Quid facient crīnēs, cum ferrō tālia cēdant?
Iuppiter, ut Chalybōn omne genus pereat,
et quī prīncipiō sub terrā quaerere vēnās
īnstitit ac ferrī stringere dūritiem! 50
Abiūnctae paulō ante comae mea fāta sorōrēs
lūgēbant, cum sē Memnonis Aethiopis
ūnigena impellēns nūtantibus āera pennīs
obtulit Arsinoēs Locridis āles equus,
isque per aetheriās mē tollēns āvolat umbrās 55
et Veneris castō collocat in gremiō.
Ipsa suum Zephyrītis eō famulum lēgārat
Graiia Canōpītīs incola lītoribus.
Hīc, liquidī variō nē sōlum in lūmine caelī
ex Ariadnaeīs aurea temporibus 60
fīxa corōna foret, sed nōs quoque fulgērēmus
dēvōtae flāvī verticis exuviae,
ūvidulam ā flūctū cēdentem ad templa deum mē
sīdus in antīquīs dīva novum posuit.
Virginis et saevī contingēns namque Leōnis 65
lūmina, Callistō iūncta Lycāoniae,
vertor in occāsum, tardum dux ante Boōtēn,
quī vix sērō altō mergitur Ōceanō.
Sed quamquam mē nocte premunt vestīgia dīvum,
lūx autem cānae Tēthyi restituit 70
(pāce tuā fārī hīc liceat, Ramnūsia virgō,
namque ego nōn ūllō vēra timōre tegam,
nec sī mē īnfēstīs discerpent sīdera dictīs,
condita quīn vērī pectoris ēvovam),
nōn hīs tam laetor rēbus, quam mē āfore semper, 75
āfore mē ā dominae vertice discrucior,
quīcum ego, dum virgō quondam fuit omnibus expers
unguentīs, ūnā mīlia multa bibī.
vocabulary
crīnis crīnis m.: a lock or braid of hair; hair
Iuppiter Iovis m.: Jupiter or Zeus, chief of the Olympian gods; by metonymy, the weather, wind, sky
Chalybes –um m.: a tribe of miners and iron-workers on the SE shore of the Black sea
vēna vēnae f.: blood vessel; vein of ore
īnstō īnstāre īnstitī: to stand upon, take a position; draw near, threaten, insist 50
dūrities –eī f.: hardness
abiungō –ere –xī –ctum: separate, detach
lūgeō lūgēre lūxī lūctum: mourn
Memnōn –onis m.: legendary king of Ethiopia, son of Eos/Aurora, brother of Zephyrus
Aethiops –opis: an Ethiopian
ūnigena –ae: born together with, twin; sharing a single parentage; (as substantive) brother
impellō impellere impulī impulsum: beat against, drive, compel
nūtō nūtāre nūtāvī nūtātus: nod, sway; beat rhythmically
penna pennae f.: wing
Arsinoē –ēs f.: second wife of Ptolemy II, deified and identified with Aphrodite
Locris –idos f.: Lorican (epithet of Arsinoë
āles ālitis m.: winged
aetherius (aetherius) –a –um: of the sky or heavens 55
āvolō āvolāre āvolāvī āvolātus: fly away
Venus –eris f.: Venus or Aphrodite, goddess of love and charm
collocō collocāre collocāvī collocātus: set, place; set out, arrange on a marriage bed
gremium gremi(ī) n.: lap
Zephyrītis –idis f.: the Zephyritide, an appellation of Arsinoë
famulus –ī m.: servant, slave
legō legāre legāvī legātus: send as an envoy
Graecus (Grāius) –a –um: Greek
Canōpius –a –um: Canopic, of Canopus, a suburb of Alexandria on the Nile delta
incola incolae m. or f.: inhabitant
Ariadneus –a –um: of Ariadne 60
tempus temporis n.: the side of the forehead, temple
fīgō fīgere fīxī fīxus: set
corōna corōnae f.: wreath, crown; a circle of bystanders, esp. at a legal proceeding
fulgeō fulgēre fulsī: shine brightly, gleam
dēvotus –a –um: accursed; vowed as an offering
flāvus –a –um: yellow, gold-colored, blonde
vertex verticis m.: whirlpool, whirlwind; top of the head; summit
exuviae –ārum f.: spoils of a defeated enemy
ūvidulus –a –um: damp
dīva –ae f.: goddess; any female immortal, e.g., the sea nymph Thetis
leō leōnis m.: lion 65
Callistō f. Gk dat. Callistō: daughter of Lycaon, changed into a she-bear and then into the constellation Ursa Major
Lycāonius –a –um: of or descended from Lycaon, e.g., Callisto
occāsus –ūs m.: opportunity; setting (of a heavenly body)
Bootes –ae m.: the constellation Boö
sērō: late
mergō –ere mersī mersus: dip, plunge, immerse
ōceanus –ī m.: Oceanus, god of the sea, husband of Tethys
cānus –a –um: white, whitened 70
Tēthys Tēthyos f.: a sea-goddess, wife of Oceanus, mother of Doris, grandmother of Thetis
restituō restituere restituī restitūtus: rebuild; restore, cure; give back unharmed or in its original state
Ramnūsius –a –um: of or native to Ramnus, a district of Attica (epithet of Nemesis, the Ramnusia virgo)
vērum –ī n.: but in fact, but, actually
īnfestus –a –um: hostile, warlike; troublesome
discerpō –ere –cerpsī –cerptus: tear to pieces
dictum dictī n.: anything said; word, saying
conditus –a –um: put away, preserved
ēvolvō –ere –volvī –volūtus: unwrap; make known, take the wraps off
laetor laetārī laetātus sum: rejoice, be glad 75
discruciō –āre –āvī –ātum: torment, vex
expers expertis: having no share of; immune to
unguentum unguentī n.: a fragrant ointment, unguent, or perfume
nupta –ae f.: wife
bibō bibere bibī: drink