"Hymn of Pan" a beautiful poem by Percy Shelley

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The inventor of the panpipes (syrinx), so amused of his pipings thought his music could best even Apollo, the God of Music. So Pan challenged Apollo to a musical duel to be decided by the oldest and wisest hill- Tmolus. Tmolus declared Apollo the victor, but an overhearing King Midas swore Pan’s pipes more beautiful than Apollo’s lyre. Apollo punished Midas declaring, “If your ears are so dull mortal, they shall take the shape that best suits them” and Midas grew the ears of an ass! In Shelley’s “Hymn of Pan”, the God of Theatrical Criticism responds to his defeat by attacking Apollo’s envy and Tmolus’ age.

“Hymn of Pan”

by Percy Bysshe Shelley

From the forests and highlands

We come, we come;

From the river-girt islands,

Where loud waves are dumb

Listening to my sweet pipings.

The wind in the reeds and the rushes,

The bees on the bells of thyme,

The birds on the myrtle bushes,

The cicale above in the lime,

And the lizards below in the grass,

Were as silent as ever old Tmolus was,

Listening to my sweet pipings.

Liquid Peneus was flowing,

And all dark Tempe lay

In Pelion’s shadow, outgrowing

The light of the dying day,

Speeded by my sweet pipings.

The Sileni, and Sylvans, and Fauns,

And the Nymphs of the woods and the waves,

To the edge of the moist river-lawns,

And the brink of the dewy caves,

And all that did then attend and follow,

Were silent with love, as you now, Apollo,

With envy of my sweet pipings.

I sang of the dancing stars,

I sang of the daedal Earth,

And of Heaven, and the giant wars,

And Love, and Death, and Birth—

And then I chang’d my pipings,

Singing how down the vale of Maenalus

I pursu’d a maiden and clasp’d a reed.

Gods and men, we are all deluded thus!

It breaks in our bosom and then we bleed.

All wept, as I think both ye now would,

If envy or age had not frozen your blood,

At the sorrow of my sweet pipings.

Commentary

In “Hymn of Pan”, Percy Shelley convinces me that Pan was the true victor. The melodious rhymes are enchanting and function as incredible praise and celebration of Pan. Only Shelley’s words in “To a Skylark” can accurately convey my envy of his rhymes:

“Teach me half the gladness
That thy brain must know,
Such harmonious madness
From my lips would flow
The world should listen then, as I am listening now!”

Blending the Arts

Always committed to blending the arts when I can, this is a beautiful display of the panpipes and likely a very similar song to what Pan played Apollo.

More About Pan’s Pipes

Pan is the god of rustic music, nature, the wild, shepherds, flocks and theatrical criticism. With goat like features, he naturally loves roaming mountain sides. In his roaming, he would one day come across a wood nymph by the name of Syrinx. Immediately enamored, he chased her down to shower her with compliments. However, Syrinx scared of his goat like appearance fled. Pan kept pursuing. Eventually cornered at a river, Syrinx turned herself into a reed to escape him. Yet, when the wind whispered through the reeds, Pan was infatuated with the melody. Her beauty had transcended the transformation. Pan cut the reeds and fashioned himself an instrument he named the syrinx, after the nymph he passionately admired.

More About Apollo’s Lyre

Apollo is the god of many things! Most often in arts, he is recognized as the god of music and poetry. He is usually depicted holding a golden lyre. The instrument was first given to him by Hermes. Hermes had stolen some of Apollo’s cattle, and then used the cow’s intestines and the shell of a tortoise to create a lyre. When Apollo overheard Hermes playing the lyre, he instantly fell in love with the music. He offered the cattle in exchange for the lyre.

Pan was not Apollo’s only musical contest. Apollo was also challenged by a satyr and flute player, Marsyas. The Muses declared it a tie, but Apollo demanded they sing and play to see who was best. Easy to do with a lyre, but Marsyas could not sing and play the flute at the same time. Apollo won by default. Then, for daring to challenge a god, Apollo flayed Marsyas. The satyr’s blood formed the Marsya River.

Apollo also challenged his son, Cinyras, to a lyre-playing contest. Unable to best his father, Cinyras committed suicide after he lost.

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