Go, surround the shady woods, and the highest ridges of the mountain, children of Cecrops!
§3celeri planta lustrate vagi, §4quae saxosae loca Parnetbo §5subiecta iacent, §5bquae Thriasiis vallibus amnis §6rapida currens verberat unda;
Range with swift foot, wandering through the places that lie beneath rocky Parnes, and those which the river with rapid running wave beats in the Thriasian valleys.
§9hac, Aegalei qua nemus alta §10texitur alno, qua prata iacent §11quae rorifera mulcens aura §12Zephyrus vernas evocat herbas, §14ubi per graciles levis Ilisos §15labitur agros piger et steriles §16amne maligno radit harenas;
This way, where the grove of Aegaleos is woven with tall alder, where the meadows lie, which Zephyrus, soothing with dew-bearing breeze, calls forth into vernal herbs, where through slender fields light Ilisos glides sluggishly and with meager stream scrapes the barren sands.
§17vos qua Marathon tramite laevo §18saltus aperit, §19qua comitatae gregibus parvis §20nocturna petunt pabula fetae;
You, where Marathon on the left path opens its glades, where, accompanied by their small flocks, the newly-delivered mothers seek their nocturnal pastures.
You, where the harsh Acharnian, subjected to warm south winds, mitigates the cold.
Let one tread the rock of sweet Hymettus, let another tread small Aphidnae.
That region lies long vacant and immune, where Sunion presses the shores of the curved sea.
§28si quem tangit gloria silvae, §29vocat hunc Phlyus: §30hic versatur, metus agricolis, §30bvulnere multo iam notus aper.
If the glory of the woods touches anyone, Phlyus calls him; here ranges, a terror to husbandmen, a boar already well known by many a wound.
But you, let loose the slack reins to the silent dogs.
Let the fierce Molossians hold their leashes, and let the combative Cretans stretch their strong bonds on their chafed necks.
But the Spartans (a breed bold and eager for the wild beast) bind with a closer knot, more cautiously.
§38veniet tempus, §39cum latratu cava saxa sonent; §40nunc dimissi nare sagaci §40bcaptent auras §41lustraque presso quaerant rostro, §42dum lux dubia est, dum signa pedum §43roscida tellus impressa tenet.
The time will come when the hollow rocks will ring with their barking; now, released, with sagacious scent let them catch the air, and search the coverts with lowered snout, while the light is still doubtful, while the dewy earth keeps the impressed marks of the feet.
Let one hasten to carry loose nets on his heavy shoulder, let another make ready the smooth snares.
Let the line painted with red feathers enclose the beasts with empty terror.
§48tibi vibretur missile telum, §49tu grave dextra laevaque simul §50robur lato dirige ferro, §51tu praecipites clamore feras §52subsessor ages; tu iam victor §53curvo solves viscera cultro.
For you, let the missile weapon be brandished; do you, with right hand and left together, direct the heavy oak-shaft with broad iron tip; do you, as a lier-in-wait, drive the headlong beasts with shouting; do you, already victor, rip open the entrails with curved knife.
§54Ades en comiti, diva virago, §55cuius regno §55bpars terrarum secreta vacat, §56cuius certis petitur telis §57fera quae gelidum §58potat Araxen §59et quae stanti ludit in Histro.
Attend, behold, your companion, divine virgin, under whose sway a sequestered part of the earth lies vacant, by whose unerring weapons is sought the wild beast that drinks icy Araxes and that which plays on the frozen Ister.
§60* tua Gaetulos dextra leones, §60btua Cretaeas sequitur cervas; §61nunc veloces figis dammas §62leviore manu.
Your right hand pursues Gaetulian lions, yours pursues Cretan hinds; now you pierce swift roe-deer with lighter hand.
To you the spotted tigresses yield their breasts, to you the shaggy bisons yield their backs, and the wild urus with broad horns.
§66quicquid solis pascitur arvis, §67sive illud Arabs divite silva §68sive illud inops novit Garamans §69sive ferocis iuga Pyrenes §70sive Hyrcani celant saltus, §71vacuisque vagus Sarmata campis, §72arcus metuit, Diana, tuos.
Whatever feeds in the lonely fields, whether the Arab in his rich forest or the needy Garamantes knows it, or whether the ridges of fierce Pyrene or the Hyrcanian glades conceal it, and the wandering Sarmatian in his vacant plains, fears, Diana, your bows.
§73tua si gratus numina cultor §74tulit in saltus. §75retia vinctas tenuere feras, §76nulli laqueum rupere pedes:
If a grateful worshipper has brought your divinity into the glades, the nets have held the bound beasts, no feet have broken the snare.
§77fertur plaustro praeda gementi; §78tum rostra canes sanguine multo- §79rubicunda gerunt repetitque casas §80rustica longo turba triumpho.
The prey is carried on a groaning wagon, then the dogs bear their snouts red with much blood, and the rustic crowd returns to their cottages in a long triumph.
Behold, goddess, you favor us: the keen dogs have given the sign.
I am called into the woods; this way, this way I will proceed, where the path shortens the long journey.
§85O magna vasti Creta dominatrix freti, §86cuius per omne litus innumerae rates §87tenuere † pontum quicquid Assyria tenus §88tellure Nereus pervius rostris secat, §89cur me in penates obsidem invisos datam §90hostique nuptam degere aetatem in malis
O great ruler of the vast Cretan sea, whose countless ships along every shore have held the deep, as far as Nereus cuts with ship-penetrating prows whatever lies towards the Assyrian land, why do you force me, given as a hated hostage to this house and wedded to an enemy, to drag out my life in misery and tears?
Behold, my runaway husband is absent and pays to his bride such faith as Theseus is wont to show.
§93fortis per altas invii retro lacus §94vadit tenebras miles audacis proci, §95solio ut revulsam regis inferni abstrahat;
Boldly through the deep darkness of the pathless pool he goes as a soldier of a daring suitor, to drag away the queen torn from the throne of the infernal king.
§96pergit furoris socius, haud illum timor §97pudorque tenuit— stupra et illicitos toros §98Acheronte in imo quaerit Hippolyti pater.
He proceeds as a companion of madness; neither fear nor shame held him back—adulteries and unlawful beds in deepest Acheron the father of Hippolytus seeks.
§99Sed maior alius incubat maestae dolor, §100non. me quies nocturna, non altus sopor §101solvere curis: alitur et crescit malum §102et ardet intus qualis Aetnaeo vapor §103exundat antro.
But another, greater grief broods over me in my sorrow; no nightly rest, no deep sleep releases me from cares; the evil is nourished and grows, and burns within like the steam that overflows from the Etnaean cavern.
Palladis telae vacant §104et inter ipsas pensa labuntur manus;
The looms of Pallas lie idle, and the wool-tasks slip from between my very hands.
§105non colere donis templa votivis libet. §106non inter aras. Atthidum mixtam choris. §107iactare tacitis conscias sacris faces, §108nec adire castis precibus aut ritu pio §109adiudicatae praesidem terrae deam:
I have no desire to honor the temples with votive gifts, nor, mingled with the choruses of Athenian maidens, to wave the torches that share the secret rites among the altars, nor to approach with chaste prayers or pious ritual the goddess who presides over the land adjudged to her.