Prayer to Isis to Save Corinna After an Abortion — Ovid, The Loves Book 2 (2.13.1–2.13.28), Latin & English

Dum labefactat onus gravidi temeraria ventris,

While rashly she undermines the burden of her pregnant womb,

In dubio vitae lassa Corinna iacet.

weary Corinna lies in danger of her life.

Illa quidem clam me tantum molita pericli¹

She indeed, having attempted so great a danger secretly from me,

Ira digna mea; sed cadit ira metu.

is worthy of my anger; but my anger subsides through fear.

Sed tamen aut ex me conceperat — aut ego credo;

But yet, either she had conceived from me—or so I believe;

Est mihi pro facto saepe, quod esse potest.

to me, what can be is often as a fact.

Isi, Paraetonium genialiaque arva Canopi

Isis, you who inhabit Paraetonium and the genial fields of Canopus,

Quae colis et Memphin palmiferamque Pharon,

and Memphis, and palm-bearing Pharos,

Quaque celer Nilus lato delapsus in alveo

and where the swift Nile, gliding down in its wide bed,

Per septem portus in maris exit aquas,

goes out into the waters of the sea through seven mouths,

Per tua sistra precor, per Anubidis ora verendi —

by your sistrums I pray, by the face of revered Anubis—

Sic tua sacra pius semper Osiris amet,²

so may pious Osiris always love your sacred rites,

Pigraque labatur circa donaria serpens,

and may the sluggish serpent glide around the altar-offerings,

Et comes in pompa corniger Apis eat!

and may horned Apis go as companion in the procession!—

Huc adhibe vultus, et in una parce duobus!³

hither turn your face, and in one spare two!

Nam vitam dominae tu dabis, illa mihi.

For you will give life to my mistress, and she to me.

Saepe tibi sedit certis operata diebus,

Often she sat, occupied in your service on fixed days,

Qua cingit laurus Gallica turma tuas.

where the Gallic troop surrounds your laurels.

Tuque laborantes utero miserata puellas,

And you, having pitied girls laboring with the womb,

Quarum tarda latens corpora tendit onus,

whose slow bodies the hidden burden distends,

Lenis ades precibusque meis fave, Ilithyia!

be present gently and favor my prayers, Ilithyia!

Digna est, quam iubeas muneris esse tui.⁴

She is worthy for you to command her to be of your favor.

Ipse ego tura dabo fumosis candidus aris,

I myself, in white, will give incense to the smoking altars,

Ipse feram ante tuos munera vota pedes.

I myself will bring the promised gifts before your feet.

Adiciam titulum: 'servata Naso Corinna!'

I will add the inscription: ‘Corinna saved, Naso [dedicated this]!’

Tu modo fac titulo muneribusque locum.

You only make a place for the inscription and the gifts.

Si tamen in tanto fas est monuisse timore,

If, however, in so great a fear it is lawful to have warned,

Hac tibi sit pugna dimicuisse satis!⁵

let it be enough for you to have fought in this battle!

Syntax notes5 items

2.13.3clam me tantum molita pericli
The adverb clam, functioning prepositionsly, takes the accusative me to mean 'secretly from me'. tantum acts as the object of molita [est], taking the partitive genitive pericli (a syncope of periculi) to mean 'so great a danger'. molita is a perfect participle of a deponent verb, here functioning as a finite verb with the omission of est.
2.13.12Sic tua sacra pius semper Osiris amet
A hortatory/optative subjunctive (amet) introduced by sic in a formulaic oath or prayer, meaning 'so may pious Osiris always love your sacred rites' (contingent on the goddess granting the prayer). The subjunctives labatur in line 13 and eat in line 14 share this same optative syntax.
2.13.15in una parce duobus
The feminine ablative singular una contextually refers to Corinna (domina), meaning 'in [saving] one woman'. The verb parcere governs the dative (duobus), meaning 'spare two'. As explained in the following line (16), saving Corinna is equivalent to saving the poet's own life, hence the 'two'.
2.13.22Digna est, quam iubeas muneris esse tui
The adjective digna is followed by a relative clause of characteristic/result with the subjunctive iubeas (dignus est qui + subjunctive), meaning 'she is worthy that you should command...'. Within this clause, muneris esse tui is a predicate genitive of possession or characteristic, meaning 'to be of your favor/charge'.
2.13.28Hac tibi sit pugna dimicuisse satis
The subject of the sentence is the perfect infinitive dimicuisse ('to have fought/finished fighting'). satis sit is a jussive/optative subjunctive meaning 'let it be enough'. tibi is a dative of reference ('for you'). hac pugna is an ablative of means or place ('in this battle'). This is the poet's warning address to Corinna, pleading that this dangerous ordeal (the abortion) be her last.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-22)urn:cts:latinLit:phi0959.phi001.humanitext-lat2:2.13.1-2.13.28