Perseus and Andromeda
illic inmeritam maternae pendere linguae 670 Andromedan poenas iniustus iusserat Ammon; quam simul ad duras religatam bracchia cautes vidit Abantiades, nisi quod levis aura capillos moverat et tepido manabant lumina fletu, marmoreum ratus esset opus; trahit inscius ignes 675 et stupet et visae correptus imagine formae paene suas quatere est oblitus in aere pennas. ut stetit, 'o' dixit 'non istis digna catenis, sed quibus inter se cupidi iunguntur amantes, pande requirenti nomen terraeque tuumque, 680 et cur vincla geras.' primo silet illa nec audet appellare virum virgo, manibusque modestos celasset vultus, si non religata fuisset; lumina, quod potuit, lacrimis inplevit obortis. saepius instanti, sua ne delicta fateri 685 nolle videretur, nomen terraeque suumque, quantaque maternae fuerit fiducia formae, indicat, et nondum memoratis omnibus unda insonuit, veniensque inmenso belua ponto inminet et latum sub pectore possidet aequor. 690 conclamat virgo: genitor lugubris et una mater adest, ambo miseri, sed iustius illa, nec secum auxilium, sed dignos tempore fletus plangoremque ferunt vinctoque in corpore adhaerent, cum sic hospes ait 'lacrimarum longa manere 695 tempora vos poterunt, ad opem brevis hora ferendam est. hanc ego si peterem Perseus Iove natus et illa, quam clausam inplevit fecundo Iuppiter auro, Gorgonis anguicomae Perseus superator et alis aerias ausus iactatis ire per auras, 700 praeferrer cunctis certe gener; addere tantis dotibus et meritum, faveant modo numina, tempto: ut mea sit servata mea virtute, paciscor.' accipiunt legem (quis enim dubitaret?) et orant promittuntque super regnum dotale parentes. |
Vocabulary and Notes
inmeritus, -a, -um, undeserving. Andromeda (Greek Declension accusative is -n). pendere...poenas has the idiomatic equivalent to the meaning: pay the penalties, to be held accontable for. cautes, cautis, f. rough pointed rock Perseus is the descendent of Abas. reor, reri, ratus sum, reckon; deem, judge, believe, think The 'penna' are on his helmet and sandals which help him fly. catena, catenae, f. chain (more specific than vinculum) pandus, panda, pandum, curve, arched, crooked Supply 'nomen' twice appellare alternative: adpellare because 'ad' assmilates celo, celare, celavi, celatum, hide, cover, conceal oborior, oboriri, obortus sum, arise, appear, occur; well up (with tears) nollo, nolle, nolui, not want, not wish fiducia, fiduciae, f. trust, confidence; boldness, courage memoro, memorare, memoravi, memoratum, utter, recount Imagine the v shaped waves that trail a boat and use that to help you reconstruct the meaning of these couple lines. lugubris, -is, -e, pertaining to mourning; pitiable; mournful ambo, ambae, ambo, both, two plangor, plangoris, m. beating, striking; grief, wailing hospes, hospitis, m. host; stranger, foreigner, guest, visitor mano, manere, manavi, manatum, shed, pour; flow, trickle Line 697-98 is refering to how Perseus mother Danae became pregnant. Since she was essentially locked in a prison cell, Zeus came to her in the form of a gold shower. Perseus slayed the Gorgon with his magic items: winged sandals, Hades's Helm, and a magical bag that holds the poisonous head. gener, generi, m. son-in-law paciscor, pacisci, pactus sum promitto, promitere, promisi, promisum, send forth; promise |
At first she is silent, the virgin did not dare to drive the poison, And she would hide her modest face with her hands, if they had not been bound up; She filled her eyes, which were able, with having been filled tears. It happens so often of standing upon, not wishing it to seem a crime of her own, She reveals the name of her own and of (her) land, And how much confidence of her mother had of (her) form. And it not all was yet having been uttered, the waves resounded, and a beast leans over the immense sea and seized the having been dragged surface (water) below the chest. The virgin cried out: [Her] mourning father and mother together was present, both were miserable, but that woman was more righteously miserable, Nor did they carry a plan themselves, but crying worthy by the time and bear the wailing, and adhere on the body to the having been bound, When thus the stranger said, “by a long time tears will be able to flow you, the hour carrying towards the aid is of brief.
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Literal Translation:There unjust (Jupiter) Ammon had ordered guiltless Andromeda to hang the punishment(s) for the tongue of (her) mother; At the same time, the descendent of Abas saw her having been tied (with respect to) her arms to a hard rock(s), If not for the weightless breeze having moved the hair and the weeping lukewarm eyes were leaking, having been believed (her) a work of marble; he not knowing, he draws the fires and it stunned and the visions were snatching by the imitation of a (beautiful) form, almost forgetting to shake his own feathers (wings on helmet and feet) in the air. As he stood (we assume he landed), “Oh,” he said, “you do not deserve these chains, but those that connect the love(s) between my desire, Seeking crookedly the name of land and her [name] (supply nomen twice), at why you are wearing chains/fetters.”
If I, Perseus born from Jove, and she (Danae) how much filled the having been sealed being made fertile by the gold of Jupiter, seek her. Perseus the conqueror of the snake-haired Gorgon (Medusa) and having dared to fly through the airy breezes by wings (on his sandals and helmet), was certainly preferred as son-in-law of all. To add to so great a dowry, and having been worthy, the divine to an extent may favor, I urge: Let her having been kept safe be mine by my courage, to be agreed.
They accept the pact (who for instance would doubt?) and the parents speak and let go over the kingdom as dowry. |