THE METAMORPHOSES OF PUBLIUS OVIDIUS NASO
THE METAMORPHOSES OF PUBLIUS OVIDIUS NASO
THE METAMORPHOSES OF PUBLIUS OVIDIUS NASO
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I'<br />
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128<br />
P. OVIDII <strong>NASO</strong>NIS<br />
Caeruleos habet unda decs; Tritona canorum,<br />
Proteaque arnbiguum, baloenarumque prementem<br />
^Egoeona suis immania terga lacertis;<br />
Doridaque et natas : quarum pars nare videntur,<br />
Pars in mole sedens virides siccare capillos;<br />
Pisce veha quoedam : facies non omnibus una,<br />
Nee diversa tamen; qualem decet esse sororum.<br />
Terra viros, urbesque gerit, sylvasque, ferasque<br />
Fluminaque et nymphas, et csetera numina ruris.<br />
HJEC super imposita est coeli fulgentis imago;<br />
Signaque sex foribus dextris, totidemque sinistris.<br />
Quo simul acclivo Clymene'ia limite proles<br />
Venit, et intravit dubitati tecta parentis;<br />
Protinus ad patrios sua fert vestigia vultus;<br />
Consistitque procul: neque enim propiora ferebat<br />
Lumina. Purpurea velatus veste sedebat<br />
6. Calarat: had carved, by syncope for<br />
calaverat.<br />
6. Medias cingentia: the seas surround<br />
ing the mid earth.<br />
Earth-shaker Neptune, earth-enclasping ged.<br />
HESIOD.<br />
8. Unda habet: the water, that is, the<br />
sea, as represented on the folding-doors.<br />
8. Trilona canorum: the sounding Tri<br />
ton. See note on page 78.<br />
9. Prolea. Proteus was the son of<br />
Oceanus and Tethys, or of Neptune and<br />
Phcenice. He was a sea-god, and had the<br />
power of changing himself into any shape;<br />
nence the epithet ambiguum. He was the<br />
keeper of the sea-calves, and had from<br />
Neptune the gift of prophecy, but was dif<br />
ficult of access, and would not deliver his<br />
predictions unless compelled.<br />
9. Balamarum: huge sea-monsters, sup<br />
posed to be whales.<br />
10. JEgaona. He was a giant, the son<br />
of Ccelus and Terra, and was made a sea<br />
deity after he was conquered. Homer<br />
makes him the same as Briareus, with fifty<br />
heads and a hundred hands. He was pro<br />
bably a formidable pirate with fifty com<br />
panions, whence the fable.<br />
10. Lacertis: with his arms, of which he<br />
was fabled to have a hundred.<br />
11. Dorida. Doris, the daughter of<br />
Oceanus and Tethys, was the mother of<br />
the sea-nymphs.<br />
From Nercus and the long-haired Doris, nymph<br />
Of ocean's perfect stream, there sprang to light<br />
A lovely band of children, goddesses<br />
Dwelling within til' uncultivable main. HESIOD.<br />
12. Mole: upon a mass; a rock.<br />
13. Pisce vehi: some to be carried on<br />
fishes.<br />
But, anon, the wave<br />
Was filled -with wonders, wild and green-haired<br />
men,<br />
With conchs for trumpets, followed by fair<br />
nymphs,<br />
LIBER II.<br />
6. Und» habet Deos<br />
coeruleos, canorum<br />
Tritona,ambiguumque<br />
-in Protea, ^gnjoiiaque<br />
iv prementem immania<br />
tcrga balccnarum fuit<br />
lacertis, Doridaque, et<br />
natas:<br />
15 15- Terra gerit viros,<br />
urbesque, sylvasque,<br />
ferasque, fluminaque,<br />
et nymphas, et cottera<br />
nununa runs.<br />
19. Quo Bimul ac<br />
n proles Clymene'ia ve-<br />
20 nit acclivo limite, et<br />
intravit tecta dubitati<br />
parentis;<br />
23. Phcebus velatua<br />
That showed their ivory shoulders through tha<br />
tide;<br />
Some tossing spears of coral, some, pearl-<br />
crowned,<br />
And scattering roses or, with lifted hands,<br />
Reining the purple lips of dolphins yoked,<br />
And huge sea-horses. CBOLY.<br />
15. Terra gerit: the earth bears. On<br />
the earth was represented men, cities,<br />
woods, and wild-beasts, rivers, nymphs<br />
and other rustic deities.<br />
17. Imago: the representation.<br />
18. Signa. Apollo was sitting in the<br />
Equator, and hence the six northern con<br />
stellations were on his right, and the six<br />
southern on his left. rlhey are called<br />
signa, signs, because they are the repre<br />
sentations of animals. The sun enters the<br />
first, or Aries, in March, and remains a<br />
month in each sign. Ausonius comprises<br />
them in the following distich:<br />
Suut Aries, Tuurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo,<br />
Virgo;<br />
Librnque, Scorpius, Arcitenens, Caper, Am<br />
phora, Pisces. AUSONIUS.<br />
The Ram, the Bull, the heavenly Twins,<br />
The Crnh, and next the Lion shines,<br />
The Virgin and the Scales :<br />
The Scorpion, Archer, and the Goat,<br />
The man that holds the watering Pot,<br />
And Fish with glittering tails.<br />
19. Quo: whither, to the palace of the<br />
Sun.<br />
19. Simul: as soon as. Supply ac.<br />
19. Clymene'ia proles. Fhouthon, the<br />
son of Clymene.<br />
19. Acclivo limite: by an ascending path.<br />
The Palace of the Sun was on an elevated<br />
situation.<br />
20. Dtibitati parentis: his doubted pa<br />
rent- His paternity had been questioned<br />
by Epaphus.<br />
21. Protinus: forthwith; immediately.<br />
23. Purpurea veste: in a purple robe.<br />
Princes and magistrates alone were per<br />
mitted to wear the purple. This probably<br />
FABUJOA!. MET AMORPHOSEON.<br />
In solio Phcebus Claris lucente smaragdis.<br />
A dextra, kevaque, dies, et mensis, et annus, 25<br />
ScEculaque, et positse spatiis aequalibus boree :<br />
Verque novum stabat-cinctum florente corona:<br />
Stabat nuda ^Estas, et spicea serta gerebat:<br />
Stabat et Autumnus calcatis sordidus uvis:<br />
Et glacialis Hyeras canos hirsuta capillcs : 30<br />
Inde loco medius, rerum novitatc paventem<br />
'Sol oculis juvenem quibus aspicit omnia, vidit:<br />
Quajque vise tibi causa ? quid hac, ait, arcc petisti<br />
Progenies, Phaethon, haud inficianda parenti ?<br />
Ille refert, O lux immensi publica mundi 33<br />
Phcebe pater, si das hujus mini nominis usum,<br />
Nee falsa Clymene culpam sub imagine celat;<br />
Pignora da, genitor; per quae tua vera propago<br />
Credar; et hunc animis errorem detrahe nostris:<br />
Dixerat. At genitor circum caput omne micantes 40<br />
Deposuit radios ; propriusque accedere jussit:<br />
Amplexuque dato, nee tu meus esse negari<br />
Dignus es ; et Clymene veros, ait, edidit onus.<br />
Qufique minus dubites; quodvis pete munus; ut illud<br />
Me tribuentc feras: promissis testis adesto 45<br />
was to signify that they alone had the<br />
power of life nnd death, and the right of<br />
shedding blood.<br />
24. Kmaragdis: with emeralds. The<br />
emerald is a mineral of a beautiful green<br />
color, \vhich occurs in prismatic crystals,<br />
and is much valued for ornamental jewelry.<br />
Nor deeper verdure dyes the robe of spring,<br />
When first she gives it to the southern gale,<br />
Than the green emerald shows. -THOMSON.<br />
25. Dies et mensis: hours, days, months,<br />
years, and ages are represented as the at<br />
tendants of the sun, because they are all<br />
measured by his motions.<br />
26. Sacula. Saeculum is the space of an<br />
hundred years; hence the games cele<br />
brated at Rome, at the close of every hun<br />
dred years, were called secular games.<br />
26. Harts: the hours. The word is from<br />
tpi'bu, to define, because they denote the<br />
spaces of time.<br />
While round thy beaming car,<br />
High seen, the seasons lead, in sprightly dance<br />
Harmonious knit, the rosy-fingered nours.<br />
THOMSON.<br />
27. Florente corona: girt with a flowery<br />
crown.<br />
Oome. gentle Spring, ethereal mildness, come.<br />
Anil from tlie bosom of yon dropping cloud,<br />
While music wakes around, veiled in a shower<br />
Of shadowing roses, on our plains descend.<br />
THOMSON.<br />
28. l?vda JEstas. Summer is repre<br />
sented naked, to denote the heat, in con-<br />
iequence of which little clothing is neces<br />
sary.<br />
17<br />
129<br />
purpurca veste sede<br />
bin in solio luceute<br />
ch ris smeragdis. A<br />
deitra tevaque, dies,<br />
et mensis, et annus,<br />
sscpulaque, et horse<br />
pos la: .Tfjualibus spa<br />
tiis. stabantf<br />
£9. Autumnusetsta-<br />
hnt sordidus cnlcntie<br />
u\ s, et Hyems glacia<br />
lis, lursula stcundum<br />
canos capillos.<br />
at. Aitque, Pha*.<br />
thon; progenies haud<br />
inficianda parenti,<br />
qucc est causa vire li-<br />
bi ? Quid petisti hac<br />
»rce?<br />
3S. Da genitor pig-<br />
iiora. per quo? tgo cre-<br />
dar esse tua vera pro<br />
pago.<br />
40. At genitor depo-<br />
suit radios micante*<br />
circum omne caput;<br />
jussitque ilium acce<br />
dere proprius.<br />
44. Quoque dubitet<br />
miuus, pete quodvis<br />
28. Spicea seria: garlands of corn.<br />
Shaking his tangled locks, all dewy bright<br />
With spangled gossamer that fell by night,<br />
Pearling his coronet of golden corn. ANON.<br />
29. Sordidus: stained with trodden<br />
grapes. The vintage occurs in autumn.<br />
Along the sunny wall<br />
Where autumn Lasks,with fruit empurpled deep.<br />
THOMSON<br />
30. Hirsula : rough; shaggy.<br />
30. Canos capillos: as to his hoary hair.<br />
31. Serum novilate: with the novelty<br />
of the objects.<br />
33. Hoc arce: in this palace.<br />
34. Haud infcianda: not to be denied.<br />
35. 0 lux publica: O common light of<br />
the vast world.<br />
Prime checrer, Light!<br />
Of all material beings first and best!<br />
Efflux divine! Nature's resplendent robe!<br />
Without whose vesting beauty all were wrapped<br />
In unessential gloom ! and thou, O sun !<br />
Soul of surrounding worlds, in whom hest seen<br />
Shines out tliy Maker ! may I sing of thee ?<br />
THOMSON.<br />
36. Si dot usnm: if you permit the use.<br />
37. Falsa sut imagine: under a false<br />
pretence.<br />
38. Fignora: pledges; proofs.<br />
38. Vera propago: t hy true offspring.<br />
39. Jfunc errorem: t his uncertainty.<br />
40. Dixeral. Phoethon spoke.<br />
40. Genitor: his fat her; Apollo.<br />
43. Edidit; hath uttered; hath told.<br />
43. Veros or tut: your true origin.