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Metamorphoses 7.1-33
Metamorphoses 7.1-33
iamque fretum Minyae Pagasaeā puppe secābant,
perpetuāque trahēns inopem sub nocte senectam
Phīneus vīsus erat, iuvenēsque Aquilōne creātī
virgineās volucrēs miserī senis ōre fugārant,
multaque perpessī clārō sub Iāsone tandem 5
contigerant rapidās līmōsī Phāsidos undās.
dumque adeunt rēgem Phrixēaque vellera poscunt
lexque datur Minyīs magnōrum horrenda labōrum,
concipit intereā validōs Aeētias ignēs
et luctāta diū, postquam ratiōne furōrem 10
vincere nōn poterat, “frustrā Mēdēa, repugnās:
nescio quis deus obstat” ait; “mīrumque, nisi hōc est,
aut aliquid certē simile huic, quod amāre vocātur.
nam cūr iussa patris nimium mihi dūra videntur?
sunt quoque dūra nimis. cūr, quem modo dēnique vīdī, 15
nē pereat, timeō? quae tantī causa timōris?
excute virgineō conceptās pectore flammās,
sī potes, infēlix! — sī possem, sānior essem.
sed trahit invītam nova vīs, aliudque cupīdo,
mēns aliud suādet. videō meliora probōque, 20
dēteriōra sequor. quid in hospite, rēgia virgo,
ūreris et thalamōs aliēnī concipis orbis?
haec quoque terra potest, quod amēs, dare. vivat an ille
occidat, in dīs est. vivat tamen! idque precārī
vel sine amōre licet: quid enim commīsit Iāson? 25
quem, nisi crūdēlem, nōn tangat Iāsonis aetās
et genus et virtūs? quem nōn, ut cētera dēsint,
ōre movēre potest? certē mea pectora mōvit.
at nisi opem tulerō, taurōrum afflābitur ōre
concurretque suae segetī, tellure creātīs 30
hostibus, aut avidō dabitur fera praeda draconī.
hōc ego sī patiar, tum mē dē tigride nātam,
tum ferrum et scopulōs gestāre in corde fatēbor.
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Notes
Meter: dactylic hexameters
1 Pagasaeus, -a, -um: Pagasan, of Pagasae, the port where the Argo was built http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volos puppis, puppis, f.: the stern, poop (of a ship); by metonomy = nāvis3 vīsus erat – i.e., visited; perpetuā nocte because he is caecus Phīneus is the Thracian king tormented by Harpies http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harpies Aquīlo, -ōnis, m.: the North wind, — Greek Boreas; his sons Boreas Calaïs and Zetes chased off the Harpies4 fugārant, contraction of fugāverant, pluperfect of fugō, fugāre, fugāvī, fugātum, “to chase off”.5 perpessus, -a, -um (participle): suffering through, enduring6 līmōsus, -a, -um: muddy8 adeunt, from adeō: approach Phrixēus, -a, -um: of Phrixus; vellera – plural for the singular9 Aeētias = “daugher of Aeetes”, a patronymic10 luctō, luctāre, luctāvī, luctātum: to struggle11 repugnō, repugnāre, repugnāvī, repugnātum: to fight back12 mīrumque, sc. est; the phrases nisi … and aut … are parenthetical: “it is a wondrous thing which … ”14 iussa is used as a noun: “orders”16 nē pereat = “that he might perish”17 excutiō, excutere, excussī, excussum: to shake out conceptās (perf. participle of concipiō): “conceived”, i.e., that have taken hold18 sī possem = “if I were able”, the subjunctive expressing something contrary to present circumstances sānior essem = “I would be more sane”19 invītam, understand mē aliudque cupīdo etc.: the full expression would be cupīdo aliud suādet, mēns aliud suādet aliud … aliud means ‘one thing … another’20 meliōra: “better things”21 deterior, -ius: worse; sequor = “I follow”22 ūrō, ūrere: to burn; the passive expresses an intransitive or reflexive sense: be ablaze, aflame, on fire thalamus, -ī, m.: bridal bed; by metonymy, wedding; concipis: “imagine”23 dare quod amēs (a subjunctive expressing the hypothetical) :“produce something to love” In full: in dīs est utrum ille vīvat an occidat – “It lies in the power of the gods whether he lives or dies”24 vīvat …!: “Let him live …!” (subjunctive expressing a wish) precārī = “prayed for”25 vel emphasizes sine amōre: “certainly; indeed”26 nōn tangat, a subjunctive expressing the hypothetical: “would not touch”27 ut cētera dēsint: “grant that the rest are lacking”, referring to his virtūs, genus, etc. 28 ōre refers to his visage, his face29 mōvit is present perfect: “has moved”30 at nisi … tulerō (future perfect): “But if I do not bring …” Notice that concurrere takes the dative31 fera praeda is predicative: “as …”; fera (from ferus) here has the sense of ‘inhuman, cruel’32 sī patiar: “if I suffer …; if I allow …” nātus, -a, -um: born tigris, tigridis, f.: a tigress33 fatēbor: “I shall confess” gestō, gestāre, gestāvī, gestātum: to bear, carry
Evelyn de Morgan, Medea
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