Inde per immensum croceo velatus amictu aethera digreditur Ciconumque Hymanaeus ad oras tendit et Orphea nequiquam voce vocatur. | Thence goes Hymanaeus, swathed in an orange-red cloak, through the immens sky and to the shores of the Cicones he hurries, and he is called in vain by the voice of Orpheus. |
adfuit ille qiudem, sed nec sollemnia verba nec laetos vultus nec felix attulit omen; | Indeed he was there, but he brought neither the usual words, nor happy faces, nor a fortunate omen; |
fax quoque, quam tenuit, lacrimoso stridula fumo usque fuit nullosque invenit motibus ignes. | Also was the torch he held continuous sizzling with tearbringing smoke, and found no flames by motions. |
exitus auspicio gravior. | The end is more serious than the portent. |
nam nupta per herbas dum nova naiadum turba comitata vagatur, occidit in talum serpentis dente recepto. | For when the new bride wanders through the field, accompanied by a group of naiads, she dies after the tooth of a snake was received in her heel. |
Quam satis ad superas postquam Rhodopeius auras deflevit vates,
ne non temptaret et umbras, ad Styga Taenaria est ausus descendere porta perque leves populos simulacraque functa sepulcro Persephonen adiit inamoenaque regna tenentem umbrarum dominum pulsisque ad carmina nervis sic ait: |
After the Rhodopeian singer had weeped for her enough, he has dared to descend to the Styx through the Taenarian portal, to try to soften the shades too, and through the light people and the shades that had obtained a grave he went to Persephone and to the master who holds the dismal kingdom of the shades and after he had touched the strings for his song, he said this: |
o positi sub terra numina mundi, in quem reccidimus, quidquid
mortale creamur, si licet et falsi positis ambagibus oris vera loqui sinitis, non huc, ut opaca viderem Tartara, descendi, nec uti villosa colubris terna Medusaei vincirem guttura monstri; |
O gods of the world placed under the earth, where we all return, who are created as mortals, when it is allowed and you permit, when circumlocution is lain down from an untruthful mouth, to speak the truth, not did I come here to see the dark Taratarus, nor to fetter the three necks shaggy because of snakes, of the Medusa-like monster; |
causa viae est coniunx, in quam calcata venenum vipera diffudit crescentesque abstulit annos. |
the cause of my way is my wife, in whom a viper spouted his poison after it was stept on, and he took the growing years. |
posse pati volui nec me temptasse negabo: vicit Amor. | I wanted to be able to endure it, and I will not deny that I have tried: Amor victoried. |
supera deus hic bene notus in ora est; | This god is known well in the upperworld; |
an sit et hic, dubito. | wether he is here or not, I doubt. |
sed et hic tamen auguror esse, famaque si veteris non est mentita rapinae, vos quoque iunxit Amor. |
But I suspect him to be known here also, when the story of the old robbery is no lie, Amor united you too. |
per ego haec loca plena
timoris, per Chaos hoc ingens vastique silentia regni, Euridyces, oro, properata retexite fata! |
By these places (full) of terror, by this enormous Chaos, by the stillnesses of the vast kingdom, I beseech you, to cancel Eurydices untimely fate! |
omnia debemur vobis paulumque morati serius aut citius sedem properamus ad unam. |
In every way are we meant for you, after having stayed (here) a little while, we all later or quicker, hurry to one place. |
tendimus huc omnes, haec est domus ultima, vosque humani generis longissima regna tenetis. |
Here we all go, this is our last house, you hold the longest sway over the race of man. |
Haec quoque, cum iustos matura peregeritannos, iuris erit vestri: | She too, when she will have completed the right number of years at the right time, will be in your power: |
pro munere poscimus usum. | instead of a gift we ask a loan. |
quod si fata negant veniam pro coniuge, certum est
nolle redire mihi: leto gaudete duorum. |
But when the fates deny permission for my wife, it is sure for me to to want to return: rejoice at the death of two. |
Talia dicentem nervosque ad verba moventem exsangues flebant animae:nec Tantalus undam captavit refugam stupuitque Ixionis orbis, nec carpsere iecur volucres, urnisque vacarunt Belides, inque tuo sedisti, Sisyphe, saxo. |
Saying such and moving the strings with the words, the bloodless shades weeped for him: nor did Tantalus try to catch the retreating water, and the wheel of Ixion stood still, neither did the birds eat the liver, and the Belides were free of their urns, and you, Sisyphus, sat on your stone. |
tunc primum lacrimis victarum carmine fama est Eumenidum maduisse
genas, nec regia coniunx sustinet oranti nec, qui regit ima, negare Eurydicenque vocant. |
It is told that then for the first time, the cheeks of the Eumenides, who were conquered by his song, were wet with tears, and neither the royal lady, nor he who rules the undermost is able to refuse, and they call Eurydice. |
umbras erat illa recentes inter et incessit passu de vulnere tardo. |
She was among the shades that had just arrived and she approaches with a pace, slow because of the wound. |
hanc simul et legem Rhodopeius accipit Orpheus, ne flectat retro sua lumina, donec Avernas exierit valles; |
The Rhodopeian Orpheus accepts her and at the same time the condition not to bend back his eyes (lights) until he will have left the Avernian valley; |
aut irrita dona futura. | or else the gift will be in vain. |