Narcissus is cursed by a rejected lover (3.402-6)
Sīc hanc, sīc aliās undīs aut montibus ortās
lūserat hīc nymphās, sīc coetūs ante virīlēs;
inde manūs aliquis dēspectus ad aethera tollēns
'sīc amet ipse licet, sīc nōn potiātur amātō!' 405
dīxerat: adsēnsit precibus Rhamnūsia iūstīs.
Narcissus comes across a cool, clear spring (3.407-14)
fōns erat inlīmīs, nitidīs argenteus undīs,
quem neque pāstōrēs neque pastae monte capellae
contigerant aliudve pecus, quem nūlla volūcrīs
nec fera turbārat nec lāpsus ab arbore rāmus; 410
grāmen erat circā, quod proximus ūmor alēbat,
silvaque sōle locum passūra tepēscere nūllō.
hic puer et studiō vēnandī lassus et aestū
prōcubuit faciemque locī fontemque secūtus,
Narcissus sees himself in the pool and is amazed (3.415-26)
dumque sitim sēdāre cupit, sitis altera crēvit, 415
dumque bibit, vīsae correptus imāgine fōrmae
spem sine corpore amat, corpus putat esse, quod umbra est.
adstupet ipse sibī vultūque inmōtus eōdem
haeret, ut ē Pariō fōrmātum marmore signum;
spectat humī positus geminum, sua lūmina, sīdus 420
et dignōs Bacchō, dignōs et Apolline crīnēs
inpūbēsque genās et eburnea colla decusque
ōris et in niveō mixtum candōre rubōrem,
cūnctaque mīrātur, quibus est mīrābilis ipse:
sē cupit inprūdēns et, quī probat, ipse probātur, 425
dumque petit, petitur, pariterque accendit et ārdet.
Vainly Narcissus tries to kiss and embrace the image (3.427-36)
inrita fallācī quotiēns dedit ōscula fontī,
in mediīs quotiēns vīsum captantia collum
bracchia mersit aquīs nec sē dēprēndit in illīs!
quid videat, nescit; sed quod videt, ūritur illō, 430
atque oculōs īdem, quī dēcipit, incitat error.
crēdule, quid frūstrā simulācra fugācia captās?
quod petis, est nusquam; quod amās, āvertere, perdēs!
ista repercussae, quam cernis, imāginis umbra est:
nīl habet ista suī; tēcum vēnitque manetque; 435
tēcum discēdet, sī tū discēdere possīs!
vocabulary
| lūdō lūdere lūsī lūsus | to deceive, play with |
| coetus coetūs m. | crowd; sexual union |
| virīlis virīle | of/with men |
| dēspectus | despised |
| potior potirī potitus sum | to obtain |
| adsentiō –īre –sēnsī –sēnsus | to assent to |
| Rhamnūsia –ae f. | the Rhamnusian goddess, i.e. Nemesis |
| illīmis –e | slime-free |
| nitidus –a –um | glittering |
| argenteus –a –um | silvery |
| pāstor pāstōris m. | shepherd |
| pāstus -a -um | grazing |
| capella capellae f. | goat |
| volucer -cris | bird |
| fera ferae f. | wild animal |
| turbo (1) | to disturb |
| lābor labī lapsus sum | to glide, slip (down) |
| rāmus rāmī m. | branch |
| grāmen –inis n. | grass, plant, herb |
| proximus –a –um | nearest |
| ūmor –oris m. | moisture |
| tepēscō –ere –uī | to grow warm |
| venōr venārī venātus sum | to hunt, go hunting |
| lassus –a –um | tired, weary |
| aestus aestūs m. | heat |
| prōcumbō –cumbere –cubuī –cubitum | to fall forwards, sink down, fall prostrate |
| sitis –is f. | thirst |
| sēdō sēdāre sēdāvī sēdātus | to soothe |
| bibō bibere bibī | to drink |
| vīsō vīsere vīsī vīsus | to look at |
| corripiō corripere corripuī correptum | to seize, plunder; rebuke |
| astupeō astupēre — — | to be amazed at |
| immōtus –a –um | unmoved, unchanged, unrelenting |
| haereō haerēre haesī haesus | to stick to, hang on to |
| Parius –a –um | of Paros (island) |
| fōrmō fōrmāre fōrmāvī fōrmātus | to form, shape |
| marmor –oris n. | marble |
| geminus –a –um | twin |
| Bacchus –ī m. | Bacchus |
| Apollō –inis m. | Apollo |
| crīnis crīnis m. | hair |
| impūbēs –is or –eris | not full grown |
| gena –ae f. | cheek |
| eburneus (eburnus) –a –um | of ivory |
| niveus –a –um | snowy |
| candor –ōris m. | shining |
| rubor rubōris m. | redness |
| mīrābilis –e | wonderful, extraordinary |
| imprūdēns –entis | not seeing or knowing beforehand |
| pariter | alike |
| accendō accendere accendī accēnsus | to kindle, set on fire |
| irritus (inritus) –a –um | invalid, void |
| fallax –ācis | deceitful, treacherous, false |
| ōsculum –ī n. | kiss |
| captō captāre captāvī captātus | to seize, hunt for legacies |
| collum collī n. | neck |
| brachium brachī(ī) n. | arm |
| mergō –ere mersī mersus | to dip |
| dēprehendō dēprehendere dēprehendī dēprehensus | to catch, seize, understand |
| ūrō ūrere ussī ustum | to burn |
| dēcipiō dēcipere dēcēpī dēceptus | to deceive, cheat |
| incitō incitāre incitāvī incitātus | to urge on, torment |
| crēdulus –a –um | credulous, easy of belief |
| quid | what; why |
| simulācrum simulācrī n. | likeness; statue |
| fugāx –ācis | swift in flight |
| nusquam | nowhere |
| āvertō avertere avertī aversus | to turn away |
| repercutiō –ere –cussī –cussus | to strike back; reflect |