Amores I.3
by Publius Ovidius Naso
Fairness is all that I pray for: the girl who just recently caught me
either should love me or tell why I should love her as well!
Ah, I have wanted too much—if she only gave leave to be cherished,
Venus will surely have heard all of my prayers, every word!
Can’t you accept one who offers his service for many a decade?
Can’t you accept one who knew how with pure faith to love you?
If the great names of my much-revered ancestors fail to commend me,
(ancient and noble, a knight founded our bloodline by right),
neither will all of my farmland, just tilled by my myriad ploughshares,
nor, to control my expense, parents with thrift and good sense—
Phoebus, however, and his nine companions—the Muses, and Bacchus
favor the cause I pursue; Love will bestow me on you,
Faithfulness, too, who’s unyielding to anyone, spotless in morals,
Honesty, naked and strong, Modesty, blushing at wrong.
Numerous lovers disgust me; I’m not Cupid’s fickle horse-jumper:
I make a vow at Faith’s shrine: You’ll be eternally mine.
Let me live out with you years that the threads of the Fates have allotted,
relishing years that they gave, then you will weep at my grave.
Offer yourself as a suitable subject to me for my poems—
songs will come forth by my art wholly inspired by your heart.
Poetry gave these a name: poor Io whose horns were her terror,
Leda, whom Jove had betrayed, swan-shaped his form he displayed,
virgin Europa he carried across the vast ocean from Asia,
dressed as a bull, strong and grand, horns being held by her hand.
So will we, equally, all through the world enjoy fame and great honor,
always our names will be tied, sung in a poem with pride.
—————————
Edits:
L5: Can’t you accept him who gives you his service for many a decade? > Can’t you accept one who offers his service for many a decade?
L8: ancient and august, a knight founded our bloodline by right, > (ancient and noble, a knight founded our bloodline by right),
L15: Multiple lovers disgust me; > Numerous lovers disgust me;
L24: his horns were caressed by her hand. > horns being held by her hand.
———————————-
Original:
Amores I.3
P. Ovidi Nasonis
Iusta precor: quae me nuper praedata puella est,
aut amet aut faciat, cur ego semper amem!
A, nimium volui—tantum patiatur amari;
audierit nostras tot Cytherea preces!
Accipe, per longos tibi qui deserviat annos;
accipe, qui pura norit amare fide!
Si me non veterum commendant magna parentum
nomina, si nostri sanguinis auctor eques,
nec meus innumeris renovatur campus aratris,
temperat et sumptus parcus uterque parens—
at Phoebus comitesque novem vitisque repertor
hac faciunt, et me qui tibi donat, Amor,
et nulli cessura fides, sine crimine mores
nudaque simplicitas purpureusque pudor.
Non mihi mille placent, non sum desultor amoris:
tu mihi, siqua fides, cura perennis eris.
Tecum, quos dederint annos mihi fila sororum
vivere contingat teque dolente mori!
Te mihi materiam felicem in carmina praebe—
provenient causa carmina digna sua.
Carmine nomen habent exterrita cornibus Io
et quam fluminea lusit adulter ave,
quaeque super pontum simulato vecta iuvenco
virginea tenuit cornua vara manu.
Nos quoque per totum pariter cantabimur orbem,
iunctaque semper erunt nomina nostra tuis.
————————
Crib:
I pray for fairness: may the girl who recently took me as plunder
either love [me] or make [a case] why I should always love [her]!
Ah, I wanted too much—[if only] she allows [herself] to be loved so much,
Cytherea [Venus] will have heard all our prayers!
Accept him who would indenture himself to you for many years;
accept him who has learned how to love with pure faith!
If the great names of my ancient ancestors do not recommend me,
nor the [fact that] the founder of our bloodline [was] a knight,
neither will my farmland, reworked by innumerable plows,
and each [of two] thrifty parent who regulates my spending—
but Apollo and [his] nine companions [the Muses], and the inventor of the grapevine [Bacchus]
do this [favor], and Love, who gives me to you,
and Faithfulness, yielding to no one, [having] morals without reproach,
and naked Simplicity and blushing Modesty.
A thousand [lovers] do not please me; I am not a horse-jumper of love:
You, for me, if [there is] any faithfulness, will be my everlasting care.
Let it happen to me to live those years with you that the threads of the sisters [Fates] will have given to me, and that I die with you grieving!
Offer yourself to me as appropriate/fertile material for poems—
poems will come forth worthy of its inspiration.
By means of poetry they have a [famous] name: Io, terrified by [her] horns,
and she [Leda] whom the adulterer [Zeus/Iuppiter] tricked as a river bird,
and she, carried over the ocean by [him in] the guise of a bull, who held the curved horns with her virgin hand.
We also will equally be sung throughout the whole world,
and our [my] names will always be joined to yours.
Note:
desultor in line 15 refers to an acrobat who jumps from one horse to another in a display of agility.