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Lectitō › Ovid › Metamorphoses, Book 9 › Metamorphoses 9.764–797

Ovid · Metamorphoses IX

Metamorphoses 9.764–797

Isis answers Telethusa's prayer

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Met. 9.764Pressit ab hīs vōcem.With this she stopped speaking. Met. 9.764Nec lēnius altera virgō
765aestuat, utque celer veniās, Hymenaee, precātur.
Nor does the other maiden burn less hotly, and she prays that you come quickly, Hymen.
Met. 9.766Quod petit haec, Telethūsa timēns modo tempora differt,
nunc fictō languōre moram trahit, ōmina saepe
vīsaque causātur.
What she seeks, Telethusa, afraid, puts off, now delaying the time, now drawing out the delay with feigned illness, often pleading omens and visions.
Met. 9.768Sed iam cōnsūmpserat omnem
māteriam fictī, dīlātaque tempora taedae
770īnstiterant, ūnusque diēs restābat.
But by now she had used up every pretext for pretence, and the postponed time of the wedding was upon them, and one day remained.
Met. 9.770At illa
crīnālem capitī vittam nātaeque sibique
dētrahit et passīs āram complexa capillīs
"Īsi, Paraetonium Mareōticaque arva Pharonque
quae colis et septem dīgestum in cornua Nīlum:
775fer, precor" inquit "opem nostrōque medēre timōrī!
Then she pulls the band from her daughter's head and her own, and with loose hair embracing the altar she says, 'Isis, who dwell in Paraetonium and the Mareotic fields and Pharos, and the Nile divided into seven horns: bring help, I pray, and heal our fear!

Met. 9.776Tē, dea, tē quondam tuaque haec īnsignia vīdī
cūnctaque cognōvī, sonitum comitantiaque aera
sīstrōrum, memorīque animō tua iussa notāvī.
You, goddess, you I once saw, and these emblems of yours, and I recognised them all, the sound and the accompanying bronze of the sistrums, and with mindful heart I noted your commands.
Met. 9.779Quod videt haec lūcem, quod nōn ego pūnior, ecce
780cōnsilium mūnusque tuum est.
That this girl sees the light, that I am not punished, look, it is your counsel and your gift.
Met. 9.780Miserēre duārum
auxiliōque iuvā!"
Pity the two of us and help us with your aid!'
Met. 9.781Lacrimae sunt verba secūtae.Tears followed her words. Met. 9.782Vīsa dea est mōvisse suās (et mōverat) ārās,
et templī tremuēre forēs, imitātaque lūnam
cornua fulsērunt, crepuitque sonābile sīstrum.
The goddess seemed to have moved her altar (and she had moved it), and the doors of the temple shook, and the horns, imitating the moon, flashed, and the sounding sistrum rattled.
Met. 9.785Nōn sēcūra quidem, faustō tamen ōmine laeta
māter abit templō: sequitur comes Īphis euntem,
quam solita est, maiōre gradū, nec candor in ōre
permanet, et vīrēs augentur, et ācrior ipse est
vultus, et incomptīs brevior mēnsūra capillīs,
790plusque vigōris adest, habuit quam fēmina.
Not free from care indeed, yet happy in the favourable omen, the mother leaves the temple: Iphis follows her as she goes, at her side, with a longer stride than usual, and the fairness does not remain in her face, and her strength increases, and the very look is fiercer, and the length of her unadorned hair shorter, and there is more vigour than she had as a woman.

Met. 9.790Nam quae
fēmina nūper erās, puer es.
For you who were lately a woman are a boy.
Met. 9.791Date mūnera templīs
nec timidā gaudēte fidē!
Bring offerings to the temples and rejoice with fearless faith!
Met. 9.792Dant mūnera templīs,
addunt et titulum;
They bring offerings to the temples, and add an inscription too;
Met. 9.793titulus breve carmen habēbat:
DŌNA PUER SOLVIT QUAE FĒMINA VŌVERAT ĪPHIS
795Postera lūx radiīs lātum patefēcerat orbem,
cum Venus et Iūnō sociōsque Hymenaeus ad ignēs
conveniunt, potīturque suā puer Īphis Ianthē.
the inscription had a short verse: GIFTS IPHIS VOWED AS A WOMAN HE PAID AS A BOY. The next day's light had revealed the wide world with its rays, when Venus and Juno and Hymen come together to the wedding fires, and the boy Iphis wins his Ianthe.

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Grammar in this passage: ablative absolute ×2, indirect statement ×1

Latin vocabulary for this passage (159 words)
premō, premere, pressī, pressuspress, check, restrain
ā, ab (prep. + abl.)away from, from; by (ā only before consonants)
hic, haec, hoc, dem. pron.this; ille ... hīc, that ... this, the former ... the latter
vōx, vōcis, f.voice; word
neque or nec, conj.and not, nor; neque ... neque, neither ... nor; neque enim, for ... not
lēniter (adv.)gently
alter, -era, -erumone or the other (of two); another, second
virgō, virginis, f.maiden
aestuō, -āre, -āvīboil, seethe; burn (with passion or envy)
ut, conj.as; when; that; ita ut, as
que, enclitic conj.and
celer, celeris, celereswift, quick
veniō, venīre, vēnī, ventuscome
precor, -ārī, -ātus sumpray, beg
quī, quae, quod, rel. pron.who, which
petō, -ere, -īvī or -iī, -ītusseek, ask; attack
timeō, -ēre, -uīfear
modo, adv.only
tempus, temporis, n.time, season
differō, differre, distulī, dīlātumdiffer; scatter, put off
nunc, adv.now
fingō, fingere, finxī, fictusinvent, make up
languor, -ōris m.faintness, weariness
mora, -ae, f.delay
trahō, trahere, trāxī, trāctusdraw, drag
ōmen, ōminis n.omen, sign; hīsce ōminibus: with these words of ill omen
saepe, adv.often, frequently
vīsum, -ī n.a sight, vision, appearance
causor, -ārī, -ātus sumplead as an excuse, give as a reason; find fault
sed, conj.but
iam, adv.now, already
cōnsūmō, -sūmere, -sūmpsī, -sūmptustake completely, use up, consume, spend
omnis, -eall, every
māteria, -ae f.timber, material
taeda, -ae f.pine torch; (often) the wedding torch, marriage
īnsistō, -ere, īnstitīstand on
ūnus, -a, -umone; only, alone
diēs, -ēī, m. and f.day
restō, -āre, restitīstay behind, remain
at, conj.but
ille, illa, illud, dem. pron.that; he, she, it, they; ille ... hīc, see hīc
crīnālis, -eof the hair; (n. as noun) hair ornament
caput, capitis, n.head
vitta, -ae f.headband, ribbon
nāta, -ae f.daughter
suī, sibi, sē or sēsē, reflexive pron.himself, herself, itself, themselves
dētrahō, -trahere, -trāxī, -trāctusdraw or pull off
et, conj.and; et ... et, both ... and
pandō, -ere, pandī, passumspread out (passīs manibus: with hands outstretched)
āra, -ae, f.altar
complector, -plectī, -plexusembrace
capillus, -ī m.hair
Mareōticus, -a, -umof Lake Mareotis near Alexandria; Egyptian
arvum, -ī n.ploughed field, field
colō, colere, coluī, cultustill, cultivate; inhabit; worship
septemseven
dīgerō, -ere, -gessī, -gestusdistribute, arrange; interpret
in, prep. with acc. and abl.with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on
cornū, -ūs, n.horn
ferō, ferre, tulī, lātusbear, bring
inquam, inquis, inquit, defective verbI say, you say, he says
ops, opis f.; pl. opēs, -umhelp; (pl.) resources, wealth, power
noster, -tra, -trumour
medeor, -ērīheal, remedy (+ dat.)
timor, -ōris, m.fear
tū, tuī, pers. pron.thou, you
dea, -ae f.goddess
quondam (adv.)once, formerly, at one time
tuus, -a, -umthy, thine, your
īnsigne, -is n.badge, mark, decoration
videō, vidēre, vīdī, vīsussee; pass., seem
cūnctus, -a, -umall, the whole
cognōscō, -gnōscere, -gnōvī, -gnitusfind out, learn; in tenses of completed action, have found out, know
sonitus, -ūs, m.sound, noise
comitor, -ārī, -ātus sumaccompany, follow
aes, aeris, n.copper, bronze
sīstrum, -ī n.rattle used in the worship of Isis
memor, -orismindful, remembering (+ gen.)
animus, -ī, m.mind; heart; spirit, courage
iussum, -ī, n.order, command
notō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusmark, note; single out
quod, conj.that, in that, because
lūx, lūcis, f.light
nōn, adv.not
ego, meī, pers. pron.I
pūniō, -īre, -īvī, -ītuspunish
ecce (interj.)look! see! here is
cōnsilium, -ī, n.advice; plan, design, purpose; prudence
mūnus, mūneris, n.service, office, duty; present, gift
sum, esse, fuī, futūrusbe
misereor, -ērī, miseritus sumpity, have mercy on (+ gen.)
duo, -ae, -o, plur. adj.two
auxilium, -ī, n.help, aid
iuvō, -āre, iūvī, iūtumhelp
lacrima, -ae, f.tear
verbum, -ī, n.word
sequor, sequī, secūtusfollow
moveō, movēre, mōvī, mōtusmove
suus, -a, -umhis, her, its, or their own; his, her, its, their
templum, -ī, n.sanctuary, temple
tremō, -ere, -uītremble, shake
forēs, -ium f. pl.door, double door; entrance
imitor, -ārī, -ātus sumcopy, imitate
lūna, -ae f.moon
fulgeō, -ēre, fulsīflash, shine, glitter
crepō, -āre, -uī, -itusburst with a crash; rattle, rustle, crackle
sonābilis, -esounding, rattling
sēcūrus, -a, -umfree from care, untroubled; careless (of: gen.)
quidem, adv.in fact, indeed, certainly; nē ... quidem, not ... even
tamen, adv.however, yet, nevertheless
laetus, -a, -umglad, joyful
māter, mātris, f.mother
abeō, -īre, -iī, -itūrusgo away, depart
comes, -itis, m. and f.companion
eō, īre, iī, itusgo
quam, adv.how? as; than; with superl., as ... as possible
soleō, -ēre, solitus sumbe accustomed, usually do
magnus, -a, -umlarge, big, great, mighty; loud
gradus, -ūs m.step, stage; rank
candor, -ōris m.dazzling whiteness, brightness
ōs, ōris, n.mouth
permaneō, -manēre, -mānsi, -mānsusremain
vīs, vīs, f.violence, force; virtue, potency, efficacy; plur. vīrēs, -ium, strength; omnibus vīribus, with all one's strength, with might and main
augeō, -ēre, auxī, auctumincrease, enlarge
ācer, ācris, ācresharp, shrill
ipse, ipsa, ipsum, intensive pron.self, himself, herself, itself, themselves; often to be rendered by very
vultus, -ūs m.face, expression
incomptus, -a, -umuncombed, unkempt; rough, unpolished
brevis, -eshort
mēnsūra, -ae f.measurement, measure
plūs (adv.)more
vigor, -ōris m.vigour, energy, liveliness
adsum, adesse, adfuībe present, be at hand
habeō, -ēre, -uī, -itushave, hold; consider
fēmina, -ae, f.woman
nam, conj.for
nūper, adv.newly, lately, recently
puer, puerī, m.boy
dō, dare, dedī, datusgive
timidus, -a, -umfearful, timid
gaudeō, gaudēre, gāvīsusbe glad, rejoice
fidēs, -eī f.faith, trust; pledge
addō, -ere, -didī, -ditusadd, put to
titulus, -ī m.notice, inscription, label
carmen, -minis, n.song, charm
dōnum, -ī, n.gift
solvō, solvere, solvī, solūtusloosen, unbind, release; pay; with or without nāvem, cast off, set sail, put to sea
voveō, -ēre, vōvī, vōtusvow, promise
posterus, -a, -umfollowing, next
radius, -ī m.rod, spoke; ray, beam (of light)
lātus, -a, -umbroad, wide
patefaciō, -facere, -fēcī, -factusthrow, or lay open, open
orbis, -is, m.circle; orbis terrae or terrārum, circle of the earth or lands, earth, world
cum, conj.when, while, after; since; although
socius, -ī, m.companion, comrade, ally
ad, prep. with acc.to, toward; at, near; for
ignis, -is, m.fire
conveniō, -venīre, -vēnī, -ventuscome together, assemble
potior, -īrī, -ītusbecome master of, get possession of
Ovid, Metamorphoses IX. Latin text: H. Magnus, Die Metamorphosen des P. Ovidius Naso (Gotha, 1892), public domain; digital text from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA. Word analysis: drafted by our own tagger (trained on the hand-checked texts on this site), with every doubtful word checked by hand. English translation and section titles: written for this app, each checked against the Latin by a second reader.