my morning
this is what i've spent the morning translating for class:
In Ida's shady vale a bull appeared,3
White as the snow, the fairest of the herd;
A beauty spot of black there only rose,
Betwixt his equal horns and ample brows;
The love and wish of all the Cretan cows.
The queen beheld him as his head he rear'd;
And envied ev'ry leap he gave the herd.
A secret fire she nourished in her breast;
And hated ev'ry heifer he caress'd.
A story known, and known for true, I tell;
Nor Crete, though lying, can the truth conceal.
She cut him grass (so much can love command)
She strok'd, she fed him with her royal hand;
Was pleas'd in pastures with the herd to roam,
And Minos by the bull was overcome.
Cease, Queen, with gems t'adorn thy beauteous brows,
The monarch of thy heart no jewel knows.
Nor in thy glass compose thy looks and eyes;
Secure from all thy charms thy lover lies:
Yet trust thy mirror, when it tells thee true,
Thou art no heifer to allure his view.
Soon wouldst thou quit thy royal diadem
To thy fair rivals; to be horned like them.
If Minos please, no lover seek to find;
If not, at least seek one of human kind.
The wretched queen the Cretan court forsakes;
In woods and wilds her habitation makes;
She curses ev'ry beauteous cow she sees;
"Ah, why dost thou my lord and master please!
And think'st, ungrateful creature as thou art,
With frisking awkardly to gain his heart."
She said; and straight commands with frowning look,
To put her, undeserving, to the yoke.
Or feigns some holy rites of sacrifice,
And sees her rival's death with joyful eyes;
Then when the bloody priest has done his part,
Pleas'd, in her hand she holds the beating heart;
Nor from a scornful taunt can scarce refrain,
Go, fool, and strive to please my love again"
Now she would be Europa.-- Io now;4
(One bare a bull. and one was made a cow.)
Yet she at last her brutal bliss obtain'd,
And in a wooden cow the bull sustained;
Fill'd with his seed, accomplish'd her desire,
Till, by his form, the son betray'd the sire.
and if you can actually read latin you know that the original is much more explicit...
Unguimur, et dominae nomina gutta tenet.
Forte sub umbrosis nemorosae vallibus Idae
290
Candidus, armenti gloria, taurus erat,
Signatus tenui media inter cornua nigro:
Una fuit labes, cetera lactis erant.
Illum Cnosiadesque Cydoneaeque iuvencae
Optarunt tergo sustinuisse suo.
295
Pasiphaë fieri gaudebat adultera tauri;
Invida formosas oderat illa boves.
Nota cano: non hoc, centum quae sustinet urbes,
Quamvis sit mendax, Creta negare potest.
Ipsa novas frondes et prata tenerrima tauro
300
Fertur inadsueta subsecuisse manu.
It comes armentis, nec ituram cura moratur
Coniugis, et Minos a bove victus erat.
Quo tibi, Pasiphaë, pretiosas sumere vestes?
Ille tuus nullas sentit adulter opes.
305
Quid tibi cum speculo, montana armenta petenti?
Quid totiens positas fingis, inepta, comas?
Crede tamen speculo, quod te negat esse iuvencam.
Quam cuperes fronti cornua nata tuae!
Sive placet Minos, nullus quaeratur adulter:
310
Sive virum mavis fallere, falle viro!
In nemus et saltus thalamo regina relicto
Fertur, ut Aonio concita Baccha deo.
A, quotiens vaccam vultu spectavit iniquo,
Et dixit 'domino cur placet ista meo?
315
Aspice, ut ante ipsum teneris exultet in herbis:
Nec dubito, quin se stulta decere putet.'
Dixit, et ingenti iamdudum de grege duci
Iussit et inmeritam sub iuga curva trahi,
Aut cadere ante aras commentaque sacra coegit,
320
Et tenuit laeta paelicis exta manu.
Paelicibus quotiens placavit numina caesis,
Atque ait, exta tenens 'ite, placete meo!'
Et modo se Europen fieri, modo postulat Io,
Altera quod bos est, altera vecta bove.
325
Hanc tamen implevit, vacca deceptus acerna,
Dux gregis, et partu proditus auctor erat.
In Ida's shady vale a bull appeared,3
White as the snow, the fairest of the herd;
A beauty spot of black there only rose,
Betwixt his equal horns and ample brows;
The love and wish of all the Cretan cows.
The queen beheld him as his head he rear'd;
And envied ev'ry leap he gave the herd.
A secret fire she nourished in her breast;
And hated ev'ry heifer he caress'd.
A story known, and known for true, I tell;
Nor Crete, though lying, can the truth conceal.
She cut him grass (so much can love command)
She strok'd, she fed him with her royal hand;
Was pleas'd in pastures with the herd to roam,
And Minos by the bull was overcome.
Cease, Queen, with gems t'adorn thy beauteous brows,
The monarch of thy heart no jewel knows.
Nor in thy glass compose thy looks and eyes;
Secure from all thy charms thy lover lies:
Yet trust thy mirror, when it tells thee true,
Thou art no heifer to allure his view.
Soon wouldst thou quit thy royal diadem
To thy fair rivals; to be horned like them.
If Minos please, no lover seek to find;
If not, at least seek one of human kind.
The wretched queen the Cretan court forsakes;
In woods and wilds her habitation makes;
She curses ev'ry beauteous cow she sees;
"Ah, why dost thou my lord and master please!
And think'st, ungrateful creature as thou art,
With frisking awkardly to gain his heart."
She said; and straight commands with frowning look,
To put her, undeserving, to the yoke.
Or feigns some holy rites of sacrifice,
And sees her rival's death with joyful eyes;
Then when the bloody priest has done his part,
Pleas'd, in her hand she holds the beating heart;
Nor from a scornful taunt can scarce refrain,
Go, fool, and strive to please my love again"
Now she would be Europa.-- Io now;4
(One bare a bull. and one was made a cow.)
Yet she at last her brutal bliss obtain'd,
And in a wooden cow the bull sustained;
Fill'd with his seed, accomplish'd her desire,
Till, by his form, the son betray'd the sire.
and if you can actually read latin you know that the original is much more explicit...
Unguimur, et dominae nomina gutta tenet.
Forte sub umbrosis nemorosae vallibus Idae
290
Candidus, armenti gloria, taurus erat,
Signatus tenui media inter cornua nigro:
Una fuit labes, cetera lactis erant.
Illum Cnosiadesque Cydoneaeque iuvencae
Optarunt tergo sustinuisse suo.
295
Pasiphaë fieri gaudebat adultera tauri;
Invida formosas oderat illa boves.
Nota cano: non hoc, centum quae sustinet urbes,
Quamvis sit mendax, Creta negare potest.
Ipsa novas frondes et prata tenerrima tauro
300
Fertur inadsueta subsecuisse manu.
It comes armentis, nec ituram cura moratur
Coniugis, et Minos a bove victus erat.
Quo tibi, Pasiphaë, pretiosas sumere vestes?
Ille tuus nullas sentit adulter opes.
305
Quid tibi cum speculo, montana armenta petenti?
Quid totiens positas fingis, inepta, comas?
Crede tamen speculo, quod te negat esse iuvencam.
Quam cuperes fronti cornua nata tuae!
Sive placet Minos, nullus quaeratur adulter:
310
Sive virum mavis fallere, falle viro!
In nemus et saltus thalamo regina relicto
Fertur, ut Aonio concita Baccha deo.
A, quotiens vaccam vultu spectavit iniquo,
Et dixit 'domino cur placet ista meo?
315
Aspice, ut ante ipsum teneris exultet in herbis:
Nec dubito, quin se stulta decere putet.'
Dixit, et ingenti iamdudum de grege duci
Iussit et inmeritam sub iuga curva trahi,
Aut cadere ante aras commentaque sacra coegit,
320
Et tenuit laeta paelicis exta manu.
Paelicibus quotiens placavit numina caesis,
Atque ait, exta tenens 'ite, placete meo!'
Et modo se Europen fieri, modo postulat Io,
Altera quod bos est, altera vecta bove.
325
Hanc tamen implevit, vacca deceptus acerna,
Dux gregis, et partu proditus auctor erat.