Ovid: "Echo and Narcissus" - TRANSLATION Flashcards
aspicit hunc trepidos agitantem in retia cervos
Line 1
As this man Narcissus was chasing the frightened deer into his nets,
Line 1
vocalis nymphe, quae nec reticere loquenti
Line 2
A talkative nymph noticed him, the answering Echo has not learned to keep quiet when someone is talking
Line 2
nec prius ipse loqui didicit, resonabilis Echo.
Line 3
And who cannot talk until spoken to first.
Line 3
corpus adhuc Echo, non vox, erat; et tamen usum
Line 4
Up till now Echo still had a body, and was not just a voice; and, although a chatterbox,
Line 4
garrula non alium, quam nunc habet, oris habebat,
Line 5
She enjoyed no more power of speech, than she does now,
Line 5
reddere, de multis ut verba novissima posset.
Line 6
Namely that she could only repeat the last words of the many she heard.
Line 6
ergo ubi Narcissum per devia rura vagantem
Line 7
Therefore, when she saw Narcissus wandering through lonely countryside
Line 7
vidit et incaluit, sequitur vestigia furtim,
Line 8
And she fell in love with him, she followed his footsteps secretly,
Line 8
quoque magis sequitur, flamma propiore calescit,
Line 9
And the more she followed, the more the flame of passion burns within her,
Line 9
non aliter quam cum summis circumlita taedis
Line 10
Just as when quick-to-ignite sulphur, smeared around on the tops of torches,
Line 10
admotas rapiunt vivacia sulphura flammas.
Line 11
Catches fire from flames brought near.
Line 11
o quotiens voluit blandis accedere dictis
Line 12
Oh, how often did she want to approach him with sweet words
Line 12
et molles adhibere preces. natura repugnat
Line 13
And to use gentle prayers. Her condition prevents it
Line 13
nec sinit incipiat; sed, quod sinit, illa parata est
Line 14
And it doesn’t allow to even begin; but, she is ready
Line 14
exspectare sonos, ad quos sua verba remittat.
Line 15
To do what her nature does allow, to wait for sounds, to which she may talk back with her own words.
Line 15
forte puer comitum seductus ab agmine fido
Line 16
By chance a boy separated from his trusty group of friends
Line 16
dixerat “ecquis adest?” et “adest” responderat Echo.
Line 17
Had said, “Is anyone here?” and Echo had replied, “Here”.
Line 17
hic stupet, utque aciem partes dimittit in omnes,
Line 18
He is astonished, as he gazes around in all directions,
Line 18
voce “veni!” magna clamat; vocat illa vocantem.
Line 19
In a loud voice he shouts, “Come!” as she calls back.
Line 19
respicit et rurus nullo veniente “quid” inquit
Line 20
He looks around and as no one is coming, he says again, “Why
Line 20
“me fugis?” et totidem, quot dixit, verba recepit.
Line 21
Do you flee from me?” and he heard back as many words as he has spoken.
Line 21
perstat et alternae deceptus imagine vocis,
Line 22
He persists and being deceived by the illusion of an answering voice,
Line 22
“huc coeamus” ait nullique libentius umquam
Line 23
He says, “Here let’s meet” and Echo, who would never make a more willing
Line 23
responsura sono “coeamus” rettulit Echo
Line 24
Reply to any sound, replied, “Let’s meet”;
Line 24
et verbis favet ipsa suis egressaque silva
Line 25
and she is as good as her own words and having come out of the forest
Line 25
ibat, ut iniceret sperato bracchia collo.
Line 26
She made her way in order to throw her arms around the neck she hopes to hold.
Line 26
ille fugit fugiensque “manus complexibus aufer;
Line 27
But he runs away and while he is fleeing, says “Take your hands away
Line 27
ante” ait “emoriar, quam sit tibi copia nostri.”
Line 28
From embracing me; may I die before you have any enjoyment of me.”
Line 28
rettulit illa nihil nisi “sit tibi copia nostri.”
Line 29
She made no reply except, “You have any enjoyment of me.”
Line 29
spreta latet silvis pudibundaque frondibus ora
Line 30
Having been rejected she hides in the forest and, emabarrased, covers
Line 30
protegit et solis ex illo vivit in antris;
Line 31
Her face with foliage and from that time on lives in caves all alone;
Line 31
sed tamen haeret amor crescitque dolore repulsae
Line 32
But still her love persists and grows with the pain of rejection:
Line 32
attenuant vigiles corpus miserabile curae,
Line 33
Her sleepless anxiety weakens her pitiable body,
Line 33
adducitque cutem macies, et in aera sucus
Line 34
And her thinness shrinks her skin, and all the moisture
Line 34
corporis omnis abit; vox tantum atque ossa supersunt:
Line 35
of her body goes off into thin air; only her voice and bones remain:
Line 35
vox manet: ossa ferunt lapidis traxisse figuram.
Line 36
Then only her voice remains: people say that her bones have taken on the appearance of stone.
Line 36
inde latet silvis nulloque in monte videtur.
Line 37
From then on, she hides away in the forest and is not seen on any mountain.
Line 37
omnibus auditur: sonus est, qui vivit in illa.
Line 38
But she is heard by everyone: for it is her voice that is all that remains of her.
Line 38
hic puer, et studio venandi lassus et aestu,
Line 39
Here the boy, tired both from his enthusiasm for hunting and from the heat,
Line 39
procubuit faciemque loci fontemque secutus;
Line 40
Lay down, and is attracted both by the appearance of the place and the spring;
Line 40
dumque sitim sedare cupit, sitis altera crevit,
Line 41
And while he longs to quench his thirst, another thirst grows,
Line 41
dumque bibit, viase correptus imagine formae,
Line 42
And while he drinks, he is captivated by the beautiful reflection he saw,
Line 42
spem sine corpore amat, corpus putat esse, quod umbra est.
Line 43
He is in love with a hope that is without form, and he thinks because there is a reflection there is a body.
Line 43
astupet ipse sibi vultuque immotus eodem
Line 44
He is astonished at himself and stayed stock still with the same expression
Line 44
haeret, ut e Pario formatum mamore signum
Line 45
Like a statue shaped from Parian marble
Line 45
spectat humi positus geminum, sua lumina, sidus
Line 46
Lying on the ground he gazes at his own eyes, twin stars
Line 46
et dignos Baccho, dignos et Apolline crines,
Line 47
And worthy of Bacchus, and at his hair worthy of Apollo,
Line 47
impubesque genas et eburnea colla decusque
Line 48
And at his youthful cheeks and his ivory-coloured neck and the beauty
Line 48
oris et in niveo mixtum candore ruborem,
Line 49
Of his face and its blush mixed with a snow-white radiance,
Line 49
cunctaque miratur, quibus est mirabilis ipse.
Line 50
He admires every aspect for which he is himself admired.
Line 50
se cupit inprudens et, qui probat, ipse probatur,
Line 51
He desires himself unknowingly and he who fancies is fancied
Line 51
dumque, petit, petitur, pariterque accendit et ardet.
Line 52
And while he seeks, he is sought and equally he sets on fire and burns with love.
Line 52
irrita fallaci quotiens dedit oscula fonti!
Line 53
How often he gave vain kisses to the deceitful spring!
Line 53
in mediis quotiens visum captantia collum
Line 54
How often did he plunge his arms into the middle of the water
Line 54
bracchia mersit aquis nec se deprendit in illis!
Line 55
Trying to catch the image of his neck, but he could not catch himself in them!
Line 55
quid videat nescit, sed quod videt uritur illo
Line 56
He does not know what he sees, but what he sees burns in him
Line 56
atque oculos idem qui decipit incitat error.
Line 57
And the same illusion, which deceives his eyes, urges his eyes on.
Line 57
quae simul aspexit liquefacta rursus in unda,
Line 58
As soon as he notices this, in the water that had cleared again,
Line 58
non tulit ulterius sed, ut intabescere flavae
Line 59
He cannot bear it any longer, but as yellow wax usually melts
Line 59
igne levi cerae matutinaeque pruinae
Line 60
With a great flame and as the morning frosts
Line 60
sole tepente solent, sic attenuatus amore
Line 61
Warm in the sun, so does he fade away, having been weakened by love
Line 61
liquitur et tecto paulatim carpitur igni;
Line 62
And he is gradually consumed by a hidden flame;
Line 62
et neque iam color est mixto candore rubori,
Line 63
And his rosy-white complexion now has no glow
Line 63
nec vigor et vires et quae modo visa placebant,
Line 64
And he has no vigour and strength, those things which he had recently seen and liked,
Line 64
nec corpus remanet, quondam quod amaverat Echo.
Line 65
And his body which once Echo had loved, did not last.
Line 65
quae tamen ut vidit, quamvis irata memorque
Line 66
However, when she saw this, although still angry and mindful,
Line 66
indoluit, quotiensque puer miserabilis “eheu”
Line 67
She felt sorry for him and whenever the wretched boy cried, “Alas”
Line 67
dixerat, haec resonis iterabat vocibus “eheu”.
Line 68
She would repeat the “Alas” with her echoing voice.
Line 68
cumque suos manibus percusserat ille lacertos,
Line 69
And when he had been striking his own arms with his fists,
Line 69
haec quoque reddebat sonitum plangoris eundem.
Line 70
Echo would give back the same sounds of grief as well.
Line 70
ultima vox solitam fuit haec spectantis in undam:
Line 71
The last words of Narcissus as he gazed into the familiar water, were these:
Line 71
“heu frustra dilecte puer!” totidemque remisit
Line 72
“Alas, boy loved in vain!” and the place sent back the same words,
Line 72
verba locus, dictoque vale, “vale” inquit et Echo.
Line 73
And when he had said, “Fairwell,” Echo said, “Fairwell” too.
Line 73
ille caput viridi fessum summisit in herba,
Line 74
He laid down his tired head on the green grass,
Line 74
lumina mors clausit domini mirantia formam.
Line 75
And death closed the eyes that were admiring the form of their master.
Line 75
tum quoque se, postquam est inferna sede receptus
Line 76
After he had been received into the abode of the lower world, even then he
Line 76
in Stygia spectabat aqua. planxere sorores
Line 77
Would look at himself in the waters of the River Styx. The water-nymphs his sisters
Line 77
Naides et sectos fratri posuere capillos,
Line 78
Wailed and offered their cut hair to their brother,
Line 78
planxerunt Dryades; plangentibus assonat Echo.
Line 79
The wood-nymphs wailed too; and Echo returns the sound of their laments.
Line 79
iamque rogum quassasque faces feretrumque parabant:
Line 80
And now they were preparing his funeral pyre, the torches that would be brandished at funerals and the bier itself;
Line 80
nusquam corpus erat; croceum pro corpore florem
Line 81
But his body was nowhere to be found, in place of his body
Line 81
inveniunt foliis medium cingentibus albis.
Line 82
They find a yellow flower, with white petals surrounding the middle of the flower.
Line 82
