Come now, imagine it made. It will be “gifted
with speech,” Like Circe (Odyssey10, 136). first of all, and “clear-voiced”; Like the Muse (Odyssey 24, 62). 
and Homer’s phrase “sweeter than honey from the
tongue” applies to her rather than to that old man
from Pylos. Applied in Homer to the words of Nestor (Jliad 1, 249). The whole tone of her voice is as soft
as can be; not deep, so as to resemble a man’s, nor
very high, so as to be quite womanish and wholly
strengthless, but like the voice of a boy still immature, delicious and winning, that gently steals into




 

the ear, so that even after she has ceased the sound
abides, some remnant of it lingering and filling the
ears with resonance, like an echo that prolongs
audition and leaves in the soul vague traces of her
words, honey-sweet and full of persuasion. And
when she lifts that glorious voice in song, above
all to the lyre, then—ah, then it is the hour for
halcyons and cicadas and swans to hush forthwith;
for they are one and all unmelodious as against her,
and even Pandion’s daughter, should you mention her,
is an inexpert amateur, however “soundful” the
voice that she pours out. Pandion’s daughter is the nightingale; the inimitable mwodvnxéa comes from Homer (Odyssey 19, 521).