Surrender to Cupid and the Vision of His Triumph — Ovid, The Loves Book 1 (1.2.1–1.2.52), Latin & English

Esse quid hoc dicam, quod tam mihi dura videntur

What should I say this is, that my bedding seems so hard to me,

Strata, neque in lecto pallia nostra sedent,

and our blankets do not stay in place on the bed,

Et vacuus somno noctem, quam longa,¹ peregi,

and, empty of sleep, I have passed the night, as long as it was,

Lassaque versati corporis ossa dolent?

and the weary bones of my tossed body ache?

Nam, puto, sentirem, siquo² temptarer amore.

For, I think, I would feel it if I were being assailed by any love.

An subit et tecta callidus arte nocet?

Or does it steal in, and craftily do harm with hidden art?

Sic erit; haeserunt tenues in corde sagittae,

So it must be; the slender arrows have clung in my heart,

Et possessa ferus pectora versat Amor.

and fierce Love torments the breast he has possessed.

Cedimus, an³ subitum luctando accendimus ignem?

Do we yield, or do we kindle the sudden fire by struggling?

Cedamus! leve fit, quod bene fertur, onus.

Let us yield! The burden becomes light which is borne well.

Vidi ego iactatas mota face crescere flammas

I have seen tossed flames grow when the torch is shaken,

Et rursus nullo concutiente mori.

and die down again when no one shakes them.

Verbera plura ferunt, quam quos⁴ iuvat usus aratri,

Oxen that refuse their first yokes when caught bear more blows

Detractant prensi dum iuga prima boves.

than those who are pleased by the use of the plow.

Asper equus duris contunditur ora lupatis,

The wild horse has its mouth bruised by the hard jagged bits;

Frena minus sentit, quisquis ad arma facit.

whichever one adapts to harness feels the reins less.

Acrius invitos multoque ferocius urget

Love urges those who are unwilling more sharply and far more fiercely

Quam qui servitium ferre fatentur Amor.

than those who confess they bear their servitude.

En ego confiteor! tua sum nova praeda, Cupido;

Lo, I confess! I am your new prey, O Cupid;

Porrigimus victas ad tua iura manus.

I stretch out my conquered hands to your laws.

Nil opus est bello — veniam pacemque rogamus;

There is no need for war — I ask for pardon and peace;

Nec tibi laus armis victus inermis ero.

nor will I, conquered and unarmed, be a praise to your arms.

Necte comam myrto, maternas iunge columbas;

Bind your hair with myrtle, yoke your mother’s doves;

Qui deceat, currum vitricus ipse dabit,

your stepfather himself will give you a chariot which is fitting,

Inque dato curru, populo clamante triumphum,

and in the given chariot, with the people shouting “triumph!”,

Stabis et adiunctas arte movebis aves.

you will stand and skillfully guide the yoked birds.

Ducentur capti iuvenes captaeque puellae;

Captured youths and captured girls will be led;

Haec tibi magnificus pompa triumphus erit.

this procession will be a magnificent triumph for you.

Ipse ego, praeda recens, factum modo vulnus habebo

I myself, a fresh prey, will bear my recently made wound

Et nova captiva vincula mente feram.

and carry new chains with a captive mind.

Mens Bona ducetur manibus post terga retortis,

Good Sense will be led with her hands twisted behind her back,

Et Pudor, et castris quidquid Amoris obest.

and Shame, and whatever stands in the way of Love’s camp.

Omnia te metuent; ad te sua bracchia tendens

All things will fear you; stretching out their arms to you,

Vulgus 'io' magna voce 'triumphe!' canet.

the crowd will sing “Io triumphe!” with a loud voice.

Blanditiae comites tibi erunt Errorque Furorque,

Flatteries will be your companions, and Error, and Madness,

Adsidue partes turba secuta tuas.

a crowd that has constantly followed your party.

His tu militibus superas hominesque deosque;

With these soldiers you overcome both men and gods;

Haec tibi si demas commoda, nudus eris.

if you should strip yourself of these advantages, you will be naked.

Laeta triumphanti de summo mater Olympo

Your glad mother from the highest Olympus will applaud you

Plaudet et adpositas sparget in ora rosas.

as you triumph, and scatter roses provided onto your face.

Tu pinnas gemma, gemma variante capillos

You, with gems decorating your wings and gems variegating your hair,

Ibis in auratis aureus ipse rotis.

will go, golden yourself, on golden wheels.

Tunc quoque non paucos, si te bene novimus, ures;

Then too, if we know you well, you will burn not a few;

Tunc quoque praeteriens vulnera multa dabis.

then too, in passing, you will deal many wounds.

Non possunt, licet ipse velis,⁵ cessare sagittae;

Your arrows cannot rest, even though you yourself should wish it;

Fervida vicino flamma vapore nocet.

your scorching flame does harm with its nearby heat.

Talis erat domita Bacchus Gangetide terra;

Such was Bacchus when the land of the Ganges was tamed;

Tu gravis alitibus, tigribus ille fuit.

you are formidable to birds, he was to tigers.

Ergo cum possim sacri pars esse triumphi,

Therefore, since I can be a part of your sacred triumph,

Parce tuas in me perdere, victor, opes!

spare, O victor, to waste your powers against me!

Adspice cognati felicia Caesaris arma —

Look at the fortunate arms of your kinsman Caesar —

Qua vicit, victos protegit ille manu.

with the hand by which he conquered, he protects the conquered.

Syntax notes5 items

1.2.3quam longa
An idiomatic relative or exclamatory insert qualifying noctem. It functions like tam longam quam longa est ("as long as it is"), emphasizing the endlessness of the night.
1.2.5siquo
A combination of the conjunction si and the indefinite pronoun quo (ablative of quis modifying amore). After si, the prefix ali- of aliquo is regularly dropped.
1.2.9Cedimus, an...
The present indicative is used here in a deliberative question ("Are we to yield, or...?"). While the subjunctive is standard for deliberation in classical prose, the indicative is common in poetry and colloquial speech, contrasting sharply with the subsequent hortatory subjunctive Cedamus!.
1.2.13Verbera plura ferunt, quam quos...
Clarification of the syntax. The subject of ferunt is boves (from line 14). In quam quos..., quos is a relative pronoun whose antecedent (e.g. eos boves) is omitted, resulting in the comparison: "[Those oxen] bear more blows than those whom the use of the plow pleases."
1.2.45licet ipse velis
The verb licet is used here as a concessive conjunction, taking the present subjunctive velis to form a concessive clause ("although/even if you yourself should wish it").

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-22) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-09-21)

2026-09-21 AI review — translation 1

urn:cts:latinLit:phi0959.phi001.humanitext-lat2:1.2.1-1.2.52