Metamorphoses. 4.55–166
Pyramus and Thisbe, two young lovers in Babylon, occupy adjoining houses, but their parents determine to keep them apart.
“Semiramis Building Babylon” Edgar Degas, 1860–62 Musée d’Orsay, Paris, France
Giraudon/Art Resource, NY.
55 Pyramus et Thisbe, iuvenum pulcherrimus alter, altera, quas oriens habuit, praelata puellis, contiguas tenuere domos, ubi dicitur altam coctilibus muris cinxisse Semiramis urbem. Notitiam primosque gradus vicinia fecit; 60 tempore crevit amor; taedae quoque iure coissent, sed vetuere patres. Quod non potuere vetare, ex aequo captis ardebant mentibus ambo. Conscius omnis abest; nutu signisque loquuntur, quoque magis tegitur, tectus magis aestuat ignis.
65 Fissus erat tenui rima, quam duxerat olim, cum fieret, paries domui communis utrique. Id vitium nulli per saecula longa notatum (quid non sentit amor?) primi vidistis amantes, et vocis fecistis iter; tutaeque per illud 70 murmure blanditiae minimo transire solebant. Saepe, ubi constiterant hinc Thisbe, Pyramus illinc, inque vices fuerat captatus anhelitus oris, “Invide,” dicebant, “paries, quid amantibus obstas? Quantum erat ut sineres toto nos corpore iungi 75 aut, hoc si nimium est, vel ad oscula danda pateres? Nec sumus ingrati; tibi nos debere fatemur, quod datus est verbis ad amicas transitus aures.”
69. vocis…iter: a passage for your speech, an image elaborated in the next cl.
tutae…murmure blanditiae minimo (70): this sort of ABAB arrangement, known as INTERLOCKED WORD ORDER, is a favorite device of Ovid’s.
70. blanditiae: blanditia, blandishment, endearment.
71. constiterant: constare, to stand firm, take a position.
hinc…illinc:on this side…on that side; the CHIASMUS here neatly suits the image.
72. in…vices: idiom, in turn.
fuerat captatus: = captatus erat,had been seized at.
anhelitus:gasping, panting, breathing; the young lovers are pictured longingly gasping at one another’s breath through the crack in the wall.
73. invidus: envious, jealous; the lovers imagine the wall as a living creature.
quid: = cur.
74. quantum erat: more vivid than esset, how great a matter was it (to).
sineres: sinere,to allow, permit.
toto…iungi: the lovers’ wishes here become explicit.
77. quod: the fact that; the entire cl. is obj. of debere.
amicas: here, loving, of a lover.
78. nequiquam: adv., in vain.
79. sub: here, at the approach of, just before.
parti…oscula…suae…pervenientia (80): INTERLOCKED WORD ORDER.
dedere…quisque (80): the pron. often takes a pl. vb., they each gave.
80. contra: adv., to the other side.
81. postera: following, next.
nocturnos…ignes: i.e., the stars.
Aurora: goddess of the dawn.
82. pruinosas: frost-covered.
radiis: radius,rod, spoke, ray.
siccaverat: siccare,to dry.
herbas: herba,grass.
83. coiere: = coierunt, from coire, to come together.
84. statuunt: statuere, to decide, determine, introducing here a series of subjunct. vbs. in JUSSIVE NOUN CLS.
85. fallere: to deceive, elude, disappoint.
custodes: i.e., their parents.
foribus: foris,door.
temptent: temptare,to try, attempt.
