§1Opaca linquens Ditis inferni loca §2adsum profundo Tartari emissus specu, §3incertus utras oderim sedes magis: §4fugio Thyestes inferos, superos fugo.
Leaving the dark realms of infernal Dis, I am present, released from the deep cavern of Tartarus, uncertain which abode I should hate more: I, Thyestes, flee the underworld, and put to flight those above.
§5en horret animus et pavor membra excutit: §6video paternos, immo fraternos lares, §7hoc est vetustum Pelopiae limen domus; §8hinc auspicari regium capiti decus §9mos est Pelasgis, hoc sedent alti toro §10quibus superba sceptra gestantur manu, §11locus 'hic habendae curiae— hic epulis locus, §12libet reverti, nonne vel tristes lacus §13incolere satius, nonne custodem Stygis §14trigemina nigris colla iactantem iubis?
Behold, my mind shudders and dread shakes my limbs: I see my ancestral, nay rather my brother's household gods, this is the ancient threshold of the house of Pelops; here to take auspices for the royal ornament on the head is the custom for the Pelasgians, here sit on the high throne those by whose proud hand the sceptres are wielded, here is the place for holding council—here the place for feasts, I wish to return; is it not better to inhabit even the gloomy lakes, is it not better to dwell with the guardian of the Styx, shaking his triple neck with black manes?
§15ubi ille celeri corpus evinctus rotae §16in se refertur, ubi per adversum irritus §17redeunte totiens luditur saxo labor, §18ubi tondet ales avida fecundum iecur, §19et inter undas fervida exustus siti §20aquas fugaces ore decepto appetit §21poenas daturus caelitum dapibus graves— §22sed ille nostrae pars quota est culpae senex?
where he, his body bound to the swift wheel, is carried back upon himself; where, against the hill, in vain the labor is mocked so many times by the returning stone; where the greedy bird tears at the fertile liver, and parched with burning thirst in the midst of waves, he catches at the fleeing waters with deceived mouth, destined to pay heavy penalties for the feasts of the gods— but how small a part of our guilt is that old man?
§23reputemus omnes quos ob infandas manus §24quaesitor urna Gnosius versat reos, §25vincam Thyestes sceleribus cunctos meis.
Let us reckon all those whom, on account of unspeakable deeds, the Gnosian judge shakes as defendants with his urn; I, Thyestes, shall surpass them all in my crimes.
§26a fratre vincar? liberis plenus tribus
Shall I be surpassed by my brother? I, full of three children buried within me?
§27in me sepultis? viscera exedi mea.
I devoured my own entrails.
§28nec hactenus Fortuna maculavit patrem, §29sed maius aliud ausa commisso scelus §30gnatae nefandos petere concubitus iubet.
Nor has Fortune thus far stained the father, but having dared another crime greater than the one committed, she commands me to seek the forbidden embrace of my daughter.
§31non pavidus hausi dicta, sed cepi nefas.
Not trembling did I drink in the words, but I accepted the wickedness.
§32ergo ut per omnis liberos irem parens, §33coacta fatis gnata fert uterum gravem, §34me patre dignum, versa natura est retro: §35avo parentem, pro nefas, patri virum, §36gnatis nepotes miscui— nocti diem.
Therefore, so that I might go as a parent through all my children, forced by the fates my daughter bears a heavy womb, worthy of me as a father; nature is turned backward: I have mixed parent for grandfather, oh wickedness, husband for father, grandsons for children—day with night.
§37Sed sera tandem respicit fessos malis §38post fata demum sortis incertae fides: §39rex ille regum, ductor Agamemnon ducum, §40cuius secutae mille vexillum rates §41Iliaca velis maria texerunt suis, §42post decima Phoebi lustra devicto Ilio §43adest— daturus coniugi iugulum suae.
But at last, though late, the fidelity of uncertain fortune looks back upon those weary of evils after death: that king of kings, leader Agamemnon of leaders, whose thousand ships following his banner covered the Trojan seas with their sails, after the tenth lustrum of Phoebus, Ilium being conquered, is present—destined to give his throat to his wife.
§44iam iam natabit sanguine alterno domus: §45enses secures tela, divisum gravi §46ictu bipennis regium video caput, §47iam scelera prope sunt, iam dolus caedes cruor— §48parantur epulae, causa natalis tui, §49Aegisthe, venit, quid pudor vultus gravat?
Now, now the house will swim with alternating blood: swords, axes, weapons, I see the royal head divided by the heavy blow of the double-axe, now crimes are near, now deceit, slaughter, gore— the feast is prepared; the cause of your birth, Aegisthus, has come; why does shame weigh down your countenance?
§50quid dextra dubio trepida consilio labat?
Why does your trembling right hand waver with uncertain counsel?
§51quid ipse temet consulis torques rogas, '
Why do you consult, torment, ask yourself whether this is fitting for you?
§52an deceat hoc te? respice ad matrem: decet.
Look at your mother: it is fitting.
§53Sed cur repente noctis aestivae vices §54hiberna longa spatia producunt mora, §55aut quid cadentes detinet stellas polo?
But why suddenly do the summer night's shifts prolong their spaces with a long winter delay, or what detains the falling stars in the sky?
§56Phoebum moramur? redde iam mundo diem.
Do we delay Phoebus? Return now the day to the world.
§57O regnorum magnis fallax §58Fortuna bonis, in praecipiti §59dubioque locas nimis excelsos; §60numquam placidam sceptra quietem §61certumve sui tenuere diem; §62alia ex aliis cura fatigat §63vexatque animos nova tempestas.
O Fortune, deceitful with the great blessings of kingdoms, in a steep and doubtful place you locate those who are too high; never did sceptres hold calm quiet or a day certain of itself; one care after another fatigues, and a new tempest vexes minds.
§64Non sic Libycis syrtibus aequor §65furit alternos volvere fluctus, §66non Euxini turget ab imis §67commota vadis §68unda nivali vicina polo, §69ubi caeruleis immunis aquis §70lucida versat plaustra Bootes, §71ut praecipites regum casus §72Fortuna rotat.
Not so does the sea rage on Libyan quicksands to roll alternating waves, nor does the wave near the snowy pole, stirred from the deepest shallows of the Euxine, swell up, where, free from the dark blue waters, Bootes turns his bright wain, as Fortune rotates the headlong falls of kings.
§73Metui cupiunt metuique timent, §74non nox illis alma recessus §75praebet tutos, non curarum §76somnus domitor pectora solvit.
They desire to be feared, and fear to be feared; kind night does not provide safe retreats for them, nor does sleep, the conqueror of cares, dissolve their hearts.
§77Quas non arces scelus alternum
What citadels has alternating crime not cast headlong?
§78dedit in praeceps? impia quas non
What citadels do impious arms not fatigue?
§79arma fatigant? iura pudorque §80et coniugii sacrata fides §81fugiunt aulas; sequitur tristis §82sanguinolenta Bellona manu §83quaeque superbos urit Erinys, §84nimias semper comitata domos, §85quas in planum quaelibet hora §86tulit ex alto.
Laws and shame, and the sacred fidelity of marriage, flee from courts; gloomy Bellona follows with bloody hand, and the Erinys who burns the proud, always accompanying excessive houses, which any hour has brought from the high to the plain.
Though arms may be idle and deceits cease, great things sink by their own weight, and Fortune yields to her own burden.
§90vela secundis inflata notis §91ventos nimium timuere suos, §92nubibus ipsis inserta caput §93turris pluvio vapulat Austro, §94densasque nemus spargens umbras §95annosa videt robora frangi; §96feriunt celsos fulmina colles, §97corpora morbis maiora patent, §98et cum in pastus armenta vagos
Sails swollen by favorable winds have feared too much their own winds; the tower that thrusts its head into the clouds themselves is battered by the rainy South Wind; and the grove spreading dense shadows sees its ancient oaks broken; lightning strikes the high hills, larger bodies lie open to diseases, and when herds into wandering pastures...