Ovid: "Echo and Narcissus" - TRANSLATION Flashcards
aspicit hunc trepidos agitantem in retia cervos
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As this man Narcissus was chasing the frightened deer into his nets,
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vocalis nymphe, quae nec reticere loquenti
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A talkative nymph noticed him, the answering Echo has not learned to keep quiet when someone is talking
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nec prius ipse loqui didicit, resonabilis Echo.
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And who cannot talk until spoken to first.
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corpus adhuc Echo, non vox, erat; et tamen usum
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Up till now Echo still had a body, and was not just a voice; and, although a chatterbox,
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garrula non alium, quam nunc habet, oris habebat,
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She enjoyed no more power of speech, than she does now,
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reddere, de multis ut verba novissima posset.
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Namely that she could only repeat the last words of the many she heard.
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ergo ubi Narcissum per devia rura vagantem
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Therefore, when she saw Narcissus wandering through lonely countryside
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vidit et incaluit, sequitur vestigia furtim,
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And she fell in love with him, she followed his footsteps secretly,
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quoque magis sequitur, flamma propiore calescit,
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And the more she followed, the more the flame of passion burns within her,
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non aliter quam cum summis circumlita taedis
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Just as when quick-to-ignite sulphur, smeared around on the tops of torches,
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admotas rapiunt vivacia sulphura flammas.
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Catches fire from flames brought near.
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o quotiens voluit blandis accedere dictis
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Oh, how often did she want to approach him with sweet words
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et molles adhibere preces. natura repugnat
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And to use gentle prayers. Her condition prevents it
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nec sinit incipiat; sed, quod sinit, illa parata est
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And it doesn’t allow to even begin; but, she is ready
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exspectare sonos, ad quos sua verba remittat.
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To do what her nature does allow, to wait for sounds, to which she may talk back with her own words.
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forte puer comitum seductus ab agmine fido
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By chance a boy separated from his trusty group of friends
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dixerat “ecquis adest?” et “adest” responderat Echo.
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Had said, “Is anyone here?” and Echo had replied, “Here”.
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hic stupet, utque aciem partes dimittit in omnes,
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He is astonished, as he gazes around in all directions,
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voce “veni!” magna clamat; vocat illa vocantem.
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In a loud voice he shouts, “Come!” as she calls back.
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respicit et rurus nullo veniente “quid” inquit
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He looks around and as no one is coming, he says again, “Why
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“me fugis?” et totidem, quot dixit, verba recepit.
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Do you flee from me?” and he heard back as many words as he has spoken.
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perstat et alternae deceptus imagine vocis,
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He persists and being deceived by the illusion of an answering voice,
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“huc coeamus” ait nullique libentius umquam
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He says, “Here let’s meet” and Echo, who would never make a more willing
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responsura sono “coeamus” rettulit Echo
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Reply to any sound, replied, “Let’s meet”;
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et verbis favet ipsa suis egressaque silva
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and she is as good as her own words and having come out of the forest
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ibat, ut iniceret sperato bracchia collo.
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She made her way in order to throw her arms around the neck she hopes to hold.
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ille fugit fugiensque “manus complexibus aufer;
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But he runs away and while he is fleeing, says “Take your hands away
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ante” ait “emoriar, quam sit tibi copia nostri.”
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From embracing me; may I die before you have any enjoyment of me.”
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rettulit illa nihil nisi “sit tibi copia nostri.”
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She made no reply except, “You have any enjoyment of me.”
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spreta latet silvis pudibundaque frondibus ora
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Having been rejected she hides in the forest and, emabarrased, covers
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protegit et solis ex illo vivit in antris;
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Her face with foliage and from that time on lives in caves all alone;
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sed tamen haeret amor crescitque dolore repulsae
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But still her love persists and grows with the pain of rejection:
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