The Nymph Oenone (Sonnet Corona) Poem by Gert Strydom

(after Alfred Lord Tennyson)

I.

At Mount Ida in a place of bliss, a valley more lovely,
filled with more flowers than any other place on earth
was the nymph Oenone's place of birth
where for many years she did roam free,

lived at the cataracts and brook in great tranquility
with a braid of flowers tied around her girth,
as a semi-divine nymph stayed young by constant rebirth
and as the daughter of a River-God she had great beauty

where vapour rises up high from the glen.
Oenone was seen as divine by every wild thing
and almost as in a paradise she did live there,
she was unseen and untouched by mere men,
her heart did constantly with utter joy sing,
she was visited by no pain or care.

II.

She was visited by no pain or care
but on a hot summer day a Sheppard boy
did awake her did into the vale dare
and him she could enchant or destroy

but good-hearted she was to the utter brim.
His hair shone like that of an ancient god
where a kingly leopard skinned covered him
and beauty was in the way that he trod.

Enchanted and in great wonder they both were
where much more than mere friendship did grow,
with still greater happiness and utter joy there
as it a god did true love on them bestow

she cried and sobbed with the greatest joy
while he did a thousand kisses on her employ.

III.

While he did a thousand kisses on her employ
this happiness on another sunny day he did destroy
when with a golden fruit to her, to the valley did come.
"This gift is to you fit, " he said and held it like a toy.

"I would award it to you but then
this is not the work of mere men.
My loveliest Oenone, "for the most fair"
and yet you are semi-divine not like all women."

"By Iris it was delivered to me
to judge the gods and there are three:
great mother Hera, Pallas Athena and lovely Aphrodite
in wonder I do not know what the judgement will be."

Awestruck Oenone stood and stared at the fruit, the beautiful thing,
while with great love for Paris her heart and soul did still sing.

IV.

While with great love for Paris her heart and soul did still sing
where he led a black goat, with white hooves and white horns, away
it turned to the most foul and heart-rending painful day
when Pallas Athena, the goddess of war, appeared with lightning,

when Aphrodite suddenly was there fresh as if just awakening,
draw from her bosom her lovely hair did nothing say
where Hera with a golden cloud appeared and did enticing naked lay
and all of them did for his choice a special kind of gift bring.

"Dear mother earth, mount Ida and Cybele please come to help me"
Oenone cried in her heart but looked at Paris silently.
Hera:"Sheppard, royal power, imperial rule and gold I am offering you."
Athena with a godly spear: "I will make you heroic, battle-hardened and free
will cleave to you, be in your blood that the greatest warrior you will be."
Aphrodite: "I offer the most beautiful human woman with love true."


V.

Aphrodite:"I offer the most beautiful human woman with love true."
"Paris, give the fruit to Pallas as a mere boy with a bow and arrow you are, "
cried Oenone."She will stand by you in war, make you the greatest man by far."
With a warm smile Hera said:"Sheppard boy, your decision is now due."

Normally icy but now warm Athena said: "Naked and divine we stand before you
a mere mortal.Think carefully as this decision might your own life and nation mar."
Aphrodite: "Without love life is not a thing, no one can true love and its power bar."
Turning against his promises to Oenone Paris suddenly knew what to do.

"Dear mother earth, mount Ida and Cybele please come to help me, "
Oenone cried in her heart and looked at Paris expectantly with hope.
"Naked to the flesh and heart all three of you I did see,
before me a mortal all three of you were without a robe
and Palas Athena spoke of heroism and about duty,
I choose love and with an earthly woman to elope. "


VII

"I choose love and with a earthly woman to elope, "
his words hang in the air and Oenone cried,
Hera and Athena were angered at being denied,
but Paris did not think about his decision's scope.

While as if lifeless Oenone rolled down the mountain slope
Paris hastened with Aphrodite to Helena in the greatest lust,
Athena ascended with great lightning, Hera in a huge gust
and around Oenone gathered the beasts and all the antelope.

The lion, the leopard and panther growled their dismay
the insects the deer, and other antelope were crying with her
while even some of the flowers and plants in the valley did wither
and Oenone could not understand why Paris did their love betray.

"Dear mother earth, mount Ida and Cybele please come to help me, "
I love him so very much but he does make me very unhappy."

VIII.

"I love him so very much but he does make me very unhappy
and now life is totally meaningless and I do want to die.
Dear mother earth, mount Ida and Cybele please come to help me,
as now for many months my life does go meaningless by.

Oenone cried night and day watched the pitiless sun in the sky
until on a day ten years later, mortally wounded, Paris came
begged her to heal him with bitter tears or remorse in his eye
knew that he had put her and his own name to great shame.

He even begged her to use her magic drug in Zeus's name.
""I choose love and with a earthly woman to elope, "
and here I was where you tossed me away and to her you do the same
where for many years I have been dying without any hope"

and she was crying while he was dying remained free
at Mount Ida in a place of bliss, a valley more lovely.

[Reference:"Oenone" by Alfred Lord Tennyson.]