§181quae prima querar? quae summa gemam?
What shall I complain of first? What shall I groan for last?
§182pariter cuncta a deflere iuvat
It pleases me to weep for all things equally.
§183nec plura dedit pectora Tellus §184ut digna sonent verbera fatis, §185me vel Sipylum flebile saxum §186fingite, superi, vel in Eridani §187ponite ripis, ubi maesta sonat §188Phaetontiadum silva sororum; §189me vel Siculis addite saxis, §190ubi fata gemam Thessala Siren, §191vel in Edonas tollite silvas §192qualis natum Daulias ales §193solet Ismaria flere sub umbra; §194formam lacrimis aptate meis §195resonetque malis aspera Trachin,
And Earth did not give me more breasts/lungs, so that blows worthy of my fates might resound, O gods, fashion me either as the weeping stone of Sipylus, or place me on the banks of Eridanus, where the mournful forest of Phaethon's sisters resounds; or add me to the Sicilian rocks, where, a Thessalian Siren, I may groan for my fates; or carry me away to the Edonian forests, such as the Daulian bird is wont to weep for her son under Ismarian shade; Adapt a form suitable for my tears, and let harsh Trachis resound with my misfortunes.
§196Cyprias lacrimas Myrrha tuetur, §197raptum coniunx Ceyca gemit, §198sibi Tantalis est facta superstes; §199fugit vultus Philomela suos.
Myrrha preserves her Cyprian tears, the wife groans for her snatched-away Ceyx, Tantalus' daughter was made a survivor to herself; Philomela fled her own countenance.
And the mournful Athenian bird sings of her son: Why do my arms not yet receive swift feathers?
§202bracchia plumas? felix, felix, §203cum silva domus nostra feretur, §204patrioque sedens ales in agro §205referam qnerulo murmure casus §206volucremque Iolen fama loquetur.
Happy, happy [shall I be], when the forest shall be called our home, and, sitting as a bird in my ancestral field, I shall relate my misfortunes with a complaining murmur, and fame shall speak of the winged Iole.
§206bVidi, vidi §207miseranda mei fata parentis, §208cum letifero stipite pulsus §209tota iacuit sparsus in aula: §210a si tumulum fata dedissent, §211quotiens, genitor, quaerendus eras?
I saw, I saw the pitiable fates of my parent, when, struck by the death-bearing club, he lay scattered throughout the whole palace: ah, if the fates had given him a tomb, how many times, father, would you have had to be searched for?
Could I behold your death, you whose tender cheeks were not yet clothed, and not yet with strong blood, Toxeus?
Why do I complain of your fates, parents, whom impartial death has carried into safety?
§217mea me lacrimas fortuna rogat.
My own fortune demands tears from me.
§218Iam iam dominae captiva colus §219fusosque legam, pro saeve decor §220formaque mortem paritura mihi,
Now, now, a captive, I shall gather my mistress's distaff and spindles, oh, cruel beauty and form destined to bring death to me!
§221tibi cuncta domus concidit uni, §222dum me genitor negat Alcidae §223atque Herculeus socer esse timet,
For you alone did our whole house fall, while my father denied me to Alcides and feared to be Hercules' father-in-law.
§224sed iam dominae tecta petantur.
But now let my mistress's house be sought.
Why do you, mad, look back upon the bright kingdom of your parent and your own misfortunes?
§227fugiat vultus fortuna prior,
Let your former fortune flee your countenance.
Happy is whoever has learned to endure both slave and king, and is able to vary his countenance.
He who has borne misfortune with an equal mind has snatched away strength and weight from evils.
Oh, how bloody a madness goads women when one house lies open to both mistress and wife!
Scylla and Charybdis, churning the Sicilian straits, are less to be feared; there is no wild beast that is not better.
§237namque ut reluxit paelicis captae decus §238et fulsit Iole qualis innubis dies §239purisve clarum noctibus sidus micat, §240stetit furenti similis ac torvum intuens §241Herculea coniunx; feta ut Armenia iacens §242sub rupe tigris hoste conspecto exilit §243aut iussa thyrsum quatere conceptum ferens §244Maenas Lyaeum, dubia quo gressus ferat §245haesit parumper; tura per Herculeos lares §246attonita fertur; tota vix satis est domus: §247incurrit, errat, sistit, in voltus dolor §248processit omnis, pectori paene infimo §249nihil est relictum; fletus insequitur minas.
For as soon as the beauty of the captive mistress shone forth, and Iole beamed like a cloudless day or as a bright star glitters in clear nights, the Herculean wife stood like a madwoman and, gazing fiercely; just as a tigress that has recently given birth, lying under an Armenian rock, leaps up when an enemy is seen, or as a Maenad, ordered to shake the thyrsus, bearing Lyaeus conceived in her breast, hesitated a little where to direct her steps; she is carried astonished, offering incense through the Herculean household; the whole house is scarcely enough for her: she runs, she wanders, she stops, all her grief has advanced into her countenance, almost nothing is left in the bottom of her breast; weeping follows threats.
Nor does one state last, nor does she rage content with one countenance: now her cheeks kindle.
Paleness drives out the redness, and grief wanders through all shapes: she complains, she implores, she groans.
The door-posts resounded: behold, with a headlong step she utters the secrets of her mind with a confused mouth.
§256Quamcumque partem sedis aetheriae premis, §257coniunx Tonantis, mitte in Alciden feram §258quae mihi satis sit.
Whatever part of the heavenly seat you occupy, wife of the Thunderer, send against Alcides a wild beast which may be enough for me.
si qua fecundum caput §259palude tota vastior serpens movet, §260ignara vinci, si quid excessit feras §261immane dirum horribile, quo viso Hercules §262avertat oculos, hoc specu immenso exeat, §263vel si ferae negantur, hanc animam precor §264converte in aliquod: quodlibet possum malum §265hac mente fieri, commoda effigiem mihi §266parem dolori: non capit pectus minas,
If any serpent, more vast than the whole swamp, moves its fertile head, ignorant of being conquered, or if there is anything huge, dreadful, and horrible that exceeds wild beasts, at the sight of which Hercules may avert his eyes, let this come out from an immense cave; or if wild beasts are denied, I pray, convert this soul of mine into something: with this mind I can become any evil whatsoever; lend to me an appearance equal to my grief: my breast does not contain mere threats.
§267quid excutis telluris extremae sinus
Why do you shake the depths of the furthest earth and turn the world?
§268orbemque versas? quid rogas Ditem mala?
Why do you ask Dis for evils?
§269omnes in isto pectore invenies feras §270quas timeat; odiis accipe hoc telum tuis: §271ego sim noverca, perdere Alciden potes:
You will find in this breast all the wild beasts that he might fear; receive this weapon for your hatred: let me be the stepmother; you can destroy Alcides.
§272perfer manus quocumque; quid cessas, dea?
Direct my hands to whatever place; why do you hesitate, goddess?
§273utere furente! quod iubes fieri nefas?
Use a madwoman! What crime do you command to be done?
Find it out, why do you falter? You yourself may now rest; this wrath is enough.