§4.486redditaque Eurydice superas veniebat ad auras, §4.487pone sequens, namque hanc dederat Proserpina legem, §4.488cum subita incautum dementia cepit amantem, §4.489ignoscenda quidem, scirent si ignoscere manes.
and Eurydice, having been restored, was coming to the upper air, following behind, for Proserpina had given this law, when a sudden madness seized the careless lover, forgivable indeed, if only the shades knew how to forgive.
He stopped and looked back at his own Eurydice, already just beneath the light itself, forgetful, alas! and overcome in his mind.
Ibi omnis §4.492effusus labor atque immitis rupta tyranni §4.493foedera, terque fragor stagnis auditus Avernis.
There, all his labor was wasted, and the treaty of the harsh tyrant was broken, and three times a crash was heard from the Avernian marshes.
§4.494Illa, “Quis et me,” inquit, “miseram et te perdidit, Orpheu,
She spoke: "What madness has ruined both wretched me and you, Orpheus?
§4.495quis tantus furor? En iterum crudelia retro §4.496Fata vocant, conditque natantia lumina somnus.
What great madness is this? Look, once more the cruel fates call me back, and sleep closes my swimming eyes.
§4.497Iamque vale: feror ingenti circumdata nocte §4.498invalidasque tibi tendens, heu non tua, palmas!” §4.499dixit et ex oculis subito, ceu fumus in auras §4.500commixtus tenues, fugit diversa, neque illum, §4.501prensantem nequiquam umbras et multa volentem §4.502dicere, praeterea vidit, nec portitor Orci §4.503amplius obiectam passus transire paludem.
And now farewell: I am carried away, enveloped in vast night, and stretching out my helpless hands to you—alas, no longer yours!" She spoke and suddenly fled in the opposite direction from his eyes, like smoke mixed into thin air, nor did she see him anymore, clutching at the shadows in vain and wishing to say many things; nor did the ferryman of Orcus allow him to cross the opposing marsh any further.
§4.504Quid faceret? Quo se rapta bis coniuge ferret?
What was he to do? Whither was he to betake himself, his wife twice snatched away?
§4.505Quo fletu Manis, quae numina voce moveret?
With what weeping could he move the shades, with what voice the gods?
§4.506Illa quidem Stygia nabat iam frigida cumba.
She indeed was already floating, cold, in the Stygian boat.
§4.507Septem illum totos perhibent ex ordine menses §4.508rupe sub aeria deserti ad Strymonis undam §4.509flesse sibi et gelidis haec evolvisse sub antris §4.510mulcentem tigres et agentem carmine quercus; §4.511qualis populea maerens philomela sub umbra §4.512amissos queritur fetus, quos durus arator §4.513observans nido implumes detraxit; at illa §4.514flet noctem ramoque sedens miserabile carmen §4.515integrat et maestis late loca questibus implet.
They say that he, for seven whole months in succession, beneath a towering cliff by the waters of the deserted Strymon, wept to himself and unfolded these songs in icy caves, soothing tigers and leading oak trees with his song; just as the mourning nightingale under the poplar shade laments her lost brood, which a heartless ploughman spying in the nest has dragged away featherless; but she weeps all night, and sitting on a branch, repeats her mournful song, and fills the place far and wide with her sad complaints.
§4.516Nulla Venus, non ulli animum flexere hymenaei.
No love, no wedding songs could bend his mind.
§4.517Solus Hyperboreas glacies Tanaimque nivalem §4.518arvaque Rhipaeis numquam viduata pruinis §4.519lustrabat raptam Eurydicen atque inrita Ditis §4.520dona querens; spretae Ciconum quo munere matres §4.521inter sacra deum nocturnique orgia Bacchi §4.522discerptum latos iuvenem sparsere per agros.
Alone he traversed the Hyperborean ice and snowy Tanais, and the fields never free from the frosts of the Rhipaean mountains, mourning his snatched Eurydice and the useless gift of Dis; the mothers of the Cicones, feeling spurned by this devotion, amidst the sacred rites of the gods and the nocturnal orgies of Bacchus, tore the youth apart and scattered him far over the wide fields.
§4.523Tum quoque marmorea caput a cervice revulsum §4.524gurgite cum medio portans Oeagrius Hebrus §4.525volveret, Eurydicen vox ipsa et frigida lingua §4.526“ah miseram Eurydicen!” anima fugiente vocabat: §4.527“Eurydicen” toto referebant flumine ripae. ”
Even then, while the Oeagrian Hebrus rolled his head, torn from his marble-like neck, in the midst of its whirlpool, his voice itself and his cold tongue, as his soul was fleeing, kept calling: "Ah, wretched Eurydice!" "Eurydice," the banks re-echoed all along the river.
§4.528Haec Proteus, et se iactu dedit aequor in altum, §4.529quaque dedit, spumantem undam sub vertice torsit.
Thus Proteus spoke, and threw himself with a leap into the deep sea, and where he threw himself, he spun the foaming wave under the whirlpool.
But Cyrene did not; for she went out of her way to speak to her frightened son: "My son, you may lay aside these sad cares from your mind.
§4.532Haec omnis morbi causa; hinc miserabile Nymphae, §4.533cum quibus illa choros lucis agitabat in altis, §4.534exitium misere apibus.
This is the whole cause of the sickness; hence the Nymphs, with whom she used to lead dances in the deep groves, sent destruction to your bees.
Tu munera supplex §4.535tende petens pacem et faciles venerare Napaeas; §4.536namque dabunt veniam votis irasque remittent.
You, as a suppliant, stretch out gifts seeking peace, and worship the gentle Nymphs of the valley; for they will grant pardon to your prayers and remit their anger.
§4.537Sed modus orandi qui sit, prius ordine dicam.
But what the manner of praying is, I will first tell you in order.
§4.538Quattuor eximios praestanti corpore tauros, §4.539qui tibi nunc viridis depascunt summa Lycaei, §4.540delige et intacta totidem cervice iuvencas.
Choose four outstanding bulls of excellent body, which now graze for you on the summits of green Lycaeus, and as many heifers with untouched neck.
§4.541Quattuor his aras alta ad delubra dearum §4.542constitue et sacrum iugulis demitte cruorem, §4.543corporaque ipsa boum frondoso desere luco.
Set up four altars for these near the high shrines of the goddesses, and let the sacred blood flow from their throats, and leave the bodies of the cattle themselves in the leafy grove.
§4.544Post, ubi nona suos Aurora ostenderit ortus, §4.545inferias Orphei Lethaea papavera mittes §4.546et nigram mactabis ovem lucumque revises: §4.547placatam Eurydicen vitula venerabere caesa. ” §4.548Haud mora; continuo matris praecepta facessit; §4.549ad delubra venit, monstratas excitat aras, §4.550quattuor eximios praestanti corpore tauros §4.551ducit et intacta totidem cervice iuvencas.
Afterwards, when the ninth Dawn has shown her rising, you will send Lethean poppies as funeral offerings to Orpheus, and slaughter a black sheep, and revisit the grove: you will worship appeased Eurydice with a slain heifer." There was no delay; immediately he performs his mother's commands; he comes to the shrines, sets up the pointed altars, leads four outstanding bulls of excellent body, and as many heifers with untouched neck.
Afterwards, when the ninth Dawn had brought her rising, he sends the funeral offerings to Orpheus and revisits the grove.
§4.554Hic vero subitum ac dictu mirabile monstrum §4.555adspiciunt, liquefacta boum per viscera toto §4.556stridere apes utero et ruptis effervere costis, §4.557immensasque trahi nubes, iamque arbore summa §4.558confluere et lentis uvam demittere ramis.
Here indeed they behold a sudden portent, wonderful to tell, that throughout the liquefied entrails of the oxen bees are buzzing within the whole belly, and swarming from the broken ribs, and huge clouds are trailing, and already at the top of a tree they are clustering and hanging like a bunch of grapes from the pliant branches.
§4.559Haec super arvorum cultu pecorumque canebam §4.560et super arboribus, Caesar dum magnus ad altum §4.561fulminat Euphraten bello victorque volentes §4.562per populos dat iura viamque adfectat Olympo.
These things I sang concerning the cultivation of fields and flocks, and concerning trees, while great Caesar thunders in war by deep Euphrates and, as victor, gives laws through willing nations and affects the path to Olympus.
§4.563Illo Vergilium me tempore dulcis alebat §4.564Parthenope studiis florentem ignobilis oti, §4.565carmina qui lusi pastorum audaxque iuventa, §4.566Tityre, te patulae cecini sub tegmine fagi.
At that time, sweet Parthenope nurtured me, Vergil, flourishing in the studies of ignoble leisure, who played with the songs of shepherds and, bold in youth, Tityrus, sang of you under the canopy of a spreading beech.