The Argonautica

Sweet on both of his cheeks a flowering blush spread its color.

Ganymede crouched nearby, silent, bowed in dejection,

two still in hand, throwing one, then the other, in vain,

forward, and fumed while Eros laughed loudly in triumph.

Then, losing these straightway along with the ones lost before,

he left with empty hands, at a loss, and never perceived

Cypris approaching. She came face-to-face with her own son,

and seized him by the chin, held fast, then spoke these words:

Why that grin, outrageous rogue? Perhaps you merely

cheated the boy, unfairly outwitting one so unwary?

Come now, be willing to carry out what I ask you,

then I will give you the glorious plaything belonging to Zeus,

the gift his loving nurse Adrasteia fashioned for him

inside the Idaean cave when Zeus was still only an infant:

a swift-rolling ball; no other reward would be finer

that you might ever acquire from Hephaestus' own skillful hands.

Golden are all of its circles; around each one of them

double-curved rings wind round in encompassing courses;

hidden are all of the seams, and over them winds a dark-blue

spiral. But if you should throw the ball from your own hands,

like a bright star, it will send a flaming track through heaven.

I shall give it to you. But you must charm Aeetes' daughter

with an arrow to burn with love for Jason. Let there be no

delay: any lagging will lessen the thanks that I owe you.