Odelette
Translated from
the French of Pierre de Ronsard
by Terese Coe
For Sam Gwynn
All grain belongs to Demeter,
The woodlands to the satyr,
To Clore the grasses and leas,
To Athena, the olive trees,
To Phoebus the grey-green laurel,
And the juniper to Cybèle.
To the Zephyrs, the scented breeze,
To Pomona, the apple trees,
To the Naiads, the sea in flood,
And to Flora, the blossoming bud;
But every sorrow and care
Is sacred to Cythère.
Copyright © 2009 by Terese Coe.