§83Denique ab antiquo divi veteresque novique §84In nostrum cuncti tempus, adeste, chao, §85Carmina dum capiti male fido dira canuntur §86Et peragunt partes ira dolorque suas.
Finally, all you gods, both old and new, from the ancient Chaos down to our own time, be present, while dire songs are sung against his treacherous head, and anger and grief play their parts.
Assent, all of you in order, to my desires, and let no part of my prayer fall fruitless.
And let what I pray for come to pass: so that he may think these were not my words, but those words of Pasiphae's son-in-law.
And let him suffer also those punishments which I shall have passed over; let that wretch be more fully miserable through my talent!
§93Neve minus noceant fictum execrantia nomen §94Vota, minus magnos commoveantve deos: §95Illum ego devoveo, quem mens intellegit, Ibin, §96Qui scit se factis has meruisse preces.
And let not the prayers cursing a feigned name harm him any less, nor move the great gods any less: I curse him, whom my mind understands as Ibis, who knows that he has deserved these prayers by his deeds.
§97Nulla mora est in me: peragam rata vota sacerdos.
There is no delay in me: as a priest, I shall perform the ratified vows.
§98Quisquis ades sacris, ore favete, meis; §99Quisquis ades sacris, lugubria dicite verba, §100Et fletu madidis Ibin adite genis: §101Ominibusque malis pedibusque occurrite laevis, §102Et nigrae vestes corpora vestra tegant!
Whoever is present at my sacred rites, keep holy silence; Whoever is present at the rites, speak mournful words, and approach Ibis with cheeks wet with weeping: And meet him with evil omens and left feet, and let black garments cover your bodies!
§103Tu quoque, quid dubitas ferales sumere vittas?
You too, why do you hesitate to take up the funereal headbands?
§104Iam stat, ut ipse vides, funeris ara tui.
Already, as you yourself see, the altar of your funeral stands ready.
§105Pompa parata tibi est.
The procession is prepared for you.
votis mora tristibus absit: §106Da iugulum cultris, hostia dira, meis.
Let there be no delay for the grim vows: offer your throat to my knives, you accursed victim.
§107Terra tibi fruges, amnis tibi deneget undas.
Let the earth deny you fruits, let the river deny you waves.
§108Deneget afflatus ventus et aura suos.
Let the wind and breeze deny you their breaths.
Let neither the warm sun be for you, nor let bright Phoebe be for you; let the bright stars desert your eyes.
Neither let Vulcan nor the air offer themselves to you, nor let earth or sea give you a path.
As a destitute exile may you wander, and traverse foreign thresholds, and seek a tiny bit of food with a trembling mouth.
Let neither your complaining body nor your sick mind be free from pain; and let night be heavier for you than day, and day than night.
And may you be miserable always, yet not pitiable to anyone: let woman and man rejoice in your misfortunes.
Let hatred be added to your tears, and may you be thought worthy, after you have borne very many evils, of bearing still more.
And let the face of your Fortune, deprived of its usual favour, be odious—a rare thing indeed.
§123Causaque non desit, desit tibi copia mortis: §124Optatam fugiat vita coacta necem: §125Luctatusque diu cruciatos spiritus artus §126Deserat, et longa torqueat ante mora.
And let the cause of death not be lacking, but let the power of death be lacking to you: let your constrained life flee the desired death: And let your spirit, having struggled long, desert your tortured limbs, and torture you beforehand with a long delay.
§127Evenient.
These things will come to pass.
dedit ipse mihi modo signa futuri §128Phoebus, et a laeva maesta volavit avis.
Phoebus himself just gave me signs of the future, and a mournful bird flew from the left.
§129Certe ego, quae voveo, superos motura putabo, §133> Quam dolor hic umquam spatio evanescere possit, §134Leniat aut odium tempus et hora meum.
Certainly I shall believe that what I vow will move the gods above, > sooner than this grief can ever vanish with time, or time and hour can soothe my hatred.
§135Pugnabunt arcu dum Thraces, Iazyges hasta, §136Dum tepidus Ganges, frigidus Hister erit; §137Robora dum montes, dum mollia pabula campi, §138Dum Tiberis liquidas Tuscus habebit aquas, §139Tecum bella geram.
As long as Thracians shall fight with the bow, and Iazyges with the spear, as long as the Ganges shall be warm, and the Hister cold; as long as the mountains shall have oaks, and the fields soft pastures, as long as the Tuscan Tiber shall have its clear waters, I shall wage war with you.
nec mors mihi finiet iras, §140Saeva sed innocuis manibus arma dabit.
Nor shall death end my anger, but it will give savage weapons to my harmless hands.
§141Tunc quoque, cum fuero vacuas dilapsus in auras, §142Exanimis mores oderit umbra tuos, §143Tunc quoque factorum veniam memor umbra tuorum, §144Insequar et vultus ossea forma tuos.
Even then, when I have dissolved into the empty air, my lifeless shade will hate your ways, even then, I, a shade mindful of your deeds, shall come, and in bony form I shall pursue your face.
§145Sive ego, quod nollem, longis consumptus ab annis, §146Sive manu facta morte solutus ero: §147Sive per inmensas iactabor naufragus undas, §148Nostraque longinquus viscera piscis edet: §149Sive peregrinae carpent mea membra volucres: §150Sive meo tinguent sanguine rostra lupi: §151Sive aliquis dignatus erit subponere terrae §152Et dare plebeio corpus inane rogo: §153Quidquid ero, Stygiis erumpere nitar ab oris, §154Et tendam gelidas ultor in ora manus.
Whether I, which I would not wish, shall be consumed by long years, or shall be released by a death made by my own hand: or whether, shipwrecked, I shall be tossed through immense waves, and a distant fish shall eat my flesh: or whether foreign birds shall tear my limbs: or whether wolves shall stain their muzzles with my blood: or whether someone shall deign to place me under the earth and to give my empty body to a common pyre: whatever I shall be, I will strive to burst forth from the Stygian shores, and as an avenger I will stretch out cold hands into your face.
Awake you shall see me; in the silent shadows of night I, appearing to be present, shall shake off your sleep.
Finally, whatever you do, I shall fly before your face and eyes, and complain, and you shall be at peace in no place.
§159Verbera torta dabunt sonitum nexaeque colubrae,
Twisted lashes and entwined snakes shall make a sound,