§388vestes, procul sit muricis Tyrii rubor, §389quae fila ramis ultimi Seres legunt: §390brevis expeditos zona constringat sinus, §391cervix monili vacua, nec niveus lapis §392deducat auris, Indici donum maris; §393odore crinis sparsus Assyrio vacet, §394sic temere iactae. colla perfundant comae
those garments, let the redness of Tyrian purple be far away, and those threads which the far-off Seres gather from the branches; let a short girdle bind her tucked-up robes, let her neck be free of necklaces, nor let the snow-white stone, the gift of the Indian sea, weigh down her ears; let her hair be free from being sprinkled with Assyrian perfume, let her locks, thus carelessly tossed, flow over her neck and over the tops of her shoulders; moved by rapid running, let them follow the winds.
§395umerosque summos, cursibus motae citis §396ventos sequantur, laeva se pharetrae dabit, §397hastile vibret dextra Thessalicum manus.
Her left hand will give itself to the quiver, and her right hand will brandish a Thessalian spear.
§399qualis relictis frigidi Ponti plagis §400egit catervas Atticum pulsans solum §401Tanaitis aut Maeotis et nodo comas §402coegit emisitque. lunata latus §403protecta pelta: talis in silvas ferar.
Just as, having left the tracts of the cold Pontus, and treading upon the Attic soil, she led her troops, the woman of Tanais or Maeotis, and with a knot bound her hair together and let it loose; her side protected by a crescent shield: such shall I betake myself to the woods.
§406Regina nemorum, sola quae montes colis §407et una solis montibus coleris dea, §408converte tristes ominum in melius minas, §409o magna silvas inter et lucos dea §410claramque caeli sidus et noctis decus, §411cuius relucet mundus alterna vice, §412Hecate triformis, en ades coeptis favens.
Queen of the groves, who alone inhabit the mountains, and are worshipped as the sole goddess on the solitary mountains, turn the grim threats of omens for the better, O great goddess among the woods and sacred groves, and bright star of heaven and glory of the night, by whose alternating turn the universe shines back, three-formed Hecate, behold, be present and favor our undertakings.
§413animum rigentem tristis Hippolyti doma: §414det facilis aures: mitiga pectus ferum: §415amare discat, mutuos ignes ferat.
Subdue the rigid mind of gloomy Hippolytus: let him lend a compliant ear; soften his wild breast; let him learn to love, let him bear mutual fires.
§416inflecte mentem: torvus aversus ferox §417in iura Veneris redeat, huc vires tuas §418intende: sic te lucidi vultus ferant §419et nube rapta cornibus puris eas, §420sic te regentem frena nocturni aetheris §421detrahere numquam Thessali cantus queant §422nullusque de te gloriam pastor ferat,
Bend his mind: let him, stern, averse, and fierce, return to the laws of Venus; hither direct your powers: so may your shining countenances bear you, and, the cloud snatched away, may you journey with clear horns; so may the Thessalian spells never be able to drag you down while you guide the reins of the night-time sky, and let no shepherd bear away glory concerning you.
§423ades invocata, iam fave votis, dea: §424ipsum intuor solemne venerantem sacrum §425nullo latus comitante— quid dubitas? dedit
Be present, invoked; now favor our prayers, O goddess: I behold him himself worshipping with solemn rite, with no one accompanying his side— why do you hesitate?
§426tempus locumque casus: utendum artibus,
Chance has given time and place: we must use arts.
§427trepidamus? haud est facile mandatum scelus §428audere, verum iussa qui regis timet, §429deponat omne et pellat ex animo decus: §430malus est minister regii imperii pudor.
Are we trembling? It is by no means easy to dare a commanded crime, but he who fears the orders of a king should lay aside all honor and expel it from his mind: shame is a bad servant of royal power.
Why do you direct your weary, aged steps hither, O faithful nurse, wearing a troubled brow and sad in countenance?
Is my parent indeed safe, and is Phaedra safe, and the yoke of her twofold offspring?
Dismiss your fears; the kingdom is in a prosperous state, and the flourishing house thrives under a happy lot.
§437sed tu beatis mitior rebus veni: §438namque anxiam me cura sollicitat tui, §439quod te ipse poenis gravibus infestus domas.
But do you come more gentle toward this happy state of affairs: for anxiety and concern for you trouble me, because you, hostile to yourself, subdue yourself with heavy punishments.
§440quem fata cogunt, ille cum venia est miser; §441at si quis ultro se malis offert volens §442seque ipse torquet, perdere est dignus bona §443quis nescit uti.
He whom the fates compel is wretched with pardon; but if anyone willingly offers himself to evils of his own accord and tortures himself, he is worthy to lose the blessings which he knows not how to use.
potius annorum memor §444mentem relaxa: noctibus festis facem §445attolle, curas Bacchus exoneret graves; §446aetate fruere: mobili cursu fugit,
Rather, mindful of your years, relax your mind: lift up the torch on festive nights, let Bacchus unburden your heavy cares; enjoy your youth: it flees with a rapid course.
Now is your heart susceptible, now is Venus pleasing to a youth: let your mind exult; why do you lie on a widowed bed?
Loose your sad youth; now snatch your course, let loose the reins, forbid the best days of life to flow away.
§451effluere prohibe, propria descripsit deus §452officia et aevum per suos duxit gradus: §453laetitia iuvenem, frons decet tristis senem.
God has mapped out proper duties and has guided age through its own steps: joy becomes a youth, a sad brow becomes an old man.
§454quid te coherces et necas rectam indolem?
Why do you restrain yourself and destroy your proper nature?
§455seges illa magnum fenus agricolae dabit §456quaecumque laetis tenera luxuriat satis, §457arborque celso vertice evincet nemus §458quam non maligna caedit aut resecat" manus: §459ingenia melius recta se in laudes ferunt, §460si nobilem animum vegeta libertas alit.
That crop will give a great return to the farmer, whatever tender thing luxuriates in joyful crops, and that tree will surpass the grove with its lofty top, which no malicious hand prunes or cuts back; proper talents direct themselves better toward praise, if vigorous freedom nourishes a noble mind.
Will you, grim and wild and ignorant of life, cultivate a sad youth, having deserted Venus?
§463hoc esse munus credis indictum viris, §464ut dura tolerent, cursibus domitent equos §465et saeva bella Marte sanguineo gerant?
Do you believe this is the duty appointed to men, to endure hardships, to tame horses in their courses, and wage savage wars under bloody Mars?
How many various kinds of death drag mortal man and pluck the crowd— the sea, the sword, and treachery!
§466providit ille maximus mundi parens, §467cum tam rapaces cerneret Pati manus, §468ut damna semper subole repararet nova.
That greatest parent of the world foresaw, when he perceived the hands of Fate to be so greedy, that he should always repair losses with new offspring.
But you might believe that the fates are lacking: thus we seek the black Styx already of our own accord.
Let sterile youth approve a celibate life: whatever you behold will be the crowd of a single age, and will collapse into itself.
§469excedat agedum rebus humanis Venus,
Let Venus indeed depart from human affairs,