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Ovid · Letters from the Black Sea §4.4.1-4.4.50

Congratulations on Pompeius' Consulship and a Plea for Remembrance

Passage 39 of 52 · Latin

Summary

The poet, hearing the rumor of Pompeius' upcoming consulship, envisions the grand ceremonies of his inauguration in Rome despite being in exile, hoping that Pompeius will remember him.

§4.4.1Nulla dies adeo est australibus umida nimbis, §4.4.2non intermissis ut fluat imber aquis, §4.4.3nec sterilis locus ullus ita est, ut non sit in illo §4.4.4mixta fere duris utilis herba rubis.
No day is so wet with southern storm-clouds, that rain flows with uninterrupted water, nor is any place so barren, that there is not in it useful grass mixed, commonly, with hard brambles.
§4.4.5nil adeo fortuna gravis miserabile fecit, §4.4.6ut minuant nulla gaudia parte malum.
Fortune has made nothing so wretchedly heavy, that joys do not in some part diminish the evil.
§4.4.7ecce domo patriaque carens oculisque meorum, §4.4.8naufragus in Getici litoris actus aquas, §4.4.9qua tamen inveni vultum diffundere causa §4.4.10possim, fortunae nec meminisse meae.
Behold, lacking home and fatherland and the eyes of my loved ones, a shipwrecked man driven into the waters of the Getic shore, yet I have found a cause by which I might cheer my face and not remember my fortune.
§4.4.11nam mihi, cum fulva solus spatiarer harena, §4.4.12visa est a tergo pinna dedisse sonum.
For to me, as I was walking alone on the yellow sand, a wing seemed to have made a sound behind my back.
§4.4.13respicio, nec erat corpus, quod cernere possem, §4.4.14verba tamen sunt haec aure recepta mea: §4.4.15‘en ego laetarum venio tibi nuntia rerum §4.4.16Fama, per inmensas aere lapsa vias.
I look back, and there was no body that I could discern, yet these words were received by my ear: 'Lo, I, Fame, come as a messenger of joyful things to you, Fama, having glided through immense paths in the air.
§4.4.17consule Pompeio, quo non tibi carior alter, §4.4.18candidus et felix proximus annus erit. §4.4.19dixit, et ut laeto Pontum rumore replevit, §4.4.20ad gentes alias hinc dea vertit iter.
When Pompeius is consul, than whom no other is dearer to you, the next year will be bright and happy.' She spoke, and when she filled Pontus with the joyful rumor, hence the goddess turned her journey to other nations.
§4.4.21at mihi dilapsis inter nova gaudia curis §4.4.22excidit asperitas huius iniqua loci.
But for me, my cares having slipped away amidst my new joys, the unjust harshness of this place fell away.
§4.4.23ergo ubi, Iane biceps, longum reseraveris annum, §4.4.24pulsus et a sacro mense December erit, §4.4.25purpura Pompeium summi velabit honoris, §4.4.26ne titulis quicquam debeat ille suis.
Therefore when, two-headed Janus, you shall have unlocked the long year, and December shall have been driven out by the sacred month, the purple of the highest honor will clothe Pompeius, so that he may owe nothing to his titles.
§4.4.27cernere iam videor rumpi paene atria turba, §4.4.28et populum laedi deficiente loco, §4.4.29templaque Tarpeiae primum tibi sedis adiri, §4.4.30et fieri faciles in tua vota deos, §4.4.31colla boves niveos certae praebere securi, §4.4.32quos aluit campis herba Falisca suis: §4.4.33cumque deos omnes, tunc hos inpensius, aequos §4.4.34esse tibi cupias, cum Iove Caesar erunt.
Already I seem to see the halls almost burst by the crowd, and the people hurt, space failing, and the temples of the Tarpeian seat first approached by you, and the gods made favorable to your prayers, The snow-white bulls offer their necks to the sure axe, whom the Faliscan grass nourished in its fields: and while you wish all the gods, then these especially, to be favorable to you, they will be Caesar with Jupiter.
§4.4.35curia te excipiet, patresque e more vocati §4.4.36intendent aures ad tua verba suas.
The senate-house will receive you, and the fathers called in accordance with custom will direct their ears to your words.
§4.4.37hos ubi facundo tua vox hilaraverit ore, §4.4.38utque solet, tulerit prospera verba dies, §4.4.39egeris et meritas superis cum Caesare grates §4.4.40(qui causam, facias cur ita saepe, dabit), §4.4.41inde domum repetes toto comitante senatu, §4.4.42officium populi vix capiente domo.
When your voice from an eloquent mouth shall have cheered them, and as is usual, the day shall have brought favorable words, and when you shall have given deserved thanks to the gods above along with Caesar (who will give the cause why you should do so often), then you will seek home again, with the whole senate accompanying, with your house scarcely containing the duty of the people.
§4.4.43me miserum, turba quod non ego cernar in illa, §4.4.44nec poterunt istis lumina nostra frui!
Wretched me! that I shall not be seen in that crowd, nor will my eyes be able to enjoy those sights of yours!
§4.4.45quod licet, absentem qua possum mente videbo: §4.4.46aspiciet vultus consulis illa sui, §4.4.47di faciant aliquo subeat tibi tempore nostrum §4.4.48nomen, et "heu dicas "quid miser ille facit? §4.4.49haec tua pertulerit si quis mihi verba, fatebor §4.4.50protinus exilium mollius esse meum. ’
What is allowed, I will see you, though absent, with what mind I can: That mind will look upon the face of its consul, May the gods grant that at some time our name may occur, and you may say 'Alas, what is that wretched man doing?' If anyone shall have brought these words of yours to me, I will confess straightway that my exile is softer.'

Notes

  1. §4.4.2non intermissis ut fluat imber aquis — In the result clause introduced by `ut`, the negative `non` modifies `intermissis`, forming the phrase 'with uninterrupted waters' (i.e. even on the wettest day, rain does not fall without any break). The word order is highly inverted with `ut` placed after `non intermissis`.
  2. §4.4.12visa est a tergo pinna dedisse sonum — The passive form `visa est` functions as the copula 'seemed' (*videor* + infinitive construction) rather than 'was seen'. The subject is `pinna` (wing), taking the perfect infinitive `dedisse` to express an action prior to or coinciding with the main verb.
  3. §4.4.34cum Iove Caesar erunt — Although `Caesar` is grammatically singular, the verb `erunt` is plural. This is a constructio ad sensum (agreement according to sense), where the phrase `cum Iove` ('with Jupiter') is treated as part of a compound subject.
  4. §4.4.45quod licet — The neuter relative pronoun `quod` is used parenthetically without a direct antecedent, expressing a limiting condition ('as far as is permitted' or 'which is allowed').

Cite this passage

Ovid, Letters from the Black Sea §4.4.1-4.4.50. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0959.phi009.humanitext-lat2:4.4.1-4.4.50

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