Syntra 45-62

I was looking out from the palace at dawn when a nymph emerged from a pool and addressed me. She offered to tell me about the Infanta Maria's future marriage. I said I would very much like to praise her and learn what lay in store for her.

45  Hinc ... prōspiciēns: “looking out from here.”

45  oculīs: ablative of means with lustro, “with my eyes.” 

45  lustro: "I survey." Its direct object is singula, “each and everything.” 

46  delicias: in apposition with munera. 

47  līquerat Aurōram Cephalus: “Cephalus had left Aurora," i.e. “it was dawn.” We move here from the general description of the scene to a specific day. In Greek mythology Cephalus was the lover of Eos (Aurora) the dawn goddess. Lucifer, the morning star, was said to be their child (Hyginus, Astronomica 2.42.4). The idea here seems to be that Cephalus has left Aurora's bed, so she can now do her job of starting the day. 

47-48  vultūque rubentī: "with her blushing face."

48  aperit ... pandit: synonyms meaning "open," or "reveal," stating the two things that Aurora does at dawn. 

50  referēns: "recalling," "bringing to mind." 

50  formā ... corpore, vōce: ablative of respect or specification (AG 418).

51  Suspicit: the verb suspicit implies that the nymph is down below the palace and looking up at Sigea. 

51  ultrō: "of her own volition," "unprompted."

51  hāc vōce: ablative of manner with adloquitur.

51  sedentem: in apposition with me, “sitting there,” “as I sat there.” 

52  vōcibus his: "in these words" (LS vox II.A). Another ablative of manner with adloquitur. It seems a bit redundant because of the hāc vōce in the previous line. 

53  tēcum: “are you thinking with yourself” in Latin and “to yourself” in English.

53  principis almae: "of your patron, the princess (Maria of Portugal)." Possessive genitive with arcibus hīs. 

54  arcibus hīs: supply ex, goes with spectāns, “looking out from these citadels.” 

55  firmārent: "vouch for (the veracity of a statement)" (OLD firmo 9), subjunctive in the protasis of a mixed condition.

55  nūmine: "with their divine power"

55  quantum / exoptem: "as much as I would like."

56  tollere: "to raise high with praise," "extol" (OLD tollo 5.c), complementary infinitive with velim. This implies that Luisa will take the information she learns from the nymph and weave it into a poem of praise for the Infanta. That poem of praise and prophecy is the present work. For tollere of praise in literary works, see Vergil, Eclogues 5.51 and Cicero, Pro Archia 22.

56  velim: polite subjunctive expressing the speaker's preference (AG 477.1)

57  ō quae: ō (tū) quae.

57  caesariē:  "hair," ablative of respect or specification (AG 418), as are vultū ... oculīs ... sinū ... incessū.

58  dīva: supply esse. It’s a predicate nominative with tu esse videre mihi. 

58  vidēre: = videris, “you seem” + mihi + predicate nominative, diva.

59  lymphās: aquās.

60  concipis: "give rise to (a river, etc.)," OLD concipio 4.b. 

60  dīvum: dīv(ōr)um = deōrum, a common contraction in poetry.

60  pandere: "make known," "reveal" (OLD pando 6), often used of oracles in this sense.

61  tū mihi fātōrum seriem: take reserā with this clause, “you unfold for me the sequence of the fates.”

61-2  quae ... rēgna: “which realm” possessed by Infanta Maria's as yet to be determined future husband. 

61  rēgia virgō: the princess Maria.

62  manet: "awaits" (LS maneo II.B; TLL II.A.2.b). rēgna is the direct object.

62  reserā: imperative, "unlock," or perhaps, "unfold."

62  quōsve ... thalamōs: "marriage," "husband."