]The servant of the Muse, awakes the song To deeds of men of old, and blessed gods That dwell on mount Olympus. Straight he feels His sorrow stealing in forgetfulness: Nor of his griefs remembers aught: so soon The Muse’s gift has turn’d his woes away. Daughters of Jove! all hail! but oh inspire The lovely song! record the heavenly race Of gods existing ever: those who sprang From earth and starry heaven and murky night, And whom the salt deep quicken’d. Say how first The gods and earth became: how rivers flow’d: Th’ unbounded sea raged high in foamy swell, The stars shone forth, and overhead the sky Spread its broad arch: and say from these what gods, Givers of blessings, sprang: and how they shared Heaven’s splendid attributes and parted out Distinct their honours: and how first they fix’d Their dwelling midst Olympus’ winding vales: Tell, oh ye Muses! ye who also dwell In mansions of Olympus: tell me all From the beginning: say who first arose. [156]First of all beings Chaos was: and next Wide-bosom’d Earth, the seat for ever firm Of all th’ immortals, whose abode is placed Among the mount Olympus’ snow-top’d heads,