The subject of the poem is taken from Theocritus, _Id._ xiii., and
Virgil, _Ecl._ vi.
L. 1. _Le navire éloquent._ Argo, which Malherbe calls 'le navire qui
parlait,' Lebrun 'la nef à voix humaine,' and Chénier himself in a
fragment (XLIX., p. 118 of the first volume of the edition published in
1874 by G. de Chénier), 'le vaisseau parleur.'
L. 2. _Colchos._ This Colchos has never had any existence except in the
imagination of French poets. It is, in fact, the accusative of _Colchi_,
the Colchians, or inhabitants of Colchis, mistaken for the name of a
town.
Ll. 12-14. _Et leur onde... un... zéphire, un murmure... 'l'avertit._
The verb is in the singular, agreeing with the last subject, as is the
constant practice with Chénier. Cf. note to p. 25, l. 74.
L. 14. _et soupire._ The first editor has corrected this into _et
l'attire_. But the nymph first attracts the attention of the boy and
then sighs out her desire (as again on l. 19).
L. 15. _jette des fleurs._ _Jeter_ is said of plants and trees (E.
_shoot_), whence _rejeton_ (E. _shoot_).