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has postquam maesto profudit pectore uoces,
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202
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When she bad poured out these words from her sad
breast,
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supplicium saeuis exposcens anxia factis,
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203
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earnestly demanding vengeance for cruel deeds;
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annuit inuicto caelestum numine rector;
|
204
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the Lord of the heavenly ones bowed assent with sovereign
nod,
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quo motu tellus atque horrida contremuerunt
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205
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and at that movement the earth and stormy seas trembled,
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aequora concussitque micantia sidera mundus.
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206
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and the heavens shook the quivering stars.
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ipse autem caeca mentem caligine Theseus
|
207
|
But Theseus himself, darkling in his thoughts with
blind dimness,
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consitus oblito dimisit pectore cuncta,
|
208
|
let slip from his forgetful mind all the biddings
|
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quae mandata prius constanti mente tenebat,
|
209
|
which formerly he had held firm with constant heart,
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|
dulcia nec maesto sustollens signa parenti
|
210
|
and raised not the welcome sign to his mourning father,
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sospitem Erechtheum se ostendit uisere portum.
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211
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nor showed that he was safely sighting the Erechthean
harbour.
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namque ferunt olim, classi cum moenia diuae
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212
|
For they say that erewhile, when Aegeus was trusting
his son to the winds,
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linquentem gnatum uentis concrederet Aegeus,
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213
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as with his fleet he left the walls of the goddess,
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talia complexum iuueni mandata dedisse:
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214
|
he embraced the youth and gave him this charge:
|
|
'gnate mihi longa iucundior unice uita,
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215
|
"My son, my only son, dearer to me than all my length
of days,
|
|
gnate, ego quem in dubios cogor dimittere casus,
|
216
|
restored to me but now in the last end of old age,
|
|
reddite in extrema nuper mihi fine senectae,
|
217
|
my son, whom I perforce let go forth to doubtful
hazards,
|
|
quandoquidem fortuna mea ac tua feruida uirtus
|
218
|
since my fortune and thy burning valour
|
|
eripit inuito mihi te, cui languida nondum
|
219
|
tear thee from me, unwilling me, whose failing
|
|
lumina sunt gnati cara saturata figura,
|
220
|
eyes are not yet satisfied with the dear image of
my son,
|
|
non ego te gaudens laetanti pectore mittam,
|
221
|
I will not let thee go gladly with cheerful heart,
|
|
nec te ferre sinam fortunae signa secundae,
|
222
|
nor sufer thee to bear the tokens of prosperous fortune:
|
|
sed primum multas expromam mente querellas,
|
223
|
but first will bring forth many laments from my heart,
|
|
canitiem terra atque infuso puluere foedans,
|
224
|
soiling my gray hairs with earth and showered dust:
|
|
inde infecta uago suspendam lintea malo,
|
225
|
thereafter will I hang dyed sails on thy roving mast,
|
|
nostros ut luctus nostraeque incendia mentis
|
226
|
that so the tale of my grief and the fire that burns
in my heart
|
|
carbasus obscurata dicet ferrugine Hibera.
|
227
|
may be marked by the canvas stained with Iberian
azure.
|
|
quod tibi si sancti concesserit incola Itoni,
|
228
|
But if she who dwells in holy Itonus,
|
|
quae nostrum genus ac sedes defendere Erecthei
|
229
|
who vouchsafes to defend our race and the abodes
of Erechtheus,
|
|
annuit, ut tauri respergas sanguine dextram,
|
230
|
shall grant thee to sprinkle thy right hand with
the bull's blood,
|
|
tum uero facito ut memori tibi condita corde
|
231
|
then be sure that these my commands live, laid up
|
|
haec uigeant mandata, nec ulla oblitteret aetas;
|
232
|
in thy mindful heart, and that no length of time
blur them:
|
|
ut simul ac nostros inuisent lumina collis,
|
233
|
that as soon as thy eyes shall come within sight
of our hills,
|
|
funestam antennae deponant undique uestem,
|
234
|
thy yardarms may lay down from them their mourning
raiment,
|
|
candidaque intorti sustollant uela rudentes,
|
235
|
and the twisted cordage raise a white sail:
|
|
quam primum cernens ut laeta gaudia mente
|
236
|
that so I may see at once and gladly welcome the
signs of joy,
|
|
agnoscam, cum te reducem aetas prospera sistet.'
|
237
|
when a happy hour shall set thee here in thy home
again."
|
|
haec mandata prius constanti mente tenentem
|
238
|
These charges at first did Theseus preserve with
constant mind;
|
|
Thesea ceu pulsae uentorum flamine nubes
|
239
|
but then they left him, as clouds driven by the breath
of the winds
|
|
aereum niuei montis liquere cacumen.
|
240
|
leave the lofty head of the snowy mountain.
|
|
at pater, ut summa prospectum ex arce petebat,
|
241
|
But the father, as he gazed out from his tower-top,
|
|
anxia in assiduos absumens lumina fletus,
|
242
|
wasting his longing eyes in constant tear-floods,
|
|
cum primum infecti conspexit lintea ueli,
|
243
|
when first he saw the canvas of the bellying sail,
|
|
praecipitem sese scopulorum e uertice iecit,
|
244
|
threw himself headlong from the summit of the rocks,
|
|
amissum credens immiti Thesea fato.
|
245
|
believing Theseus destroyed by ruthless fate.
|
|
sic funesta domus ingressus tecta paterna
|
246
|
Thus bold Theseus, as he entered the chambers of
his home,
|
|
morte ferox Theseus, qualem Minoidi luctum
|
247
|
darkened with mourning for his father's death, himself
received such grief
|
|
obtulerat mente immemori, talem ipse recepit.
|
248
|
as by forgetfulness of heart he had caused to the
daughter of Minos.
|
|
quae tum prospectans cedentem maesta carinam
|
249
|
And she the while, gazing out tearfully at the receding
ship,
|
|
multiplices animo uoluebat saucia curas.
|
250
|
was revolving manifold cares in her wounded heart.
|
|
at parte ex alia florens uolitabat Iacchus
|
251
|
In another part of the tapestry youthful Bacchus
was wandering
|
|
cum thiaso Satyrorum et Nysigenis Silenis,
|
252
|
with the rout of Satyrs and the Nysa-born Sileni,
s
|
|
te quaerens, Ariadna, tuoque incensus amore.
|
253
|
eeking thee, Ariadna, and fired with thy love;
|
|
quae tum alacres passim lymphata mente furebant
|
254
|
who then, busy here and there, were raging with frenzied
mind,
|
|
euhoe bacchantes, euhoe capita inflectentes.
|
255
|
while "Evoe!" they cried tumultuously, "Evoe!" shaking
their heads.
|
|
harum pars tecta quatiebant cuspide thyrsos,
|
256
|
Some of them were waving thyrsi with shrouded points,
|
|
pars e diuolso iactabant membra iuuenco,
|
257
|
some tossing about the limbs of a mangled steer,
|
|
pars sese tortis serpentibus incingebant,
|
258
|
some girding themselves with writhing serpents:
|
|
pars obscura cauis celebrabant orgia cistis,
|
259
|
some bearing in solemn procession dark mysteries
enclosed in caskets,
|
|
orgia quae frustra cupiunt audire profani;
|
260
|
mysteries which the profane desire in vain to hear.
|
|
plangebant aliae proceris tympana palmis,
|
261
|
Others beat timbrels with uplifted hands,
|
|
aut tereti tenuis tinnitus aere ciebant;
|
262
|
or raised clear clashings with cymbals of rounded
bronze:
|
|
multis raucisonos efflabant cornua bombos
|
263
|
many blew horns with harsh-sounding drone,
|
|
barbaraque horribili stridebat tibia cantu.
|
264
|
and the barbarian pipe shrilled with dreadful din.
|