What lacks alternate rest is not durable; this restores strength and renews weary limbs.
The bow — and the weapons of your Diana must be imitated by you — if you never cease to stretch it, will become soft.
§4.93Clarus erat silvis Cephalus, multaeque per herbas §4.94Conciderant illo percutiente ferae; §4.95Nec tamen Aurorae male se praebebat amandum.
Cephalus was famous in the forests, and many wild beasts had fallen on the grass with him striking them; yet he did not offer himself ill-to-be-loved to Aurora.
§4.96Ibat ad hunc sapiens a sene diva viro.
The wise goddess went to him from her old husband.
Often under the holm-oaks, any grass whatsoever sustained the two placed there — Venus and the son of Cinyras.
The son of Oeneus also burned for Maenalian Atalanta; she has the spoil of the beast as a pledge of love.
§4.101Nos quoque quam primum turba numeremur in ista!
Let us also be numbered in that crowd as soon as possible!
§4.102Si Venerem tollas, rustica silva tua est.
If you take away Venus, your forest is a mere wilderness.
I myself will come as your companion, nor will the rocky caves move me, nor the boar to be feared for its oblique tusk.
Two seas attack the isthmus with their waves, and the narrow land hears both seas.
Here with you I shall inhabit Troezen, the realms of Pittheus; even now that land is dearer to me than my own country.
The Neptunian hero is absent at an opportune time, and will be absent long; the region of his dear Pirithous detains him.
Theseus preferred — unless indeed we deny the obvious — Pirithous to Phaedra, and Pirithous to you.
Nor did this injury alone come to us from him; we have both been hurt in great matters.
The bones of my brother, shattered with his three-knotted club, he scattered on the ground; my sister was left as prey to wild beasts.
§4.117Prima securigeras inter virtute puellas §4.118Te peperit, nati digna vigore parens; §4.119Si quaeras, ubi sit — Theseus latus ense peregit, §4.120Nec tanto mater pignore tuta fuit.
The first in valor among the axe-bearing girls bore you, a parent worthy of the vigor of her son; if you ask where she is — Theseus pierced her side with his sword, nor was the mother safe with so great a pledge.
And indeed she was not even married with the bridal torch — why, except lest you, a bastard, should inherit your father's kingdom?
He also added brothers to you from me, whom all, however, not I but he was the cause of rearing.
O would that, most beautiful of things, my womb, destined to hurt you, had ruptured in the very midst of labor!
Go now, revere the bed of a father who has deserved thus — whom he himself flees and abdicates by his own deeds!
Nor, because I might seem as a stepmother to go to bed with a stepson, let vain names terrify your mind.
That old-fashioned piety, destined to die in a future age, was rustic even when Saturn held his realms.
Jupiter decreed that whatever pleased should be pious, and a sister married to her brother makes everything lawful.
That bond of race comes together in a firm chain, upon which Venus herself imposed her knots.
§4.137Nec labor est celare, licet peccemus, amorem.
Nor is it a labor to conceal our love, although we sin.
§4.138Cognato poterit nomine culpa tegi.
The fault will be able to be covered under a family name.
I shall be called a faithful stepmother to my stepson.
§4.141Non tibi per tenebras duri reseranda mariti §4.142Ianua, non custos decipiendus erit; §4.143Ut tenuit domus una duos, domus una tenebit; §4.144Oscula aperta dabas, oscula aperta dabis; §4.145Tutus eris mecum laudemque merebere culpa, §4.146Tu licet in lecto conspiciare meo.
No door of a harsh husband will have to be unlocked by you through the darkness, no guard will have to be deceived; as one house held the two of us, one house will hold us; you used to give open kisses, you will give open kisses; you will be safe with me and will earn praise by your fault, even though you may be seen in my bed.
§4.147Tolle moras tantum properataque foedera iunge — §4.148Qui mihi nunc saevit, sic tibi parcat Amor!
Only remove delays and join the hastened pacts — so may Love, who now rages against me, spare you!
§4.149Non ego dedignor supplex humilisque precari.
I do not disdain to pray as a humble suppliant.
§4.150Heu! ubi nunc fastus altaque verba iacent?
Alas! Where do my pride and lofty words lie now?
§4.151Et pugnare diu nec me submittere culpae §4.152Certa fui — certi siquid haberet amor; §4.153Victa precor genibusque tuis regalia tendo
I was resolved to fight long and not submit myself to guilt — if only love had anything certain; conquered, I pray, and stretch out my royal arms to your knees!
§4.154Bracchia! quid deceat, non videt ullus amans.
No lover sees what is fitting.
§4.155Depudui, profugusque pudor sua signa reliquit.
I have lost all shame, and fleeing shame has left its standards.
§4.156Da veniam fasse duraque corda doma!
Forgive me who have confessed, and tame your hard heart!
§4.157Quod mihi sit genitor, qui possidet aequora, Minos, §4.158Quod veniant proavi fulmina torta manu, §4.159Quod sit avus radiis frontem vallatus acutis, §4.160Purpureo tepidum qui movet axe diem — §4.161Nobilitas sub amore iacet! miserere priorum
Though my father is Minos, who rules the seas, though there come thunderbolts twisted by the hand of my great-grandfather, though my grandfather is girt about his brow with sharp rays, who moves the warm day on his purple axle — my nobility lies prostrate under love!
§4.162Et, mihi si non vis parcere, parce meis!
Pity my ancestors, and if you do not wish to spare me, spare mine!
I have as dowry the island of Jupiter, Crete — let my whole palace serve my Hippolytus!
§4.165Flecte, ferox, animos! potuit corrumpere taurum
Bend your mind, fierce one!
§4.166Mater; eris tauro saevior ipse truci?
My mother was able to seduce a bull; will you be wilder than a savage bull yourself?
§4.167Per Venerem, parcas, oro, quae plurima mecum est!
By Venus, I pray, spare me, she who is present with me in abundance!
§4.168Sic numquam, quae te spernere possit, ames; §4.169Sic tibi secretis agilis dea saltibus adsit, §4.170Silvaque perdendas praebeat alta feras; §4.171Sic faveant Satyri montanaque numina Panes, §4.172Et cadat adversa cuspide fossus aper; §4.173Sic tibi dent Nymphae, quamvis odisse puellas §4.174Diceris, arentem quae levet unda sitim!
So may you never love one who can reject you; so may the agile goddess be present to you in secret glades, and may the deep forest offer wild beasts to be destroyed; so may the Satyrs and the mountain deities, the Pans, favor you, and may the boar fall pierced by your opposing spear-point; so may the Nymphs give you, although you are said to hate girls, water which may relieve your parched thirst!