Met. 5.572Exigit alma Cerēs, nātā sēcūra receptā,
quae tibi causa fugae, cūr sīs, Arethūsa, sacer fōns.Kindly Ceres, untroubled now that her daughter is recovered, asks what was the reason for your flight, Arethusa, and why you are a sacred spring. Met. 5.574Conticuēre undae: quārum dea sustulit altō
575fonte caput viridēsque manū siccāta capillōs
flūminis Ēlēī veterēs narrāvit amōrēs.The waters fell silent: their goddess lifted her head from the deep spring, and, drying her green hair with her hand, told of the old loves of the Elean river. Met. 5.577"Pars ego nymphārum quae sunt in Achaide" dīxit,
"ūna fuī, nec mē studiōsius altera saltūs
lēgit nec posuit studiōsius altera cassēs.'I was one,' she said, 'of the nymphs who are in Achaea, and no other more eagerly ranged the glades or more eagerly set the nets. Met. 5.580Sed quamvīs fōrmae numquam mihi fāma petīta est,
quamvīs fortis eram, fōrmōsae nōmen habēbam.But though I never sought a reputation for beauty, though I was sturdy, I had the name of a beauty. Met. 5.582Nec mea mē faciēs nimium laudāta iuvābat,
quāque aliae gaudēre solent, ego rūstica dōte
corporis ērubuī, crīmenque placēre putāvī.Nor did my face, too much praised, please me, and at the bodily gift in which others usually rejoice I, a country girl, blushed, and thought it a crime to please.
Met. 5.585Lassa revertēbar (meminī) Stymphālide silvā:
aestus erat, magnumque labor gemināverat aestum.I was returning weary (I remember) from the Stymphalian wood: it was hot, and my toil had doubled the great heat. Met. 5.587Inveniō sine vertice aquās, sine murmure euntēs,
perspicuās ad humum, per quās numerābilis altē
calculus omnis erat, quās tū vix īre putārēs.I find waters flowing without an eddy, without a murmur, clear to the bottom, through which every pebble in the depths could be counted, which you would hardly think were moving. Met. 5.590Cāna salicta dabant nūtrītaque pōpulus undā
sponte suā nātās rīpīs dēclīvibus umbrās.Silvery willows and poplars nourished by the water gave shade that grew of its own accord on the sloping banks. Met. 5.592Accessī prīmumque pedis vestīgia tinxī,
poplite deinde tenus: neque eō contenta, recingor
molliaque impōnō salicī vēlāmina curvae
595nūdaque mergor aquīs.I approached, and first dipped the soles of my feet, then up to the knee: and not content with that, I unfasten my girdle and lay my soft garments on a bending willow, and plunge naked into the waters.
Met. 5.595Quās dum feriōque trahōque
mīlle modīs lābēns excussaque bracchia iactō,
nesciō quod mediō sēnsī sub gurgite murmur
territaque īnsistō propiōris margine rīpae.While I strike and draw them to me, gliding in a thousand ways, and toss out my arms, I felt some murmur beneath the middle of the pool, and in terror I stand on the edge of the nearer bank. Met. 5.599"Quō properās, Arethūsa?""Where are you hurrying, Arethusa?" Met. 5.599suīs Alphēus ab undīs,
600"quō properās?"Alpheus from his waters, "where are you hurrying?" Met. 5.600iterum raucō mihi dīxerat ōre.he had said to me again in a hoarse voice. Met. 5.601Sīcut eram, fugiō sine vestibus: altera vestēs
rīpa meās habuit.Just as I was, I flee without my clothes: the other bank had my clothes. Met. 5.602Tantō magis īnstat et ārdet,
et quia nūda fuī, sum vīsa parātior illī.All the more he presses on and burns, and because I was naked I seemed readier to him. Met. 5.604Sīc ego currēbam, sīc mē ferus ille premēbat,
605ut fūgēre accipitrem pennā trepidante columbae,
ut solet accipiter trepidās urgēre columbās.So I ran, so that wild one pressed me, as doves flee the hawk on trembling wing, as the hawk is wont to harry the trembling doves.
Met. 5.607Ūsque sub Orchomenon Psōphidaque Cyllēnēnque
Maenaliōsque sinūs gelidumque Erymanthon et Ēlin
currere sustinuī;As far as Orchomenus and Psophis and Cyllene and the Maenalian valleys and cold Erymanthus and Elis I held out running; Met. 5.609nec mē vēlōcior ille.nor was he swifter than I. Met. 5.610Sed tolerāre diū cursūs ego, vīribus impār,
nōn poteram: longī patiēns erat ille labōris.But I, unequal in strength, could not long endure the race: he was able to bear long toil. Met. 5.612Per tamen et campōs, per opertōs arbore montēs,
saxa quoque et rūpēs et quā via nūlla, cucurrī.Yet through plains, through mountains covered with trees, over stones too and cliffs and where there was no path, I ran. Met. 5.614Sōl erat ā tergō: vīdī praecēdere longam
615ante pedēs umbram, nisi sī timor illa vidēbat;The sun was at my back: I saw a long shadow going before my feet, unless it was fear that saw it; Met. 5.616sed certē sonitusque pedum terrēbat et ingēns
crīnālēs vittās adflābat anhēlitus ōris.but certainly the sound of his feet terrified me, and the huge panting of his mouth breathed on the ribbons of my hair.
Met. 5.618Fessa labōre fugae "fer opem, dēprendimur" inquam,
"armigerae, Diāna, tuae, cui saepe dedistī
620ferre tuōs arcūs inclūsaque tēla pharetrā."Worn out by the toil of flight, I cry, "Help, I am caught, Diana, help your armour-bearer, to whom you have often given your bow to carry and your arrows shut in their quiver." Met. 5.621Mōta dea est spissīsque ferēns ē nūbibus ūnam
mē super iniēcit.The goddess was moved and, taking one of the thick clouds, threw it over me. Met. 5.622Lūstrat cālīgine tēctam
amnis et ignārus circum cava nūbila quaerit.The river scans me, hidden in the mist, and, unknowing, searches round the hollow cloud. Met. 5.624Bisque locum, quō mē dea tēxerat īnscius ambit
625et bis "iō Arethūsa iō Arethūsa!"Twice, unaware, he circles the place where the goddess had hidden me, and twice "Io Arethusa, io Arethusa!" Met. 5.625vocāvit.he called. Met. 5.626Quid mihi tunc animī miserae fuit?What was my state of mind then, poor me? Met. 5.626anne quod agnae est,
sīqua lupōs audit circum stabula alta frementēs,
aut leporī, quī vepre latēns hostīlia cernit
ōra canum nūllōsque audet dare corpore mōtūs?Was it not that of a lamb, if it hears wolves howling round the high folds, or of a hare, which, hiding in a bramble, sees the hostile muzzles of the dogs and dares make no movement with its body?
Met. 5.630Nōn tamen abscēdit: neque enim vestīgia cernit
longius ūlla pedum: servat nūbemque locumque.Yet he does not go away: for he sees no footprints further on: he watches the cloud and the place. Met. 5.632Occupat obsessōs sūdor mihi frīgidus artūs,
caeruleaeque cadunt tōtō dē corpore guttae,
quāque pedem mōvī, mānat lacus, ēque capillīs
635rōs cadit, et citius, quam nunc tibi facta renarrō,
in laticēs mūtor.A cold sweat seizes my besieged limbs, and dark-blue drops fall from all my body, and wherever I moved my foot a pool flows, and dew falls from my hair, and sooner than I now retell these events to you, I am changed into water. Met. 5.636Sed enim cognōscit amātās
amnis aquās, positōque virī, quod sūmpserat, ōre
vertitur in propriās, ut sē mihi misceat, undās.But the river recognises the waters he loves, and, laying aside the man's form he had assumed, turns back into his own waves, to mingle himself with me. Met. 5.639Dēlia rūpit humum;The Delian goddess broke open the ground; Met. 5.639caecīsque ego mersa cavernīs
640advehor Ortygiam, quae mē cognōmine dīvae
grāta meae superās ēdūxit prīma sub aurās."and I, plunged in dark caverns, am carried to Ortygia, which, dear to me for bearing my goddess's surname, first brought me out into the upper air.' Met. 5.642Hāc Arethūsa tenus.Thus far Arethusa.
Met. 5.642Geminōs dea fertilis anguēs
curribus admōvit frēnīsque coercuit ōra
et medium caelī terraeque per āera vecta est
645atque levem currum Trītōnida mīsit in urbem
Triptolemō;The fertile goddess yoked twin serpents to her chariot, and curbed their mouths with bits, and was carried through the air between heaven and earth, and sent her light chariot to the Tritonian city, to Triptolemus; Met. 5.646partimque rudī data sēmina iussit
spargere humō, partim post tempora longa recultae.and she bade him scatter the seeds she gave, partly on untilled ground, partly on ground tilled again after a long time. Met. 5.648Iam super Eurōpēn sublīmis et Āsida terram
vectus erat iuvenis;Now the youth had been carried high over Europe and the land of Asia; Met. 5.649Scythicās advertitur ōrās.he turns towards the Scythian shores. Met. 5.650Rēx ibi Lyncus erat: rēgis subit ille penātēs.Lyncus was king there: he enters the king's house. Met. 5.651Quā veniat, causamque viae nōmenque rogātus
et patriam, "patria est clārae mihi" dīxit "Athēnae,
Triptolemus nōmen.Asked how he came, and the reason for his journey, and his name and country, he said, 'My country is famous Athens, my name Triptolemus.
Met. 5.653Vēnī nec puppe per undās,
nec pede per terrās: patuit mihi pervius aethēr.I came neither by ship over the waves nor on foot over land: the sky opened and gave me passage. Met. 5.655Dōna ferō Cereris lātōs quae sparsa per agrōs
frūgiferās messēs alimentaque mītia reddant."I bring the gifts of Ceres, which, scattered over the broad fields, may yield fruitful harvests and gentle foods.' Met. 5.657Barbarus invīdit;The barbarian was envious; Met. 5.657tantīque ut mūneris auctor
ipse sit, hospitiō recipit somnōque gravātum
adgreditur ferrō.and so that he himself might be the giver of so great a gift, he receives him as a guest, and, when he is heavy with sleep, attacks him with a sword. Met. 5.659Cōnantem fīgere pectus
660lynca Cerēs fēcit rūrsusque per āera iussit
Mopsopium iuvenem sacrōs agitāre iugālēs."As he tried to pierce his breast, Ceres made him a lynx, and bade the Athenian youth drive the sacred team back through the air." Met. 5.662Fīnierat doctōs ē nōbīs maxima cantūs.The greatest of us had finished her learned songs. Met. 5.663At nymphae vīcisse deās Helicōna colentēs
concordī dīxēre sonō.And the nymphs, with one voice, declared that the goddesses who dwell on Helicon had won.
Met. 5.664Convīcia victae
665cum iacerent, "quoniam" dīxit "certāmine vōbīs
supplicium meruisse parum est maledictaque culpae
additis et nōn est patientia lībera nōbīs,
ībimus in poenās et, quā vocat īra, sequēmur."When the defeated hurled insults, she said, "Since it is too little for you to have earned punishment by the contest, and you add abuse to your fault, and our patience is not unlimited, we shall proceed to punishment and follow where anger calls." Met. 5.669Rīdent Ēmathidēs spernuntque minantia verba:
670cōnātaeque loquī et magnō clamōre protervās
intentāre manūs, pennās exīre per unguēs
adspexēre suōs, operīrī bracchia plūmīs;The Emathian girls laugh and scorn the threatening words: and as they tried to speak and to shake their insolent hands at us with loud clamour, they saw feathers coming out through their nails, their arms being covered with plumes; Met. 5.673alteraque alterīus rigidō concrēscere rōstrō
ōra videt volucrēsque novās accēdere silvīs.and each sees the other's face hardening into a stiff beak, and new birds being added to the woods. Met. 5.675Dumque volunt plangī, per bracchia mōta levātae
āere pendēbant, nemorum convīcia, pīcae.And while they try to beat their breasts, raised by their moving arms, they hung in the air, magpies, the scolds of the woods.
Met. 5.677Nunc quoque in ālitibus fācundia prīsca remānsit
raucaque garrulitās studiumque inmāne loquendī."Even now in the birds their old eloquence remains, and their hoarse garrulity and monstrous passion for talking.'