Book II: Elegy 41 (original) (raw)
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Propertius
ipse meae solus, quod nil est, aemulor umbrae, 20stultus et in nullo saepe timore tremo.
una tamen causast, qua crimina tanta remitto, errabant multo quod tua verba mero. sed numquam vitae fallet me ruga severae: omnes iam norunt quam sit amare bonum.
25Lynceus ipse meus seros insanit amores! serum te nostros laetor adire deos. quid tua Socraticis tibi nunc sapientia libris proderit aut rerum dicere posse vias? aut quid Cretaei tibi prosunt carmina plectri? 30nil iuvat in magno vester amore senex. tu satius Musam leviorem imitere Philitae et non inflati somnia Callimachi.
nam cursus licet Aetoli referas Acheloi, fluxerit ut magno fractus amore liquor, 35atque etiam ut Phrygio fallax Maeandria campo errat et ipsa suas decipit unda vias, qualis et Adrasti fuerit vocalis Arion, tristis ad Archemori funera victor equus: non Amphiareae prosint tibi fata quadrigae 40aut Capanei magno grata ruina Iovi.
- 19meae . . . umbrae Heinsius: meas . . . umbras Ω
- 20et in nullo Heinsius: quod stulto Ω (<stultus)
- 26serum Bergk: solum Ω
- 29Cretaei edd. vett.: crethei A* (erechti N) | plectri Palmer: lecta Ω
- 31musis memorem (mem. mus. N) i. Philitan Ω, corr. Santen
- 33cursus ς: rursus Ω
- 34fractus ς: factus Ω
- 39Amphīarěae Camps: -arerae N: -aree F: -ar(a)e LP
210
jealous of my shadow, a thing without substance, and oft I foolishly tremble with a baseless fear.
Still there is one reason why I pardon such a crime: much wine had caused your words to stray. But the wrinkled brow of your ascetic life shall not deceive me: for by this time the whole world knows what a good thing is love.
Even my friend Lynceus at this late hour is madly in love! I rejoice that even at this late hour you worship our gods. What will avail you now the wisdom you draw from Socratic books or the power to set forth the workings of the universe? Or what avail you the cantos of the Cretan’s 87 lyre? Your ancient bard helps not in a passionate love. Better that you should imitate the slighter muse of Philitas and the Dream of unpretentious Callimachus.
For though you should tell of the course of Aetolian Achelous, how its waters flowed broken by the power of love, and also how the stream of the Meander wanders deceptively over the Phrygian plain and itself conceals the direction of its flow, and how Adrastus’ Arion spoke aloud, 88 the horse which had gained victory 89 at the funeral games of ill-starred Archemorus: the fate of Amphiaraus’ chariot will not avail you or the destruction of Capaneus, which gave pleasure to mighty Jove. Cease to compose speeches
- 87Epimenides (see Index s.v. Cretaeus).
- 88When it warned Adrastus of the outcome of the fight (cf. Statius, Theb. 11.442).
- 89Ridden by Polynices (ib. 6.316) and granted victory by favour of Neptune (ib. 6.529).
211
DOI: 10.4159/DLCL.propertius-elegies.1990