§1Di coniugales tuque genialis tori, §2Lucina, custos quaeque domituram freta §3Tiphyn novam frenare docuisti ratem, §4et tu, profundi saeve dominator maris, §5clarumque Titan dividens orbi diem, §6tacitisque praebens conscium sacris iubar §7Hecate triformis, quosque iuravit mihi §8deos Iason, quosque Medeae magis §9fas est precari: noctis aeternae chaos, §10aversa superis regna manesque impios §11dominumque regni tristis et dominam fide §12meliore raptam, voce non fausta precor,
Ye gods of wedlock, and thou, Lucina, guardian of the bridal bed, and she who taught Tiphys, the tamer of the seas, to steer the new vessel, and thou, fierce ruler of the deep sea, and Titan, dividing the bright day to the world, and Hecate of three forms, offering her conscious beam to silent rites, and ye gods by whom Jason swore to me, and those whom it is more fitting for Medea to pray to: chaos of eternal night, kingdoms turned away from the gods above, and impious spirits of the dead, and the lord of the gloomy realm and the lady seized with better faith, with no auspicious voice I pray to you.
§13nunc, nunc adeste, sceleris ultrices deae, §14crinem solutis squalidae serpentibus, §15atram cruentis manibus amplexae facem, §16adeste, thalamis horridae quondam meis §17quales stetistis: coniugi letum novae §18letumque socero et regiae stirpi date, §19date peius aliud, quod precer sponso malum: §20vivat, per urbes erret ignotas egens §21exul pavens invisus incerti laris, §23a22biam notus hospes limen alienum expetat, §22a23bme coniugem optet quoque non aliud queam §24peius precari, liberos similes patri"
Now, now attend, ye avenging goddesses of crime, with your hair squalid with unloosed serpents, clasping the black torch with bloody hands, attend, such as once ye stood around my bridal chamber, terrible: give death to the new bride, and death to the father-in-law and the royal stock, give another worse evil which I may pray for my husband: let him live, let him wander needy through unknown cities, an exile, trembling, hated, without a certain home, let him seek a stranger's threshold, a now notorious guest, let him desire me as his wife, and (what worse thing can I pray for?) let him have children like their father and like their mother.
§25similesque matri, parta iam, parta ultio est:
My vengeance is already born, already born: I have given birth!
§26peperi, querelas verbaque in cassum sero?
Do I sow complaints and words in vain?
Shall I not go against the enemies? I will snatch the torches from their hands and the light from heaven.
Does the Sun, the author of our race, behold this, and is he beheld, and sitting in his chariot does he run through his accustomed spaces of the pure sky?
§31non redit in ortus et remetitur diem?
Does he not return to his rising and re-measure the day?
§32da, da per auras curribus patriis vehi, §33committe habenas, genitor, et flagrantibus §34ignifera loris tribue moderari iuga:
Give, give me to be borne through the air on my father's chariot, yield the reins, O father, and grant me to guide the fire-bearing yoke with burning lashes!
Let Corinth, which opposes delays with its double shore, be burnt with flames and join two seas.
§37hoc restat unum, pronubam thalamo feram §38ut ipsa pinum postque sacrificas preces §39caedam dicatis victimas altaribus,
This one thing remains, that I myself should carry the bridal torch into the chamber, and after sacrificial prayers slay the victims on the dedicated altars.
§40per viscera ipsa quaere supplicio viam, §41si vivis, anime, si quid antiqui tibi §42remanet vigoris;
Through the very entrails seek a path for punishment, if thou livest, O my soul, if any of thy ancient vigor remains in thee.
pelle femineos metus §43et inhospitalem Caucasum mente indue,
Drive away female fears, and put on the mind of inhospitable Caucasus.
Whatever crime Pontus or Phasis has seen, the Isthmus shall see.
effera ignota horrida, §46tremenda caelo pariter ac terris mala §47mens intus agitat: vulnera et caedem et vagum §48funus per artus— levia memoravi nimis:
Wild, unknown, horrible, terrible deeds, alike to heaven and earth, my mind is revolving within: wounds, slaughter, and death creeping through the limbs—too light are the things I have mentioned; these I did as a maiden.
Let a heavier grief arise; greater crimes now become me after childbearing.
Gird thyself with wrath, and prepare thyself for destruction with all thy fury.
paria narrentur tua
Let thy divorce be told as equal to thy marriage.
§53repudia thalamis: quo virum linques modo?
In what manner wilt thou leave thy husband?
§54hoc quo secuta es.
In the same manner as thou didst follow him.
rumpe iam segnes moras: §55quae scelere parta est, scelere linquenda est domus.
Break off sluggish delays now: the home which was won by crime, by crime must be left.
§56Ad regum thalamos numine prospero §57qui caelum superi quique regnat fretum §58assint cum populis rite faventibus,
To the bridal chambers of the kings, with prosperous favor, may the gods who rule heaven and they who rule the sea be present, with the people duly cheering.
§59primum sceptriferis colla Tonantibus §60taurus celsa ferat tergore candido; §61Latinam nivei femina corporis §62intemptata iugo placet et asperi §63Martis sanguineas quae cohibet manus, §64quae dat belligeris foedera gentibus §65et cornu retinet divite copiam, §66donetur tenera mitior hostia,
First, to the sceptre-bearing Thunderers, let a tall bull with white back offer his neck; let the white-bodied maiden, untouched by the yoke, please the Latin goddess, and also her who restrains the bloody hands of fierce Mars, who gives treaties to warring nations, and holds plenty in her rich horn, let her be gifted with a tenderer victim.
§67et tu, qui facibus legitimis ades, §68noctem discutiens auspice dextera §69huc incede gradu marcidus ebrio, §70praecingens roseo tempora vinculo.
And thou, who art present at lawful weddings, dispelling the night with thy auspicious right hand, hither come with thy drunken steps, crowning thy temples with a rosy wreath.
§71et tu quae, gemini praevia temporis, §72tarde, stella, redis semper amantibus: §73te matres, avide te cupiunt nurus §74quamprimum radios spargere lucidos.
And thou, star, who forestallest the twin times, who returnest slowly, ever to lovers: mothers eagerly desire thee, young brides desire thee to scatter thy bright rays as soon as possible.
§75Vincit virgineus decor §76longe Cecropias nurus, §77et quas Taygeti iugis §78exercet iuvenum modo §79muris quod caret oppidum, §80et quas Aonius latex §81Alpheosque sacer lavat.
The maidenly beauty far excels the Athenian brides, and those whom on the ridges of Taygetus the Spartan girls train in the manner of youths, in the town that lacks walls, and those whom the Aonian water and sacred Alpheus wash.
§82Si forma velit aspici, §83cedent Aesonio duci §84proles fulminis improbi §85aptat qui iuga tigribus. §86nec non, qui tripodas movet, §87frater virginis asperae, §88cedet Castore cum suo §89Pollux caestibus aptior.
If beauty should wish to be seen, they would yield to the son of Aeson: the offspring of the fierce thunderbolt, who fits yokes to tigers; and also he who moves the tripods, the brother of the fierce maiden; and Pollux, more fit for boxing, together with his Castor.
Thus, thus, ye dwellers in heaven, I pray, may the bride excel her husband, and the husband far surpass other men.
When she stood in the female chorus, the face of one shines brighter than all.
§95sic cum sole perit sidereus decor, §96et densi latitant Pleiadum greges §97cum Phoebe solidum lumine non suo §98orbem circuitis cornibus alligat.
Thus with the sun the beauty of the stars perishes, and the dense crowds of the Pleiades hide themselves, when Phoebe with light not her own binds her full orb with encircling horns.