Ovid – Narcissus

Metamorphoses 3.497-501, 506-509

ultima vox solitam fuit haec spectantis in undam,

“heu frustrā dīlecte puer!” totidemque remīsit

verba locus, dictōque valē “valē!” inquit et Ēchō.

ille caput viridī fessum submīsit in herbā; 500

lūmina mors clausit dominī mirantia formam.

…

iamque rogum quassāsque facēs feretrumque parābant: 506

nusquam corpus erat; croceum prō corpore flōrem

inveniunt, foliīs medium cingentibus albīs.

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Notes
Meter: dactylic hexameters
497 haec = “this” fuit = “was” spectantis (gen. sing.) = “of him looking”498 dīlecte (voc. masc. sing.) = “esteemed, cherished, beloved” totidem (with verba) = “just so many” remīsit = “sent back”499 dictōque valē, lit. “with “valē” having been said”, i.e., when he said “valē!” et Ēchō: et here means “also” 500 caput = “head” viridī (abl., with herbā) = “green” submīsit = “let down, drooped”501 lūmina = “lights, lamps” (i.e., his eyes)502 mors = “death” clausit = “closed” dominī: gen. with formam mīrantia (with lūmina) = “marveling at”506 iamque = “and soon” The subject of parābant are Narcissus’ sisters, the Naiad nymphs rogum = “funeral pile; pyre” quassāsque facēs = “and brandished torches” (used in the funeral procession) feretrum = “litter, bier” (for bearing the dead body)507 nusquam = “nowhere” corpus, abl. corpore = “body” croceus, –a, -um = “yellow” flōrem < flōs, “flower”508 inveniunt = “find” foliīs … cingentibus = “with encircling petals”

Michaelangelo da Caravaggio, Narcissus

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