Iuppiter omnipotēns, utinam nē tempore prīmō
Gnōsia Cecropiae tetigissent lītora puppēs,
indomitō nec dīra ferēns stīpendia taurō
perfidus in Crētā religāsset nāvita fūnem,
nec malus hic cēlāns dulcī crūdēlia fōrmā 175
cōnsilia in nostrīs requiēsset sēdibus hospes!
Nam quō mē referam? quālī spē perdita nītor?
Īdaeōsne petam montēs? Ā
discernēns pontī truculentum ubi dīvidit aequor?
An patris auxilium spērem, quemne ipsa relīquī 180
respersum iuvenem frāternā caede secūta?
Coniugis an fīdō cōnsōler mēmet amōre,
quīne fugit lentōs incurvāns gurgite rēmōs?
Praetereā nūllō lītus, sōla īnsula, tēctō,
nec patet ēgressus pelagī cingentibus undīs: 185
nūlla fugae ratiō, nūlla spēs: omnia mūta,
omnia sunt dēserta, ostentant omnia lētum.
Nōn tamen ante mihī languēscent lūmina morte,
nec prius ā fessō sēcēdent corpore sēnsūs
quam iūstam ā dīvīs exposcam prōdita multam 190
caelestumque fidem postrēmā comprecer hōrā.
Quārē, facta virum multantēs vindice poenā
Eumenidēs, quibus anguīnō redimītā capillō
frōns exspīrantis praeportat pectoris īrās,
hūc hūc adventāte, meās audīte querēlās, 195
quās ego, vae miserae, extrēmīs prōferre medullīs
cōgor inops, ārdēns, āmentī caeca furōre.
Quae quoniam vērae nāscuntur pectore ab īmō,
vōs nōlīte patī nostrum vānēscere lūctum,
sed quālī sōlam Thēseus mē mente relīquit, 200
tālī mente, deae, fūnestet sēque suōsque.”
vocabulary
Iuppiter Iovis m.: Jupiter or Zeus, chief of the Olympian gods; by metonymy, the weather, wind, sky
omnipotēns –entis: all-powerful
utinam: particle used to express a wish: would that, how I wish that
Gnōsius (Gnōsiacus) –a –um: of Cnossos; Cretan
Cecropius –a –um: Athenian
puppis puppis f.: the stern or poop of a boat; by metonymy, boat, ship
indomitus –a –um: untamed; indomitable; violent
dīrus –a –um: awful, dread, dire, frightful
stīpendium stīpendi(ī) n.: payment
taurus taurī m.: a bull
perfidus –a –um: treacherous, perfidious
Crēta –ae (or Crētē –ēs) f.: Crete, large island south of the Aegean Sea, home of King Minos and Ariadne
religō religāre religāvī religātus: tie back, tie up; untie
nauta nautae m.: sailor
fūnis fūnis m.: rope; a ship's hawser, mooring rope
cēlō celāre celāvī celātus: conceal 175
crūdēlis crūdēle: savage, cruel
requiēscō requiēscere requiēvī requiētum: rest, find relief
perditus –a –um: ruined; depraved
nītor nītī nīxus sum: lean; press onward; rely, depend
Īdaeus –a –um: of Mt. Ida
ā: expletive of distress, pity, or entreaty
gurges –itis m.: a swirling mass of water; sea
discernō –ere –crēvī –crētus: separate, divide off
truculentus –a –um: ferocious; n. pl. as subst., ferocity
respergō –ere –spersī –spersus: sprinkle, spatter, splash 180
frāternus –a –um: of or from a brother, fraternal
fīdus –a –um: faithful, loyal, devoted
cōnsōlor cōnsōlārī cōnsōlātus sum or cōnsōlō –āre: comfort, console, solace
lentus –a –um: supple, pliant; slow, taking one's time, unconcerned, at ease
incurvō incurvāre incurvāvī incurvātus: bend
rēmus rēmī m.: oar
ēgressus –ūs m.: escape, egress, exit 185
pelagus pelagī m.: the sea
mūtus –a –um: inarticulate, mute, dumb, silent
dēsertus –a –um: deserted, solitary, lonely
ostentō ostentāre ostentāvī ostentātus: freq. of ostendo, exhibit, display conspicuously
lētum letī n.: death
languēscō –ere languī: weaken, grow feeble
sēcēdō sēcēdere sēcessī sēcessus: withdraw
exposcō –ere –poposcī: ask for, demand, beg 190
multa –ae f.: penalty
caelestis –is m. or f.: a god or goddess
postrēmus –a –um: final
comprecor –ārī –ātus sum: pray to, invoke, supplicate
multō multāre multāvī multātus: penalize
vindex –icis m.: guarantor, defender, champion; one who punishes a wrong or takes vengeance
Eumenides –um f.: Kindly Spirits, Furies, Erinyes, punishers of outrage
anguineus (anguīnus) –a –um: snaky, made of snakes
redimiō –imīre –imiī –imītum: wreathe, encircle
capillus capillī m.: hair
exspīrō exspīrāre exspīrāvī exspīrātus: exhale, pant, emit (a fragrance); be exhaled
praeportō –āre –āvī –ātum: carry before one, carry in front
adventō adventāre adventāvī adventātus: approach, draw near 195
querēla querēlae f.: complaint, protest, lament
vae: woe to, alas for
exter extera exterum: farthest, the farthest part of; final
prōferō prōferre prōtulī prōlātus: bring forth; utter
medulla medullae f.: the marrow of the bones; the interior, inside, seat of the emotions
inops inopis: destitute; defenseless; powerless
ārdēns –entis: passionate
āmēns āmentis: demented, mad, insane
vānescō –ere –ere: vanish; become ineffectual
lūctus lūctūs m.: the expression of grief; lamentation, grief, sorrow
Thēseus –ī m.: son of Aegeus, seducer of Ariadne (later husband of her sister Phaedra), slayer of the Minotaur 200
fūnestō –āre –āvī –ātum: pollute with death