§379nec sit terris ultima Thule.
and Thule will not be the furthest of lands.
§380Alumna, celerem quo rapis tectis pedem?
My foster-daughter, whither do you snatch your swift foot from the house?
§381resiste et iras comprime ac retine impetum.
Stop, and suppress your anger, and hold back your impulse.
§382Incerta qualis entheos gressus tulit §383cum iam recepto maenas insanit deo §384Pindi nivalis vertice aut Nysae iugis, §385talis recursat huc et huc motu effero, §386furoris ore signa lymphati gerens, §387flammata facies spiritum ex alto citat, §388proclamat, oculos uberi fletu rigat, §389renidet: omnis specimen affectus capit, §391quo pondus animi vergat, ubi ponat minas, §390haeret: minatur aestuat queritur gemit.
Just as a maenad, when she raves, having now received the god, on the snowy peak of Pindus or on the ridges of Nysa, directs her uncertain, god-inspired steps, so does she run back and forth with wild motion, bearing on her face the signs of distracted madness; her flushed face summons deep breaths from her chest, she cries aloud, bathes her eyes with abundant tears, she smiles: she takes on the expression of every passion; she hesitates where the weight of her mind may incline, where she may place her threats; she threatens, seethes, complains, groans.
§392ubi se iste fluctus franget? exundat furor.
Where will that wave break itself? Her madness overflows.
§393non facile secum versat aut medium scelus; §394se vincet: irae novimus veteris notas, §395magnum aliquid instat, efferum immane impium: §396vultum furoris cerno, di fallant metum!
She is revolving in her mind no easy or ordinary crime; she will surpass herself: we know the marks of her old anger; something great is imminent, wild, monstrous, impious: I see the face of madness; may the gods prove my fear false!
If you ask, wretched woman, what limit you should set to your hatred: imitate your love. Shall I suffer the royal wedding-torches unavenged?
Shall this day pass lazily, which was sought with so much solicitation, and granted so sparingly?
§401dum terra caelum media libratum feret §402nitidusque certas mundus evolvet vices §403numerosque harenis derit et solem dies, §404noctem sequentur astra, dum siccas polus §405versabit Arctos, flumina in pontum cadent. §406numquam meus cessabit in poenas furor
As long as the earth carries the balanced heaven in its midst, and the bright universe rolls out its certain changes, and number is lacking to the sands, and the day is not without the sun, and stars follow the night, as long as the pole turns the dry Bears, and rivers fall into the sea, my fury will never cease to demand punishment, and will always grow.
§407crescetque semper, quae ferarum immanitas, §408quae Scylla, quae Charybdis Ausonium mare §409Siculumque sorbens quaeve anhelantem premens §410Titana tantis Aetna fervebit minis?
What wildness of beasts, what Scylla, what Charybdis swallowing the Ausonian and Sicilian sea, or what Aetna, pressing down the panting Titan, will boil with such great threats?
§411non rapidus amnis, non procellosum mare §412Pontusve coro saevus aut vis ignium §413adiuta flatu possit inhibere impetum §414irasque nostras: sternam et evertam omnia.
No rapid river, no stormy sea, nor the Pontus savage with the northwest wind, nor the power of fire aided by the gale, could check my impulse and my wrath: I will prostrate and overturn everything.
§415Timuit Creontem ac bella Thessalici ducis?
Did he fear Creon and the wars of the Thessalian leader?
§416amor timere neminem verus potest, §417sed cesserit coactus et dederit manus: §418adire certe et coniugem extremo alioqui §419sermone potuit— hoc quoque extimuit ferox; §420laxare certe tempus immitis fugae §421genero licebat— liberis unus dies §422datus est duobus, non queror tempus breve: §423multum patebit.
True love can fear no one; but suppose he yielded under compulsion and surrendered: at least he could have approached his wife and spoken to her with some last words— even this that 'fierce' man feared; at least it was permitted for the son-in-law to extend the time of this harsh exile— one day was given for my two children. I do not complain of the short time: it will extend to much.
This day, this day will do what no day will ever keep silent— I will attack the gods and shake everything.
Recover your breast troubled by evils, mistress, and calm your mind.
The only rest is if I see all things overwhelmed in ruin along with me; let all things perish with me.
trahere, cum pereas, libet.
It is a pleasure to drag down others when you are perishing.
See how many things must be feared if you persist: no one can attack the powerful and remain safe.
O ever harsh fates and bitter lot, equally evil when it rages and when it spares!
§433remedia quotiens invenit nobis deus §434periculis peiora: si vellem fidem §435praestare meritis coniugis, leto fuit §436caput offerendum; si mori nollem, fide §437misero carendum, non timor vicit fidem, §438sed trepida pietas: quippe sequeretur necem §439proles parentum, sancta si caelum incolis
How often does God find remedies for us worse than the dangers themselves! If I wished to maintain loyalty to my wife's merits, my life was to be offered to death; if I did not wish to die, I had, wretched as I am, to be devoid of loyalty. It was not fear that conquered loyalty, but trembling fatherly love: for surely the death of their parents would be followed by the death of the children.
If, holy Justice, you dwell in heaven, I invoke and call to witness your divinity: the children have conquered their father.
quin ipsam quoque, §442etsi ferox est corde nec patiens iugi, §443consulere natis malle quam thalamis reor.
Nay, even she herself, though she is fierce in heart and impatient of the yoke, prefers, I believe, to consult the children's welfare rather than her marriage bed.
§444constituit animus precibus iratam aggredi.
My mind has resolved to approach the angry woman with prayers.
And lo, at the sight of me she leaps up, she rages, she displays her hatred: all her grief is in her face.
§447Fugimus, Iason: fugimus— hoc non est novum,
We flee, Jason, we flee!
§448mutare sedes; causa fugiendi nova est: §449pro te solebam fugere, discedo exeo, §450penatibus profugere quam cogis tuis:
It is not new to us to change our dwellings; but the cause of fleeing is new: for you I used to flee; I depart, I go out, since you compel me to flee from your household.
§451at quo remittas? Phasin et Colchos petam §452patriumque regnum quaeque fraternus cruor §453perfudit arva? quas peti terras iubes?
But whither do you send me back? Shall I seek the Phasis and Colchis, and my father's kingdom, and the fields which my brother's blood drenched? What lands do you command me to seek?
§454quae maria monstras? Pontici fauces freti §455per quas revexi nobilem regum manum 455 §456adulterum secuta per Symplegadas?
What seas do you point out? The jaws of the Pontic strait, through which I carried back the noble band of kings, following an adulterer through the Symplegades?
§457parvamne lolcon, Thessala an Tempe petam?
Shall I seek tiny Iolcus, or Thessalian Tempe?
§458quascumque aperui tibi vias, clausi mihi— §459quo me remittis? exuli exilium imperas §460nec das.
Whatever paths I opened for you, I closed to myself— whither do you send me back? You command exile for an exile, but you do not give a place.
eatur.
Let us go!
regius iussit gener: §461nihil recuso, dira supplicia ingere: §462merui cruentis paelicem poenis premat §463regalis ira, vinculis oneret manus
The royal son-in-law has commanded: I refuse nothing; heap dreadful punishments upon me: I have deserved that the royal wrath should crush your mistress with bloody punishments, and load my hands with chains.