Prima nepos inter tot res tibi, Cadme, secundas
causa fuit luctus, alienaque cornua fronti
addita, vosque, canes satiatae sanguine erili.
Your grandson, Cadmus, was your first cause of grief among so many favourable things, and strange horns were added to his forehead, and you dogs were satiated by the blood of your master.
at bene si quaeras, Fortunae crimen in illo,
non scelus invenies; quod enim scelus error habebat?
Yet if you look well, you will find in him Fortune's fault, not a crime; for what crime was involved in going astray?
Mons erat infectus variarum caede ferarum,
iamque dies medius rerum contraxerat umbras
et sol ex aequo meta distabat utraque,
There was a mountain, stained by the slaughter of various wild beasts, and now the middle of the day had narrowed the shadows of things and the sun was equidistant from each pillar,
cum iuvenis placido per devia lustra vagantes
participes operum compellat Hyantius ore:
when the Boeotian youth addressed those in the task, who were wandering through the pathless wilderness, with gentle words:
'lina madent, comites, ferrumque cruore ferarum,
fortunamque dies habuit satis;
The nets and iron drip, companions, with the blood of beasts, and the day has had enough fortune.
altera lucem
cum croceis invecta rotis Aurora reducet,
propositum repetemus opus: nunc Phoebus utraque
distat idem meta finditque vaporibus arva.
When another dawn, carried by rosy wheels, brings back the light, we will resume the proposed task; now Phoebus is equidistant from each turning post and splits the fields with burning rays.
sistite opus praesens nodosaque tollite lina!'
iussa viri faciunt intermittuntque laborem.
Stop work for the present and raise the knotted nets."
The men carried out the orders and interrupted their work.
Vallis erat piceis et acuta densa cupressu,
nomine Gargaphie succinctae sacra Dianae,
cuius in extremo est antrum nemorale recessu
arte laboratum nulla:
There was a valley, dense with sharp pines and cypress, named Gargaphie, sacred to belted Diana, in which there was a cave in the furthest wooded recess, constructed by no skill;
simulaverat artem
ingenio natura suo; nam pumice vivo
et levibus tofis nativum duxerat arcum.
nature had imitated art with its own skill, for it had formed a natural arch with living pumice stone and light tufa.
fons sonat a dextra tenui perlucidus unda,
margine gramineo patulos incinctus hiatus.
A spring sounded to the right, transparent with gentle waves, surrounded at its broad basin with a grassy border.
hic dea silvarum venatu fessa solebat
virgineos artus liquido perfundere rore.
Here the goddess of the woods, tired from hunting, was accustomed to bathe her virgin limbs in the running water.
quo postquam subiit, nympharum tradidit uni
armigerae iaculum pharetramque arcusque retentos,
After she entered this place, she handed her spear to one of the arm bearing nymphs and her quiver and unstrung bow;
altera depositae subiecit bracchia pallae,
vincla duae pedibus demunt; nam doctior illis
Ismenis Crocale sparsos per colla capillos
colligit in nodum, quamvis erat ipsa solutis.
another moved her arms under the discarded cloak, two took the laces from her feet; for Crocale, daughter of Ismenus, more skilled than these, gathered the hair spread over her neck into a plait, although she herself had her hair loose.
excipiunt laticem Nepheleque Hyaleque Rhanisque
et Psecas et Phiale funduntque capacibus urnis.
dumque ibi perluitur solita Titania lympha,
Nephele and Hyale and Ranis take up water and Psecas and Phiale pour it from large urns. And while Diana was washed there in the usual water,
ecce nepos Cadmi dilata parte laborum
per nemus ignotum non certis passibus errans
pervenit in lucum: sic illum fata ferebant.
see the grandson of Cadmus, with his part of the work put off, came wandering through the unknown wood into the grove with uncertain steps; fate was carrying him in this way.
qui simul intravit rorantia fontibus antra,
sicut erant nudae viso sua pectora nymphae
percussere viro subitisque ululatibus omne
inplevere nemus
As soon as he entered the cave, dewy with springs, when the man had been seen, the nymphs, naked as they were, beat their breasts and filled the whole wood with sudden cries
circumfusaeque Dianam
corporibus texere suis; tamen altior illis
ipsa dea est colloque tenus supereminet omnis.
and, having surrounded Diana, they covered her with their bodies; however the goddess herself was taller than them, and she rose above them from the neck upwards.
qui color infectis adversi solis ab ictu
nubibus esse solet aut purpureae Aurorae,
is fuit in vultu visae sine veste Dianae.
The colour which the clouds tend to have when painted by the rays of the setting sun, or of purple dawn, such was the colour on the face of Diana when seen without clothes.
quae, quamquam comitum turba stipata suarum,
in latus obliquum tamen astitit oraque retro
flexit et, ut vellet promptas habuisse sagittas,
She, although surrounded by a crowd of her companions, nevertheless stood sideways on and turned her face back at him and, though she wished to have arrows at hand,
quas habuit sic hausit aquas vultumque virilem
perfudit spargensque comas ultricibus undis
addidit haec cladis praenuntia verba futurae:
she drew up the water which she did have in that way and poured it over the man's face and, sprinkling his hair with avenging waves, added these words foretelling future disaster:
'nunc tibi me posito visam velamine narres,
si poteris narrare, licet!'
Now you may tell tales of me seen with my cloak put aside, if you are able to tell them.
nec plura minata
dat sparso capiti vivacia cornua cervi,
dat spatium collo summasque cacuminat aures
And without threatening him further, she gave a stag's long-lived horns to his sprinkled head, gave length to his neck and made the tips of his ears pointed,
cum pedibusque manus, cum longis bracchia mutat
cruribus et velat maculoso vellere corpus.
additus et pavor est.
she exchanged his hands for feet and his arms for long legs, and covered his body with a dappled hide. Fear too was added.
fugit Autonoeius heros
et se tam celerem cursu miratur in ipso.
ut vero vultus et cornua vidit in unda,
'me miserum!' dicturus erat;
Actaeon the hero fled and admired how fast he was even as he ran. But when he saw his face and horns in the waves, he had wanted to say, "oh poor me!";
vox nulla secuta est. ingemuit: vox illa fuit, lacrimaeque per ora
non sua fluxerunt; mens tantum pristina mansit.
no voice followed. He groaned; this was his voice, and tears flowed down a face that was not his own. Only his mind remained as before.
quid faciat? repetatne domum et regalia tecta
an lateat silvis? pudor hoc, timor impedit illud.
What was he to do? Should he again seek home and the royal palace, or should he hide in the woods? Shame impeded the former, fear the latter.
Dum dubitat, videre canes, primique Melampus
Ichnobatesque sagax latratu signa dedere,
Cnosius Ichnobates, Spartana gente Melampus.
While he hesitated, the dogs saw him; first Melampus and keen-scented Ichnobates, skilful in giving the signal, Cretan Ichnobates and Melampus of the Spartan race.
inde ruunt alii rapida velocius aura,
Pamphagos et Dorceus et Oribasos, Arcades omnes,
Nebrophonosque valens et trux cum Laelape Theron
From there the others rushed forth faster than a rapid gust, Pamphagos and Dorceus and Oribasos, all Arcadian, and powerful Nebrophonos and savage Theron with Laelaps
et pedibus Pterelas et naribus utilis Agre
Hylaeusque ferox nuper percussus ab apro
deque lupo concepta Nape pecudesque secuta
Poemenis
and Pterelas, useful with feet, and Agre, useful with his nose, and Hylaeus lately wounded by a wild boar and Nape conceived from a wolf and Poemeris, pursuer of cattle,
et natis comitata Harpyia duobus
et substricta gerens Sicyonius ilia Ladon
et Dromas et Canache Sticteque et Tigris et Alce
et niveis Leucon et villis Asbolos atris
and Harpyia accompanied by two sons, and Laedon of Sicyon bearing trim flanks and Dromas and Canache and Sticte and Tigris and Alce and Leucon with white fur and Asbolos with dark
praevalidusque Lacon et cursu fortis Aello
et Thoos et Cyprio velox cum fratre Lycisce
et nigram medio frontem distinctus ab albo
Harpalos
and strong Lacon and Aello, strong in running, and Thoos and swift Lycisce with her Cyprian brother, and Harpolos, marked by a white spot in the middle of his black brow,
et Melaneus hirsutaque corpore Lachne
et patre Dictaeo, sed matre Laconide nati
Labros et Argiodus et acutae vocis Hylactor,
quosque referre mora est:
and Lachne and Melaneus with a shaggy body and Labros and Argiodus, sons of a Cretan father but a Spartan mother, and sharp-voiced Hylactor, and others whom it would slow us down to relate.
ea turba cupidine praedae
per rupes scopulosque adituque carentia saxa,
quaque est difficilis quaque est via nulla, sequuntur.
In their desire for prey, this pack chased him through the cliffs and stones lacking a pass, the first route difficult, the second having no path.
ille fugit per quae fuerat loca nota secutus,
heu! famulos fugit ipse suos. clamare libebat:
'Actaeon ego sum: dominum cognoscite vestrum!'
Actaeon fled; alas, he fled his servants through the familiar places through which he used to chase. He longed to shout, "I am Actaeon, recognise your master!
verba animo desunt; resonat latratibus aether.
prima Melanchaetes in tergo vulnera fecit,
proxima Therodamas, Oresitrophos haesit in armo
The words lacked substance; the air resounded with barking. Melanchaetes made the first wounds in his back, Therodamus the next, Oresitrophos latched onto his shoulder
(tardius exierant, sed per compendia montis
anticipata via est) dominum retinentibus illis,
cetera turba coit confertque in corpore dentes.
- They had left later, but anticipated his route through a mountain shortcut -. With these holding down their master, the rest of the crowd rushed together and sank their teeth into his body.
iam loca vulneribus desunt; gemit ille sonumque,
etsi non hominis, quem non tamen edere possit
cervus, habet maestisque replet iuga nota querelis
Now there is no more room for wounds; he groaned and uttered a sound, although not of a man, yet a deer could not make it, and filled the well-known ridges with mournful lamentations
et genibus pronis supplex similisque roganti
circumfert tacitos tamquam sua bracchia vultus.
and, as a suppliant on bended knee, as though begging, he turned back his silent face as though it were his arms.
at comites rapidum solitis hortatibus agmen
ignari instigant oculisque Actaeona quaerunt
et velut absentem certatim Actaeona clamant
But his unaware comrades urged on the rapid pack with the accustomed encouragements and sought Actaeon with their eyes and eagerly shouted for Actaeon as though he were absent
(ad nomen caput ille refert) et abesse queruntur
nec capere oblatae segnem spectacula praedae.
- he turned his head at his name -, and they complained that he was absent and that the lazy man didn't catch the spectacle of the unexpected prey.
vellet abesse quidem, sed adest; velletque videre,
non etiam sentire canum fera facta suorum.
Indeed he wished to be absent, but he was present; and he wished to see, but not to feel, the vicious deeds of his own dogs.
undique circumstant, mersisque in corpore rostris
dilacerant falsi dominum sub imagine cervi,
They surrounded him on all sides and with their jaws sinking into his body, they tore their master, under the image of a false deer, to pieces
nec nisi finita per plurima vulnera vita
ira pharetratae fertur satiata Dianae.
and only when his life was ended by many wounds was the anger of quiver-bearing Diana said to be satisfied.