Glǽmscrafu - Orpheus and Eurydice

Non te nullivs exercent numinis irae

Nōn tē nūllīus exercent nūminis īræ;

Don’t think they don’t have gods’ support, the angers you are weighted with,

magna lvis commissa tibi has miserabilis Orphevs

magna luis commissa: tibi hās miserābilis Orpheus

you’re paying for a grievous offence. For it is Orpheus, the pitiful,

havdqvaqvam ob meritvm poenas ni fata resistant

haudquāquam ob meritum pœnās, nī fāta resistant,

who is handing down this punishment, by no means as much as you deserve,

svscitat et rapta graviter pro conivge saevit

suscitat et raptā graviter prō conjuge sævit.

had fate not stood in the way, for his bitter rage about his bride’s abduction.

Illa qvidem dvm te fvgeret per flumina praeceps

Illa quidem, dum tē fugeret per flūmina præceps,

It’s true, in hasty flight from you, she failed to see –

immanem ante pedes hydrvm moritura pvella

immānem ante pedēs hydrum moritūra puella

doomed as she was – hiding in tall grass and right in front of her,

servantem ripas alta non vidit in herba

servantem rīpās altā nōn vīdit in herbā.

the seven-headed serpent, a sentry on the river bank.

At chorvs aeqvalis Dryadvm clamore svpremos

At chorus æquālis Dryadum clāmōre suprēmōs

Then the chorus of her peers, the Dryads, filled the mountaintops with their lament,

implervnt montes flervnt Rhodopeiae arces

implērunt montēs; flērunt Rhodopēiæ arcēs

the heights of Rhodope cried out, too, in mourning,

altaqve Pangaea et Rhesi mavortia tellvs

altaque Pangæa et Rhēsī māvortia tellus

as did lofty Pangaea, and the land of warring Rhesus,

atqve Getae atqve Hebrvs et Actias Orithyia

atque Getæ atque Hebrus et Actias Ōrīthyia.

and the Getae, the river Hebrus and the princess Orithyia.

Ipse cava solans aegrvm testudine amorem

Ipse cavā sōlāns ægrum testūdine amōrem

Heartsick and sore, Orpheus sought consolation on his lyre,

te dvlcis conivnx te solo in litore secvm

tē, dulcis conjunx, tē sōlō in lītore sēcum,

a hollowed tortoiseshell. Of you, sweet wife, of you, he sang his sorry song,

te veniente die te decedente canebat

tē veniente diē, tē dēcēdente canēbat.

all lonesome on the shore, at dawning of the day, of you, at day’s decline, of you.

Taenarias etiam favces alta ostia Ditis

Tænariās etiam faucēs, alta ōstia Dītis,

He risked even the gorge of Tænarus, the towering portals of the underworld,

et caligantem nigra formidine lucvm

et cālīgantem nigrā formīdine lūcum

and the abode of spirits where darkness reigns like a dismal fog;

ingressvs manesqve adiit regemqve tremendvm

ingressus mānēsque adiit rēgemque tremendum

these he passed through to approach the shades and their scaresome lord,

nesciaqve humanis precibvs mansvescere corda

nesciaque hūmānīs precibus mānsuēscere corda.

those hearts that don’t know how to be swayed by human pleas for prayers.

At cantu commotae Erebi de sedibvs imis

At cantū commōtæ Erebī dē sēdibus īmīs

But, unsettled by his singing, from the nether reach of Hell,

vmbrae ibant tenves simvlacraqve luce carentvm

umbræ ībant tenuēs simulācraque lūce carentum,

came insubstantial phantoms, like those who have lived long away from light,

qvam mvlta in foliis avivm se milia condvnt

quam multa in foliīs avium sē mīlia condunt

teeming like the countless birds that lurk among the leaves

vesper vbi avt hibernvs agit de montibvs imber

vesper ubī aut hībernus agit dē montibus imber,

until, at evening time, winter rains herd them home from the hills,

matres atqve viri defvnctaqve corpora vita

mātrēs atque virī dēfunctaque corpora vītā

mothers and men, the build of once big-hearted heroes,

magnanimvm herovm pveri innvptaeqve pvellae

magnanimum hērōum, puerī innuptæque puellæ,

now dead and done with; boys, too, and unwed girls,

impositiqve rogis ivvenes ante ora parentvm

impositīque rogīs juvenēs ante ōra parentum,

and youths borne on their funeral pyres before their parents’ eyes –

qvos circvm limvs niger et deformis harvndo

quōs circum līmus niger et dēfōrmis harundō

around whom lay the clabber, and disfigured reed beds by Cocytus, that kept them

Cocyti tardaqve palus inamabilis vnda

Cōcȳtī tardaque palūs inamābilis unda

locked in, among stagnant pools and murky marshes,

alligat et noviens Styx interfusa coercet

alligat et noviēns Styx interfūsa coercet.

and the Styx’ nine coils that kept them prisoner.

Qvin ipsae stvpvere domus atqve intima Leti

Quīn ipsæ stupuēre domūs atque intima Lētī

Instead they froze, spellbound, Death’s inner rooms and depths of Tartarus,

tartara caervleosqve implexae crinibvs angves

tartara cæruleōsque implexæ crīnibus anguēs

the Furies, too, their hair a knot of writhing snakes,

Evmenides tenvitqve inhians tria Cerbervs ora

Eumenidēs, tenuitque inhiāns tria Cerberus ōra

and gawking Cerberus stopped in his tracks, his three mouths open wide,

atqve Ixionii vento rota constitit orbis

atque Ixīoniī ventō rota cōnstitit orbis.

and Ixion’s wheel, wind-propelled, settled to a standstill.

Iamqve pedem referens casus evaserat omnes

Jamque pedem referēns cāsūs ēvāserat omnēs;

And now, on his way home, he had avoided every pitfall,

redditaqve Evrydice svperas veniebat ad avras

redditaque Eurydicē superās veniēbat ad aurās,

and Eurydice, restored to him and trailing close behind (as Proserpina

pone seqvens namqve hanc dederat Proserpina legem

pōne sequēns, namque hanc dederat Prōserpina lēgem,

had decreed), was emerging into heaven’s atmosphere

cvm svbita incavtvm dementia cepit amantem

cum subita incautum dēmentia cēpit amantem,

when a stroke of madness caught him, who loved her, off his guard –

ignoscenda qvidem scirent si ignoscere manes

īgnōscenda quidem, scīrent sī īgnōscere mānēs.

a pardonable offence, you’d think, if the Dead knew how to pardon.

Restitit Evrydicenqve svam iam luce svb ipsa

Restitit Eurydicēnque suam jam lūce sub ipsā

He stopped, and for a moment wasn’t thinking – no! –

immemor hev victvsqve animi respexit Ibi omnis

immemor heu! victusque animī respexit. Ibi omnis

Eurydice was his again and on the brink of light, and who knows what possessed him

effusvs labor atqve immitis rvpta tyranni

effūsus labor atque immītis rupta tyrannī

but he turned back to look. Like that, his efforts were undone, and the pacts he’d entered

foedera terqve fragor stagnis avditvs Avernis

fœdera, terque fragor stagnīs audītus Avernīs.

with that tyrant had dissolved. Three peals of thunder clapped across that paludal hell.

Illa “Qvis et me inqvit miseram et te perdidit Orphev

Illa : “Quis et mē, inquit, miseram et tē perdidit, Orpheu,

“What,” she cried, “what wretched luck has ruined me – and you, O Orpheus,

qvis tantvs fvror En itervm crudelia retro

quis tantus furor? Ēn iterum crūdēlia retrō

what burning need? Look, cold-hearted fate is calling me

Fata vocant conditqve natantia lumina somnvs

Fāta vocant, conditque natantia lūmina somnus.

again; sleep draws its curtain on my brimming eyes.

Iamqve vale feror ingenti circvmdata nocte

Jamque valē: feror ingentī circumdata nocte

And so, farewell, I’m carried off in night’s immense embrace,

invalidasqve tibi tendens hev non tva palmas”

invalidāsque tibī tendēns, heu nōn tua, palmās!”

and now reach out my hands to you in vain – for I am yours no more.”

dixit et ex ocvlis svbito cev fumvs in avras

dīxit et ex oculīs subitō, ceu fūmus in aurās

So she spoke, and suddenly, like wisps of smoke, she vanished

commixtvs tenves fugit diversa neqve illvm

commixtus tenuēs, fūgit dīversa, neque illum,

in thin air. She watched him for the final time, while he,

prensantem neqviqvam vmbras et mvlta volentem

prēnsantem nēquīquam umbrās et multa volentem

with so much still to say, attempted to cling on to shadows.

dicere praeterea vidit nec portitor Orci

dīcere, prætereā vīdit, nec portitor Orcī

No longer would the ferryman permit him cross

amplivs obiectam passvs transire paludem

amplius objectam passus trānsīre palūdem.

the marshy pool that lay between them.

Qvid faceret Qvo se rapta bis conivge ferret

Quid faceret? Quō sē raptā bis conjuge ferret?

What was left for him to do? Where could he turn, his wife now taken

Qvo fletu Manis qvae numina voce moveret

Quō flētū Mānīs, quæ nūmina vōce movēret?

twice from him? Would any wailing move the shades – or please the gods?

Illa qvidem Stygia nabat iam frigida cvmba

Illa quidem Stygiā nābat jam frīgida cumbā.

Already she was making her stiff way across the Styx.

Septem illvm totos perhibent ex ordine menses

Septem illum tōtōs perhibent ex ōrdine mēnsēs

For seven whole long months, they say, one following the other,

rupe svb aeria deserti ad Strymonis vndam

rūpe sub āeriā dēsertī ad Strȳmonis undam

he slumped in mourning, alone beneath a towering cliff, by the waterside of Strymon,

flesse sibi et gelidis haec evolvisse svb antris

flēsse sibi et gelidīs hæc ēvolvisse sub antrīs

expounding under frozen stars his broken-hearted threnody

mvlcentem tigres et agentem carmine qvercus

mulcentem tigrēs et agentem carmine quercūs;

to the delight of tigers, and even drew the oak to him with his style of singing,

qvalis popvlea maerens philomela svb vmbra

quālis pōpuleā mærēns philomēla sub umbrā

just as a nightingale will sorrow under poplar shade

amissos qveritvr fetus qvos durvs arator

āmissōs queritur fētūs, quōs dūrus arātor

for her lost brood which some brute ploughboy spotted

observans nido implumes detraxit at illa

observāns nīdō implūmēs dētraxit; at illa

and pilfered from the nest, though it was not yet fledged.

flet noctem ramoqve sedens miserabile carmen

flet noctem rāmōque sedēns miserābile carmen

That bird still weeps by night and, perched in a tree, repeats

integrat et maestis late loca qvestibvs implet

integrat et mæstīs lātē loca questibus implet.

her plaintive keen, filling far and wide with the ache of her heartbreak.

Nulla Venvs non ulli animvm flexere hymenaei

Nūlla Venus, nōn ūllī animum flexēre hymenæī.

No thought of love, or marriage, could distract him.

Solvs Hyperboreas glacies Tanaimqve nivalem

Sōlus Hyperboreās glaciēs Tanaimque nivālem

Disconsolate, through icefields of the north, the snow-kissed river Tanais,

arvaqve Riphaeis nvmqvam vidvata prvinis

arvaque Rīphæīs numquam viduāta pruīnīs

and the Riphaean range whose peaks are never free from frost,

lustrabat raptam Evrydicen atqve inrita Ditis

lūstrābat raptam Eurydicēn atque inrita Dītis

he drifted, lamenting lost Eurydice and Pluto’s broken boon.

dona qverens spretae Ciconvm qvo munere matres

dōna querēns; sprētæ Ciconum quō mūnere mātrēs

But the bacchantes thought themselves scorned by such devotion

inter sacra devm noctvrniqve orgia Bacchi

inter sacra deum nocturnīque orgia Bacchī

and, one night of rites and revelling,

discerptvm latos ivvenem sparsere per agros

discerptum lātōs juvenem sparsēre per agrōs.

tore him apart, this youth, and broadcast the pieces through the land.

Tvm qvoqve marmorea capvt a cervice revvlsvm

Tum quoque marmoreā caput ā cervīce revulsum

Even then, sundered from a neck as pale as marble

gvrgite cvm medio portans OEagrivs Hebrvs

gurgite cum mediō portāns Œagrius Hebrus

and carried in the current down the Hebrus,

volveret “Evrydicen” vox ipsa et frigida lingva

volveret, “Eurydicēn” vōx ipsa et frīgida lingua

that voice, that stone-cold tongue, continued to cry out,

“Ah miseram Evrydicen” anima fvgiente vocabat

“Āh miseram Eurydicēn!” animā fugiente vocābat:

“Eurydice, O poor Eurydice”, as its life’s blood drained out of it

“Evrydicen” toto referebant flumine ripae

“Eurydicēn” tōtō referēbant flūmine rīpæ.

and the river banks repeated that “Eurydice”, a dolorous refrain.