§1Quis inferorum sede ab infausta extrahit §2avido fugaces ore captantem cibos, §3quis male deorum Tantalo visas domos
Who drags me out from the ill-fated seat of the underworld, trying to catch fleeting food with a greedy mouth, Who among the gods, to my harm, shows again to Tantalus the houses he has seen?
§4ostendit iterum? peius inventum est siti §5arente in undis aliquid et peius fame §6hiante semper? Sisyphi numquid lapis
Has something worse been found than parching thirst in the midst of waters, and worse than hunger ever gaping?
§7gestandus umeris lubricus nostris venit §8aut membra celeri differens cursu rota, §9aut poena Tityi qui specu vasto patens §10visceribus atras pascit effossis aves §11et nocte reparans quicquid amisit die §12plenum recenti pabulum monstro iacet?
Can it be that Sisyphus’ slippery stone comes to be borne upon my shoulders, or the wheel tearing apart my limbs in its swift course, or the punishment of Tityus, who, stretched out in a vast cave, feeds the black birds with his torn-out entrails, and restoring by night whatever he lost by day, lies as a full meal for the renewed monster?
§13in quod malum transcribor? o quisquis nova
To what evil am I being transferred?
§14supplicia functis durus umbrarum arbiter §15disponis, addi si quid ad poenas potest §16quod ipse custos carceris diri horreat, §17quod maestus Acheron paveat, ad cuius metum §18nos quoque tremamus, quaere: iam nostra subit §19e stirpe turba quae suum vincat genus §20ac me innocentem faciat et inausa audeat.
Oh, whoever you are, harsh judge of the shades, who assign new punishments to the dead, if anything can be added to the torments that the very guardian of the dread prison would shudder at, which sad Acheron would fear, at whose dread we too would tremble, seek it out: already from our stock a crowd arises which will surpass its own race, and make me seem innocent, and dare what has never been dared.
Whatever space lies vacant in the impious region I will fill— never, while the house of Pelops stands, will Minos be at leisure.
Go on, detestable shade, and drive the impious household with furies.
§25certetur omni scelere et alterna vice §26stringatur ensis; ne sit irarum modus §27pudorve, mentes caecus instiget furor, §28rabies parentum duret et longum nefas §29eat in nepotes; nec vacet cuiquam vetus §30odisse crimen: semper oriatur novum, §31nec unum in uno, dumque punitur scelus, §32crescat, superbis fratribus regna excidant §33repetantque profugos; dubia violentae domus §34fortuna reges inter incertos labet: §35miser ex potente fiat, ex misero potens §36fluctuque regnum casus assiduo ferat, §37ob scelera pulsi, cum dabit patriam deus §38in scelera redeant, sintque tam invisi omnibus, §39quam sibi; nihil sit ira quod vetitum putet: §40fratrem expavescat frater et gnatum parens §41gnatusque patrem, liberi pereant male, §42peius tamen nascantur; immineat viro §43infesta coniunx, bella trans pontum vehant,- §44effusus omnis irriget terras cruor, §45supraque magnos gentium exultet duces §46Libido victrix: impia stuprum in domo §47levissimum sit facinus; et fas et fides §48iusque omne pereat, non sit a vestris malis §49immune caelum, cur micant stellae polo §50flammaeque. servant debitum mundo decus?
Let them strive in every crime, and in alternate turn let the sword be drawn; let there be no limit to anger, nor shame, let blind fury stimulate their minds, let the madness of parents endure, and long-lasting sin go down to the grandchildren; let no one have leisure to hate an old crime: let a new one always arise, and not just one in one person, and while crime is punished, let it grow; let kingdoms fall from proud brothers and let them seek again the exiles; let the doubtful fortune of the violent house totter among wavering kings: let the miserable be made from the powerful, the powerful from the miserable, and let chance carry the kingdom on a restless wave; expelled for their crimes, when a god shall grant them their fatherland, let them return to crime, and be as hated to all as to themselves; let there be nothing that anger deems forbidden: let brother dread brother, and parent child, and child parent; let children perish miserably, yet be born worse; let a hostile wife loom over her husband; let them carry wars across the sea,— let poured-out blood moisten all lands, and over the great leaders of nations let victorious Lust exult: in the impious house let adultery be the lightest crime; let both divine law and loyalty and all justice perish; let heaven not be immune from your evils; why do stars gleam in the sky, and flames preserve their due glory for the world?
§51nox alia fiat, excidat caelo dies.
Let another night be made, let daytime fall from heaven.
Confound the household, summon hatred, slaughters, deaths, and fill the whole house with Tantalus.
§54ornetur altum columen et lauro fores §55laetae virescant, dignus adventu tuo §56splendescat ignis— Thracium fiat nefas §57maiore numero, dextra cur patrui vacat?
Let the high pillar be adorned, and let the gates grow green with joyful laurel, let a fire worthy of your arrival shine bright— let the Thracian crime be done with a greater number, why is the uncle’s right hand empty?
Not yet does Thyestes bewail his own children— and when will he stop?
§60spument aena, membra per partes eant §61discerpta, patruos polluat sanguis focos, §62epulae instruantur— non novi sceleris tibi §63conviva venies, liberum dedimus diem §64tuamque ad istas solvimus mensas famem: §65ieiunia exple, mixtus in Bacchum cruor §66spectante te potetur; inveni dapes §67quas ipse fugeres— siste, quo praeceps ruis?
With fires already placed beneath, let bronze cauldrons foam, let the severed limbs go in pieces, torn asunder, let blood defile the uncle’s hearths, let feasts be prepared— you will come as no guest to a novel crime, we have granted a free day and have released your hunger at those tables: satisfy your fast, let blood mixed with wine be drunk while you watch; I have found feasts which you yourself would flee— stop, where do you rush headlong?
To the pools and rivers and receding waters and the flights of the fruitful tree from my very lips.
§70abire in atrum carceris liceat mei §71cubile, liceat, si parum videor miser, §72mutare ripas: alveo medius tuo, §73Phlegethon, relinquar igneo cinctus freto.
Let me depart to the black chamber of my prison, let me, if I seem too little wretched, change my riverbanks: in the midst of your channel, Phlegethon, let me be left surrounded by the fiery stream.
§74quicumque poenas lege fatorum datas §75pati iuberis, quisquis exeso iaces §76pavidus sub antro iamque venturi times §77montis ruinam, quisquis avidorum feros §78rictus leonum et dira Furiarum agmina §79implicitus horres, quisquis immissas faces §80semiustus abigis, Tantali vocem excipe §81properantis ad vos: credite experto mihi, §82amate poenas, quando continget mihi §83effugere superos?
Whoever you are, ordered to suffer punishments given by the law of fates, whoever lies fearful under an eroded cave and already fears the ruin of the mountain about to come, whoever dreads, entangled, the fierce gapings of greedy lions and the dread bands of the Furies, whoever, half-burnt, ward off the thrust-in torches, receive the voice of Tantalus hurrying to you: believe me who have experienced it, love your punishments; when will it be my lot to escape the gods above?