Hermes Teaches Apollon to Play Lyre
from Lyre Of Hermes
from Hermead of Surazeus
Zeus unveils new lyre forged from gold and silver
that mimics lyre Hermes made from turtle shell,
round hollow case with two long curving beams,
and crossbar with holes for six silver wires
that ring sweet melodies in harmony
when Apollon holds it firm and plucks strings.
"Son of my eyes, give me old lyre you made
and I will give you lyre Hephaistos forged,
replacing old cracked shell with shining gold
and dull gut strings with thin bright-ringing wires."
Gasping pleased, Hermes clutches old shell lyre,
lingering a moment to caress rough shell,
and remembers when he first plucked gut strings,
and crafted lyre after days of hard work,
then grins, and offers it to smiling father,
who places old lyre on stone hearth near gems.
Delighted at his joy, Zeus places lyre
wrought from gold and strung with thin silver wires
in eager hands, and smiles while Hermes plucks
strings of wire that ripple like waterfalls
and ring bright melodies under deft fingers,
then gazes at mountains and shining clouds
while listening to sweet tunes that enchant
minds of listeners with beautiful visions
in vibrant waves of music born from starlight.
"Son of my spirit, will you teach me art
so I may also pluck tunes and sing spells?"
Hermes grins at his father and strums strings.
"I will give you my lyre and teach you art
to enchant souls if you give me ten cows
so I may start my own milk-giving herd."
Zeus Apollon agrees, offering good cows.
Clever Hermes teaches him magic art
of tuning wires by adjusting bone knobs
till each taut wire rings sweet melody clear
advancing notes low to high, which enchants
hearts of men and women with harmony.
"Scale of notes ascends mountain of clear sound,
low deep valley notes, broad bold meadow notes,
and high wind-swept peak notes, in six sharp notes
one scale of harmony expressed by strings.
Then scale of notes descend like sparkling stream
that clatters over stones from high to low.
Weave melodies of notes by skipping strings,
and plucking strings up and down in small groups,
three, four, five, or six, in various clear steps,
moving up scale, then moving back down scale,
and repeat phrases of notes to compose
pleasing tunes that imitate how birds sing."
Hermead Epic of Philosophers
http://tinyurl.com/Hermead
Hermead Vol 1 - Hermes, Prometheus, Kadmos, Asklepios, and Hesiodos
http://tinyurl.com/Hermead01
Hermead Vol 2 - Thales, Anaximandros, and Pythagoras
http://tinyurl.com/Hermead02
Hermead Vol 3 - Herakleitos, Parmenides, Anaxagoras, Empedokles, Leukippos, and Philolaos
Coming soon
