| from METAMORPHOSES | BOOK 10, LINES 708-739 |
| Ovid (Publius Ovidius Naso) | trans. Arthur Golding |
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............ ............ 'Illa quidem monuit iunctisque per aera cycnis carpit iter, sed stat monitis contraria virtus. forte suem latebris vestigia certa secuti excivere canes, silvisque exire parantem fixerat obliquo iuvenis Cinyreius ictu: protinus excussit pando venabula rostro sanguine tincta suo trepidumque et tuta petentem trux aper insequitur totosque sub inguine dentes abdidit et fulva moribundum stravit harena. vecta levi curru medias Cytherea per auras Cypron olorinis nondum pervenerat alis: agnovit longe gemitum morientis et albas flexit aves illuc, utque aethere vidit ab alto exanimem inque suo iactantem sanguine corpus, desiluit pariterque sinum pariterque capillos rupit et indignis percussit pectora palmis questaque cum fatis "at non tamen omnia vestri iuris erunt" dixit. "luctus monimenta manebunt semper, Adoni, mei, repetitaque mortis imago annua plangoris peraget simulamina nostri; at cruor in florem mutabitur. an tibi quondam femineos artus in olentes vertere mentas, Persephone, licuit: nobis Cinyreius heros invidiae mutatus erit?" sic fata cruorem nectare odorato sparsit, qui tinctus ab illo intumuit sic, ut fulvo perlucida caeno surgere bulla solet, nec plena longior hora facta mora est, cum flos de sanguine concolor ortus, qualem, quae lento celant sub cortice granum, punica ferre solent; brevis est tamen usus in illo; namque male haerentem et nimia levitate caducum excutiunt idem, qui praestant nomina, venti.' |
............ ............ This warning given, with yoked swannes away through aire she goth. But manhod by admonishment restreyned could not bee. By chaunce his hounds in following of the tracke, a Boare ded see, And rowsed him. And as the swyne was comming from the wood Adonis hit him with a dart a skew, and drew the blood. The Boare streyght with his hooked groyne the huntingstaffe out drew Bestayned with his blood, and on Adonis did pursew, Who trembling and retying back too place of refuge drew, And hyding in his codds his tuskes as farre as he could thrust He layd him all along for dead uppon the yellow dust. Dame Venus in her chariot drawen with swannes was scarce arrived At Cyprus, when shee knew a farre the sygh of him depryved Of lyfe. Shee turned her Cygnets backe, and when shee from the skye Beehilld him dead, and in his blood beweltred for to lye, She leaped downe, and tare at once hir garments from her brist, And rent her heare, and beate uppon her stomack with her fist, And blaming sore the destnyes, sayd: Yit shall they not obteine Their will in all things. Of my greefe remembrance shall remayne (Adonis) whyle the world doth last. From yeere too yeere shall growe A thing that of my heavinesse and of thy death shall showe The lively likenesse. In a flowre thy blood I will bestowe. Hadst thou the powre Persephonee rank sented Mints too make Of womens limbes? and may not I lyke powre upon mee take Without disdeine and spyght, too trune Adonis too a flowre? This sed, shee sprinckled Nectar on the blood, which through the powre Therof did swell like bubbles sheere that ryse in weather cleere On water. And before that full an howre expyred weere, Of all one colour with the blood a flowre she there did fynd, Even like the flowre of that same tree whose frute in tender rynde Have pleasant graynes inclosde. Howbeet the use of them is short. For why the leaves doo hang so looce through lightnesse in such sort, As that the windes that all things perce, with every little blast Doo shake them of and shed them so, as that they cannot last. |
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