Midas

Bonasone’s “Two satyrs bringing Silenus before King Midas” (ca. 1550-1580).

Excerpted from Ted Hughes (1930-1998) “Tales from Ovid: 24 Passages from the Metamorphoses,” published by Faber & Faber Ltd. 1997. (Copyright Ted Hughes)

Midas

Peasants crowded to gawp at Silenus —

The end product of a life

They could not imagine.

They chained him with flowers and dragged him,

In a harness of flowers, to their king, Midas,

As if he were some

Harmless, helpless, half-tapir or other

Charming monster.

When Midas recognised him,

And honoured him, fat and old and drunk as he was,

As the companion of Bacchus,

And restored him to the god,

Bacchus was so grateful

He offered Midas any wish —

Whatever the King wanted, it would be granted.

Midas was overjoyed

To hear this first approach, so promising,

Of his peculiar horrible doom.

He did not have to rack his brains.

A certain fantasy

Hovered in his head perpetually,

Wisfully fondled all his thoughts by day,

Manipulated all his dreams by night

Now it saw its chance and seized hi…