Humanitext Reader

Ovid · Sorrows §3.4b.47-3.4b.78

Exile at the Edge of the World and Unnamed Friends

Passage 25 of 60 · Latin

Summary

The poet, exiled to the frozen edge of the earth, longs for his distant homeland, wife, and friends. To avoid putting his friends in danger, he refrains from naming them in his poetry but secretly addresses them in his heart and begs for their discreet support.

§3.4b.47Proxima sideribus tellus Erymanthidos Ursae §3.4b.48me tenet, adstricta terra perusta gelu.
The land closest to the stars of the Erymanthian Bear holds me, a land parched by congealed cold.
§3.4b.49Bosphoros et Tanais superant Scythiaeque paludes §3.4b.50vix satis et noti nomina pauca loci.
The Bosphorus and the Tanais, and the Scythian marshes, and scarcely enough, a few names of known places, extend beyond.
§3.4b.51ulterius nihil est nisi non habitabile frigus.
Beyond there is nothing but uninhabitable cold.
§3.4b.52heu quam vicina est ultima terra mihi!
Alas, how close is the edge of the earth to me!
§3.4b.53at longe patria est, longe carissima coniunx, §3.4b.54quicquid et haec nobis post duo dulce fuit.
But my homeland is far, my dearest wife is far, and whatever was sweet to us after these two is also far.
§3.4b.55sic tamen haec adsunt, ut quae contingere non est §3.4b.56corpore: sunt animo cuncta videnda meo.
Yet these are present in such a way, as things which it is not possible to touch with the body; all must be seen by my mind.
§3.4b.57ante oculos errant domus, urbsque et forma locorum, §3.4b.58acceduntque suis singula facta locis,
Before my eyes wander my home, the city, and the shape of places, and individual deeds join themselves to their own locations.
§3.4b.59coniugis ante oculos, sicut praesentis, imago est.
The image of my wife is before my eyes, just as if she were present.
§3.4b.60illa meos casus ingravat, illa levat; §3.4b.61ingravat hoc, quod abest; levat hoc, quod praestat amorem §3.4b.62inpositumque sibi firma tuetur onus.
She makes my misfortunes heavy, she lightens them; she makes them heavy by this, that she is absent; she lightens them by this, that she offers love and firmly protects the burden imposed upon her.
§3.4b.63vos quoque pectoribus nostris haeretis, amici, §3.4b.64dicere quos cupio nomine quemque suo.
You too cling to our hearts, my friends, whom I desire to speak, each by his own name.
§3.4b.65sed timor officium cautus compescit, et ipsos §3.4b.66in nostro poni carmine nolle puto.
But cautious fear restrains this duty of friendship, and I think you yourselves do not wish to be placed in my poem.
§3.4b.67ante volebatis, gratique erat instar honoris, §3.4b.68versibus in nostris nomina vestra legi.
Before you wished it, and it was like a welcome honor for your names to be read in my verses.
§3.4b.69quod quoniam est anceps, intra mea pectora quemque §3.4b.70adloquar, et nulli causa timoris ero.
Since this is risky, within my heart I will address each one, and I will be the cause of fear to no one.
§3.4b.71nec meus indicio latitantes versus amicos protrahit.
Nor does my verse drag out hidden friends by giving information.
§3.4b.72occulte siquis amabat, amet.
If anyone loved me in secret, let him continue to love.
§3.4b.73scite tamen, quamvis longe regione remotus §3.4b.74absim, vos animo semper adesse meo; §3.4b.75et qua quisque potest, aliqua mala nostra levate, §3.4b.76fidam proiecto neve negate manum.
Know, however, that though I am removed far in region, you are always present to my mind; and in whatever way each can, lighten our ills in some degree, and do not deny a faithful hand to one who is cast away.
§3.4b.77prospera sic maneat vobis fortuna, nec umquam §3.4b.78contacti simili sorte rogetis idem.
Thus may prosperous fortune remain with you, and may you never, touched by a similar fate, ask for the same thing.

Notes

  1. 3.4b.47Erymanthidos Ursae — A genitive reference to the 'Erymanthian Bear' of Greek mythology (Kallisto, who was transformed into the constellation Ursa Major/Minor), used metaphorically to denote the extreme north and its frozen climate.
  2. 3.4b.55non est — An impersonal use of the verb 'esse' with 'non', equivalent to 'non licet' or 'it is not possible'. It governs the infinitive 'contingere' to mean 'it is not possible to touch'.
  3. 3.4b.61ingravat hoc, quod abest; levat hoc, quod praestat — The demonstrative pronoun 'hoc' (accusative) stands in apposition with the following 'quod' clause, creating a structure that means 'she makes it heavy by this fact, namely that she is absent...'. Here 'quod' is a conjunction introducing a substantive clause of fact.
  4. 3.4b.67gratique erat instar honoris — The indeclinable noun 'instar' is used with the genitive 'honoris' to mean 'equivalent to' or 'like'. Together, it serves as a predicate meaning 'it was like a welcome honor'.
  5. 3.4b.71indicio — A singular ablative of the noun 'indicium' ('evidence', 'disclosure', or 'informant's report'). It functions as an ablative of means, meaning 'by disclosing information' or 'by betrayal/accusation'.
  6. 3.4b.76proiecto — The dative masculine singular of the perfect passive participle of 'proicere' ('to cast out/abandon'), used substantively to refer to 'the castaway' (the poet himself). It serves as the indirect object of 'negate' (deny to).

Cite this passage

Ovid, Sorrows §3.4b.47-3.4b.78. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0959.phi008.humanitext-lat2:3.4b.47-3.4b.78

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