nd
{the cause of} my crime. With thy death is my right hand to be charged;
I am the author of thy destruction. Yet what is my fault? unless to
engage in sport can be termed a fault; unless it can be called a fault,
too, to have loved thee. And oh! that I could give my life for thee, or
together with thee; but since I am restrained by the decrees of destiny,
thou shalt ever be with me, and shalt dwell on my mindful lips. The lyre
struck with my hand, my songs, too, shall celebrate thee; and,
{becoming} a new flower, by the inscription {on thee}, thou shalt
imitate[31] my lamentations. The time, too, shall come, at which a most
valiant hero[32] shall add his {name} to this flower, and it shall be
read upon the same leaves.'

"While such things are being uttered by the prophetic lips of Apollo,
behold! the blood which, poured on the ground, has stained the grass,
ceases to be blood, and a flower springs up, more bright than the Tyrian
purple, and it assumes the appearance which lilies {have}, were there
not in this a purple hue, {and} in them that of silver. This was not
enough for Phoebus, for 'twas he that was the author of this honour. He
himself inscribed his own lamentations on the leaves, and the flower has
'ai, ai,' inscribed {thereon}; and the mournful characters[33] {there}
are traced. Nor is Sparta ashamed to have given birth to Hyacinthus; and
his honours continue to the present time; the Hyacinthian festival[34]
returns, too, each year, to be celebrated with the prescribed
ceremonials, after the manner of former {celebrations}."

[Footnote 26: _Descendant of Amycla._--Ver. 162. Hyacinthus is
here called Amyclides, as though being the son of Amycla, whereas,
in line 196 he is called 'Oebalides,' as though the son of Oebalus.
Pausamas and Apollodorus (in one instance) say that he was the son
of Amycla, the Lacedaemonian, who founded the city of Amyclae;
though, in another place, Apollodorus says that Pierus was his
father. On the other hand, Hyginus, Lucian, and Servius say that
he was the son of Oebalus. Some explain 'Amyclide,' as meaning
'born at Amyclae;' and, indeed, Claudian says that he was born
there. Others, again, would have Oebalide to signify 'born at
Oebalia.' But, if he was the son of Amycla, this could not be the
signification, as Oebalia was founded by Oebalus, who was the
grandson of Amycla. The poet, most probably, meant to style him
the