The Story of the Raven
Tālia dīcēnti 'tibi' āit 'revocāmina' corvus
'sint, precor, ista malo: nōs vānum spernimus ōmen.'
nec coeptum dīmittit iter dōminoque iacentem
cum iuvene Haemonio vīdisse Coronida narrat.
laurea dēlāpsa est audītō crīmine amantis, 600
et pariter vultūsque deō plēctrumque colorque
excīdit, utque animus tumida fervēbat ab īra,
arma adsuēta capit flexumque ā cornibus arcum
tendit et illa suō totiēns cum pectore iūncta
indevitato trāiēcit pectora tēlō. 605
īcta dedit gemitum tractōque ā corpore ferrō
candida pūniceō perfūdit membra cruōre
et dīxit: 'potuī poenās tibi, Phoebe, dedisse,
sed peperisse prius; duo nunc moriēmur in ūna.'
hāctenus, et pariter vītam cum sanguine fūdit; 610
corpus inane animae frīgus lētāle secūtum est.
Paenitet heu! serō poenae crūdelis amantem,
sēque, quod audīerit, quod sīc exarserit, ōdit;
ōdit avem, per quam crīmen causamque dolendī
scīre coactus erat, nec nōn arcumque manumque 615
ōdit cumque manū temerāria tēla sagittās
conlāpsamque fovet serāque ope vincēre fata
nītitur et medicās exercet ināniter artēs.
quae postquam frūstrā temptātā rogumque parārī
vīdit et ārsūrōs suprēmīs ignibus artūs, 620
tum vērō gemitūs (neque enim caelestia tingī
ōra licet lacrimīs) altō dē corde petītōs
ēdidit, haud aliter quam cum spectante iuvencā
lactentis vitulī dextra lībrātus ab aure
tempora discussit clārō cavā malleus ictū. 625
ut tamen ingrātōs in pectora fūdit odōrēs
et dedit amplexus iniustaque iusta peregit,
nōn tulit in cinerēs labi sua Phoebus eosdem
sēmina, sed nātum flammīs uterōque parentīs
ēripuit geminīque tulit Chironis in antrum, 630
spērantemque sibi nōn falsae praemia linguae
inter avēs albās vetuit cōnsistere corvum.
'sint, precor, ista malo: nōs vānum spernimus ōmen.'
nec coeptum dīmittit iter dōminoque iacentem
cum iuvene Haemonio vīdisse Coronida narrat.
laurea dēlāpsa est audītō crīmine amantis, 600
et pariter vultūsque deō plēctrumque colorque
excīdit, utque animus tumida fervēbat ab īra,
arma adsuēta capit flexumque ā cornibus arcum
tendit et illa suō totiēns cum pectore iūncta
indevitato trāiēcit pectora tēlō. 605
īcta dedit gemitum tractōque ā corpore ferrō
candida pūniceō perfūdit membra cruōre
et dīxit: 'potuī poenās tibi, Phoebe, dedisse,
sed peperisse prius; duo nunc moriēmur in ūna.'
hāctenus, et pariter vītam cum sanguine fūdit; 610
corpus inane animae frīgus lētāle secūtum est.
Paenitet heu! serō poenae crūdelis amantem,
sēque, quod audīerit, quod sīc exarserit, ōdit;
ōdit avem, per quam crīmen causamque dolendī
scīre coactus erat, nec nōn arcumque manumque 615
ōdit cumque manū temerāria tēla sagittās
conlāpsamque fovet serāque ope vincēre fata
nītitur et medicās exercet ināniter artēs.
quae postquam frūstrā temptātā rogumque parārī
vīdit et ārsūrōs suprēmīs ignibus artūs, 620
tum vērō gemitūs (neque enim caelestia tingī
ōra licet lacrimīs) altō dē corde petītōs
ēdidit, haud aliter quam cum spectante iuvencā
lactentis vitulī dextra lībrātus ab aure
tempora discussit clārō cavā malleus ictū. 625
ut tamen ingrātōs in pectora fūdit odōrēs
et dedit amplexus iniustaque iusta peregit,
nōn tulit in cinerēs labi sua Phoebus eosdem
sēmina, sed nātum flammīs uterōque parentīs
ēripuit geminīque tulit Chironis in antrum, 630
spērantemque sibi nōn falsae praemia linguae
inter avēs albās vetuit cōnsistere corvum.
Notes:597. spernimus: we will spear
600. dēlāpsa: sunk
607. pūniceō: scarlet
610. fūdit: he poured out
612. paenitet: he repents
616. sagittās: arrow
618. medicās: female doctor
620. ārsūrōs: about to burn
622. petītōs: sought
624. lactentis: unweaned
627. peregit: to pierce
629. sēmina: plant seed
630. antrum: cave
631. praemia: prize, reward
632. corvum: raven
596. Some background: The Raven (currently a white bird) wants to reveal the affair Apollo’s mortal lover, Coronis is having to the God. The Crow warns against this, and recalls how he was turned black as a punishment for his honesty.
597. This sentence is somewhat challenging, as it relies on you understanding a figure of speech written in the year 8 (even the Humphries’ translation supplies a more literal meaning). By “spurning an empty omen”, the Raven is telling the Crow he believes his advice is useless, just like an empty omen
599. Haemonius is Coronis’s mortal lover.
612. Ovid uses a fairly conventional technique here: an exclamation point to increase emphasis.
600. dēlāpsa: sunk
607. pūniceō: scarlet
610. fūdit: he poured out
612. paenitet: he repents
616. sagittās: arrow
618. medicās: female doctor
620. ārsūrōs: about to burn
622. petītōs: sought
624. lactentis: unweaned
627. peregit: to pierce
629. sēmina: plant seed
630. antrum: cave
631. praemia: prize, reward
632. corvum: raven
596. Some background: The Raven (currently a white bird) wants to reveal the affair Apollo’s mortal lover, Coronis is having to the God. The Crow warns against this, and recalls how he was turned black as a punishment for his honesty.
597. This sentence is somewhat challenging, as it relies on you understanding a figure of speech written in the year 8 (even the Humphries’ translation supplies a more literal meaning). By “spurning an empty omen”, the Raven is telling the Crow he believes his advice is useless, just like an empty omen
599. Haemonius is Coronis’s mortal lover.
612. Ovid uses a fairly conventional technique here: an exclamation point to increase emphasis.