Ovid: "Echo and Narcissus" - TRANSLATION

Question 1

aspicit hunc trepidos agitantem in retia cervos

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Answer 1

As this man Narcissus was chasing the frightened deer into his nets,

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Question 2

vocalis nymphe, quae nec reticere loquenti

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Answer 2

A talkative nymph noticed him, the answering Echo has not learned to keep quiet when someone is talking

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Question 3

nec prius ipse loqui didicit, resonabilis Echo.

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Answer 3

And who cannot talk until spoken to first.

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Question 4

corpus adhuc Echo, non vox, erat; et tamen usum

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Answer 4

Up till now Echo still had a body, and was not just a voice; and, although a chatterbox,

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Question 5

garrula non alium, quam nunc habet, oris habebat,

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Answer 5

She enjoyed no more power of speech, than she does now,

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Question 6

reddere, de multis ut verba novissima posset.

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Answer 6

Namely that she could only repeat the last words of the many she heard.

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Question 7

ergo ubi Narcissum per devia rura vagantem

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Answer 7

Therefore, when she saw Narcissus wandering through lonely countryside

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Question 8

vidit et incaluit, sequitur vestigia furtim,

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Answer 8

And she fell in love with him, she followed his footsteps secretly,

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Question 9

quoque magis sequitur, flamma propiore calescit,

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Answer 9

And the more she followed, the more the flame of passion burns within her,

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Question 10

non aliter quam cum summis circumlita taedis

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Answer 10

Just as when quick-to-ignite sulphur, smeared around on the tops of torches,

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Question 11

admotas rapiunt vivacia sulphura flammas.

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Answer 11

Catches fire from flames brought near.

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Question 12

o quotiens voluit blandis accedere dictis

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Answer 12

Oh, how often did she want to approach him with sweet words

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Question 13

et molles adhibere preces. natura repugnat

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Answer 13

And to use gentle prayers. Her condition prevents it

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Question 14

nec sinit incipiat; sed, quod sinit, illa parata est

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Answer 14

And it doesn’t allow to even begin; but, she is ready

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Question 15

exspectare sonos, ad quos sua verba remittat.

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Answer 15

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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Question 16

forte puer comitum seductus ab agmine fido

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Answer 16

By chance a boy separated from his trusty group of friends

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Question 17

dixerat “ecquis adest?” et “adest” responderat Echo.

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Answer 17

Had said, “Is anyone here?” and Echo had replied, “Here”.

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Question 18

hic stupet, utque aciem partes dimittit in omnes,

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Answer 18

He is astonished, as he gazes around in all directions,

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Question 19

voce “veni!” magna clamat; vocat illa vocantem.

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Answer 19

In a loud voice he shouts, “Come!” as she calls back.

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Question 20

respicit et rurus nullo veniente “quid” inquit

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Answer 20

He looks around and as no one is coming, he says again, “Why

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Question 21

“me fugis?” et totidem, quot dixit, verba recepit.

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Answer 21

Do you flee from me?” and he heard back as many words as he has spoken.

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Question 22

perstat et alternae deceptus imagine vocis,

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Answer 22

He persists and being deceived by the illusion of an answering voice,

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Question 23

“huc coeamus” ait nullique libentius umquam

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Answer 23

He says, “Here let’s meet” and Echo, who would never make a more willing

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Question 24

responsura sono “coeamus” rettulit Echo

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Answer 24

Reply to any sound, replied, “Let’s meet”;

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Question 25

et verbis favet ipsa suis egressaque silva | Line 25

Answer 25

and she is as good as her own words and having come out of the forest | Line 25

Question 26

ibat, ut iniceret sperato bracchia collo. | Line 26

Answer 26

She made her way in order to throw her arms around the neck she hopes to hold. | Line 26

Question 27

ille fugit fugiensque "manus complexibus aufer; | Line 27

Answer 27

But he runs away and while he is fleeing, says "Take your hands away | Line 27

Question 28

ante" ait "emoriar, quam sit tibi copia nostri." | Line 28

Answer 28

From embracing me; may I die before you have any enjoyment of me." | Line 28

Question 29

rettulit illa nihil nisi "sit tibi copia nostri." | Line 29

Answer 29

She made no reply except, "You have any enjoyment of me." | Line 29

Question 30

spreta latet silvis pudibundaque frondibus ora | Line 30

Answer 30

Having been rejected she hides in the forest and, emabarrased, covers | Line 30

Question 31

protegit et solis ex illo vivit in antris; | Line 31

Answer 31

Her face with foliage and from that time on lives in caves all alone; | Line 31

Question 32

sed tamen haeret amor crescitque dolore repulsae | Line 32

Answer 32

But still her love persists and grows with the pain of rejection: | Line 32

Question 33

attenuant vigiles corpus miserabile curae, | Line 33

Answer 33

Her sleepless anxiety weakens her pitiable body, | Line 33

Question 34

adducitque cutem macies, et in aera sucus | Line 34

Answer 34

And her thinness shrinks her skin, and all the moisture | Line 34

Question 35

corporis omnis abit; vox tantum atque ossa supersunt: | Line 35

Answer 35

of her body goes off into thin air; only her voice and bones remain: | Line 35

Question 36

vox manet: ossa ferunt lapidis traxisse figuram. | Line 36

Answer 36

Then only her voice remains: people say that her bones have taken on the appearance of stone. | Line 36

Question 37

inde latet silvis nulloque in monte videtur. | Line 37

Answer 37

From then on, she hides away in the forest and is not seen on any mountain. | Line 37

Question 38

omnibus auditur: sonus est, qui vivit in illa. | Line 38

Answer 38

But she is heard by everyone: for it is her voice that is all that remains of her. | Line 38

Question 39

hic puer, et studio venandi lassus et aestu, | Line 39

Answer 39

Here the boy, tired both from his enthusiasm for hunting and from the heat, | Line 39

Question 40

procubuit faciemque loci fontemque secutus; | Line 40

Answer 40

Lay down, and is attracted both by the appearance of the place and the spring; | Line 40

Question 41

dumque sitim sedare cupit, sitis altera crevit, | Line 41

Answer 41

And while he longs to quench his thirst, another thirst grows, | Line 41

Question 42

dumque bibit, viase correptus imagine formae, | Line 42

Answer 42

And while he drinks, he is captivated by the beautiful reflection he saw, | Line 42

Question 43

spem sine corpore amat, corpus putat esse, quod umbra est. | Line 43

Answer 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

Question 44

astupet ipse sibi vultuque immotus eodem | Line 44

Answer 44

He is astonished at himself and stayed stock still with the same expression | Line 44

Question 45

haeret, ut e Pario formatum mamore signum | Line 45

Answer 45

Like a statue shaped from Parian marble | Line 45

Question 46

spectat humi positus geminum, sua lumina, sidus | Line 46

Answer 46

Lying on the ground he gazes at his own eyes, twin stars | Line 46

Question 47

et dignos Baccho, dignos et Apolline crines, | Line 47

Answer 47

And worthy of Bacchus, and at his hair worthy of Apollo, | Line 47

Question 48

impubesque genas et eburnea colla decusque | Line 48

Answer 48

And at his youthful cheeks and his ivory-coloured neck and the beauty | Line 48

Question 49

oris et in niveo mixtum candore ruborem, | Line 49

Answer 49

Of his face and its blush mixed with a snow-white radiance, | Line 49

Question 50

cunctaque miratur, quibus est mirabilis ipse. | Line 50

Answer 50

He admires every aspect for which he is himself admired. | Line 50

Question 51

se cupit inprudens et, qui probat, ipse probatur, | Line 51

Answer 51

He desires himself unknowingly and he who fancies is fancied | Line 51

Question 52

dumque, petit, petitur, pariterque accendit et ardet. | Line 52

Answer 52

And while he seeks, he is sought and equally he sets on fire and burns with love. | Line 52

Question 53

irrita fallaci quotiens dedit oscula fonti! | Line 53

Answer 53

How often he gave vain kisses to the deceitful spring! | Line 53

Question 54

in mediis quotiens visum captantia collum | Line 54

Answer 54

How often did he plunge his arms into the middle of the water | Line 54

Question 55

bracchia mersit aquis nec se deprendit in illis! | Line 55

Answer 55

Trying to catch the image of his neck, but he could not catch himself in them! | Line 55

Question 56

quid videat nescit, sed quod videt uritur illo | Line 56

Answer 56

He does not know what he sees, but what he sees burns in him | Line 56

Question 57

atque oculos idem qui decipit incitat error. | Line 57

Answer 57

And the same illusion, which deceives his eyes, urges his eyes on. | Line 57

Question 58

quae simul aspexit liquefacta rursus in unda, | Line 58

Answer 58

As soon as he notices this, in the water that had cleared again, | Line 58

Question 59

non tulit ulterius sed, ut intabescere flavae | Line 59

Answer 59

He cannot bear it any longer, but as yellow wax usually melts | Line 59

Question 60

igne levi cerae matutinaeque pruinae | Line 60

Answer 60

With a great flame and as the morning frosts | Line 60

Question 61

sole tepente solent, sic attenuatus amore | Line 61

Answer 61

Warm in the sun, so does he fade away, having been weakened by love | Line 61

Question 62

liquitur et tecto paulatim carpitur igni; | Line 62

Answer 62

And he is gradually consumed by a hidden flame; | Line 62

Question 63

et neque iam color est mixto candore rubori, | Line 63

Answer 63

And his rosy-white complexion now has no glow | Line 63

Question 64

nec vigor et vires et quae modo visa placebant, | Line 64

Answer 64

And he has no vigour and strength, those things which he had recently seen and liked, | Line 64

Question 65

nec corpus remanet, quondam quod amaverat Echo. | Line 65

Answer 65

And his body which once Echo had loved, did not last. | Line 65

Question 66

quae tamen ut vidit, quamvis irata memorque | Line 66

Answer 66

However, when she saw this, although still angry and mindful, | Line 66

Question 67

indoluit, quotiensque puer miserabilis "eheu" | Line 67

Answer 67

She felt sorry for him and whenever the wretched boy cried, "Alas" | Line 67

Question 68

dixerat, haec resonis iterabat vocibus "eheu". | Line 68

Answer 68

She would repeat the "Alas" with her echoing voice. | Line 68

Question 69

cumque suos manibus percusserat ille lacertos, | Line 69

Answer 69

And when he had been striking his own arms with his fists, | Line 69

Question 70

haec quoque reddebat sonitum plangoris eundem. | Line 70

Answer 70

Echo would give back the same sounds of grief as well. | Line 70

Question 71

ultima vox solitam fuit haec spectantis in undam: | Line 71

Answer 71

The last words of Narcissus as he gazed into the familiar water, were these: | Line 71

Question 72

"heu frustra dilecte puer!" totidemque remisit | Line 72

Answer 72

"Alas, boy loved in vain!" and the place sent back the same words, | Line 72

Question 73

verba locus, dictoque vale, "vale" inquit et Echo. | Line 73

Answer 73

And when he had said, "Fairwell," Echo said, "Fairwell" too. | Line 73

Question 74

ille caput viridi fessum summisit in herba, | Line 74

Answer 74

He laid down his tired head on the green grass, | Line 74

Question 75

lumina mors clausit domini mirantia formam. | Line 75

Answer 75

And death closed the eyes that were admiring the form of their master. | Line 75

Question 76

tum quoque se, postquam est inferna sede receptus | Line 76

Answer 76

After he had been received into the abode of the lower world, even then he | Line 76

Question 77

in Stygia spectabat aqua. planxere sorores | Line 77

Answer 77

Would look at himself in the waters of the River Styx. The water-nymphs his sisters | Line 77

Question 78

Naides et sectos fratri posuere capillos, | Line 78

Answer 78

Wailed and offered their cut hair to their brother, | Line 78

Question 79

planxerunt Dryades; plangentibus assonat Echo. | Line 79

Answer 79

The wood-nymphs wailed too; and Echo returns the sound of their laments. | Line 79

Question 80

iamque rogum quassasque faces feretrumque parabant: | Line 80

Answer 80

And now they were preparing his funeral pyre, the torches that would be brandished at funerals and the bier itself; | Line 80

Question 81

nusquam corpus erat; croceum pro corpore florem | Line 81

Answer 81

But his body was nowhere to be found, in place of his body | Line 81

Question 82

inveniunt foliis medium cingentibus albis. | Line 82

Answer 82

They find a yellow flower, with white petals surrounding the middle of the flower. | Line 82