Metamorphoses 11.146–193

Met. 11.146Ille, perōsus opēs, silvās et rūra colēbat
Pānaque montānīs habitantem semper in antrīs.

Midas, now hating wealth, lived in the woods and countryside and worshipped Pan, who always dwells in mountain caves.

Note. Ille, perōsus opēs: 'he, now hating wealth'; perōsus has active meaning. Pāna: Greek accusative of Pan, the goat-footed god of shepherds.

Met. 11.148Pingue sed ingenium mānsit, nocitūraque, ut ante,
rūrsus erant dominō stultae praecordia mentis.

But his wits remained thick, and, as before, the heart of his foolish mind was once more going to harm its master.

Note. Pingue … ingenium: 'his wit was thick'. nocitūra … praecordia: 'his heart would once more do harm'; praecordia, literally the parts around the heart, stands for the mind. ut ante: 'as before'. dominō: dative, 'to its master'.

Met. 11.150Nam freta prōspiciēns lātē riget arduus altō
Tmōlus in adscēnsū, clīvōque extēnsus utrōque
Sardibus hinc, illinc parvīs fīnītur Hypaepīs.

For high Tmolus, looking far out over the sea, stands steep with its lofty climb, and stretching down on both slopes it ends on one side at Sardis, on the other at little Hypaepa.

Note. A description of Mount Tmolus before the contest: steep with its high climb (altō … in adscēnsū), sloping down on both sides (clīvōque … utrōque) to Sardis on one side (hinc) and little Hypaepa on the other (illinc).

Met. 11.153Pān ibi dum tenerīs iactat sua carmina nymphīs
et leve cērātā modulātur harundine carmen,
155ausus Apollineōs prae sē contemnere cantūs,
iūdice sub Tmōlō certāmen vēnit ad impār.

There, while Pan was showing off his songs to the soft nymphs and playing a light tune on his reeds joined with wax, he dared to scorn Apollo's songs beside his own, and came to an unequal contest, with Tmolus as judge.

Note. Pān … dum … iactat: 'while Pan was boasting of'. tenerīs … nymphīs: dative, 'to the soft nymphs'. cērātā … harundine: 'on the waxed reed', the panpipe, whose reeds are joined with wax. ausus … contemnere: 'having dared to scorn'. prae sē: 'compared with himself'. iūdice sub Tmōlō: 'with Tmolus as judge'. certāmen … ad impār: 'to an unequal contest'.

Met. 11.157Monte suō senior iūdex cōnsēdit et aurēs
līberat arboribus: quercū coma caerula tantum
cingitur, et pendent circum cava tempora glandēs.

The old judge sat down on his own mountain, and freed his ears from the trees: only his dark-blue hair is wreathed with oak, and acorns hang around his hollow temples.

Note. The mountain god Tmolus takes his seat as judge: he frees his ears from the trees to listen, and wears an oak wreath; Ovid blends the god and the wooded mountain. caerula: 'dark' (literally sea-blue). circum cava tempora: 'around his hollow temples'.

Met. 11.160Isque deum pecoris spectāns "in iūdice" dīxit
"nūlla mora est."

And looking at the god of the flocks he said, "There is no delay on the judge's part."

Note. deum pecoris: 'the god of the flock', Pan. in iūdice … nūlla mora est: 'there is no delay in the judge', i.e. I am ready. The edition prints 'in indice', a misprint for iūdice, corrected here.

Met. 11.161Calamīs agrestibus īnsonat ille
barbaricōque Midān (aderat nam forte canentī)
carmine dēlēnit.

Pan sounds his rustic pipes, and charms Midas with his outlandish song (for Midas happened to be there as he played).

Note. Calamīs agrestibus: 'on his rustic pipes'. barbaricō … carmine: 'with his outlandish song'. Mīdān: Greek accusative. canentī: dative, 'to him as he played'.

Met. 11.163Post hunc sacer ōra retorsit
Tmōlus ad ōs Phoebī: vultum sua silva secūta est.

After him sacred Tmolus turned his face towards Phoebus: his forest turned with his face.

Note. Post hunc: 'after him'. ōra retorsit … ad ōs Phoebī: 'turned his face to the face of Phoebus'. vultum sua silva secūta est: the trees on the mountain turn with him, a vivid detail.

Met. 11.165Ille caput flāvum laurō Parnāside vīnctus
verrit humum Tyriō saturāta mūrice pallā,
īnstrictamque fidem gemmīs et dentibus Indīs
sustinet ā laevā;

Phoebus, his golden head wreathed with laurel of Parnassus, sweeps the ground with a robe soaked in Tyrian purple, and holds in his left hand a lyre set with gems and Indian ivory;

Note. flāvum … caput … vīnctus: 'his golden head wreathed', with caput an accusative of respect. laurō Parnāside: 'with laurel of Parnassus', Apollo's mountain. verrit humum: 'sweeps the ground' with his long robe (pallā). Tyriō saturāta mūrice: 'soaked in Tyrian purple'. instrīctam … fidem: 'the lyre set' with gems and ivory (dentibus Indīs, 'Indian teeth'); fidēs is the lyre.

Met. 11.168tenuit manus altera plēctrum.

his other hand held the plectrum.

Note. plēctrum: the quill for striking the strings.

Met. 11.169Artificis status ipse fuit.

His very stance was that of an artist.

Note. Artificis status: 'the stance of an artist'. Even standing still, Apollo looks like a master musician.

Met. 11.169Tum stāmina doctō
170pollice sollicitat, quōrum dulcēdine captus
Pāna iubet Tmōlus citharae submittere cannās.

Then he plucks the strings with a skilled thumb; charmed by their sweetness, Tmolus tells Pan to lower his reeds before the lyre.

Note. stāmina: here the lyre's strings. sollicitat: 'plucks'. quōrum dulcēdine captus: 'captivated by their sweetness'. citharae submittere cannās: 'to lower his reeds before the lyre', i.e. to concede defeat.

Met. 11.172Iūdicium sānctīque placet sententia montis
omnibus, arguitur tamen atque iniūsta vocātur
ūnīus sermōne Midae;

The judgement and verdict of the sacred mountain pleases everyone, yet it is challenged and called unjust by the voice of Midas alone;

Note. Iūdicium … placet omnibus: 'the judgement pleases everyone'. arguitur: 'is criticised'. ūnīus sermōne Midae: 'by the speech of Midas alone'.

Met. 11.174nec Dēlius aurēs
175hūmānam stolidās patitur retinēre figūram,
sed trahit in spatium villīsque albentibus implet
īnstabilēsque īmās facit et dat posse movērī,
cētera sunt hominis: partem damnātur in ūnam
induiturque aurēs lentē gradientis asellī.

the Delian god does not allow such stupid ears to keep their human shape, but draws them out in length, fills them with grey hairs, makes them unsteady at the base and gives them the power to move: the rest is human; he is condemned in this one part, and wears the ears of a slowly plodding donkey.

Note. Dēlius: Apollo, born on Delos. stolidās: 'stupid'. trahit in spatium: 'draws them out in length'. vīllīs … albentibus: 'with whitish hairs'. īnstabilēsque īmās facit: 'makes them unsteady at the base'. dat posse movērī: 'grants them the power to move'. partem damnātur in ūnam: 'he is condemned in one part only'. lentē gradientis asellī: 'of a slowly plodding donkey'.

Met. 11.180Ille quidem cēlāre cupit, turpisque pudōre
tempora purpureīs temptat vēlāre tiārīs.

Midas tries to hide them, and, ashamed in his disgrace, attempts to cover his temples with a purple turban.

Note. turpisque pudōre: 'ashamed in his disgrace'. tiārīs: 'with a turban', an eastern head-dress, suitable for a Phrygian king.

Met. 11.182Sed solitus longōs ferrō resecāre capillōs
vīderat hoc famulus.

But the servant who used to cut his long hair with a blade had seen this.

Note. solitus … resecāre: 'who was used to cutting', from the semi-deponent soleō. hoc: the ears.

Met. 11.183Quī cum nec prōdere vīsum
dēdecus audēret, cupiēns efferre sub aurās,
185nec posset reticēre tamen, sēcēdit humumque
effodit et, dominī quālēs adspexerit aurēs,
vōce refert parvā terraeque inmurmurat haustae,
indiciumque suae vōcis tellūre regestā
obruit et scrobibus tacitus discēdit opertīs.

Since he did not dare to reveal the disgrace he had seen, though he longed to bring it out into the open, and yet could not keep it to himself, he goes off and digs a hole in the ground, and in a low voice tells what sort of ears he had seen on his master, whispering it into the hollowed earth; then he buries the evidence of his voice by heaping the soil back, and having covered the hole goes away in silence.

Note. A long sentence: since (cum) he did not dare reveal the disgrace he had seen, though he wanted to bring it into the open air (efferre sub aurās), and yet could not keep silent, he goes off, digs a hole, whispers it into the earth, and buries the sound. domini quālēs adspexerit aurēs: indirect question, 'what sort of ears he had seen on his master'. terrae … haustae: 'into the dug-out earth', dative with inmurmurat. indicium … suae vōcis: 'the evidence of his voice'. tellūre regestā: 'with the earth heaped back'.

Met. 11.190Crēber harundinibus tremulīs ibi surgere lūcus
coepit et, ut prīmum plēnō mātūruit annō,
prōdidit agricolam: lēnī nam mōtus ab austrō
obruta verba refert dominīque coarguit aurēs.

A thick grove of trembling reeds began to grow there, and as soon as it ripened at the year's end, it betrayed the man who had planted it: for, stirred by a gentle south wind, it repeats the buried words and gives away his master's ears.

Note. Crēber … lūcus: 'a dense grove' of trembling reeds. plēnō … annō: 'when the year was full'. prōdidit agricolam: 'betrayed the man who planted it', i.e. the barber who 'sowed' the secret. lēnī … ab austrō: 'by a gentle south wind'. obruta verba refert: 'repeats the buried words'. coarguit: 'gives away, exposes'. The story is told to explain why reeds seem to whisper.