342
��LATIN POEMS
��Sic Venus optaret mortalibus ipsa videri,
Sic regina Deum conspicienda fuit. Hanc inemor objecit nobis malus ille
Cupido,
Solus et hos nobis texuit ante dolos. Nee procul ipse vafer latuit, multaeque
sagittse,
Et facis a tergo grande pependit onus. Nee mora; nunc ciliis haesit, iiunc virginis
ori,
Insilit bine labiis, insidet inde genis; 70 Et quascuuque agilis partes jaculator ober-
rat, Hei mihi ! mille locis pectus inerme
ferit. Protinus insoliti subierunt corda furores;
Uror amans intus, flammaque totus erani. Interea misero qua? jam mihi sola placebat
Ablata est, oculis mm reditura ineis; Ast ego progredior tacite querebundus, et
excors,
Et dubius volui ssepe referre pedem. Findor; et hsec remanet, sequitur pars al-
tera votum;
Raptaque tarn subit6 gaudia flere juvat. Sic dolet amissum proles Junonia caelum, 81
Inter Lemniacos praecipitata focos; Talis et abreptum solem respexit ad Or-
cum
Vectus ab attonitis Amphiaraus equis. Quid faciam infelix, et luctu victus ?
Amores
Nee licet iuceptos ponere, neve sequi. O utiuam spectare semel mihi detur amatos
Vultus, et coram tristia verba loqui ! Forsitan et duro non est adamante creata,
Forte nee ad nostras surdeat ilia preces ! Crede mihi, nullus sic infeliciter arsit; 91
Ponar in exemplo primus et unus ego. Parce, precor, teneri cum sis Deus ales
amoris;
Pugnent officio nee tua facta tuo. Jam tuns O certe est mihi formidabilis
arcus,
Nate dea, jaculis uec minus igne potens: Et tua fumabunt.nostris altaria donis,
Solus et in Superis tu mihi summus eris. Deme meos tandem, verum nee deme,
furores ;
Nescio cur, miser est suaviter omnis
amans: 100
Tu mod6 da facilis, postluec mea siqua
futura est, Cuspis amaturos figat ut una duos.
��beginning of my ills. She looked as Venus might wish to seem to mortals; lovely to behold as the queen of the gods was she. That rascal Cupid, harboring his grudge, had thrown her in iny path; all alone, he had woven this plot against me. Not far off the sly god was hiding; his torch and many arrows hung as a great load from his back. Not a moment did he lose. Now he clung to her eyelids, now to her mouth; thence he stole between her lips, and hid himself in her bosom; and wherever the nimble archer went, ah, me ! from a thou- sand points of vantage he struck my de- fenceless breast. Suddenly unwonted furies assailed my heart; I burned inly with love, I was all flame. Meanwhile she who was my only delight in misery disappeared, never to be given to my eyes again.
I started on, full of mute complaining, heart-broken at my loss. Often I stood in doubt whether to go on or turn back. My being was divided, my body remained be- hind, but my thoughts went after her. I could have wept for the joy so suddenly snatched from me. Such was the grief of Vulcan for the heaven he had lost, when he was thrown down the sky into Lemnos isle ; thus Amphiarus borne down to Orcus by his astonished horses, gazed back from the abyss at the vanishing light of the sun. What shall I do, wretch that I am, and overcome by grief ? I cannot take up my love or lay it by. O, may it be granted me to see her loved countenance again and to speak with her face to face ! Perhaps she is not all made of adamant, mayhap she would not be deaf to my prayers. Surely no one ever suffered more in Love's flame. I may stand first, a prime exemplar of love-sor- rows. Spare me, I pray, since thou art a winged god of tender love ! Let not thy deeds refute thy office. Now, ah, now at last thy bow is fearful to me, thou goddess- born, whose arrows are potent as fire ! Henceforth thine altars shall smoke with my gifts; among all the gods thou shalt be for me single and supreme. Take away, then, my tortures nay, take them not away ! I know not why it is, loving is such sweet wretchedness. But whatever the future has for me, grant me this, for thou canst easily, that a single dart shall transfix both my heart and hers, and make us lovers.
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