THE METAMORPHOSES OF PUBLIUS OVIDIUS NASO

132
P. OVIDII NASONIS
In promptu regere est: vix me patiuntur, ut acres
Incaluere aniini; cervixque repugnat habenis.
At tu, funesti ne sim tibi muneris auctor :
Nate, cave: dum resque sinit, tua corrige vota.
Scilicet, ut nostro genitum te sanguine credas,
Pignora certa petis: do pignora certa timendo;
Et patrio pater esse metu probor. Aspice vultus
Ecce meos: utinamque oculos in pectora posses
Inserere ; et patrias intus deprendere curas !
Denique quicquid habet dives, circumspice, mundus, 95
Eque tot ac tantis cocli, terrasque, marisque,
Posce bom's aliquid: nullam patiere repulsam.
Deprecor hoc unum; quod vero nomine pcena,
Non honor est: pocnam, Phaethon, pro munere poscis.
Quid mea colla tenes blandis, ignare, lacertis ? 100
Ne dubita ; dabitur (Stygias juravimus undas)
Gluodcunque optaris: sed tu sapientius opta. *
Finierat monitus: dictis tamen ille repugnat:
Propositumque tenet: flagratque cupidine currfls.
Ergo, qua licuit genitor cunctatus, ad altos
Deducit juvenem, Vulcania munera, currus.
Aureus axis erat, temo aureus, aurpa summoe
Curvatura rota ; radiorum argenteus ordo.
Per juga chrysolithi, positceque ex ordine gemma,
Clara repercusso reddebant lumina Phcebo.
86. In promptu: easy.
86. Vix me: scarcely do they suffer me,
who am a god, and am known to them.
89. Dum resque sinit : whilst the thing
permits; while you can.
91. Pignora certa : sure pledges; infal
lible tokens.
92. Aspice vultus: behold my counte
nance troubled with all the anxiety of a
father.
94. Et deprendere: and discover.
98. Deprecor: I deprecate; I beg to be
excused from.
99. Pcenam poscis: you ask punishment
for a present. We, ignorant of ourselves,
Beg often our own harms, which the wise
powers
Deny us for our good—SHAXSPEABE.
Quid tarn dexlro pede concipis, ut te
Conatus tlou pccnileat, votiqup peracti?
Kvertere domns totes optantibus ipsis
Dii faciles.—JUVENAL. SAT. x.
102. Optaris: for optaveris by syncope.
103. Finierat monilus. Phoebus had
ended his admonitions.
103. Ille repugnat: he (Phat'thon) re
sists.
104. Proposilumqne tenet: and holds to
his purpose.
105. Qua licuit : as long as he could.
This was dont) in hope that his son would
NOT-flE.
90
105
110
LIBER II.
88. At tu nnte cave,
ne sim tibi nuctor fu-
nesii muneris. corri-
geque tua vota, dura
res siiiii.
92. Kcce, aspice me
os vultus: utiimmque
posses inserere oculoa
in pectora, et depren-
dcre curas patrias in
tus.
100. Quid ignare te
nes mea colla b]undis
lacertis? Ne dubim
quodcunque optaris
dabitur, (nam juravi-
mus per Stygias un
das) sed optatn sapi-
enlius.
105. Ergo genitor
cunctatus qua licuit
deducit juvenem ad
altos currus, munera
Vulcania.
abandon his intention of attempting to
guide the chariot.
10G. Deducit: he leads him; an especial
mark of honor.
106. Vulcania munera: the gift of Vul
can who had made it. For the Bake of
comparison, we give a description of Juno's
chariot from Ilomer:
On the bright axle turns the bidden wheel
Or sounding brass: the polished axle steel;
Eight brazen spokes in radiant order flame,
The circles gold ofuncorrnpted frame,
Sucli as the Heavens produce; and round the
gold
Two bra?en rings of work divine were rolled.
The bossy naves of sol id silver shone;
Braces of gold suspend the moving throne:
The car behind an arching figure bore,
The bending concave formed an arch before.
Silver the beam, the extended yoke was gold,
And golden reins the immortal coursers hold.
^ ILIAD v
107. Temo aureus: the pole was of gold.
The pole is the part to which the horses
are harnessed, by some called the tongue.
108. Curvalura: the orb ; the rim.
108. Kadiorumordo: the range of spokes.
109. Chrysolithi. P recious stones of n
gold color, whence the name xpv°6s, gold,
and Xi'Sof, a stone. The chrysolite is a
ferriferous silicate of magnesia.
109. Ex ordine: plnced in order.
110. fleddebant lumina : gave back the
light.
j"'/BUI.A I. METAMORPHOSEON.
Dumque ea magnammus Phaethon miratur, opusque
Perspicit; ecce vigil rutilo patefecit ab ortu
Purpureas Aurora fores, et plena rosarum
Atria: difl'ugiunt stclkc ; quarum agmina cogit
Lucifer, et cceli stationc novissimus exit.
At pater, ut terras, mundumque rubescere vidit,
Cornuaque extremse velut evanescere Lunaa;
Jungere cquos Titan vclocibus imperat Iloris.
Jussa deaa celeres peragunt: ignemque vomentes-
Ambrosia succo saturos przesepibus altis
duadrupedes ducunt; adduntque sonantia frasna.
Tum pater era sui sacro medicamine nati
Con tig-it, et rapidas fecit patientia flammaa:
Imposuitque comas radios ; pra?sagaque luctfls
Pectore sollicito repetens susptria, dixit:
Si potes hie saltern monitis parere paternis,
Parce, puer, stimuli's, ct fortius utere loris.
Sponte sua properant: labor est inhibere vclentes.
Nee tibi directos placeat via quinque per arcus.
Sectus in obliquum est lato curvainine limes
NOT-ffi.
115
120
125
130
133
111. Dumque mag-
naninius ThaBlhon
miratur ea, perspicit-
queopus; ecce vigil
Aurora pnlefccit pur-
pureas lores, et atria
plena rosarum, ab ru
tilo ortu.
122. Tum pawr con-
ligit ora sui nati sacr*
meilicamine; et fecit
patienlia rapida) flam-
map.
129. Nee via per
quinque arcus direc
tos placeat tibi. Kst
110. Kepercusso Phwbo: from the re 118. Velocibns Horis: the swift hours.
flected sun.
These are said to be the servants of the
111. Opusque perspicit: and examines sun, because they depend on his motions.
the work.
120. Ambrosias succo; with the juice of
112. Ecce vigil Aurora ! Lo, the watch ambrosia. This is the fancied food of the
ful Aurora; the goddess of the morning. gods.
But, look, the morn, in russet mantle clad, Axe sub Heapcrio sunt pascna soils eqnorurn:
Walks o'er the dew or yon high eastern lull. Ambrosiam pro gramine habt-nt; sed fessa di.
SlIAKSPEARK. urnis
112. Eutiloalt ortu: from the reddening Membra ministeriis nutrit, reparatque lahori.
sun-rise.
METAM. Lib. iv.
113. 'Plena rosarum: full of roses. The 121. Adduntque sonantia: and put on
heavens in the morning are lit up with the jingling bridles.
rosy light, hence the above fiction.
122. Sacro medicamine: with a sacred
114. Agmina cogit: collects the bands; ointment, that he may resist the heat of
this is a military expression.
the sun.
115. Lucifer. The planet Venus, the 123. Patientia jlamnur: patient of the
second in the solar system, is called Luci rapid flame ; able to endure it.
fer when if precedes the sun in the morn- 124^ Imfosuitque coma:: and put the
'ing, and Hesperus when it follows the sun rays on his head ; the crown which Apollo
in the evening.
wore, emitting rays in every direction.
Nunlius Noctis. modo lotus, nnflis
O diadem, thou centre of ambition,
Hesperus, pulsjs iterum tenebris
"Where all its different lines are reconciled
Lucifer idem.—SENEC. in Hn'i'OL.
As if thou wert the bnrning-gluss of glory '.
DRYDES.
115. Slat tone cceli: from his station in 124. Prcfsaga: presages; forebodings.
heaven. When the morning star, Lucifer 127. Parce stimulis: spare the whip.
is tho last to disappear. It is spoken of as 129. Nee tibi. He directs him not to go
set fur a watch in heaven. Modern poets in a line parallel with the five circles that
have employed the same thought.
mark the zones; the Arctic, the Antarctic,
The sentinel stars set their watch in the sky. the Tropic of Cancer, thf Tropic of Capri
CAMPBELL. corn, and the Equinoctial: hut to go
117. Cornua Lunce: the horns of the through the zodiac.
moon, the extremities of the crescent 130. Sectus in obliquam. He speaks of
moon.
the zodiac, which extends eiglil degrees
117. Etanescere: to grow dim. As the on each side of the ecliptic.
tips of the moon reflect the light less 130. Lalo curvawtine: oi broad
wrongly, they begin to disappear first. ture.
M