Metamorphoses 1.525–567

Met. 1.525Plūra locūtūrum timidō Pēnēia cursū
fūgit cumque ipsō verba inperfecta relīquit,
tum quoque vīsa decēns.

He would have said more, but Peneus' daughter fled in fear and left him with his words unfinished, lovely to look at even then.

Note. Plura locuturum: 'him about to say more' (future participle). Peneia = Daphne. timido … cursu: 'in fearful flight'. cumque ipso: 'and with him himself' — she leaves both the god and his unfinished words behind (a zeugma). visa decens: 'seemed lovely'.

Met. 1.527Nūdābant corpora ventī,
obviaque adversās vibrābant flāmina vestēs,
et levis inpulsōs retrō dabat aura capillōs,
530auctaque fōrma fugā est.

The winds laid her body bare, the breezes blowing against her fluttered her clothes, and a light air streamed her hair out behind her, and her beauty was increased by her flight.

Note. Nudabant corpora venti: the wind presses her dress against her and exposes her. obvia … flamina: 'the breezes meeting her'. adversas … vestes: 'her clothes, blown against her'. aucta … forma fuga est: 'her beauty was increased by flight' — fuga is ablative.

Met. 1.530Sed enim nōn sustinet ultrā
perdere blanditiās iuvenis deus, utque monēbat
ipse Amor, admissō sequitur vestīgia passū.

But the young god could bear no longer to waste his coaxing words, and as Love himself urged him, he follows her tracks at full speed.

Note. Sed enim: 'but indeed'. non sustinet … perdere blanditias: 'he cannot bear to waste his flattery'. admisso … passu: 'at full speed', ablative absolute from admitto (to let a horse go).

Met. 1.533Ut canis in vacuō leporem cum Gallicus arvō
vīdit, et hic praedam pedibus petit, ille salūtem:
535alter inhaesūrō similis iam iamque tenēre
spērat et extentō stringit vestīgia rōstrō,
alter in ambiguō est, an sit conprēnsus, et ipsīs
morsibus ēripitur tangentiaque ōra relinquit:
sīc deus et virgō est hic spē celer, illa timōre.

As when a Gallic hound has seen a hare in an empty field, and the one seeks prey with his feet, the other safety — one, as if about to fasten on her, hopes at any moment to catch her and grazes her tracks with outstretched muzzle, the other is unsure whether she has been caught, and escapes from the very jaws and leaves behind the mouth that touches her — so are the god and the girl: he is swift with hope, she with fear.

Note. The famous hunting simile: Ut canis … cum … vidit … sic deus et virgo (est). Gallicus: Gallic hounds were prized for speed. hic … ille: the dog … the hare. inhaesuro similis: 'like one about to cling', dative of the future participle with similis. iam iamque: 'any moment now'. in ambiguo est, an sit conprensus: 'is in doubt whether he has been caught'. Last line: hic spe celer, illa timore — balanced, with 'celer' understood for illa.

Met. 1.540Quī tamen īnsequitur pennīs adiūtus Amōris,
ōcior est requiemque negat tergōque fugācis
inminet et crīnem sparsum cervīcibus adflat.

But the pursuer, helped by the wings of Love, is faster, denies her rest, hangs over the back of the fleeing girl, and breathes on the hair scattered over her neck.

Note. Qui = 'he' (connecting relative). pennis … Amoris: 'by the wings of Love' — Cupid helps the god he wounded. tergo … imminet: 'hangs over her back' (dative). fugacis: 'of the fleeing (girl)'. crinem … adflat: 'breathes on her hair'.

Met. 1.543Vīribus absūmptīs expalluit illa citaeque
victa labōre fugae spectāns Pēnēidas undās
545"fer pater" inquit "opem sī flūmina nūmen habētis.

Her strength used up, she turned pale, and overcome by the effort of her swift flight, looking at the waters of Peneus she said: "Help me, father, if you rivers have divine power.

Note. Viribus absumptis: ablative absolute. citae … fugae: genitive with labore, 'by the effort of her swift flight'. Peneidas undas: 'the waters of Peneus' (Greek accusative plural in -as). fer opem: 'bring help'. si flumina numen habetis: 'if you rivers have divinity' — she appeals to her father the river-god.

Met. 1.547Quā nimium placuī, mūtandō perde figūram!"

Destroy by changing it the shape by which I pleased too much!"

Note. Qua … figuram: 'the shape by which I pleased too much'; the relative clause comes first. mutando: gerund, 'by changing (it)'. The text here follows Magnus; some manuscripts add two lines in which Daphne also calls on Earth to open.

Met. 1.548Vix prece fīnītā torpor gravis occupat artus:
mollia cinguntur tenuī praecordia librō,
550in frondem crīnēs, in rāmōs bracchia crēscunt,
pēs modo tam vēlōx pigrīs rādīcibus haeret,
ōra cacūmen habet;

Her prayer was hardly finished when a heavy numbness takes hold of her limbs: her soft breast is wrapped in thin bark, her hair grows into leaves, her arms into branches, her foot, so swift a moment ago, sticks fast in sluggish roots, a treetop covers her face;

Note. The transformation, in quick asyndetic clauses: the action moves up from her feet to her head. libro: 'bark' (liber, the inner bark — the same word as 'book', since early books were written on bark). in frondem crines, in ramos bracchia crescunt: chiasmus. ora cacumen habet: 'the treetop has her face' (ora is the object).

Met. 1.552remanet nitor ūnus in illā.

her beauty alone remains in her.

Note. nitor unus: 'only her brightness' — her beauty survives in the gleaming laurel leaf.

Met. 1.553Hanc quoque Phoebus amat, positāque in stīpite dextrā
sentit adhūc trepidāre novō sub cortice pectus
555conplexusque suīs rāmōs, ut membra, lacertīs
ōscula dat lignō: refugit tamen ōscula lignum.

Phoebus loves her still, and placing his right hand on the trunk he feels her heart still trembling under the new bark, and embracing the branches, as if they were limbs, in his arms, he gives the wood kisses: yet the wood shrinks from his kisses.

Note. Hanc quoque: even as a tree. posita … dextra: ablative absolute. complexus … ramos, ut membra: 'embracing the branches as if they were limbs'. refugit tamen oscula lignum: the final, comic, sad touch — the wood still shrinks away; note the chiasmus oscula dat ligno … lignum oscula.

Met. 1.557Cui deus "at quoniam coniūnx mea nōn potes esse,
arbor eris certē" dīxit "mea.

The god said to her: "But since you cannot be my wife, you will certainly be my tree.

Note. Cui: 'to her' (connecting relative). at quoniam … certe: 'but since … at any rate'. arbor … mea: 'my tree', with mea held back to the end.

Met. 1.558Semper habēbunt
tē coma, tē citharae, tē nostrae, laure, pharetrae:
560tū ducibus Latiīs aderis, cum laeta triumphum
vōx canet et vīsent longās Capitōlia pompās:
postibus Augustīs eadem fīdissima custōs
ante forēs stābis mediamque tuēbere quercum,
utque meum intōnsīs caput est iuvenāle capillīs,
565tū quoque perpetuōs semper gere frondis honōrēs."

My hair, my lyre, my quiver will always have you, laurel: you will be present for Latin generals when a joyful voice sings the triumph and the Capitol sees the long processions; you will stand, a most faithful guardian, at the doorposts of Augustus, before his doors, and guard the oak between; and as my head is youthful with unshorn hair, you too must always wear the lasting honour of your leaves."

Note. The laurel's future honours: habebunt te coma … citharae … pharetrae: Apollo's hair, lyre and quiver will all be wreathed in laurel. laure: vocative. ducibus Latiis: Roman generals wore laurel in a triumph, processing up to the Capitol. postibus Augustis: laurel trees stood at the door of Augustus' house on the Palatine, with the oak wreath (civic crown) between them — an aetiology flattering the emperor. tuebere: 2nd sing. future of tueor (= tueberis). gere: imperative.

Met. 1.566Fīnierat Paeān: factīs modo laurea rāmīs
adnuit utque caput vīsa est agitāsse cacūmen.

Paean had finished: the laurel nodded with her newly made branches, and seemed to shake her top like a head.

Note. Paean: 'the Healer', a title of Apollo. factis modo … ramis: ablative absolute, 'with her branches just made'. adnuit … visa est agitasse cacumen: the tree seems to nod agreement — agitasse = agitavisse (syncope). The story ends ambiguously: is it consent?