Heu miserē exagitāns immītī corde furōrēs,
sāncte puer, cūrīs hominum quī gaudia miscēs, 95
quaeque regis Golgos quaeque Īdalium frondōsum,
quālibus incēnsam iactāstis mente puellam
flūctibus in flāvō saepe hospite suspīrantem!
Quantōs illa tulit languentī corde timōrēs,
quantō saepe magis fulgōre expalluit aurī, 100
cum saevum cupiēns contrā contendere mōnstrum
aut mortem appeteret Thēseus aut praemia laudis.
Nōn ingrāta tamen frūstrā mūnuscula dīvīs
prōmittēns tacitō succendit vōta labellō.
Nam velut in summō quatientem bracchia Taurō 105
quercum aut cōnigeram sūdantī cortice pīnum
indomitus turbō contorquēns flāmine rōbur
ēruit (illa procul rādīcitus exturbāta
prōna cadit, lātē quaeviscumque obvia frangēns),
sīc domitō saevum prōstrāvit corpore Thēseus 110
nēquīquam vānīs iactantem cornua ventīs.
Inde pedem sospes multā cum laude reflexit
errābunda regēns tenuī vestīgia fīlō,
nē labyrinthēīs ē flexibus ēgredientem
tēctī frūstrārētur inobservābilis error. 115
vocabulary
heu: interj., alas
miserē: wretchedly, with piteous result, unhappily
exagitō –āre –āvī –ātum: stir up
immītis –e: ungentle, pitiless, violent
Golgī –ōrum m. pl.: a town in Cyprus noted for the worship of Aphrodite / Venus 96
Īdalium –iī n.: town in Cyprus sacred to Aphrodite/Venus
frondōsus –a –um: leafy
incendō incendere incendī incensus: set of fire; inflame
iactō iactāre iactāvī iactātus: throw; toss about, torment
flāvus –a –um: yellow, gold-colored, blonde
suspīrō suspīrāre suspīrāvī suspīrātus: sigh, pant
langueō –uī: be faint, droop, be sick
fulgor –ōris m. or fulgur –ūris n.: brightness, luster 100
expallescō –lescere –luī: turn pale
contendō contendere contendī contentus: stretch, strain; contend
mōnstrum mōnstrī n.: portent, prodigy, apparition; monster; a monstrous act, atrocity
appetō appetere appetīvī appetītus: try to reach; seek; attack
Thēseus –ī m.: son of Aegeus, seducer of Ariadne (later husband of her sister Phaedra), slayer of the Minotaur
mūnusculum –ī n.: a small gift or favor
tacitus –a –um: unspeaking; silent
succipiō –cipere –cēpī –ceptum: take up, take on, undertake (a vow or oath)
labellum labellī n.: lip (dim. of labrum)
quatiō quatere quassī quassum: shake 105
brachium brachī(ī) n.: arm
Taurus –ī m.: a mountain range in the south of Asia Minor, directly north of Cyprus
quercus –ūs f.: an oak tree
coniger –gera –gerum: coniferous, e.g., a pine tree
sūdō sūdāre sūdāvī sūdātus: sweat, perspire
cortex –icis m.: bark, cortex
pīnus –ūs or –ī f.: pine tree
indomitus –a –um: untamed; indomitable; violent
turbō (turben) turbinis m.: anything that spins; whirlwind, tornado; maelstrom; a weight used in spinning
contorqueō –ēre –torsī –tortus: twist, agitate
flāmen –inis n.: a blast or gust of wind; wind, breeze
rōbur rōboris n.: an oak tree, oak; the strongest element of anything
ēruō ēruere ēruī ērutus: remove, uproot
rādīcitus: by, from, or at the roots; roots and all
exturbō –āre –āvī –ātum: drive out, remove by force
prōnus –a –um: leaning forward, angling or sloping toward the ground; sloping; face down, prone; flat
cacūmen –inis n.: peak, tip
obvius obvia obvium: in the way or path of something
domō domāre domuī domitus: subdue 110
prosternō prosternere prostrāvī prostrātum: lay low, strike down
nēquīquam: to no purpose, in vain
sōspes –itis: safe
reflectō reflectere reflexī reflexus: bend back
errābundus –a –um: prone to err or make a wrong turning; wandering
tenuis tenue: thin
fīlum –ī n.: thread, string, filament
labyrinthēus –a –um: of or like a labyrinth, labyrinthine
flexus –ūs m.: a bending, turning, curve
frūstror –ātus sum: deceive, baffle; disappoint, frustrate 115
inobservābilis –e: undetectable to the eye; difficult to trace or observe