Etsī mē assiduō cōnfectum cūra dolōre
sēvocat ā doctīs, Ortale, virginibus,
nec potis est dulcīs Mūsārum exprōmere fētūs
mēns animī, tantīs fluctuat ipsa malīs—
namque meī nūper Lēthaeō in gurgite frātris 5
pallidulum mānāns alluit unda pedem,
Troiā Rhoetēō quem subter lītore tellūs
ēreptum nostrīs obterit ex oculīs.
***
numquam ego tē, vītā frāter amābilior, 10
aspiciam posthāc? At certē semper amābō,
semper maesta tuā carmina morte canam,
quālia sub dēnsīs rāmōrum concinit umbrīs
Daulias, absūmptī fāta gemēns Itylī—
sed tamen in tantīs maerōribus, Ortale, mittō 15
haec expressa tibī carmina Battiadae,
nē tua dicta vagīs nēquīquam crēdita ventīs
efflūxisse meō forte putēs animō,
ut missum spōnsī fūrtīvō mūnere mālum
prōcurrit castō virginis ē gremiō, 20
quod miserae oblītae mollī sub veste locātum,
dum adventū mātris prōsilit, excutitur,
atque illud prōnō praeceps agitur dēcursū,
huic mānat trīstī cōnscius ōre rubor.
vocabulary
etsī: conj., although
assiduus –a –um: settled; constantly present, persistent, unremitting
sēvocō –āre –āvī –ātum: call one apart from, draw aside; separate
doctus –a –um: learned
Ortalus –ī m.: cognomen, likely Q. Hortensius Hortalus
Mūsa –ae f.: a Muse, divine patroness of poetry
exprōmō –ere –prōmsī –prōmptum: bring out, express
fētus fētūs m.: parturition, birth; offspring, fruit
fluctuō fluctuāre fluctuāvī fluctuātus: surge like a wave; be in turmoil
malum malī n.: trouble, misfortune, woe, aliment
namque: explanatory conj., for 5
nūper: recently
Lēthaeus –a –um: of the Lethe, river of forgetfulness in the underworld; by metonymy, of death
gurges –itis m.: a swirling mass of water; sea
pallidulus –a –um: pale (dim. of pallidus)
mānō mānāre mānāvī mānātus: flow, run, frip
alluō (adl-) –ere –luī: flow past, wash, lap
Trōius –a –um: of Troy, Trojan
Rhoeteus –eos m.: of Rhoeteum, city on the Hellespont near Troy
subter: prep., below
obterō –terere –trīvī –trītum: crush
alloquor alloquī allocūtus: speak to, address
amābilis –e: lovable 10
posthāc: hereafter
dēnsus –a –um: dense, closely packed
rāmus rāmī m.: branch, twig
concinō –cinere –cinuī: sing together; celebrate in song
Daulias –ados f.: the Dalian [bird], i.e., Philomela, from Daulis in Phocis, a few miles east of Delphi
absūmō absumere absūmpsī absūmptum: use up, consume, exhaust; do away with, remove by death
gemō gemere gemuī: groan, moan, lament
Itylus –ī m.: Itys, son of Tereus and Procne, killed by Procne
maeror maerōris m.: grief 15
exprimō exprimere expressī expressum: squeeze out, extort; translate
Battiadēs –ae m.: an inhabitant of Cyrene (founded by Battus), esp. the poet Callimachus
dictum dictī n.: anything said; word, saying
nēquīquam: to no purpose, in vain
effluō –ere –xī: flow out, slip away
sponsus –ī m.: a lover who has promised marriage; fiancé
furtīvus –a –um: secret, furtive
mālum mālī n.: apple
prōcurrō –ere –cucurrī (–currī) –cursus: run forward; roll forth 20
gremium gremi(ī) n.: lap
oblīvīscor oblīvīscī oblītus sum: forget, w/ gen. or acc. of object forgotten
locō locāre locāvī locātus: place
adventus adventūs m.: approach, arrival
prōsiliō –īre –uī (–īvī or –iī): rush forth; jump up suddenly
excutiō excutere excussī excussum: shake out
prōnus –a –um: leaning forward, angling or sloping toward the ground; sloping; face down, prone; flat
praeceps praecipitis: plunging headfirst; headlong; sudden
dēcursus –ūs m.: descent, downward fall
cōnscius –a –um: sharing knowledge; self-conscious; conscious of guilt, guilty
rubor rubōris m.: redness, blush