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SVPER alta uectus Attis celeri rate maria, |
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Borne in his swift bark over deep seas, |
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Phrygium ut nemus citato cupide pede tetigit, |
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Attis, when eagerly with speedy foot he reached the Phrygian woodland, |
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adiitque opaca siluis redimita loca deae, |
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and entered the goddess' abodes, shadowy, forest-crowned; |
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stimulatus ibi furenti rabie, uagus animis, |
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there, goaded by raging madness, bewildered in mind, |
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deuolsit ili acuto sibi pondera silice, |
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he cast down from him with sharp flint-stone the burden of his member. |
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itaque ut relicta sensit sibi membra sine uiro, |
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So when she felt her limbs to have lost their manbood, |
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etiam recente terrae sola sanguine maculans, |
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still with fresh blood dabbling the face of the ground, |
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niueis citata cepit manibus leue typanum, |
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swiftly with snowy bands she seized the light timbrel, |
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typanum tuum, Cybebe, tua, mater initia, |
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your timbrel, Cybele, thy mysteries, Mother, |
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quatiensque terga tauri teneris caua digitis |
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and shaking with soft fingers the hollow oxhide |
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canere haec suis adorta est tremebunda comitibus. |
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thus began she to sing to her companions tremulously: |
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'agite ite ad alta, Gallae, Cybeles nemora simul, |
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"Come away, ye Gallae, go to the mountain forests of Cybele together, |
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simul ite, Dindymenae dominae uaga pecora, |
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together go, wandering herd of the lady of Dindymus, |
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aliena quae petentes uelut exules loca |
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who swiftly seeking alien homes as exiles, |
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sectam meam exsecutae duce me mihi comites |
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followed my rule as I led you in my train, |
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rapidum salum tulistis truculentaque pelagi |
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endured the fast-flowing brine and the savage seas, |
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et corpus euirastis Veneris nimio odio; |
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and unmanned your bodies from utter abhorrence of love, |
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hilarate erae citatis erroribus animum. |
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cheer ye your Lady's heart with swift wanderings. |
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mora tarda mente cedat: simul ite, sequimini |
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Let dull delay depart from your mind; go together, follow |
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Phrygiam ad domum Cybebes, Phrygia ad nemora deae, |
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to the Phrygian house of Cybele, to the Phrygian forests of the goddess, |
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ubi cymbalum sonat uox, ubi tympana reboant, |
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where the noise of cymbals sounds, where timbrels re-echo, |
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tibicen ubi canit Phryx curuo graue calamo, |
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where the Phrygian flute-player blows a deep note on his curved reed, |
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ubi capita Maenades ui iaciunt hederigerae, |
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where the Maenads ivy-crowned toss their heads violently, |
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ubi sacra sancta acutis ululatibus agitant, |
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where with shrill yells they shake the holy emblems, |
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ubi sueuit illa diuae uolitare uaga cohors, |
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where that wandering company of the goddess is wont to rove, |
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quo nos decet citatis celerare tripudiis.' |
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whither for us 'tis meet to hasten with rapid dances." |
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simul haec comitibus Attis cecinit notha mulier, |
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So soon as Attis, woman yet no true one, chanted thus to her companions, |
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thiasus repente linguis trepidantibus ululat, |
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the revellers suddenly with quivering tongues yell aloud, |
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leue tympanum remugit, caua cymbala recrepant. |
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the light timbrel rings again, clash again the hollow cymbals, |
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uiridem citus adit Idam properante pede chorus. |
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swiftly to green Ida goes the rout with hurrying foot. |
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furibunda simul anhelans uaga uadit animam agens |
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Then too frenzied, panting, uncertain, wanders, gasping for breath, |
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comitata tympano Attis per opaca nemora dux, |
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attended by the timbrel, Attis, through the dark forests their leader, |
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ueluti iuuenca uitans onus indomita iugi; |
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as a heifer unbroken starting aside from the burden of the yoke. |
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rapidae ducem sequuntur Gallae properipedem. |
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Fast follow the Gallae their swift-footed leader. |
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itaque, ut domum Cybebes tetigere lassulae, |
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So when they gained the house of Cybele, faint and weary, |
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nimio e labore somnum capiunt sine Cerere. |
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after much toil they take their rest without bread; |
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piger his labante languore oculos sopor operit; |
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heavy sleep covers their eyes with drooping weariness, |
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abit in quiete molli rabidus furor animi. |
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the delirious madness of their mind departs in soft slumber. |
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sed ubi oris aurei Sol radiantibus oculis |
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But when the sun with the flashing eyes of his golden face |
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lustrauit aethera album, sola dura, mare ferum, |
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lightened the clear heaven, the firm lands, the wild sea, |
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pepulitque noctis umbras uegetis sonipedibus, |
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and chased away the shades of night with eager tramping steeds refreshed, |
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ibi Somnus excitam Attin fugiens citus abiit; |
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then Sleep fled from wakened Attis and quickly was gone; |
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trepidante eum recepit dea Pasithea sinu. |
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him the goddess Pasithea received in her fluttering bosom. |
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ita de quiete molli rapida sine rabie |
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So after soft slumber, freed from violent madness, |
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simul ipsa pectore Attis sua facta recoluit, |
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as soon as Attis himself in his heart reviewed his own deed, |
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liquidaque mente uidit sine quis ubique foret, |
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and saw with clear mind what lie had lost and where he was, |
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animo aestuante rusum reditum ad uada tetulit. |
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with surging mind again he sped back to the waves. |
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ibi maria uasta uisens lacrimantibus oculis, |
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There, looking out upon the waste seas with streaming eyes, |
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patriam allocuta maestast ita uoce miseriter. |
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thus did she piteously address her country with tearful voice: |
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'patria o mei creatrix, patria o mea genetrix, |
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" O my country that gavest me life! O my country that barest me! |
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ego quam miser relinquens, dominos ut erifugae |
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leaving whom, all wretch! as runaway servants leave their masters, |
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famuli solent, ad Idae tetuli nemora pedem, |
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I have borne my foot to the forests of Ida, |
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ut aput niuem et ferarum gelida stabula forem, |
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to live among snows and frozen lairs of wild beasts, |
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et earum omnia adirem furibunda latibula, |
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and visit in my frenzy all their lurking-dens, |
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ubinam aut quibus locis te positam, patria, reor? |
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-- where then or in what region do I think thy place to be, O my country? |
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cupit ipsa pupula ad te sibi derigere aciem, |
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Mine eyeballs unbidden long to turn their gaze to thee |
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rabie fera carens dum breue tempus animus est. |
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while for a short space my mind is free from wild frenzy. |
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egone a mea remota haec ferar in nemora domo? |
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I, shall I from my own home be borne far away into these forests? |
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patria, bonis, amicis, genitoribus abero? |
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from my country, my possessions, my friends, my parents, shall I be? |
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abero foro, palaestra, stadio et gyminasiis? |
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absent from the market, the wrestling-place, the racecourse, the playground? |
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miser a miser, querendum est etiam atque etiam, anime. |
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unhappy, all unhappy heart, again, again must thou complain. |
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quod enim genus figurast, ego non quod obierim? |
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For what form of human figure is there which I had not? |
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ego mulier, ego adulescens, ego ephebus, ego puer, |
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I, to be a woman--who was a stripling, I a youth, I a boy, |
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ego gymnasi fui flos, ego eram decus olei: |
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I was the flower of the playground, I was once the glory of the palaestra: |
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mihi ianuae frequentes, mihi limina tepida, |
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mine were the crowded doorways, mine the warm thresholds, |
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mihi floridis corollis redimita domus erat, |
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mine the flowery garlands to deck my house |
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linquendum ubi esset orto mihi Sole cubiculum. |
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when I was to leave my chamber at sunrise. |
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ego nunc deum ministra et Cybeles famula ferar? |
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I, shall I now be called--what? a handmaid of the gods, a ministress of Cybele? |
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ego Maenas, ego mei pars, ego uir sterilis ero? |
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I a Maenad, I part of myself, a barren man shall I be? |
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ego uiridis algida Idae niue amicta loca colam? |
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I, shall I dwell in icy snow-clad regions of verdant Ida, |
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ego uitam agam sub altis Phrygiae columinibus, |
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I pass my life under the high summits of Phrygia, |
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ubi cerua siluicultrix, ubi aper nemoriuagus? |
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with the hind that haunts the woodland, with the boar that ranges the forest? |
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iam iam dolet quod egi, iam iamque paenitet.' |
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now, now I rue my deed, now, now I would it were undone." |
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roseis ut huic labellis sonitus citus abiit |
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From his rosy lips as these words issued forth, |
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geminas deorum ad aures noua nuntia referens, |
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bringing a new message to both ears of the gods, |
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ibi iuncta iuga resoluens Cybele leonibus |
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then Cybele, loosening the fastened yoke from her lions, |
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laeuumque pecoris hostem stimulans ita loquitur. |
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and goading that foe of the herd who drew on the left, thus speaks: |
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'agedum,' inquit 'age ferox <i> fac ut hunc furor <agitet> |
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"Come now," she says, "come, go fiercely, let madness hunt him hence |
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fac uti furoris ictu reditum in nemora ferat, |
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bid him hence by stroke of madness hie him to the forests again, |
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mea libere nimis qui fugere imperia cupit. |
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him who would be too free, and run away from my sovereignty. |
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age caede terga cauda, tua uerbera patere, |
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Come, lash back with tail, endure thy own scourging, |
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fac cuncta mugienti fremitu loca retonent, |
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make all around resound with bellowing roar, |
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rutilam ferox torosa ceruice quate iubam.' |
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shake fiercely on brawny neck thy ruddy mane." |
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ait haec minax Cybebe religatque iuga manu. |
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Thus says wrathful Cybele, and with her hand unbinds the yoke. |
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ferus ipse sese adhortans rapidum incitat animo, |
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The monster stirs his courage and rouses him to fury of heart; |
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uadit, fremit, refringit uirgulta pede uago. |
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he speeds away, he roars, with ranging foot he breaks the brushwood. |
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at ubi umida albicantis loca litoris adiit, |
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But when he came to the watery stretches of the white-gleaming shore, |
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teneramque uidit Attin prope marmora pelagi, |
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and saw tender Attis by the smooth spaces of the sea, |
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facit impetum. illa demens fugit in nemora fera; |
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he rushes at him--madly flies Attis to the wild woodland. |
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ibi semper omne uitae spatium famula fuit. |
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There always for all his lifetime was he a handmaid. |
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dea, magna dea, Cybebe, dea domina Dindymi, |
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Goddess, great goddess, Cybele, goddess, lady of Dindymus |
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procul a mea tuos sit furor omnis, era, domo: |
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far from my house be all thy fury, O my queen |
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alios age incitatos, alios age rabidos. |
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others drive thou in frenzy, others drive thou to madness. |