Confession of Attraction to Every Kind of Woman — Ovid, The Loves Book 2 (2.4.1–2.4.48), Latin & English

Non ego mendosos ausim¹ defendere mores

I would not dare to defend my faulty morals,

Falsaque pro vitiis arma movere meis.

nor to move false arms on behalf of my vices.

Confiteor — siquid prodest delicta fateri;

I confess — if it is of any use to confess one’s sins;

In mea nunc demens crimina fassus eo.

now, mad, having confessed, I go to face my own charges.

Odi, nec possum, cupiens, non esse quod odi;²

I hate [it], yet, in my desire, I cannot not be what I hate;

Heu, quam quae studeas ponere ferre grave est!

alas, how heavy it is to bear what you strive to lay aside!

Nam desunt vires ad me mihi iusque regendum;

For strength and the right to govern myself are lacking to me;

Auferor ut rapida concita puppis aqua.

I am carried away like a ship driven by swift water.

Non est certa meos quae forma invitet amores —

There is no fixed beauty that invites my love —

Centum sunt causae, cur ego semper amem.

there are a hundred reasons why I am always in love.

Sive aliqua est oculos in humum deiecta³ modestos,

If some girl has her modest eyes cast down to the ground,

Uror, et insidiae sunt pudor ille meae;

I burn, and that modesty is my snare;

Sive procax aliqua est, capior, quia rustica non est,

or if some girl is forward, I am captured because she is not rustic,

Spemque dat in molli mobilis esse toro.

and she gives hope that she is active on the soft bed.

Aspera si visa est rigidasque imitata Sabinas,

If she seems harsh and imitating the rigid Sabine women,

Velle, sed ex alto dissimulare puto.

I think she wishes it, but dissembles from deep within.

Sive es docta, places raras dotata per artes;

Or if you are learned, you please, endowed with rare arts;

Sive rudis, placita es simplicitate tua.

or if unrefined, you please by your simplicity.

Est, quae Callimachi prae nostris rustica dicat

There is one who says that Callimachus’ poems are rustic compared to mine —

Carmina — cui placeo,⁴ protinus ipsa placet.

she whom I please immediately pleases me herself.

Est etiam, quae me vatem et mea carmina culpet —

There is also one who finds fault with me as a poet and with my poems —

Culpantis cupiam sustinuisse femur.

I would desire to support the thigh of her who finds fault.

Molliter incedit — motu capit; altera dura est —

One walks softly — she captivates by her movement; another is stiff —

At poterit tacto mollior esse viro.

but she will be able to be softer once a man has touched her.

Haec quia dulce canit flectitque facillima vocem,

Because this one sings sweetly and modulates her voice with greatest ease,

Oscula cantanti rapta dedisse velim;

I would wish to have given snatched kisses to her as she sings;

Haec querulas habili percurrit pollice chordas —

this one runs over the plaintive strings with a skillful thumb —

Tam doctas quis non possit amare manus?

who could not love such skilled hands?

Illa placet gestu numerosaque bracchia ducit

That one pleases by her gesture, and moves her arms in rhythm,

Et tenerum molli torquet ab arte latus —

and twists her tender side with soft art —

Ut taceam⁵ de me, qui causa tangor ab omni,

to say nothing of myself, who am touched by every cause,

Illic Hippolytum pone, Priapus erit!

put Hippolytus there, he will be a Priapus!

Tu, quia tam longa es, veteres heroidas aequas

You, because you are so tall, equal the ancient heroines,

Et potes in toto multa iacere toro.

and can lie taking up much space on the whole bed.

Haec habilis brevitate sua est. corrumpor utraque;

This one is handy in her shortness. I am seduced by both;

Conveniunt voto longa brevisque meo.

the tall and the short one both suit my desire.

Non est culta — subit, quid cultae accedere possit;

She is not well-dressed — it occurs to me what could be added if she were;

Ornata est — dotes exhibet ipsa suas.

she is adorned — she herself displays her own endowments.

Candida me capiet, capiet me flava puella,

A fair-skinned girl will captivate me, a blonde girl will captivate me,

Est etiam in fusco grata colore Venus.

there is also a pleasing Venus in a dark complexion.

Seu pendent nivea pulli cervice capilli,

Or if dark hair hangs from a snowy neck,

Leda fuit nigra conspicienda coma;

Leda was remarkable for her black hair;

Seu flavent, placuit croceis Aurora capillis.

or if they are golden, Aurora pleased with saffron hair.

Omnibus historiis se meus aptat amor.

My love adapts itself to all mythological stories.

Me nova sollicitat, me tangit serior aetas;

A young age arouses me, a later age touches me;

Haec melior, specie corporis illa placet.⁶

the latter is better, the former pleases by her physical appearance.

Denique quas tota quisquam probet urbe puellas,

In short, whatever girls anyone approves of in the whole city,

Noster in has omnis ambitiosus amor.

my ambitious love goes out to them all.

Syntax notes6 items

2.4.1ausim
'ausim' is an archaic/sigmatic perfect subjunctive of 'audeo' (to dare), used here in a potential sense ('I would dare') to express a cautious assertion.
2.4.5non esse quod odi
'non esse quod odi' is an infinitive clause dependent on 'nec possum', combined with 'non' to form a double negation ('I cannot not be what I hate'). The participle 'cupiens' (desiring) highlights the poet's internal conflict.
2.4.11deiecta
'deiecta' is the perfect passive participle of 'deicio' (to cast down), used here with a Greek accusative of respect ('oculos... modestos') to mean 'having cast down her modest eyes.'
2.4.20cui placeo
'cui placeo' consists of the relative pronoun 'cui' (dative with 'placeo') meaning 'the one to whom I am pleasing.' The subject of the main clause, 'ipsa', refers back to her ('she herself pleases [me]').
2.4.31Ut taceam
'Ut taceam' is a parenthetical clause of purpose using the present subjunctive, serving as a praeteritio ('to say nothing of...', 'so that I may remain silent about...').
2.4.46Haec melior, specie corporis illa placet
A contrast between the demonstrative pronouns 'haec' (the latter, i.e., the nearer 'serior aetas', mature age) and 'illa' (the former, i.e., the further 'nova aetas', young age). The mature woman is better ('melior' in experience/wit), while the young one pleases by physical beauty ('specie corporis').

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-22)urn:cts:latinLit:phi0959.phi001.humanitext-lat2:2.4.1-2.4.48