TEREUS VIOLATES PHILOMELA
Ut simul inposita est pictae Philomela carinae,
admotumque fretum remis tellusque repulsa est,
'vicimus!' exclamat, 'mecum mea vota feruntur!'
exsultatque et vix animo sua gaudia differt
barbarus et nusquam lumen detorquet ab illa, 515
non aliter quam cum pedibus praedator obuncis
deposuit nido leporem Iovis ales in alto;
nulla fuga est capto, spectat sua praemia raptor.
Iamque iter effectum, iamque in sua litora fessis
puppibus exierant, cum rex Pandione natam 520
in stabula alta trahit, silvis obscura vetustis,
atque ibi pallentem trepidamque et cuncta timentem
et iam cum lacrimis, ubi sit germana, rogantem
includit fassusque nefas et virginem et unam
vi superat frustra clamato saepe parente, 525
saepe sorore sua, magnis super omnia divis.
illa tremit velut agna pavens, quae saucia cani
ore excussa lupi nondum sibi tuta videtur,
utque columba suo madefactis sanguine plumis
horret adhuc avidosque timet, quibus haeserat, ungues. 530
mox ubi mens rediit, passos laniata capillos,
lugenti similis caesis plangore lacertis
intendens palmas 'o diris barbare factis,
o crudelis' ait, 'nec te mandata parentis
cum lacrimis movere piis nec cura sororis 535
nec mea virginitas nec coniugialia iura?
omnia turbasti; paelex ego facta sororis,
tu geminus coniunx, hostis mihi debita Procne!
quin animam hanc, ne quod facinus tibi, perfide, restet,
eripis? atque utinam fecisses ante nefandos 540
concubitus: vacuas habuissem criminis umbras.
si tamen haec superi cernunt, si numina divum
sunt aliquid, si non perierunt omnia mecum,
quandocumque mihi poenas dabis! ipsa pudore
proiecto tua facta loquar
Notes
511 simul: in most texts it's written as semel (once); I chose to change to simul, which Tarrant notes as used by three translations, meaning as soon as. Tereus is so overcome by his need for Philomela that he wouldn't just rejoice after she was aboard his ship, but rather as soon as he had her
514 differt: differo, differre, distuli, dilatus delay, differ, give respite to
515 detorquet: detorqueo, detorquere, detorsi, detortus turn, deviate
barbarus is enjambed
516 obuncis: obuncus, -a, -um bent [in], hooked
non aliter quam starts this simile
517 nido: nidus, -i, m. nest
518 praemia: praemium, -i, n. prize, reward
520 puppibus: puppis, puppis, f. stern, boat
Pandione: Pandion, King of Athens, father of Procne and Philomela
523 germana: germanus, -a, -um genuine, true
rogantem is subjunctive, showing an indirect question
524 includit is enjambed and an early cesura, emphasizing the shock of him imprisoning her
525-26 clamato...parente and sorore...sua are ablative absolutes, emphasizing how many people she has already tried to call and Tereus' ignorance of that
527 agna, -ae, f. lamb
528 tuta: tutus, -a, -um safe, protected
530 horret: horreo, horrere, horrui, - to shudder at, tremble
ungues: unguis, -is, m. talon, claw
531-32 passos...capillos and caesis...lacertis are ablative absolutes
533-34 barbare and crudelis are vocative
535 movere is a syncopated perfect verb - mōvērunt
piis: pius, -a, -um respectful, loyal
537 paelex, paelicis, f. dictionary says mistress, in this context can mean anything that indicates the reason her sister's marriage would fail
538 coniunx, coniugis, m/f dictionary says spouse/mate, in this context it represents the fact that Tereus is sexually involved with both women, not necessarily a consensual marriage of both
539 perfide: perfidus, -a, -um faithless, treacherous, deceitful
perfide is in the vocative case
restet is subjunctive in a purpose clause
540 eripis is enjambed
fecisses is subjunctive, past CTF
541 habuissem is subjunctive, past CTF
542 cernunt: cerno, cernere, crevi, cretus to determine, decide, discern
543 perierunt: translated as died, but can also been seen as "went to waste," talking about not dying in vain