Prō quō dīlaceranda ferīs dabor ālitibusque
praeda neque iniectā tumulābor mortua terrā.
Quaenam tē genuit sōlā sub rūpe leaena,
quod mare conceptum spūmantibus exspuit undīs. 155
Quae Syrtis, quae Scylla rapāx, quae vasta Charybdis,
tālia quī reddis prō dulcī praemia vītā?
Sī tibi nōn cordī fuerant cōnūbia nostra,
saeva quod horrēbās prīscī praecepta parentis,
at tamen in vestrās potuistī dūcere sēdēs 160
quae tibi iūcundō famulārer serva labōre
candida permulcēns liquidīs vestīgia lymphīs
purpureāve tuum cōnsternēns veste cubīle.
Sed quid ego ignārīs nēquīquam conqueror aurīs
exsternāta malō, quae nūllīs sēnsibus auctae 165
nec missās audīre queunt nec reddere vōcēs?
Ille autem prope iam mediīs versātur in undīs,
nec quisquam adpāret vacuā mortālis in algā.
Sīc nimis īnsultāns extrēmō tempore saeva
fors etiam nostrīs invīdit questibus aurīs. 170
vocabulary
dīlacerō –āre –āvī –ātum: tear to pieces
āles –itis m./f.: large bird, bird of prey; an omen or augury (from watching birds)
iniciō –ere –iēcī –iectum: throw in or on
tumulō –āre: cover with a burial mound; bury
mortuus –a –um: dead
quisnam (quīnam) quaenam quidnam: pron. & adj., who/what, tell me?, who/what, finally
rūpēs –is f.: cliff, crag
leaena –ae f.: lioness
concipiō concipere concēpī conceptum: take in, catch, conceive, contract (a disease); conceive (a child), produce, be the mother of 155
spūmō spūmāre spūmāvī spūmātus: foam, froth
exspuō –uere –uī –ūtum: spit out
Syrtis –is f.: shoals on the N. African coast between Carthage and Cyrene
Scylla –ae f.: a cliff-dwelling monster in the Straights of Messina (between Italy and Sicily) who devours sailors on passing ships; Charybdis is on the other side of the strait
rapax –ācis: predatory, rapacious
vāstus –a –um: desolate, uninhabited, featureless, dreary, endless
Charybdis –is f.: a whirlpool of the Sicilian side of the Straight of Messina opposite Scylla that devours men and ships
cōnūbium –iī n.: marriage; pl. a wedding
quod: because, the fact that
horreō horrēre horruī: bristle; shudder or tremble at, fear; regard with awe or dread
priscus –a –um: ancient, olden, old-fashioned, archaic
attamen: nevertheless 160
iūcundus –a –um: pleasant, delightful
famulor –ārī –ātus sum: be a servant
serva servae f.: female slave or servant
permulceō –ēre –mulsī –mulsus (–mulctus): caress, soothe, refresh
liquidus –a –um: liquid, fluid; clear, unclouded
lympha –ae f.: a water nymph; (poet.) water
purpureus –a –um: purple
cōnsternō –ere –strāvī –strātus: cover, spread
cubīle cubīlis n.: bed, couch
ignārus –a –um: ignorant, uncomprehending
nēquīquam: to no purpose, in vain
conqueror –querī –questus sum: complain, lament
externō –āre –āvī –ātum: drive out of one's wits, madden, panic 165
queō quīre quīvī/quiī quitus: to be able
versor versārī versātus: keep turning; pass. w/ middle force, toss and turn
alga –ae f.: seaweed
īnsultō īnsultāre īnsultāvī īnsultātus: leap or trample on; behave insultingly, scoff
exter extera exterum: farthest, the farthest part of; final
invideō invidēre invīdī invīsus: to look at with ill will or envy; begrudge 170
questus –ūs m.: complaint, protest