Eternal Aphrodite, Zeus’s daughter, throne
Of inlay, deviser of nets, I entreat you:
Do not let a yoke of grief and anguish weigh
Down my soul, Lady,

But come to me now, as you did before
When, hearing my cries even at that distance
You slammed the door of your father’s house—
Golden! and hastened

To harness your chariot. Then pretty sparrows
Drew you forthwith over the dark lands,
Beating their crisp wings. From the outer spheres,
Down through the inner,

Steeply they descended. At last you, Divine Lady,
Beaming your unearthly smile at me,
Asked was I in distress once again—for,
Why had I called you?