Helps to Latin Translation at Sight Part 8

+IV.+ +Saepe avidum fugiens rest.i.tit agna lupum.+

(i.) _Vocabulary._--

+Rest.i.tit+ = _stood still_; +re + si-st-o+, _i.e._ from vsta-, strengthened by reduplication; cf. ?-st?-?. Contrast carefully meaning of +re-sto+, = _stand firm_ or _be left_.

(ii.) _Translation._--Again a very simple sentence. The princ.i.p.al verb is +rest.i.tit+, the subject +agna+; +fugiens avidum lupum+ enlarges the subject +agna+, and +saepe+ tells us when the lamb _stood still_.

_Often has the lamb, when fleeing from the hungry wolf, stood still (stopped short in its flight)._

N.B.--Notice the _parallelism_ in this couplet, where the parallel lines express the same idea. This is a characteristic feature of Hebrew poetry, e.g.:

'Seek ye the Lord while He may be found: Call ye upon Him while He is near.'

Is. lv. 6.

and is frequently employed by Ovid.[10]

[Footnote 10: E.g.: Plena fuit vobis omni concordia vita, Et stet.i.t ad finem longa tenaxque fides.

_Amores_ ii. 6. 13-14.]

+V.+ +Saepe canes leporesque umbra cubuere sub una.+

(i.) _Vocabulary._--

+Lepores+ = _hares_. As this is closely connected by +-que+ with +canes+, you are not likely to confuse it with +lepor+ (+lepos+; cf.

??p?) = _a charm_, _grace_.

+Cubuere+ = _lay down_. Cp. +-c.u.mbo+ in composition, and our _rec.u.mbent_, _succ.u.mb_, and _cub_-icle.

(ii.) _Translation._--Another simple sentence about which there can be no doubt. The metre shows that +umbra+ must be taken with +sub una+:--

_Often have the dogs and the hares reclined beneath the same shade._

+VI.+ +Et stet.i.t in saxo proxima cerva leae.+

(i.) _Vocabulary._--

+Leae+ = _lioness_. +Lea+ (poetical form of +leaena+) suggests +leo+.

(ii.) _Translation._--The metre shows +proxima+ must be taken with +cerva+. But to translate _the nearest stag (hind)_ makes nonsense, and renders +leae+ untranslatable, while _the hind very close to the lioness_ makes good sense.

_And the hind has stood still on the crag close beside the lioness._

+VII.+ +Et sine lite loquax c.u.m Palladis alite cornix sedit.+

(i.) _Vocabulary._--

+Lite+ = _strife_. To _litigate_ = contest in law (+lit + agere+) may help you to the root-meaning.

+Loquax+ = _talkative_, clearly connected with +loq-uor+, and _loq_-uacious. +Alite+ = _a bird_, lit. _winged_; cf. +al-a+, a _wing_.

+Cornix+ = _a crow_, probably from v?a?; cf. our _croak_, and ???a?, +cor-vus+, a _raven_.

+Palladis.+ You have no doubt heard of ?a???? ?????, the virgin G.o.ddess of war and of wisdom.

(ii.) _Translation._--The force of the ill.u.s.tration lies in the strong contrast between the chattering, tale-bearing crow and the wise, silent owl sacred to the G.o.ddess of wisdom. Two such opposites, under the spell of Arion's music, forget to quarrel, though for the time in close company.

_And the chattering crow has without strife sat in company with the bird of Pallas._

+VIII.+ +Et accipitri iuncta columba fuit.+

(i.) _Vocabulary._--

+Accipitri+ = _hawk_ (a general name for birds of prey), probably from vpet-, +pet-+ = _move quickly_; cf. p?t-?a? = _fly about_; +pet-o+ = _fall upon_, _attack_, _seek_.

So +accipiter+ = +ac + pet-+, _swift + flying_; cf. ???pte??? = _swift-winged_.

(ii.) _Translation._--The metre shows that +columba+ and +iuncta+ must be taken together:--

_And the dove has-been-joined-to (has consorted with) the hawk._

+IX.+

+Cynthia saepe tuis fertur, vocalis Arion, Tamquam fraternis obstupuisse modis.+

(i.) _Vocabulary._--

+Cynthia+ = _Diana_ (_Artemis_), so called from Mt. Cynthus, in Delos, where she and Apollo were born.

+Fertur+ = _is said_, _a.s.serted_; cf. +ferunt+ = _they say_.

+Vocalis+ = _tuneful_, clearly from same root as +vox+, +voc-o+, &c., of our _vocal_. For change of quant.i.ty cf. +rex+, +regis+, from +rego+.

+Obstupuisse+ = _to have been spell-bound_; +stup-eo+, +stup-idus+, and our _stupefy_, _stupid_ will suggest the root-meaning.[11]

+Modis+ = _measures_, especially of verse, or, as here, of music.

[Footnote 11: Notice this word, which is often employed to express the ideas of _entrance_, _enthrall_, _strike dumb_, _amaze_.]

(ii.) _Translation._--You will remember that Apollo, the G.o.d who brings back light and suns.h.i.+ne in spring, is also the G.o.d of music and of poetry. Ovid skilfully implies that Arion's playing was so beautiful that even Diana, Apollo's own sister, mistakes Arion's playing for her brother's.

This sentence takes up a whole couplet, but is in form quite simple.

Thus +fertur+ is the incomplete predicate, and +obstupuisse saepe tuis modis tamquam fraternis+ completes the predicate, _i.e._ tells us all that is said of the subject +Cynthia+.

+Vocalis Arion+ is clearly vocative, or nominative of address.

_O tuneful Arion, often is Cynthia said to have been spell-bound by thy strains, as by those of her brother (Apollo)._

_Final Suggestions._