crinis inhaerebat, magni fiducia regni. | was laying waste the land of Megara . |
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qui meus est orbis, tantum contingere monstrum.” | can be so hardened to transfix your breast |
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Dixit, et ut leges captis iustissimus auctor | with purpose known.” |
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NaN |
iussit et aeratas impelli remige puppes. | to open for his army the great gates. |
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Scylla freto postquam deductas nare carinas | Only the thought of it, has filled her soul; |
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nec praestare ducem sceleris sibi praemia vidit | he is determined to deliver up |
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consumptis precibus violentam transit in iram | her country as a dowry with herself |
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intendensque manus, passis furibunda capillis | and so decide the war! But what avail |
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“quo fugis” exclamat, “meritorum auctore relicta | this idle talk. |
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NaN |
Sexta resurgebant orientis cornua lunae | He gathered a great army round the wall |
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Quo fugis, inmitis? cuius victoria nostrum | my father keeps the keys, and he alone |
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et scelus et meritum est. Nec te data munera, nec te | is my obstruction, and the innocent |
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noster amor movit, nec quod spes omnis in unum | account of my despair. Would to the God |
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te mea congesta est? Nam quo deserta revertar? | I had no father! Is not man the God |
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In patriam? Superata iacet. Sed finge manere: | of his own fortune, though his idle prayer |
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proditione mea clausa est mihi. Patris ad ora? | avail not to compel his destiny? |
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NaN |
finitimi exemplum metuunt: exponimur orbae | which now inflame me, would not hesitate |
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terrarum nobis ut Crete sola pateret. | but with a fierce abandon would destroy |
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Hac quoque si prohibes et nos, ingrate, relinquis | whatever checked her passion. Who is there |
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et pendebat adhuc belli fortuna: diuque | built by Alcathous, where reigned in splendor |
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non genetrix Europa tibi ea, sed inhospita Syrtis | with love to equal mine? I dare to go |
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Armeniae tigres austroque agitata Charybdis. | through flames and swords; but swords and flame |
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Nec Iove tu natus, nec mater imagine tauri | are not now needed, for I only need |
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ducta tua est (generis falsa est ea fabula !): verus | my royal father's lock of purple hair. |
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et ferus et captus nullius amore iuvencae | More precious than fine gold, it has a power |
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qui te progenuit, taurus fuit. Exige poenas | to give my heart all that it may desire.” |
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NaN |
moenia! nam fateor, merui et sum digna perire. | came on, and she grew bolder in the dark. |
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Sed tamen ex illis aliquis, quos impia laesi | And now it is the late and silent hour |
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me perimat. Cur, qui vicisti crimine nostro | when slumber takes possession of the breast. |
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inter utrumque volat dubiis Victoria pennis. | King Nisus—mighty and renowned in war— |
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insequeris crimen? Scelus hoc patriaeque patrique | Outwearied with the cares of busy day; |
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officium tibi sit. Te vere coniuge digna est | then as her father slept, with stealthy tread |
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quae torvum ligno decepit adultera taurum | he entered his abode, and there despoiled |
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discordemque utero fetum tulit. Ecquid ad aures | and clipped his fatal lock of purple hair. |
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NaN |
verba ferunt idemque tuas, ingrate, carinas? | of crime degenerate, she at once went forth |
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Iam iam Pasiphaen non est mirabile taurum | a gate unguarded, and with shameless haste |
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praeposuisse tibi: tu plus feritatis habebas. | ped through the hostile army to the tent |
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Me miseram! properare iubet, divulsaque remis | of Minos, whom, astonished, she addressed: |
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NaN |
Regia turris erat vocalibus addita muris | upon the center of whose hoary head |
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Nil agis, o frustra meritorum oblite meorum: | The daughter of King Nisus, I am called |
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insequar invitum, puppimque amplexa recurvam | the maiden Scylla. Unto you I come |
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per freta longa trahar.” Vix dixerat, insilit undis | and offer up a power that will prevail |
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consequiturque rates, faciente cupidine vires | against my country, and I stipulate |
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Gnosiacaeque haeret comes invidiosa carinae. | no recompense except yourself. Take then |
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Quam pater ut vidit (nam iam pendebat in aura | this purple hair, a token of my love.— |
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et modo factus erat fulvis haliaeetus alis) | Deem it not lightly as a lock of hair |
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ibat, ut haerentem rostro laceraret adunco. | held idly forth to you; it is in truth |
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Illa metu puppim dimisit, et aura cadentem | my father's life.” And as she spoke |
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sustinuisse levis, ne tangeret aequora, visa est. | he held out in her guilty hand the prize |
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in quibus auratam proles Letoia fertur | a lock of purple hair was growing.—It |
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Pluma fuit: plumis in avem mutata vocatur | and begged him to accept it with her love. |
|
NaN |
deposuisse lyram: saxo sonus eius inhaesit. | proved virtue gave protection to his throne. |
|
NaN |
et petere exiguo resonantia saxa lapillo | and still the changing fortune of the war |
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tum cum pax esset: bello quoque saepe solebat | was in suspense; so, Victory day by day |
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spectare ex illa rigidi certamina Martis. | between them hovered on uncertain wings. |
|
NaN |
armaque equosque habitusque Cydonaeasque pharetras. | on tuneful walls; where once Apollo laid |
|
Noverat ante alios faciem ducis Europaei | his golden harp; and in the throbbing stone |
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plus etiam, quam nosse sat est. Hac iudice Minos | the sounds remained. And there, in times of peace |
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seu caput abdiderat cristata casside pennis | the daughter of king Nisus loved to mount |
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in galea formosus erat; seu sumpserat aere | the walls and strike the sounding stone with pebbles: |
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fulgentem clipeum, clipeum sumpsisse decebat. | o, when the war began, she often viewed |
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Torserat adductis hastilia lenta lacertis: | the dreadful contest from that height; |
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laudabat virgo iunctam cum viribus artem. | until, so long the hostile camp remained |
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Imposito calamo patulos sinuaverat arcus: | he had become acquainted with the names |
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sic Phoebum sumptis iurabat stare sagittis. | and knew the habits, horses and the arm |
|
Cum vero faciem dempto nudaverat aere | of many a chief, and could discern the sign |
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purpureusque albi stratis insignia pictis | of their Cydonean quivers. |
|
NaN |
vix sua, vix sanae virgo Niseia compos | the features of King Minos were engraved |
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mentis erat. Felix iaculum, quod tangeret ille | upon the tablets of her mind. And when |
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quaeque manu premeret, felicia frena vocabat. | he wore his helmet, crested with gay plumes |
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Impetus est illi, liceat modo, ferre per agmen | he deemed it glorious; when he held his shield |
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virgineos hostile gradus, est impetus illi | hining with gold, no other seemed so grand; |
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turribus e summis in Gnosia mittere corpus | and when he poised to hurl the tough spear home |
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castra, vel aeratas hosti recludere portas | he praised his skill and strength; and when he bent |
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vel siquid Minos aliud velit. Utque sedebat | his curving bow with arrow on the cord |
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candida Dictaei spectans tentoria regis | he pictured him as Phoebus taking aim,— |
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“laeter,” ait “doleamne geri lacrimabile bellum | but when, arrayed in purple, and upon |
|
in dubio est. Doleo, quod Minos hostis amanti est: | the back of his white war horse, proudly decked |
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sed nisi bella forent, numquam mihi cognitus esset. | with richly broidered housings, he reined in |
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Me tamen accepta poterat deponere bellum | the nervous steed, and took his helmet off |
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obside, me comitem, me pacis pignus haberet. | howing his fearless features, then the maid |
|
Si quae te peperit, talis, pulcherrime rerum | daughter of Nisus, could control herself |
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qualis es ipsa fuit, merito deus arsit in illa. | no longer; and a frenzy seized her mind. |
|
NaN |
Gnosiaci possem castris insistere regis | and blessed were the reins within his hand. |
|
NaN |
vellet emi! tantum patrias ne posceret arces. | a tender virgin, through the hostile ranks |
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Nam pereant potius sperata cubilia, quam sim | or cast her body from the topmost tower |
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proditione potens! — Quamvis saepe utile vinci | into the Gnossian camp. She had a wild |
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victoris placidi fecit clementia multis: | desire to open to the enemy |
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iusta gerit certe pro nato bella perempto | the heavy brass-bound gates, or anything |
|
et causaque valet causamque tenentibus armis | that Minos could desire. |
|
Interea Minos Lelegeia litora vastat | of Aeacus, and wafted Cephalu |
|
NaN |
cum suus haec illi reserabit moenia Mavors | beholding the white tents, she cried, “Alas! |
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et non noster amor? Melius sine caede moraque | Should I rejoice or grieve to see this war? |
|
impensaque sui poterit superare cruoris. | I grieve that Minos is the enemy |
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Non metuam certe, ne quis tua pectora, Minos | of her who loves him; but unless the war |
|
vulneret imprudens. Quis enim tam durus, ut in te | had brought him, how could he be known to me? |
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dirigere inmitem non inscius audeat hastam? | But should he take me for a hostage? That |
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Coepta placent, et stat sententia tradere mecum | might end the war—a pledge of peace, he might |
|
dotalem patriam finemque imponere bello. | keep me for his companion. |
|
NaN |
praetemptatque sui vires Mavortis in urbe | on his returning way, propitious; where |
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claustraque portarum genitor tenet: hunc ego solum | of mankind! she who bore you must have been |
|
infelix timeo, solus mea vota moratur. | as beautiful as you are; ample cause |
|
Di facerent, sine patre forem! — Sibi quisque profecto | for Jove to lose his heart. |
|
NaN |
Altera iamdudum succensa cupidine tanto | If moving upon wings through yielding air |
|
perdere gauderet quodcumque obstaret amori. | I could alight within the hostile camp |
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Et cur ulla foret me fortior? Ire per ignes | in front of Minos, and declare to him |
|
et gladios ausim. Nec in hoc tamen ignibus ullis | my name and passion! |
|
NaN |
Illa mihi est auro pretiosior, illa beatam | what dowry he could wish, and would provide |
|
Alcathoi, quam Nisus habet, cui splendidus ostro | before the wonted hour, they entered port. |
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purpura me votique mei factura potentem.” | whatever he might ask, except alone |
|
Talia dicenti curarum maxima nutrix | the city of my father. Perish all |
|
nox intervenit, tenebrisque audacia crevit. | my secret hopes before one act of mine |
|
Prima quies aderat, qua curis fessa diurnis | hould offer treason to accomplish it. |
|
pectora somnus habet: thalamos taciturna paternos | And yet, the kindness of a conqueror |
|
intrat et (heu facinus!) fatali nata parentem | has often proved a blessing, manifest |
|
crine suum spoliat praedaque potita nefanda | to those who were defeated. Certainly |
|
fert secum spolium celeris progressaque porta | the war he carries on is justified |
|
per medios hostes (meriti fiducia tanta est) | by his slain son. |
|
NaN |
NaN |
“Suasit amor facinus. Proles ego regia Nisi | thrice strengthened in his cause. Undoubtedly |
|
Scylla tibi trado patriaeque meosque penates. | we shall be conquered, and, if such a fate |
|
Praemia nulla peto nisi te. Cape pignus amoris | awaits our city, why should he by force |
|
purpureum crinem, nec me nunc tradere crinem | instead of my consuming love, prevail |
|
sed patrium tibi crede caput.” Scelerataque dextra | to open the strong gates? Without delay |
|
munera porrexit. Minos porrecta refugit | and dreadful slaughter, it is best for him |
|
turbatusque novi respondit imagine facti: | to conquer and decide this savage war. |
|
NaN |
orbe suo, tellusque tibi pontusque negetur. | hould any warrior hurl his cruel spear |
|
Certe ego non patiar Iovis incunabula, Creten | and pierce you by mischance, for surely none |
|