Humanitext Reader

Ovid · Letters from the Black Sea §3.7.1-3.7.40

Abandoning Futile Pleas and Resigning to Fate in Exile

Passage 33 of 52 · Latin

Summary

The poet expresses his decision to change the theme of his poetry to resignation, realizing that his repeated pleas for return have been in vain. He resolves to accept his fate and die in exile rather than cling to useless hope, showing understanding for his friends' unsuccessful efforts.

§3.7.1Verba mihi desunt eadem tam saepe roganti, §3.7.2iamque pudet vanas fine carere preces.
Words fail me, who am asking for the same things so often, and now I am ashamed that my empty prayers have no end.
§3.7.3taedia consimili fieri de carmine vobis, §3.7.4quidque petam cunctos edidicisse reor.
I believe that weariness is caused to you by such similar poetry, and that everyone has thoroughly learned what I am asking for.
§3.7.5nostraque quid portet iam nostis epistula, quamvis §3.7.6cera sit a vinclis non labefacta suis.
And you already know what our letter brings, although the wax has not been loosened from its bonds.
§3.7.7ergo mutetur scripti sententia nostri, §3.7.8ne totiens contra, quam rapit amnis, eam.
Therefore let the theme of my writing be changed, lest I go so many times against the current of the river.
§3.7.9quod bene de vobis speravi, ignoscite, amici: §3.7.10talia peccandi iam mihi finis erit.
Forgive me, friends, that I hoped well of you: there will now be an end of such sinning for me.
§3.7.11nec gravis uxori dicar: quae scilicet in me §3.7.12quam proba tam timida est experiensque parum.
Nor let me be called a burden to my wife: who, indeed, towards me, is as timid as she is loyal, and too little enterprising.
§3.7.13hoc quoque, Naso, feres: etenim peiora tulisti.
This too, Naso, you will bear: for indeed you have borne worse things.
§3.7.14iam tibi sentiri sarcina nulla potest.
Now no burden can be felt by you.
§3.7.15ductus ab armento taurus detrectat aratrum, §3.7.16subtrahit et duro colla novella iugo: §3.7.17nos, quibus adsuevit fatum crudeliter uti, §3.7.18ad mala iam pridem non sumus ulla rudes, §3.7.19venimus in Geticos fines: moriamur in illis, §3.7.20Parcaque ad extremum qua mea coepit eat.
The bull led from the herd refuses the plow, and withdraws his youthful neck from the hard yoke: we, whom fate has accustomed itself to treat cruelly, are long since not unaccustomed to any misfortunes, we have come to Getic lands: let us die in them, and let my Fate go to the end along the path she began.
§3.7.21spem iuvat amplecti—quae non iuvat inrita semper— §3.7.22et, fieri cupias siqua, futura putes: §3.7.23proximus huic gradus est bene desperare salutem, §3.7.24seque semel vera scire perisse fide.
It is pleasing to embrace hope—which, being always useless, does not help— and to think that whatever you wish to happen will come to pass: the step closest to this is to thoroughly despair of safety, and to know once and for all with true certainty that one has perished.
§3.7.25curando fieri quaedam maiora videmus §3.7.26vulnera, quae melius non tetigisse fuit.
We see that some wounds become greater by treatment, wounds which it would have been better not to have touched.
§3.7.27mitius ille perit, subita qui mergitur unda, §3.7.28quam sua qui tumidis brachia lassat aquis, §3.7.29cur ego concepi Scythicis me posse carere §3.7.30finibus et terra prosperiore frui?
He dies more gently who is submerged by a sudden wave, than he who tires his arms in the swelling waters, Why did I conceive that I could be free of Scythian lands and enjoy a more prosperous land?
§3.7.31cur aliquid de me speravi lenius umquam?
Why did I ever hope for anything gentler for myself?
§3.7.32an fortuna mihi sic mea nota fuit?
Or was my fortune indeed known to me in this way?
§3.7.33torqueor en gravius, repetitaque forma locorum §3.7.34exilium renovat triste recensque facit.
Behold, I am tortured more grievously, and the revisited appearance of the places renews my sad exile and makes it fresh.
§3.7.35est tamen utilius, studium cessare meorum, §3.7.36quam, quas admorint, non valuisse preces, §3.7.37magna quidem res est, quam non audetis, amici: §3.7.38sed si quis peteret, qui dare vellet, erat.
Yet it is more useful that the zeal of my friends should cease, than that the prayers which they have applied should have been of no avail, It is indeed a great thing that you do not dare, friends: but if anyone were to ask, there was one who was willing to grant it.
§3.7.39dummodo non nobis hoc Caesaris ira negant, §3.7.40fortiter Euxinis inmoriemur aquis.
Provided that the anger of Caesar does not deny this to us, we shall bravely die in the Euxine waters.

Notes

  1. §3.7.1roganti — The dative singular of the present participle rogans (asking), modifying mihi. It functions as a dative of disadvantage or reference with desunt (fail, are lacking), meaning 'words fail me, as I ask...'.
  2. §3.7.21quae non iuvat inrita semper — In the relative clause quae non iuvat, quae is the nominative subject referring to spem (hope). inrita is an adjective functioning predicatively ('being always useless'). The verb iuvat is taken here as a transitive verb meaning 'to help, benefit' rather than the impersonal 'it pleases', creating the ironic sense of 'hope, which, being always in vain, does not help'.
  3. §3.7.35studium cessare meorum — An accusative and infinitive construction where studium is the subject accusative and cessare is the infinitive. This entire clause acts as the subject of the impersonal expression with a comparative est utilius (it is more useful). meorum is a genitive plural functioning substantively, meaning 'of my friends/loved ones'.
  4. §3.7.38qui dare vellet, erat — In the apodosis of the conditional sentence, the imperfect subjunctive vellet is used in a relative clause of characteristic or potential (qui... vellet) dependent on the indicative imperfect erat in the main clause. This expresses a contrary-to-fact situation (if anyone had asked, there was indeed one who would have wished to give), but the use of the indicative erat emphasizes the actual, certain existence of the willing giver (Caesar).

Cite this passage

Ovid, Letters from the Black Sea §3.7.1-3.7.40. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0959.phi009.humanitext-lat2:3.7.1-3.7.40

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