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Ovid · Sorrows §1.2.57-1.2.110

Prayer for Safe Passage to Tomis and Calming of the Storm

Passage 4 of 60 · Latin

Summary

Ovid entreats the gods of the sea to spare his life and allow him to reach his decreed place of exile, Tomis, arguing that his error was foolish rather than malicious. He invokes his loyalty to the imperial house, making a conditional vow which apparently leads to the sudden calming of the tempest.

§1.2.57fingite me dignum tali nece, non ego solus §1.2.58hic vehor.
Imagine me worthy of such a death, I am not the only one carried here.
inmeritos cur mea poena trahit?
Why does my punishment drag down the innocent?
§1.2.59pro superi viridesque dei, quibus aequora curae, §1.2.60utraque iam vestras sistite turba minas, §1.2.61quamque dedit vitam mitissima Caesaris ira, §1.2.62hanc sinite infelix in loca iussa feram,
O gods of heaven, and green gods, who have the seas in your care, both of your crowds, now stay your threats, and the life which the most gentle wrath of Caesar has granted, allow me, wretched, to carry it to the commanded places.
§1.2.63si quantam merui, poena me perdere vultis, §1.2.64culpa mea est ipso iudice morte minor.
Even if you wish to destroy me with a punishment as great as I deserved, my fault, even with Caesar himself as judge, is less than death.
§1.2.65mittere me Stygias si iam voluisset in undas §1.2.66Caesar, in hoc vestra non eguisset ope.
If Caesar had already wished to send me into the Stygian waters, he would not have needed your help in this.
§1.2.67est illi nostri non invidiosa cruoris §1.2.68copia; quodque dedit, cum volet, ipse feret,
He has a non-envious abundance of our blood; and what he gave, he himself will take away when he wishes.
§1.2.69vos modo, quos certe nullo, puto, crimine laesi, §1.2.70contenti nostris iam, precor, este malis!
Only you, whom I surely believe I have harmed by no crime, be content now, I pray, with our misfortunes!
§1.2.71nec tamen, ut cuncti miserum servare velitis, §1.2.72quod periit, salvum iam caput esse potest,
Yet, even if you should all wish to save a wretched man, my head, which has perished, cannot now be safe.
§1.2.73ut mare considat ventisque ferentibus utar, §1.2.74ut mihi parcatis, non minus exul ero.
Though the sea should subside, and I should enjoy favorable winds, though you should spare me, I will be no less an exile.
§1.2.75non ego divitias avidus sine fine parandi §1.2.76latum mutandis mercibus aequor aro, §1.2.77nec peto, quas quondam petii studiosus, Athenas, §1.2.78oppida non Asiae, non loca visa prius, §1.2.79non ut Alexandri claram delatus ad urbem §1.2.80delicias videam, Nile iocose, tuas.
I do not plow the wide sea with exchangeable merchandise, greedy to amass riches without end, nor do I seek Athens, which I once eagerly sought, nor the towns of Asia, nor places seen before, nor that, carried to the famous city of Alexander, I may see your delights, playful Nile.
§1.2.81quod faciles opto ventos,—quis credere posset?— §1.2.82Sarmatis est tellus, quam mea vela petunt,
That I pray for favorable winds—who could believe it?— it is the Sarmatian land that my sails seek.
§1.2.83obligor, ut tangam laevi fera litora Ponti; §1.2.84quodque sit a patria tam fuga tarda, queror.
I am bound to touch the wild shores of the Pontus on the left; and I complain that my flight from my country is so slow.
§1.2.85nescio quo videam positos ut in orbe Tomitas, §1.2.86exilem facio per mea vota viam.
So that I may see the Tomitae situated in I know not what part of the world, I make my journey short by my prayers.
§1.2.87seu me diligitis, tantos conpescite fluctus, §1.2.88pronaque sint nostrae numina vestra rati; §1.2.89seu magis odistis, iussae Ine advertite terrae: §1.2.90supplicii pars est in regione mei.
Whether you love me, restrain such great waves, and let your divinities be favorable to our ship; or rather if you hate me, turn me to the commanded land: a part of my punishment is in that region.
§1.2.91ferte—quid hic facio?—rapidi mea corpora venti!
Carry me—what am I doing here?—swift winds, my body!
§1.2.92Ausonios fines cur mea vela volunt?
Why do my sails want the Ausonian borders?
§1.2.93noluit hoc Caesar, quid, quem fugat ille, tenetis?
Caesar did not wish this; why do you hold back him whom he drives away?
§1.2.94aspiciat vultus Pontica terra meos.
Let the Pontic land look upon my face.
§1.2.95et iubet et merui; nec, quae damnaverit ille, §1.2.96crimina defendi fasque piumque puto.
He both orders it, and I deserved it; nor do I think it right or pious that the crimes which he has condemned should be defended.
§1.2.97si tamen acta deos numquam mortalia fallunt, §1.2.98a culpa facinus scitis abesse mea.
Yet if mortal deeds never deceive the gods, you know that crime is absent from my fault.
§1.2.99immo ita si scitis, si me meus abstulit error, §1.2.100stultaque mens nobis, non scelerata fuit, §1.2.101quod licet et minimis, domui si favimus illi, §1.2.102si satis Augusti publica iussa mihi, §1.2.103hoc duce si dixi felicia saecula, proque §1.2.104Caesare tura piis Caesaribusque dedi,— §1.2.105si fuit hic animus nobis, ita parcite divi!
Indeed if you know it so, if my error carried me away, and our mind was foolish, not wicked, which is allowed even to the least, if we favored that house, if the public commands of Augustus were enough for me, if under this leader I spoke of happy ages, and for Caesar and the pious Caesars I offered incense,— if this mind was in us, spare me thus, gods!
§1.2.106si minus, alta cadens obruat unda caput!
if less, let the deep wave fall and overwhelm my head!
§1.2.107fallor, an incipiunt gravidae vanescere nubes, §1.2.108victaque mutati frangitur unda maris?
Am I deceived, or do the heavy clouds begin to vanish, and the conquered wave of the changed sea is broken?
§1.2.109non casu, vos sed sub condicione vocati, §1.2.110fallere quos non est, hanc mihi fertis opem. ’
Not by chance, but called under a condition, you who cannot deceive bring me this help.

Notes

  1. 1.2.62feram — Present subjunctive following `sinite`. The conjunction `ut` is omitted, and the clause functions as the object of `sinite` (allow that I carry).
  2. 1.2.71ut... velitis — The `ut` clause with the present subjunctive `velitis` is used here in a concessive sense ("even though you should wish").
  3. 1.2.109sub condicione vocati — Referring to the gods invoked under the oath in lines 105-106 (the condition that they should spare him if his heart was loyal, otherwise drown him). Since they are summoned "under a condition", they are bound to bring help as they cannot deceive.

Cite this passage

Ovid, Sorrows §1.2.57-1.2.110. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0959.phi008.humanitext-lat2:1.2.57-1.2.110

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