§531hoc nulla lux conspiciat, hoc tenebrae tegant §532tantum remotae: sic potens vires suas §533sanguis tenebit. ' verba deprendit quies
"Let no light behold this, let darkness cover this, only far removed; thus the powerful blood will keep its strength." Silence cut off his words, and sleep brought death to his weary limbs.
§534mortemque lassis intulit membris sopor. §535tu, quam meis admittit arcanis fides, §536perge' ut nitentem virus in vestem datura §537mentem per artus adeat et tacitum means §538intret medullas,
You, whom my trust admits into my secrets, go, as you are about to smear the venom on the shining robe, so that it may reach his mind through his limbs, and gliding silently, enter his marrow.
§538bOcius iussa exequar, §539alumna, precibus tu deum invictum advoca, §540qui certa tenera tela dimittit manu.
I shall execute your orders swiftly, my child; invoke by your prayers the unconquered god who dismisses sure arrows from his tender hand.
§541Te deprecor, quem mundus et superi timent §542et aequor et qui fulmen Aetnaeum quatit, §543timendo matri te aliger saevae puer: §544intende certa spiculum velox manu, §545non ex sagittis levibus: e numero precor §546graviore prome quod tuae nondum manus §547misere in aliquem; non levi telo est opus,
I pray to you, whom the world and the gods above fear, and the sea, and he who shakes the Aeanean lightning bolt, O winged boy, a source of fear even to your savage mother: aim the swift shaft with a sure hand, not from your light arrows; I pray, choose from the heavier number which your hands have not yet sent against anyone; no light weapon is needed that Hercules may love.
Extend your stiff hands and prepare your bow with its horns joined.
§550nunc, nunc sagittam prome qua quondam horridum §551Iovem petisti, fulmine abiecto deus §552cum fronte subita tumuit et rabidum mare §553taurus puellae vector Assyriae scidit; §554immitte amorem, vincat exempla omnia: §555amare discat coniugem, si quas decor §556Ioles inussit pectori Herculeo faces, §557extingue totas, perbibat formam mei.
Now, now bring forth the arrow with which you once targeted terrible Jupiter, when the god, casting aside his lightning, swelled with a sudden forehead, and cleft the raging sea as a bull carrying the Assyrian maiden; send in love, let it conquer all examples: let him learn to love his wife; if any torches of Iole's beauty have burned the breast of Hercules, extinguish them all, let him drink in my form.
§558tu fulminantem saepe domuisti Iovem, §559tu furva nigri sceptra gestantem poli, §560turbae ducem maioris et dominum Stygis, §561tuque o noverca gravior irata deus, §562cape hunc triumphum solus et vince Herculem.
You have often subdued thundering Jupiter, you, the bearer of the dark sceptre of the black sky, the leader of the greater crowd and lord of the Styx, and you, O god more terrible than an angry stepmother, take this triumph alone and conquer Hercules.
The power has been brought out, and the woven fabric that has wearied all the hands of the maidservants with Pallas' distaff.
Now let the venom be poured, and let the robe of Hercules drink in the plague; I will increase the mischief with my prayers.
At the very right time, diligent Lichas comes: the dread power must be hidden, lest our wiles be revealed.
§569O quod superbae non habent umquam domus, §570fidele semper regibus nomen Licha, §571cape hos amictus, nostra quos nevit manus, §572dum vagus in orbe fertur et victus mero §573tenet feroci Lydiam gremio nurum, §574dum poscit Iolen; sed iecur fors horridum §575Sectam merendo: merita vicerunt malos.
O, what proud houses never possess, Lichas, a name always faithful to kings, take these garments which our hands have woven, while he is carried wandering through the world and, overcome by wine, holds the Lydian maiden in his fierce embrace, while he demands Iole; but may his fierce heart, by deserving to follow, be won; his merits have conquered the wicked.
§576non ante coniunx induat vestes iube §577quam ture flammas pascat et placet deos, §578cana rigentem populo cinctus comam.
Order that your husband shall not put on the garments before he feeds the flames with incense and appeases the gods, having surrounded his stiff hair with white poplar.
I myself will carry my steps to the royal house, and with prayers worship the mother of dread Love.
You, my companions whom I brought from my father’s hearth, Calydonian women, lament this lamentable lot.
§583Flemus casus, Oenei, tuos §584comitum primos turba per annos, §585flemus dubios, veneranda, toros.
We weep for your misfortunes, daughter of Oeneus, we, the crowd of your companions from our early years, we weep, revered one, for your uncertain marriage.
§586nos Acheloi tecum solitae §587pulsare vadum, quom iam tumidas §588vere peracto poneret undas §589gracilisque gradu serperet aequo §590nec praecipitem volveret amnem §591flavus rupto fonte Lycormas; §592nos Palladias ire per aras §593. et virgineos celebrare choros. §594nos Cadmeis orgia ferre §595tecum solitae condita cistis, §596quom iam pulso sidere brumae §597tertia soles evocat aestas" §598et spiciferae concessa deae §599Attica mystas cludit Eleusin.
We, who with you were accustomed to strike the shallows of Achelous, when, spring having passed, it laid down its swollen waves, and crept along with a slender and even step, nor did the yellow Lycormas roll down a headlong river with its broken spring; we, who were accustomed to go through the altars of Pallas, and celebrate the maidenly dances; we, who with you were accustomed to carry Cadmus' rites, hidden in baskets, when, the constellation of winter having been driven away, the third summer calls forth the suns, and Attic Eleusis, granted to the grain-bearing goddess, shuts in the initiates.
§600nunc quoque casum quemcumque times, §601fidas comites accipe fatis: §602nam rara fides §603ubi iam melior fortuna ruit.
Now also, whatever misfortune you fear, receive us as faithful companions to your fate; for loyalty is rare when better fortune collapses.
§604Tu quicumque es qui sceptra tenes, §605licet omne tua vulgus in aula §606centum pariter limina pulset: §607quom tot populis stipatus eas, §608in tot populis vix una fides, §609tenet auratum limen Erinys, §610et quom magnae patuere fores, §611intrant fraudes cautique doli §612ferrumque latens; cumque in populos §613prodire paras, comes invidia est: §614noctem quotiens summovet Eos, §615regem totiens credite nasci.
You, whoever you are who hold the sceptre, though all the crowd in your hall should knock at a hundred thresholds alike: when you go accompanied by so many peoples, among so many peoples there is scarcely one loyalty; Erinys holds the gilded threshold, and when the great gates lie open, frauds and cunning wiles enter, and hidden steel; and when you prepare to go out among the peoples, envy is your companion: as often as Eos drives away the night, believe that a king is born so many times.
§616pauci reges, non regna colunt: §617plures fulgor concitat aulae; §618cupit hic regi proximus ipsi §619clarus latas ire per urbes: §620urit miserum gloria pectus; §621cupit hic gazis implere famem, §622nec tamen omnis plaga gemmiferi §623sufficit Histri nec tota sitim §624Lydia vincit nec quae Zephyro §625subdita tellus stupet aurato §626flumine clarum radiare Tagum;
Few worship the king, not the kingdom; the brightness of the court excites more; this man desires to go illustrious through broad cities next to the king himself: glory burns his wretched breast; this man desires to fill his hunger with treasures, yet not all the region of the gem-bearing Hister suffices, nor does all Lydia conquer his thirst, nor the land which, subject to the Zephyr, marvels at the golden river of Tagus radiating brightly;