“Gnāte mihī longē iūcundior ūnice vītā,  215

gnātē, ego quem in dubiōs cōgor dīmittere cāsūs

redditē in extrēmā nūper mihi fīne senectae,

quandoquidem fortūna mea ac tua fervida virtūs

ēripit invītō mihi tē, cui languida nōndum

lūmina sunt gnātī cārā saturāta figūrā,  220

nōn ego tē gaudēns laetantī pectore mittam,

nec tē ferre sinam fortūnae signa secundae,

sed prīmum multās exprōmam mente querēlās

cānitiem terrā atque īnfūsō pulvere foedāns,

inde īnfecta vagō suspendam lintea mālō,  225

nostrōs ut lūctūs nostraeque incendia mentis

carbasus obscūrāta decet ferrūgine Hibērā.

Quod tibi sī sānctī concesserit incola Itōnī,

quae nostrum genus ac sēdēs dēfendere Erechthei

adnuit, ut taurī respergās sanguine dextram,  230

tum vērō facitō ut memorī tibi condita corde

haec vigeant mandāta, nec ūlla oblitteret aetās,

ut simul ac nostrōs invīsent lūmina collīs,

fūnestam antennae dēpōnant undique vestem

candidaque intortī sustollant vēla rudentēs,  235

quam prīmum cernēns ut laetā gaudia mente

agnōscam, cum tē reducem aetās prōspera sistet.”

Haec mandāta prius cōnstantī mente tenentem

Thēsea ceu pulsae ventōrum flāmine nūbēs

āerium niveī montis līquēre cacūmen.  240

At pater, ut summā prōspectum ex arce petēbat

ānxia in adsiduōs absūmēns lūmina flētūs,

cum prīmum īnflātī cōnspexit lintea vēlī,

praecipitem sēsē scopulōrum ē vertice iēcit

āmissum crēdēns immītī Thēsea fātō.  245

Sīc fūnesta domūs ingressus tēcta paternā

morte ferōx Thēseus, quālem Mīnōidi lūctū

obtulerat mente immemorī, tālem ipse recēpit.

quae tum prōspectāns cēdentem maesta carīnam

multiplicēs animō volvēbat saucia cūrās.  250

    iūcundus –a –um: pleasant, delightful 215

    ūnicus –a –um: one and only, singular, unique, special

    exter extera exterum: farthest, the farthest part of; final

    nūper: recently

    senecta –ae f.: old age

    quandōquidem: rel. since

    fervidus –a –um: hot; fervent, passionate, lusty

    invītus –a –um: unwilling

    languidus –a –um: weary, drooping, flaccid

    saturō saturāre saturāvī saturātus: fill, satisfy, sate 220

    figūra figūrae f.: form, shape, aspect, appearance

    laetor laetārī laetātus sum: rejoice, be glad

    exprōmō –ere –prōmsī –prōmptum: bring out, express

    querēla querēlae f.: complaint, protest, lament

    cānitiēs –eī f.: white or gray coloring; whiteness of hair; gray hair

    īnfundō –ere –fūdī –fūsus: pour in or on

    pulvis pulveris m.: dust; sand

    foedō foedāre foedāvī foedātus: make foul, soil

    īnficiō (īnficiscō) –ere –fēcī –fectus: dyed 225

    suspendō suspendere suspendī suspēnsum: hang, suspend

    linteum –ī n.: linen cloth; napkin; sail

    mālus –ī m.: apple

    lūctus lūctūs m.: the expression of grief; lamentation, grief, sorrow

    incendium incendi(ī) n.: conflagration; inflammation, agony

    carbasus –ī f. (pl. carbasa –ōrum n.): sail, canvas

    obscūrō obscūrāre obscūrāvī obscūrātus: darken

    dicō dicāre dicāvī dicātus: indicate, show; assign, bestow

    ferrūgō –inis f.: rust; any color from reddish purple to nearly black

    Hibērus –ī m.: of Iberia, Spanish

    quod: because, the fact that

    incola incolae m. or f.: inhabitant

    Itōnus –ī f.: Boeotian town famous for its cult of Athena

    Erectheus –eī m.: legendary king of Athens

    adnuō –ere –nuī (ūtus –rare): nod assent; consent 230

    taurus taurī m.: a bull

    respergō –ere –spersī –spersus: sprinkle, spatter, splash

    memor memoris: remembering, mindful

    conditus –a –um: put away, preserved

    vigeō –ēre –uī: be vigorous and active, flourish

    mandātum –ī n.: command

    oblitterō (obliterō) –āre –āvī –ātum: cause to be forgotten, wipe out

    invīsō –ere –vīsī –vīsus: go to see; look upon

    collis collis m.: hill, mountain

    fūnestus –a –um: associated with mourning; funereal

    antenna –ae f.: the horizontal yardarm of a sailing ship

    dēpōnō dēpōnere dēposuī dēpositus: put down, lay down (in birth), put away

    intorqueō –ēre –torsī –tortus: twisted or twined 235

    sustollō –ere: raise

    vēlum vēlī n.: sail

    rudēns –entis m.: rope, line

    quam prīmum: as soon as possible

    āgnōscō āgnōscere āgnōvī agnitus: recognize

    redux –ucis: brought back, returned, restored

    prōsper or more frequently prōsperus –a –um: agreeable to one's wishes, prosperous

    sistō sistere stitī status: cause to stand, set; present, hand over

    cōnstāns cōnstantis: steady, resolute, steadfast

    Thēseus –ī m.: son of Aegeus, seducer of Ariadne (later husband of her sister Phaedra), slayer of the Minotaur

    ceu: part. introducing similes: in the same way as, as, like

    flāmen –inis n.: a blast or gust of wind; wind, breeze

    nūbēs nūbis f.: cloud

    āerius –a –um: of the air, airy 240

    niveus –a –um: snowy, white

    linquō linquere līquī: leave, quit

    cacūmen –inis n.: peak, tip

    prōspectus –ūs m.: view, prospect

    ānxius –a –um: anxious

    assiduus –a –um: settled; constantly present, persistent, unremitting

    absūmō absumere absūmpsī absūmptum: use up, consume, exhaust; do away with, remove by death

    flētus fletūs m.: weeping; tears

    cōnspiciō cōnspicere cōnspexī cōnspectus: catch sight of, lay eyes on

    praeceps praecipitis: plunging headfirst; headlong; sudden

    scopulus –ī m.: a projecting rock or cliff

    vertex verticis m.: whirlpool, whirlwind; top of the head; summit

    immītis –e: ungentle, pitiless, violent 245

    paternus –a –um: of a father; paternal

    ferōx ferōcis: fierce

    Mīnōis –idis f.: a female descendant of Minos, Ariadne

    immemor –oris: forgetful, heedless, feckless

    prōspectō prōspectāre prōspectāvī prōspectātus: gaze out

    carīna –ae f.: keel, hull; by metonymy, ship

    multiplex –plicis: having many twists and turns; varied 250

    volvō volvere voluī volūtum: cause to roll

    saucius –a –um: wounded, afflicted

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