Super alta vectus Attis celerī rate maria,
Phrygium ut nemus citātō cupidē pede tetigit,
adiitque opāca silvīs redimīta loca deae,
stimulātus ibi furentī rabiē, vagus animīs,
dēvolsit īlī acūtō sibi pondera silice, 5
itaque ut relicta sēnsit sibi membra sine virō,
etiam recente terrae sola sanguine maculāns,
niveīs citāta cēpit manibus leve typanum,
typanum tuum, Cybēbē, tua, māter initia,
quatiēnsque terga taurī tenerīs cava digitīs 10
canere haec suīs adorta est tremebunda comitibus.
‘Agite īte ad alta, Gallae, Cybelēs nemora simul,
simul īte, Dindymēnae dominae vaga pecora,
aliēna quae petentēs velut exules loca
sectam meam exsecūtae duce mē mihi comitēs 15
rapidum salum tulistis truculentaque pelagī
et corpus ēvirāstis Veneris nimiō odiō;
hilarāte erae citātīs errōribus animum.
Mora tarda mente cēdat: simul īte, sequiminī
Phrygiam ad domum Cybēbēs, Phrygia ad nemora deae, 20
ubi cymbalum sonat vōx, ubi tympana reboant,
tibicēn ubī canit Phryx curvō grave calamō,
ubi capita Maenadēs vī iaciunt hederigerae,
ubi sācra sāncta acūtīs ululātibus agitant,
ubi suēvit illa dīvae volitāre vaga cohors, 25
vocabulary
Attis –idis m.: in myth, a eunuch consort of the goddess Cybele
ratis ratis f.: raft; boat, ship
Phrygius –a –um: of Phrygia, Phrygian
citātus –a –um: hurried, rapid
cupidē: eagerly
opācus –a –um: dark
redimiō –imīre –imiī –imītum: wreathe, encircle
stimulō stimulāre stimulāvī stimulātus: to goad on; incite, rouse, excite
furō furere: be mad or crazed; rage with passion, rave
rabiēs –em –ē f.: savageness, ferocity; uncontrolled emotion, frenzy
dēvellō –vellere –vellī (–volsī) –volsum: to pluck out 5
īlia –ium n. or īle –is: groin, genitals
acūtus –a –um: sharp
silex silicis n.: any hard rock; flint
solum –ī n.: base, floor; (sts. pl.) soil, earth, ground
maculō maculāre maculāvī maculātus: spot, spatter, stain
niveus –a –um: snowy, white
tympanum –ī n.: a small drum or tom-tom, usu. as used in the worship of Cybele or Bacchus
Cybelē (Cybēbē) –ēs or –ae f.: Phrygian goddess of nature, known also in Rome as the Magna Mater
quatiō quatere quassī quassum: shake 10
taurus taurī m.: a bull
cavus –a –um: hollow; deep
digitus digitī m.: finger
adorior adorīrī adortus sum: attack; begin
tremebundus –a –um: shaking, trembling
age agite: come!
Galla –ae f.: an emasculated priest of Cybele
Dindymēnē –ēs or –ae f.: of or belonging to Mt. Dindymon in Phrygia; Cybele
exsul exsulis m.: an exile
secta –ae f.: a line of movement or action; a line of teaching; way of life, occupation. 15
exsequor (exequor) exsequī exsecūtus sum: follow, pursue
rapidus –a –um: strongly flowing, swiftly moving, rapid; scorching, consuming
salum –ī n.: swell, billow; the sea
truculentus –a –um: ferocious; n. pl. as subst., ferocity
pelagus pelagī m.: the sea
ēvirō –āre –āvī –ātum: unman, emasculate
Venus –eris f.: Venus or Aphrodite, goddess of love and charm
hilarō –āre –āvī –ātum: cheer, gladden
(h)era –ae f.: a woman in relation to her sevants; mistress, i.e., the woman or goddess one serves (as opp. to a kept woman)
cymbalum –ī n.: cymbal
reboō –āre –āvī –ātum: resound, reecho
tībīcen –inis m.: piper, a performer on the tibia
Phryx –ygis: Phrygian
curvus –a –um: bent, curving
calamus –ī m.: a reed; reed pipe
Maenas –adis f.: a "raver" or Maenad, female votary of Bacchus, Bacchante
hederiger –era –erum: ivy-carrying, wearing ivy
sacrum sacrī n.: a sacred object or observance, rite
ululātus –ūs m.: ululation, a howling or wailing in which the tongue is moved rapidly up and down to form the sounds
suēscō –ere suēvī suētus: become accustomed; in perf., be accustomed
dīva –ae f.: goddess; any female immortal, e.g., the sea nymph Thetis
volitō volitāre volitāvī volitātus: fly about; move about rapidly; dart swiftly 20