Remedia Amoris; or, The Remedy of Love: Literally Translated into English Prose, with Copious NotesOvid
General
Remedia Amoris; or, The Remedy of Love: Literally Translated into English Prose, with Copious Notes
Ovid
Latin poetry -- Adaptations; Latin poetry -- Translations into English
If any one supposes that the noxious herbs of the Hæmonian lands and
magic arts can be of avail, let him see to it. That is the old-fashioned
method of sorcery; my Apollo, in his hallowed lines, is pointing out
an innoxious art. Under my guidance, no ghost shall be summoned to come
forth [1222] from the tomb; no hag with her disgusting spells shall cleave
the ground. No crops of corn shall remove from one field into another;
nor shall the disk of Phoebus suddenly be pale. Tiberinus [1223] shall
flow into the waves of the ocean just as he is wont; just as she is
wont, shall the Moon be borne by her snow-White steeds. No breasts shall
lay aside their cares dispelled by enchantments; vanquished by virgin
sulphur, [1224] love shall not take to flight.
Colchian damsel, what did the herbs of the Phasian land avail thee, when
thou didst desire to remain in thy native home? Of what use, Circe, were
the herbs of thy mother Persia to thee, when the favouring breeze bore
away the barks of Neritos? [1225] Every thing didst thou do that thy
crafty guest might not depart; still did he give his filled sails to an
assured flight.. Every thing didst thou do that the fierce flames might
not consume thee; still a lasting passion settled deep in thy reluctant
breast. Thou, who wast able to change men into a thousand shapes, wast
not able to change the bent of thy own inclination. Thou art said to
have detained the Lulicillan chief, [1226] when now he wished to depart,
even in these words:
"I do not now entreat that which, as I remember, I was at first wont to
hope for, that thou shouldst consent to be my husband. And still, I
did seem worthy to be thy wife, since I was a Goddess, since I was the
daughter of the Sun. Hasten not away, I entreat thee; a little delay, as
a favour, do I ask. What less can he prayed for by my entreaties? Thou
seest, too, that the seas are troubled; and of them thou oughtst to
stand in dread. Before long, the winds will be more favourable to thy
sails. What is the cause of thy flight? No Troy is rising here anew; no
fresh Rhesus is calling his companions to arms. Here love abides, here
peace exists; during which I alone am fatally wounded; the whole, too,
of my realms shall be under thy sway."
She thus spoke; Ulysses unmoored his bark; the South winds bore away her
unavailing words together with his sails. Circe was inflamed, and had
recourse to her wonted arts; and still by them her passion was not
diminished.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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