§439bfudere comam.
shed their hair.
§440iam post laceros Pentheos artus §442thyades, oestro membra remissae, §443velut ignotum videre nefas.
Now, after the tearing of Pentheus' limbs, the Thyades, their limbs released from the frenzy, looked upon it as if it were an unknown crime.
§445Ponti regna tenet nitidi matertera Bacchi §446Nereidumque choris Cadmeia cingitur Ino; §447ius habet in fluctus magni puer advena ponti, §448cognatus Bacchi, numen non vile Palaemon.
The maternal aunt of bright Bacchus holds the realms of the sea, and Cadmean Ino is surrounded by the choruses of the Nereids; a boy, a newcomer to the great sea, has authority over the waves— Palaemon, a kinsman of Bacchus, a divinity of no small power.
§449Te Tyrrhena, puer, rapuit manus, §450at tumidum Nereus posuit mare, §451caerula cum pratis mutat freta: §452hinc verno platanus folio viret §453et Phoebo laurus carum nemus; §454garrula per ramos avis obstrepit; §455vivaces hederas remus tenet, §456summa ligat vitis carchesia.
A Tyrrhenian band seized you, boy, but Nereus calmed the swelling sea, when he exchanges the blue straits for meadows: here the plane tree is green with vernal foliage, and the laurel grove dear to Phoebus; the chattering bird makes a noise through the branches; the oar holds living ivy, and the vine binds the highest mast-tops.
An Idaean lion roared at the prow, a Gangetic tiger sits at the stern.
§459Tum pirata freto pavidus natat, §460et nova demersos facies habet: §461bracchia prima cadunt praedonibus §462inlisumque utero pectus coit, §463parvula dependet lateri manus §464et dorso fluctum curvo subit, §465lunata scindit cauda mare: §466aet sequitur curvus fugientia §466bcarbasa delphin.
Then the terrified pirate swims in the sea, and a new form possesses them as they submerge: first the arms of the robbers fall away, and the chest, struck in, merges with the belly, a tiny hand hangs from the side, and with curved back he dives beneath the wave, the crescent-shaped tail cleaves the sea: and the curved dolphin follows the fleeing sails.
§467Divite Pactolos vexit te Lydius unda, §468aurea torrenti deducens flumina ripa; §469laxavit victos arcus Geticasque sagittas §470lactea Massagetes qui pocula sanguine miscet; §471regna securigeri Bacchum sensere Lycurgi; §472sensere terrae † Zalacum feroces §473et quos vicinus Boreas ferit §474arva mutantes quasque Maeotis §475alluit gentes frigido fluctu §476quasque despectat §476bvertice summo §477sidus Arcadium geminumque plaustrum.
Lydian Pactolus carried you on its rich wave, drawing down golden streams from its rushing bank; the Massagetan, who mixes milk-white cups with blood, unstrung his conquered bow and Getic arrows; the realms of axe-bearing Lycurgus felt Bacchus; the fierce lands of the Zalaci felt him, and those whom neighboring Boreas strikes, shifting their fields, and the nations whom Maeotis washes with its cold wave, and those upon whom the Arcadian star and the twin wains look down from the highest peak of heaven.
§478Ille dispersos domuit Gelonos.
He subdued the scattered Gelonians.
§479arma detraxit trucibus puellis: §480ore deiecto petiere terram §481Thermodontiacae catervae. §482positisque tandem levibus sagittis §483Maenades factae.
He stripped weapons from the fierce maidens: with downcast faces the Thermodontian troops sought the ground, and at last, laying aside their light arrows, they became Maenads.
§484sacer Cithaeron sanguine undavit §485Ophioniaque caede; §486Proetides silvas petiere, et Argos §487praesente Bacchum coluit noverca.
Sacred Cithaeron surged with blood and Ophionia-like slaughter; the daughters of Proetus sought the woods, and Argos worshipped Bacchus even while his stepmother was present.
§488Naxos Aegaeo redimita ponto §489tradidit thalamis relictam §490virginem, meliore pensans §490bdamnum marito: §491pumice ex sicco §492fluxit Nyctelius latex; §493garruli gramen secuere rivi, §494conbibit dulces humus alta sucos §495niveique lactis candidos fontes §496et mixta odoro Lesbia cum thymo.
Naxos, encircled by the Aegean Sea, delivered the abandoned maiden to the bridal chamber, compensating her loss with a better husband: from dry pumice-stone flowed the Nyctelian liquid; chattering streams cut through the grass, the deep earth drank in the sweet juices, and white fountains of snowy milk, and Lesbian wine mixed with fragrant thyme.
§497Ducitur magno nova nupta caelo: §498solemne Phoebus carmen §499infusis humero capillis §500cantat et geminus Cupido §501concutit taedas.
The new bride is led to the great heaven: Phoebus sings a solemn song, with his hair poured over his shoulders, and the twin Cupids brandish torches.
Jupiter laid aside his fiery weapon, and hates his thunderbolt when Bacchus arrives.
§504Lucida dum current annosi sidera mundi, §505Oceanus clausum dum fluctibus ambiet orbem §506Lunaque dimissos dum plena recolliget ignes, §507dum matutinos praedicet Lucifer ortus §508altaque caeruleum dum Nerea nesciet Arctos, §509candida formonsi venerabimur ora Lyaei.
As long as the bright stars of the ancient universe shall run, as long as Ocean shall encircle the enclosed earth with its waves, and as long as the full Moon shall recollect her scattered fires, as long as Lucifer shall herald the morning sunrises, and as long as the high Bear shall not know the blue Nereus, we shall worship the bright countenance of beautiful Lyaeus.
Even if your face itself displays mournful signs, reveal by whose head we are to appease the gods.
§511Fari iubes tacere quae suadet metus.
CREON: You command me to speak of things which fear counsels me to keep silent.
OEDIPUS: If the expiating Thebes does not move you enough, at least let the fallen scepters of your kindred house move you.
§514Nescisse cupies nosse quae nimium expetis.
CREON: You will wish you had not known those things which you so greatly seek to know.
§515Iners malorum remedium ignorantia est.
OEDIPUS: Ignorance is an inactive remedy for evils.
§516itane et salutis publicae indicium obrues?
Will you then also suppress the proof of public safety?
§517Vbi turpis est medicina, sanari piget.
CREON: Where the medicine is shameful, one is loath to be cured.
OEDIPUS: Speak what you have heard, or, subdued by heavy misfortune, you shall know what the weapons of an angry king can do.
§520Odere reges dicta quae dici iubent.
CREON: Kings hate the words they order to be spoken.
OEDIPUS: I will send your worthless head to Erebus in place of all, if you do not reveal the secrets of the sacred rite with your voice.
CREON: Let me be allowed to keep silent; is any lesser freedom sought from a king?
OEDIPUS: Often silent freedom harms a king and his kingdom even more than the tongue.
§526Vbi non licet tacere, quid cuiquam licet?
CREON: Where it is not permitted to keep silent, what is permitted to anyone?
§527Imperia solvit qui tacet iussus loqui.
OEDIPUS: He breaks authority who keeps silent when ordered to speak.
§528Coacta verba placidus accipias precor.
CREON: I pray that you will receive forced words calmly.
§529Vlline poena vocis expressae fuit?
OEDIPUS: Was there ever a penalty for an extracted voice?
CREON: There is a grove dark with holm-oaks far from the city, around the well-watered places of the Dircaean valley.
§532cupressus altis exerens silvis caput §533virente semper alligat trunco nemus, §534curvosque tendit quercus et putres situ §535annosa ramos: huius abrupit latus §536edax vetustas; illa, iam fessa cadens §537radice, fulta pendet aliena trabe, §538amara bacas laurus et tiliae leves
A cypress, raising its head above the deep woods, binds the grove with its ever-green trunk, and an ancient oak stretches out curved branches, decaying with age: devouring time has broken away one side of it; that tree, falling now from its exhausted root, hangs supported by another trunk, laurel, bitter in its berries, and light lindens...