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Ovid Metamorphoses (a poetic translation): June 2015
A translation of Ovid's Metamorphoses, poetically rendered in the style of John Dryden and Christopher Marlowe.
For H.R.H. Queen Elizabeth II.
Lydia tota fremit, Phrygiæque per oppida facti
rumor it et magnum sermonibus occupat orbem.
And the whole of Lydia: it resounds,
Be’ng made rumour, spreads through Phryg’an towns,
With the conversations, it fills the place,
And so important, it circulates.
ante suos Niobe thalamos cognoverat illam,
tum cum Mæoniam virgo Sipylumque colebat;
nec tamen admonita est pœna popularis Arachnes
cedere cælitibus verbisque minoribus uti.
Prior to her marriages, Niobe
Had known Arachne when a young lady,
And dwelt on Mæonian mount’ Sipylum;
Yet she’s not warned by the punishment
Of native Arachne’s mere words she says,
To change to a dweller in the heavens,
Be’ng associated with lesser ones.
multa dabant animos: sed enim nec coniugis artes
nec genus amborum magnique potentia Regni
sic placuere illi, quamvis ea cuncta placerent,
ut sua progenies; et felicissima matrum
dicta foret Niobe; si non sibi visa fuisset.
An opinion had caused a penalty,
But in-fact neither the husband’s qualities,
Nor birth of both noble and a pow’rful Realm,
Thus had decreed she was ever-so pleased,
How satisfied with all her progeny;
Moreover, the most fertile of mothers,
By having said, could have been Niobe,
If not for hers, might have appeared to be.
nam sata Tiresia præscia Manto
per medias fuerat Divino concita motu
For from Tiresias shall come a daughter,
With foreknowing, Manto, though mediators,
He had been Divinely inspirēd,
To prophesy, with a mind affected,
Be’ng celebrated in verse: the method.
et date Latonæ Latonigenisque duobus
cum prece tura pia lauroque innectite crinem.
Ismenis (or rivers of Bœot’a)
Will move constantly and give Latona
And together with her two children: prayer,
Incense and with laurel consecrated,
You all will weave together in your hair.
From my mouth, Latona: she commands it.”
Thebiades iussus sua tempora frondibus ornant
turaque dant sanctis et verba precantia flammis.
’T is by having been proved, she told all Thebes
From her verses, adorned with sacred leaves,
And they give incense, also sayings,
ecce venit comitum Niobe celeberrima turba,
vestibus intexto Phrygiis spectabilis auro,
et, quantum ira sinit, formosa:
Lo! Comes the retinue of Niobe,
A most crowded train with Phrygian clothes,
Ha’ing been embroidered by beautiful gold,
And, how much wrath forsakes, formed finely:
cum capite inmissos umerum per utrumque capillos
constit; utque oculos circumtulit alta superbos,
“quis furor, auditos” inquit, “præponere visis
cælestes? aut cur coliut Latona per aras,
numen adhuc sine ture meum est?
Moving, and a beautifully adorned head
With hairs let loose, fell over each shoulder,
As haughty eyes turn round, lofty, she said:
“Who put you in charge, prophetic frenzy?
By having been listened to, and believed,
Having seen a vision of things in heaven.”
(Through rocks resembling altars ’twixt Libya,
“Is it the will of the goddess ’til now
Without the incense I have?
cui licuit soli superorum tangere mensas,
Pleiadum soror est genetrix mea, maximus Atlas
est avus, ætherium qui fert cervicibus axem;
Iuppiter alter avus socero quoque glorior illo.
My suggesting Tantalus, my father,
Who was valued as the sun of the heavens
To touch that by having been passed over,
Sister of the Pleiades: my mother,
Most mighty Atlas is the grandfather
Whom bears heaven and earth ‘pon his shoulders,
And another grandfather: Jupiter
Too, I glory in that father-in-law.
me gentes metuunt Phrygiæ, me regia Cadmi
sub domina est, fidibusque mei commissa mariti
mœnia cum populis a meque viroque reguntur.
The foreigners fear Phrygians, and me,
King Cadmus is beneath me, a lady,
On my word of honour, by having been
United with my husband, whom in Thebes
With his lyre built the walls of the city,
The nation ruled by my husband and me.
in quamcumque domus adverti lumina partem,
inmensæ spectantur opes; accedit eodem digna Dea facis.
For whichever home is to turn towards
Boundless lights, a mighty reg’on appeared,
Likewise she comes near, a goddess worthy,
In outward appearance: nat’ral beauty.
huc natas adice septem
et totidem iuvenes et mox generosque nurusque.
In addition to this, cast your eyes here!
Both seven daughters and just as many
Young men, all to be wedded, presently.
quærite nunc, habeat quam nostra superbia causam,
nescio quoque qudete satam Titanida Cœo
Latonam præferre mihi, cui maxima quondam
exiguam sedem parituræ terra negavit!
To seek now, maybe having that which’s ours,
Pride, the reason, I don’t know, also dare!
Be’ng begotten, father of Latona,
Cœus, the Titan, for me and mine who,
By be’ng the most noblest, once formerly,
That meagre throne, the chair brings to bear,
She had been denied the territory!
nec cælo nec humo nec aquis Dea vestra recepta est:
exsul erat mundi, donec miserata vagentem
“hospita tu terris erras, ego” dixit “in undis”
instabilemque locum Delos dedit.
Neither from heav’n nor for earth nor to waters
Is be’ng promised your goddess - Latona,
Being a wand’rer of the world was she,
So long as she’s roaming: be’ng pitied,
“I: hostess, you roam the lands, on the waves,”
Said Niobe; and caused inconstancy,
The instability of Delos’ place.
facta parens: uteri pars hæc est septima nostri.
sum felix: (quis enim neget hoc?) felixque manebo
(hoc quoque quis dubitet?) tutam me copia fecit.
That of the two deeds, father Amphion
Sired either side, the fruits of my womb,
This is the seventh child of ours,
I am fertile; (for who can deny this?)
And I’ll stay fruitful (this too, who may doubt?)
I’m given the chance of be’ng of danger: out.
maior sum, quam cui possit Fortuna nocere,
multaque ut eripiat, multo mihi plura relinquet.
I am greater than the goddess Fortune,
For whom she can inflict great injury,
And that she may tear out more, for many
More num’rous than me, shall forsaken be.
excessere metum mea iam bona.  fingite demi
huic aliquid populo natorum posse meorum:
By now they were passed the point of fear,
My goodness.  You folks must all imagine
This certain amount of people taken
Away, of mine can, having arisen:
non tamen ad numerum redigar spoliata duorum,
Latonæ turbam: qua quantum distat ab orba?
No trouble, however, for the number
Of Latona’s two, I’ll reduce, plunder,
In which she’s how much of a difference?
From being deprivēd of her children?
ite - sat est - propere sacris laurumque capillis
ponite!” - deponunt et sacra infecta relinquunt,
quodque licet, tacito venerantur murmure numen.
That’s enough of these nearly sacred rites!
Go and let down laurel wreaths from your hair!”
They laid them aside, and the sacred rites:
Unfinished, they just abandoned them there,
Although each and every one of them,
By be’ng unmentioned they respected still,
With a hushed murmur, the goddess’ will;
indignata Dea est summoque in vertice Cynthi
talibus est dictis gemina cum prole locuta:
“en ego vestra parens, vobis animosa creatis,
et nisi Iunoni nulli cessura Dearum
an Dea sim, dubitor perque omnia sæcula cultis
arceor, o nati, nisi vos succurritis, aris.
And by be’ng offended, the goddess is
From on the highest crest of mount Cynthus
By having been talked about in such ways,
Spoke with the twins, to her offspring: says,
“Look at me! Another Ascanius!
A mother appearing full of hot air,
And if she shall not yield to Juno,
Then not to any of the goddess’
Or whether perhaps I’m the goddess,
I’m be’ng doubted, and through all the ages
By having been worshiped, I’m be’ng hindered,
Oh! Seven sons and of seven daughters,
Unless you twins run to aid our altars.
nec dolor hic solus; diro convicia facto
Tantalis adiecit vosque est postponere natis
ausa suis et me, quod in ipsam reccidat, orbam
dixit et exhibuit linguam scelerata paternam.”
Not just this resentment; for horrid deeds
She had hurled insults at you, Niobe,
And ’t is by having dared to consider
Of less account: us, by children of hers,
And indeed me, because into herself,
On these grounds may she fall down, parentless,
From be’ng impious, paternal language
She had spoken, even exhibited.”
adiectura preces erat his Latona relatis:
“desine!” Phœbus ait, “pœnæ mora longa querella est!”
dixit idem Phœbe, celerique per æra lapsu
contigerant tecti Cadmeida nubibus arcem.
She’ll add to what’s already been spoken,
By this she’d return prayers to Latona,
“Stop!” said Apollo “Of the punishment
From a complaint it has long since lingered!”
As Apollo had said, he slid swiftly
Through the air, and they had reached, cautiously
In the clouds Thebe’s citadel: Cadmei.
planus erat lateque patens prope mœnia campus,
adsiduis palsatus equis, ubi turba rotarum
duraque mollierat subiectas ungula glæbas.
Near the wall ’t was a flat broad open field,
He struck the crowd, moved were the char’ot’s wheels
And the hard were made soft, be’ng thrown beneath
The horse’s hooves into clods of earth.
pars ibi de septem genitis Amphione fortes
conscendunt in equos Tyrioque rubentia suco
terga premunt auroque graves moderantur habenas.
Some there of the sev’n born by Amphion,
They saddle-up upon Theban steeds: strong,
On horseback and blushing with energy
They pursued them closely, and be’ng restrained
By pulling on the heavy golden reins.
e quibus Ismenus, qui matri sarcina quondam
prima suæ fuerat dum certum flectit in orbem
quadrupedis cursus spumantiaque ora cœrcet,
“ei mihi!” conclamat medioque in pectore fixa
tela gerit frenisque manu moriente remissis
in latus a dextro paulatim defluit armo.
From which Ismenus, whose mother loaded
Once first his had been, until ’t was settled
By Apollo, curved, encircled around,
Quadruped running, foaming at the mouth,
And kettling him, having shouted loudly:
“That he’s to me!” in the midst of his chest
He thrust home arrows; carrying the reins,
By his hand dying, Ismenus gave way
To the right side, gradually slips away
In his shoulder blade.
proximus audito sonitu per inane pharetræ
frena dabat Sipylus, veluti cum præscius imbris
nube fugit visa pendentiaque undique rector
carbasa deducit, ne qua levis effluat aura:
frena tamen dantem non evitabile telum
consequitur, summaque tremeus cervice sagitta
hæsit, et exstabat nudum de gutture; ferrum
ille, ut erat, pronus, per crura admissa iubasque
volvitur et calido tellurem sanguine fœdat.
Next, being heard through the sound of reins
Sipylus, an empty quiver he gave,
A show’r of arrows fired by Apollo;
Even as knowing beforehand although
A cloud of miss’les in the air hung down
From everywhere and he seemed to take flight,
The rider in his garments was brought down:
Not by the swift may vanish out of sight,
The reins gave up, ’t was unavoidable,
And trembling, be’ng pursued by a missile,
An arrow stuck in the top of his neck
And it stood out from his naked windpipe,
That when Sipylus was stooping forward
Let go of the mane, and Diana’s sword
Went along the legs and rolled to the earth,
Stained with his warm blood: he’d been disfigured.
Phædimus infelix et aviti nominis heres
Tantalus, ut solito finem inposuere labori,
transierant ad opus nitidæ iuvenale palæstræ;
et iam contulerant arto luctantia nexu
pectora pectoribus; cum tento concita nervo,
sicut erant iuncti, traiecit utrumque.
Also the unfortunate Phædimus,
Heir of  his grandfather’s name: Tantalus,
Passed the us’al limit fatigue imposed,
Until the toil of youthful sleek wrestling,
And now, in a narrow space collided,
Strug’ling with Apollo: be’ng restrainēd
Chest to chest; when, be’ng drawn-tight: a bow-string,
Be’ng moved vi’lently, just as they were yoked,
The arrow, both of the two: piercēd.
ingemuere simul, simul incurvata dolore
membra solo posuere simul suprema iacentes
lumina versarunt, animam simul exhalarunt.
They mourned over them at once, together,
In pain they lay with the earth, limbs be’ng bent,
They turned this way and that; the light of life
At the same time, in the heavens: higher,
The lights of lives at once they expired.
adspicit Alphenor laniataque pectora plangens
advolat, ut gelidos complexibus adlevet artus,
inque pio cadit officio; nam Delius illi
intima fatifero rupit præcordia ferro.
Apollo Del’us confronts Alphenor:
And hastens to him with his deadly sword,
Striking his heart ha’ng been torn to pieces,
As he lifts him up in a cold embrace,
In a tight space, “You say pious service?”
He falls to his death; for that inmost place
His heart ruptured, burst open: caused to break.
quod simul eductum est, pars et pulmonis in hamis
eruta cumque anima cruor est effusus in auras.
That he is at the same time as be’ng spent,
And a piece of his lung be’ng torn out,
In with talons blood-shed: ’t is be’ng poured out,
Ever to the heavens Alphenor went.
at non intonsum simplex Damasichthono vulnus
adficit: ictus erat, qua crus esse incipit et qua
mollia nervosus facit internodia poples.
Moreover for the simple clean-shaven
Was weakened with a blow: an injury,
Partly where the leg begins, and partly
The tender space ’twixt two joints, sinewy,
He suffers: the hamstring, hough of his knee;
dumque manu temptat trahere exitable telum,
altera per iugulum pennis tenus acta sagitta est.
And while with a hand he attempts to pull
A deadly miss’le from the air, another
Hits him through the throat up to the feathers,
It was all over with, by an arrow.
expulit hanc sanguis seque eiaculatus in altum
emicat et longe terebrata prosilit aura.
From on high and far this arrow shot out,
And be’ng bored through, blood expelled from his throat,
Springs and leaps forth in the air, ev’rywhere.
ultimus Ilioneus non profectura precendo
bracchia sustulerat “Di” que “o communiter omnes”
dixerat ignarus, non omnes esse rogandos
Not only to heav’n his arms lifted
Prays for help, “Oh all of the gods jointly”
But also asks unknown gods, and spoke he:
“You must all refrain from injuring me!”
motus erat, cum iam revocabile telum
non fuit, arcitenens; minimo tamen occidit ille
vulnere, non alte percusso corde sagitta.
The youngest had not been holding a bow,
But by now ’t was ’ready moving: the dart,
And although he was not wounded deeply,
He died, from an arrow, that pierced his heart.
fama mali populique dolor lacrimæque suorum
tam subitæ matrem certam fecere ruinæ,
mirantem potuisse irascentemque, quod ausi
hoc essent superi, quod tantum iuris haberent;
nam pater Amphion ferro per pectus adacto
finierat moriens pariter cum luce dolorem.
The evil talk of this people of theirs
Had caused sorrow and so many tears,
And brought a mother’s sudden sure ruin,
To’d been so astonishing, and raging,
’Cause they may’ve dared to be hither heav’n,
’Cause they might’ve had such jurisdiction;
For father Amphion: a sword thrust through
His heart* as he had been put to an end to,
In a like manner together with the same,
With the light of life dying in his pain.
heu! quantum hæc Niobe Niobe distabat ab illa,
quæ modo Latois populum submoverat aris
et mediam tulerat gressus resupina per urbem
invidiosa suis, at nunc miseranda vel hosti!
Oh! How much this Niobe was apart
From that Niobe, whose only people
Had been forced from Latona’s altars,
And had stepped back, brought through city-central
For their grudges, moreover, already
Also be a pit’able enemy!
corporibus gelidis incumbit et ordine nullo
oscula dispensat natos suprema per omnes;
a quibus ad cælum livent bracchia tollens
“pascere, crudelis, nostro, Latona, dolore,
pascere” ait “satiaque meo tua pectore luctu!
She overlooks the stiffening bodies,
And laid out in no sort of regularity,
Her sons, through each kind of death’s kisses
Paid out, envious, afterwards who lifts
Her arms towards the heavens, thus says she:
“You, Latona, delight in our woe,
Delight, and must fill my heart with sorrow!”
dixit. “per funera septem
efferor: exsulta victrixque inimica triumpha!
She said, “On account of the seven deaths
I be’ng buriēd: you rejoice victress,
Triumph and make hostile! Yet why conqu’ress?”
“miseræ mihi plura supersunt,
quam tibi felici; post tot quoque funera vinco!”
“Maudlin me, that you remain more fruitful
After so many deaths, I survive too!”
* cf. Hyginus’ Fabulæ, ix.
Amphion autem cum templum Apollinis expugnare vellet, ab Apolline sagittis est interfectus.
“Amphion may’ve torn down the temple of Apollo, from Apollo in an assault, but his arrows cut him down.”
Translation Copyright Maxwell Latham, 2015.
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