Met. 5.250Hāctenus aurigenae comitem Trītōnia frātrī
sē dedit: inde cavā circumdatā nūbe Serīphon
dēserit, ā dextrā Cythnō Gyarōque relictīs,
quāque super pontum via vīsa brevissima, Thēbās
virgineumque Helicōna petit.Thus far Tritonia had given herself as companion to her gold-born brother: then, wrapped in a hollow cloud, she leaves Seriphos, with Cythnos and Gyaros left on her right, and, by the way over the sea that seemed shortest, makes for Thebes and maiden Helicon. Met. 5.254Quō monte potīta
255cōnstitit et doctās sīc est adfāta sorōrēs:
"Fāma novī fontis nostrās pervēnit ad aurēs,
dūra Medūsaeī quem praepetis ungula rūpit.Having reached that mountain she halted and addressed the learned sisters thus: 'The report of a new spring has reached our ears, which the hard hoof of Medusa's winged steed broke open. Met. 5.258Is mihi causa viae.That is the reason for my journey. Met. 5.258Voluī mīrābile factum
cernere: vīdī ipsum māternō sanguine nāscī."I wished to see the marvellous thing: I saw the horse himself born from his mother's blood.' Met. 5.260Excipit Ūraniē: "Quaecumque est causa videndī
hās tibi, dīva, domōs, animō grātissima nostrō es.Urania answers: 'Whatever the reason for your visiting these homes of ours, goddess, you are most welcome to our hearts.
Met. 5.262Vēra tamen fāma est, et Pēgasus huius orīgō
fontis", et ad laticēs dēdūxit Pallada sacrōs.But the report is true, and Pegasus is the origin of this spring,' and she led Pallas down to the sacred waters. Met. 5.264Quae mīrāta diū factās pedis ictibus undās,
265silvārum lūcōs circumspicit antīquārum
antraque et innumerīs distīnctās flōribus herbās
fēlīcēsque vocat pariter studiōque locōque
Mnēmonidas.She, after long admiring the waters made by the blows of the hoof, looks round at the groves of ancient woods, and the caves, and the grass studded with countless flowers, and calls the daughters of Mnemosyne happy alike in their pursuits and in their place. Met. 5.268Quam sīc adfāta est ūna sorōrum:
"Ō, nisi tē virtūs opera ad maiōra tulisset,
270in partem ventūra chorī Trītōnia nostrī,
vēra refers meritōque probās artēsque locumque,
et grātam sortem, tūtae modo sīmus, habēmus.One of the sisters addressed her thus: 'O Tritonia, who would have come to join our choir had not your valour carried you to greater works, you speak the truth and rightly approve both our arts and our place, and we have a pleasing lot, if only we were safe.
Met. 5.273Sed (vetitum est adeō scelerī nihil) omnia terrent
virgineās mentēs, dīrusque ante ōra Pyrēneus
275vertitur, et nōndum tōtā mē mente recēpī.But (so true is it that nothing is forbidden to crime) everything frightens maiden minds, and dread Pyreneus is always before my eyes, and I have not yet wholly recovered my composure. Met. 5.276Daulida Thrēiciō Phōcēaque mīlite rūra
cēperat ille ferōx iniūstaque regna tenēbat.That fierce man had seized Daulis and the Phocian lands with Thracian soldiery and was holding an unjust kingdom. Met. 5.278Templa petēbāmus Parnāsia: vīdit euntēs,
nostraque fallācī venerātus nūmina vultū
280"Mnēmonidēs" (cognōrat enim), "cōnsistite" dīxit,
"nec dubitāte, precor, tēctō grave sīdus et imbrem"
(imber erat) "vītāre meō: subiēre minōrēs
saepe casās superī."We were making for the temple on Parnassus: he saw us going, and, worshipping our divinity with a deceitful face, he said, "Daughters of Mnemosyne" (for he had recognised us), "stop, and do not hesitate, I beg you, to shelter from the harsh weather and the rain" (it was raining) "beneath my roof: the gods have often entered humbler cottages."
Met. 5.283Dictīs et tempore mōtae
adnuimusque virō prīmāsque intrāvimus aedēs.Moved by his words and by the weather, we nodded assent to the man and entered the front rooms of the house. Met. 5.285Dēsierant imbrēs, victōque aquilōnibus austrō
fusca repūrgātō fugiēbant nūbila caelō.The rain had ceased, and, the south wind defeated by the north winds, the dark clouds were fleeing from the cleansed sky. Met. 5.287Impetus īre fuit: claudit sua tēcta Pyrēneus
vimque parat.We felt an urge to go: Pyreneus shuts up his house and prepares violence. Met. 5.288Quam nōs sūmptīs effūgimus alīs.We escaped it by taking to our wings. Met. 5.289Ipse secūtūrō similis stetit arduus arce "quā" que "via est vōbīs, erit et mihi" dīxit "eadem",
sēque iacit vēcors ē summae culmine turris
et cadit in vultūs, discussīsque ossibus ōris
tundit humum moriēns scelerātō sanguine tinctam."He himself, like one about to follow, stood high on his citadel and said, "Whatever way is yours shall be mine too," and madly hurls himself from the top of the highest tower, and falls on his face, and, the bones of his face shattered, he beats, dying, the ground stained with his wicked blood.' Met. 5.294Mūsa loquēbātur: pennae sonuēre per aurās,
295vōxque salūtantum rāmīs veniēbat ab altīs.The Muse was speaking: wings sounded through the air, and the voices of those giving greeting came from the high branches.
Met. 5.296Suspicit et linguae quaerit tam certa loquentēs
unde sonent hominemque putat Iove nāta locūtum:
Āles erat, numerōque novem, sua fāta querentēs,
īnstiterant rāmīs imitantēs omnia pīcae.Jupiter's daughter looks up and asks where the sound of tongues speaking so distinctly comes from, and thinks a human being has spoken: it was birds, nine in number, lamenting their fate, magpies, mimics of everything, perched on the branches. Met. 5.300Mīrantī sīc orsa deae dea: "Nūper et istae
auxērunt volucrum victae certāmine turbam.As she wonders, the goddess began thus to the goddess: 'These too lately swelled the throng of birds, defeated in a contest. Met. 5.302Pieros hās genuit Pellaeīs dīves in arvīs,
Paeonis Euippē māter fuit.Pierus, rich in Pellaean fields, fathered them; Paeonian Euippe was their mother. Met. 5.303Illa potentem
Lūcīnam noviēns, noviēns paritūra, vocāvit.Nine times she called on mighty Lucina, nine times about to give birth. Met. 5.305Intumuit numerō stolidārum turba sorōrum,
perque tot Haemoniās et per tot Achāidas urbēs
hūc vēnit et tālī committit proelia vōce:
"Dēsinite indoctum vānā dulcēdine vulgus
fallere: nōbīscum, Sīqua est fīdūcia vōbīs,
310Thespiadēs certāte deae.Puffed up by their number, the throng of foolish sisters came here through so many Haemonian and so many Achaean cities, and joins battle with words like these: "Stop deceiving the unlearned crowd with your empty sweetness: compete with us, Thespian goddesses, if you have any confidence.
Met. 5.310Nec vōce nec arte
vincēmur, totidemque sumus.We shall not be beaten in voice or in skill, and we are as many as you. Met. 5.311Vel cēdite victae
fonte Medūsaeō et Hyantēā Aganippē,
vel nōs Ēmathiīs ad Paeonas ūsque nivōsōs
cēdāmus campīs.Either be beaten and give up Medusa's spring and Hyantean Aganippe, or let us give up the Emathian plains as far as snowy Paeonia. Met. 5.314Dirimant certāmina nymphae."Let the nymphs decide the contest." Met. 5.315Turpe quidem contendere erat, sed cēdere vīsum
turpius.It was shameful indeed to contend, but it seemed more shameful to yield. Met. 5.316Ēlēctae iūrant per flūmina nymphae
factaque dē vīvō pressēre sedīlia saxō.The nymphs chosen as judges swear by their rivers, and sat on seats made of living rock. Met. 5.318Tum sine sorte prior quae sē certāre professa est,
bella canit superum, falsōque in honōre Gigantas
320pōnit et extenuat magnōrum facta deōrum;Then, without drawing lots, she who had declared she would compete first sings of the wars of the gods above, and gives the Giants undeserved honour, and belittles the deeds of the great gods; Met. 5.321ēmissumque īmā dē sēde Typhōea terrae
caelitibus fēcisse metum cūnctōsque dedisse
terga fugae, dōnec fessōs Aegyptia tellūs
cēperit et septem discrētus in ōstia Nīlus.and how Typhoeus, sent up from the lowest seat of the earth, had struck fear into the heavenly ones, and all had turned their backs in flight, until the land of Egypt took them in, weary, and the Nile, parted into seven mouths.
Met. 5.325Hūc quoque terrigenam vēnisse Typhōea narrat
et sē mentītīs superōs cēlāsse figūrīs;She tells how earth-born Typhoeus came there too, and how the gods above hid themselves in false shapes; Met. 5.327"duxque gregis" dīxit "fit Iuppiter;"and Jupiter," she said, "becomes leader of a flock; Met. 5.327unde recurvīs
nunc quoque fōrmātus Libys est cum cornibus Ammōn.whence even now Libyan Ammon is shaped with curving horns. Met. 5.329Dēlius in corvō, prōlēs Semelēia caprō,
330fēle soror Phoebī, niveā Sāturnia vaccā,
pisce Venus latuit, Cyllēnius ībidis alīs."The Delian hid in a raven, Semele's offspring in a goat, Phoebus' sister in a cat, Saturn's daughter in a snow-white cow, Venus in a fish, the Cyllenian in the wings of an ibis." Met. 5.332Hāctenus ad citharam vōcālia mōverat ōra:
poscimur Āonidēs.Thus far she had moved her singing lips to the lyre: then we Aonians are called upon. Met. 5.333Sed forsitan ōtia nōn sint,
nec nostrīs praebēre vacet tibi cantibus aurēs."But perhaps you have no leisure, and no time to lend your ears to our songs.' Met. 5.335"Nē dubitā, vestrumque mihi refer ōrdine carmen"
Pallas ait nemorisque levī cōnsēdit in umbrā.'Do not hesitate, but relate your song to me in order,' says Pallas, and sat down in the light shade of the grove.
Met. 5.337Mūsa refert: "Dedimus summam certāminis ūnī.The Muse relates: 'We gave the whole conduct of the contest to one. Met. 5.338Surgit et inmissōs hederā conlēcta capillōs
Calliopē querulās praetemptat pollice chordās,
340atque haec percussīs subiungit carmina nervīs:Calliope rises, and, binding her flowing hair with ivy, tries out the plaintive strings with her thumb, and, striking the chords, adds these songs to them: