“Sīcine mē patriīs āvectam, perfide, ab ārīs,
perfide, dēsertō līquistī in lītore, Thēseu?
Sīcine discēdēns neglēctō nūmine dīvum
immemor āh dēvōta domum periūria portās? 135
Nūllane rēs potuit crūdēlis flectere mentis
cōnsilium? Tibi nūlla fuit clēmentia praestō
immīte ut nostrī vellet miserēscere pectus?
At nōn haec quondam blandā prōmissa dedistī
vōce mihī, nōn haec miserae spērāre iubēbās, 140
sed cōnūbia laeta, sed optātōs hymenaeōs:
quae cūncta āeriī discerpunt irrita ventī.
Nunc iam nūlla virō iūrantī fēmina crēdat,
nūlla virī spēret sermōnēs esse fidēlēs:
quis dum aliquid cupiēns animus praegestit apīscī, 145
nīl metuunt iūrāre, nihil prōmittere parcunt:
sed simul ac cupidae mentis satiāta libīdō est,
dicta nihil meminēre, nihil periūria cūrant.
Certē ego tē in mediō versantem turbine lētī
ēripuī et potius germānum āmittere crēvī 150
quam tibi fallācī suprēmō in tempore dēessem.
vocabulary
sīcinē: sic + interrog. -ne: is this the way?
patrius –a –um: of one's father or fathers; paternal, ancestral
āvehō –ere –vehere –vehexī –vectum: carry off
perfidus –a –um: treacherous, perfidious
dēsertus –a –um: deserted, solitary, lonely
linquō linquere līquī: leave, quit
Thēseus –ī m.: son of Aegeus, seducer of Ariadne (later husband of her sister Phaedra), slayer of the Minotaur
neglegō neglegere neglēxī neglēctus: regard as of no consequence, be indifferent to, disregard, ignore, fail to respect
immemor –oris: forgetful, heedless, feckless 135
ā: expletive of distress, pity, or entreaty
dēvotus –a –um: accursed; vowed as an offering
periūrium (pēiūrium) –ī n.: a breach of oath, false oath, perjury
crūdēlis crūdēle: savage, cruel
flectō flectere flēxī flexus: bend; turn, avert
clēmentia –ae f.: mercy, pity, clemency
praestō: available, ready
immītis –e: ungentle, pitiless, violent
miserēscō –ere: w/ gen., have compassion on
blandus –a –um: charming, ingratiating, seductive, sweet
prōmissum –ī n.: a promise; a thing promised; prize
cōnūbium –iī n.: marriage; pl. a wedding 141
optātus –a –um: wished for
Hymenaeus –ī m.: the Greek wedding refrain, hymeneal; personified as god of marriage; pl. marriage
āerius –a –um: of the air, airy
discerpō –ere –cerpsī –cerptus: tear to pieces
irritus (inritus) –a –um: not ratified, null and void; empty, unfulfilled, vain
praegestiō –īre: have an overpowering desire, be especially eager for 145
apiscor –apiscī aptus sum: seize, grasp; obtain
cupidus –a –um: desirous, eager
satiō satiāre satiāvī satiātum: satisfy
dictum dictī n.: anything said; word, saying
versor versārī versātus: keep turning; pass. w/ middle force, toss and turn
turbō (turben) turbinis m.: anything that spins; whirlwind, tornado; maelstrom; a weight used in spinning
lētum letī n.: death
potius: more, more than, rather 150
germānus –ī m.: brother
fallax –ācis: treacherous, deceptive