Thisbes: Greek gen. sg.
116. pactae: agreed upon, modifies arboris.
umbram: with ad, delayed to the end of the line for emphasis.
When Pyramus finds the torn and bloody veil, he thinks Thisbe has been slain, and commits suicide.
Mosaic with Pyramus and Thisbe 2nd–3rd century A.D. House of Dionysus, Paphos, Cyprus
Gianni Dagli Orti/CORBIS.
105 Serius egressus vestigia vidit in alto pulvere certa ferae totoque expalluit ore Pyramus. Ut vero vestem quoque sanguine tinctam repperit, “Una duos,” inquit, “nox perdet amantes, e quibus illa fuit longa dignissima vita; 110 nostra nocens anima est. Ego te, miseranda, peremi, in loca plena metus qui iussi nocte venires, nec prior huc veni. Nostrum divellite corpus, et scelerata fero consumite viscera morsu, o quicumque sub hac habitatis rupe leones. 115 Sed timidi est optare necem.” Velamina Thisbes tollit et ad pactae secum fert arboris umbram, utque dedit notae lacrimas, dedit oscula vesti, “Accipe nunc,” inquit, “nostri quoque sanguinis haustus.” Quoque erat accinctus, demisit in ilia ferrum; 120 nec mora, ferventi moriens e vulnere traxit et iacuit resupinus humo. Cruor emicat alte, non aliter quam cum vitiato fistula plumbo scinditur, et tenui stridente foramine longas eiaculatur aquas, atque ictibus aera rumpit. 125 Arborei fetus adspergine caedis in atram vertuntur faciem, madefactaque sanguine radix purpureo tingit pendentia mora colore.
117. notae: well-known, familiar; with vesti. Ovid frequently splits a noun/adj. pair in this way between two closely connected cls., here joined by the pathetic ANAPHORA of dedit…dedit.
118. haustus: drink, draft.
119. quoque: = et quo; the antecedent is ferrum.
erat accinctus: accingere,to gird, arm.
ilia: n. pl., groin, genitals, entrails.
120. nec mora: idiom, sc. erat = et sine mora.
ferventi:bleeding (lit., boiling).
traxit: sc. ferrum.
121. resupinus: on the back.
cruor:blood.
emicat: emicare,to dart forth, spurt out.
122. non…cum: a conventional expression used to introduce a simile.
vitiato:faulty, defective.
fistula:tube, pipe, water-pipe.
plumbo: plumbum,lead.
123. scinditur: scindere, to cut, split.
stridente: stridere,to hiss.
foramine: foramen,hole, perforation.
124. eiaculatur: eiaculari, to shoot out, spurt forth.
aquas: i.e., streams of water.
ictibus: ictus,blow, stroke; here, pulsing.
aera: aer,air.
rumpit: rumpere,to burst (through), break open.
125. fetus: lit., offspring = fruit.
adspergine: adspergo,spray, sprinkling.
126. faciem: facies, form, face, appearance.
madefacta:drenched.
radix:root.
127. purpureo: purple, dark red; the adj.-noun pair purpureo…colore frames the line, a favorite device of Ovid’s, which here creates a kind of WORD-PICTURE, with the berries literally surrounded by the purple color.
pendentia: pendere,to hang, be suspended.
mora: morum,mulberry (the fruit, vs. the tree, morus).
