Humanitext Reader

Ovid · Sorrows §1.1.1-1.1.64

Instructions to the Book on Journeying to Rome

Passage 1 of 60 · Latin

Summary

Ovid personifies his book of poetry, instructing it to travel to Rome without him in a humble, unadorned state that reflects his exile. He laments his harsh exile and the difficulties of writing in distress, advising the book on how to behave among the Roman public.

§1.1.1Parve—nec invideo—sine me, liber, ibis in urbem, §1.1.2ei mihi, quod domino non licet ire tuo!
Little book—nor do I grudge it—you will go without me into the City, ah me, because your master is not allowed to go!
§1.1.3vade, sed incultus, qualem decet exulis esse §1.1.4infelix habitum temporis huius habe.
Go, but unadorned, as befits the book of an exile; wear the unhappy garb of this present time.
§1.1.5nec te purpureo velent vaccinia fuco— §1.1.6non est conveniens luctibus ille color— §1.1.7nec titulus minio, nec cedro charta notetur, §1.1.8candida nec nigra cornua fronte geras.
Let no blue-black vaccine-berries dye you with purple dye— that color is not suitable for mourning— let no title be marked with vermilion, nor paper with cedar-oil, nor bear white knobs on your black edges.
§1.1.9felices ornent haec instrumenta libellos; §1.1.10fortunae memorem te decet esse meae.
Let these decorations adorn happy books; it befits you to be mindful of my fortune.
§1.1.11nec fragili geminae poliantur pumice frontes, §1.1.12hirsutus sparsis ut videare comis, §1.1.13neve liturarum pudeat; qui viderit illas, §1.1.14de lacrimis factas sentiet esse meis.
Let your twin edges not be polished with fragile pumice, so that you may appear rough with scattered hair, nor be ashamed of blots; whoever sees them will feel they were made by my tears.
§1.1.15vade, liber, verbisque meis loca grata saluta: §1.1.16contingam certe quo licet illa pede.
Go, book, and greet the pleasant places with my words: I shall surely touch them with the only foot allowed to me.
§1.1.17siquis, ut in populo, nostri non inmemor illi, §1.1.18siquis, qui, quid agam, forte requirat, erit, §1.1.19vivere me dices, salvum tamen esse negabis; §1.1.20id quoque, quod vivam, munus habere dei.
If there is anyone there, as is common among the crowd, not unmindful of us, if there is anyone who by chance asks how I am doing, you will say that I live, yet you will deny that I am well; and that even this, that I live, is the gift of a god.
§1.1.21atque ita tu tacitus—quaerenti plura legendus — §1.1.22ne, quae non opus est, forte loquare, cave!
And so you, silent—to be read by him who asks for more— beware lest by chance you speak what is not necessary!
§1.1.23protinus admonitus repetet mea crimina lector, §1.1.24et peragar populi publicus ore reus.
At once, reminded, the reader will recall my charges, and I shall be prosecuted as a public criminal by the mouth of the people.
§1.1.25tu cave defendas, quamvis mordebere dictis; §1.1.26causa patrocinio non bona maior erit.
Beware of defending me, though you will be bitten by words; the cause, not being good, will become worse through patronage.
§1.1.27invenies aliquem, qui me suspiret ademptum, §1.1.28carmina nec siccis perlegat ista genis, §1.1.29et tacitus secum, ne quis malus audiat, optet, §1.1.30sit mea lenito Caesare poena levis.
You will find someone who sighs for me being snatched away, and reads these poems with cheeks not dry, and silently prays to himself, lest some malicious person hear, that my punishment may be lightened by a appeased Caesar.
§1.1.31nos quoque, quisquis erit, ne sit miser ille, precamur, §1.1.32placatos miseris qui volet esse deos, §1.1.33quaeque volet, rata sint, ablataque principis ira §1.1.34sedibus in patriis det mihi posse mori.
We also pray, whoever he may be, that he may not be unhappy, who wishes the gods to be appeased toward the miserable, and may what he wishes be fulfilled, and may the leader's anger be removed and allow me to be able to die in my native land.
§1.1.35ut peragas mandata, liber, culpabere forsan §1.1.36ingeniique minor laude ferere mei.
Though you carry out my commands, book, you will perhaps be blamed and be spoken of as inferior to the praise of my talent.
§1.1.37iudicis officium est ut res, ita tempora rerum §1.1.38quaerere, quaesito tempore tutus eris.
It is the judge's duty to inquire into the circumstances as well as the events; when the circumstances are inquired into, you will be safe.
§1.1.39carmina proveniunt animo deducta sereno; §1.1.40nubila sunt subitis tempora nostra malis,
Poems come forth drawn from a serene mind; my times are cloudy with sudden evils.
§1.1.41carmina secessum scribentis et otia quaerunt; §1.1.42me mare, me venti, me fera iactat hiems.
Poems seek the retirement and leisure of the writer; the sea, the winds, the fierce storm toss me about.
§1.1.43carminibus metus omnis obest; perditus ensem §1.1.44haesurum iugulo iam puto iamque meo.
Every fear is harmful to poetry; ruined, I think that a sword is even now about to pierce my throat.
§1.1.45haec quoque quod facio, iudex mirabitur aequus, §1.1.46scriptaque cum venia qualiacumque leget.
Even that I do this, a fair judge will wonder, and will read what is written, of whatever quality, with indulgence.
§1.1.47da mihi Maeoniden et tot circumice casus, §1.1.48ingenium tantis excidet omne malis.
Give me Homer and throw so many misfortunes around him, all his talent will fail in such great evils.
§1.1.49denique securus famae, liber, ire memento, §1.1.50nec tibi sit lecto displicuisse pudor.
In short, remember to go, book, unconcerned with fame, nor let it be a shame to you to have displeased when read.
§1.1.51non ita se nobis praebet Fortuna secundam, §1.1.52ut tibi sit ratio laudis habenda tuae.
Fortune does not offer herself so favorable to us, that you should have to take account of your praise.
§1.1.53donec eram sospes, tituli tangebar amore, §1.1.54quaerendique mihi nominis ardor erat.
As long as I was safe, I was touched by the love of glory, and there was in me an ardor for seeking a name.
§1.1.55carmina nunc si non studiumque, quod obfuit, odi, §1.1.56sit satis; ingenio sic fuga parta meo.
Now, if I do not hate poems and the study which harmed me, let it be enough; thus by my talent has exile been produced.
§1.1.57tu tamen i pro me, tu, cui licet, aspice Romam, §1.1.58di facerent, possem nunc meus esse liber!
Yet you go for me, you, to whom it is permitted, look upon Rome, would that the gods had granted that I could now be my own book!
§1.1.59nec te, quod venias magnam peregrinus in urbem, §1.1.60ignotum populo posse venire puta.
Do not think that because you come as a stranger into the great city, you can come unknown to the people.
§1.1.61ut titulo careas, ipso noscere colore §1.1.62dissimulare velis, te liquet esse meum,
Though you lack a title, you will be recognized by your very color; even if you should wish to disguise it, it is clear that you are mine.
§1.1.63clam tamen intrato, ne te mea carmina laedant; §1.1.64non sunt ut quondam plena favoris erant.
Enter secretly, however, lest my poems harm you; they are not as they once were, full of favor.

Notes

  1. §1.1.3qualem decet exulis esse — The verb decet is impersonal, and habitum is understood after exulis. The relative adjective qualem agrees with habitum. The phrase forms an accusative-and-infinitival structure meaning "such as it befits an exile's (garb) to be."
  2. §1.1.16pede — The word pede (ablative singular of pes) carries a double meaning characteristic of elegiac poetry: physical "foot" (Ovid himself cannot go to Rome) and metrical "foot" (the verses of the book go to Rome).
  3. §1.1.17ut in populo — The phrase ut in populo is an idiomatic limiting expression meaning "as is natural/common among a crowd," suggesting that among so many people in Rome, there will likely be at least someone who remembers the poet.
  4. §1.1.26causa patrocinio non bona maior erit — The noun patrocinio is an ablative of means or cause ("by defense/advocacy"). The adjective phrase non bona modifies causa (the cause, the case). The comparative maior means "greater" in the sense of more troublesome or severe, expressing that defending the case will only worsen it.
  5. §1.1.36ferere — The form ferere is an alternative form of fereris (second-person singular passive future indicative of fero). Here it is used in the sense of "you will be reported/said (to be)," governing the comparative adjective minor as a predicate nominative.
  6. §1.1.47da mihi Maeoniden — The imperatives da (from do) and circumice (from circumicio) function as a conditional clause: "Give me Homer and surround him with so many misfortunes (and his talent will fail)." This is a standard poetic way of expressing a hypothetical condition.
  7. §1.1.58di facerent — The verb facerent is in the imperfect subjunctive, expressing an unaccomplished wish in the present ("would that the gods were making it so"). It is followed directly by possem, also in the subjunctive, specifying the content of the wish.

Cite this passage

Ovid, Sorrows §1.1.1-1.1.64. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0959.phi008.humanitext-lat2:1.1.1-1.1.64

Please note the AI-draft status of the translation and the date accessed.

Translation, notes and summary are AI-generated drafts, revised through reader feedback.