Myths, Gods, and Men
Fall 2006 Readings - Week 11
Hermaphroditus
Ovid's Metamorphoses 4.285 - 4.415
Read November 21, 2006 by Joseph Richardson
| Unde sit infamis, quare male fortibus undis Salmacis enervet tactosque remolliat artus, discite. Causa latet, vis est notissima fontis. |
Learn how the fountain, Salmacis, became so infamous; learn how it enervates and softens the limbs of those who chance to bathe. Although the fountain's properties are known, the cause is yet unknown. |
| Mercurio puerum diva Cythereide natum naides Idaeis enutrivere sub antris; cuius erat facies, in qua materque paterque [290] cognosci possent; nomen quoque traxit ab illis. Is tria cum primum fecit quinquennia, montes deseruit patrios, Idaque altrice relicta ignotis errare locis, ignota videre flumina gaudebat, studio minuente laborem. [295] Ille etiam Lycias urbes Lyciaeque propinquos Caras adit. Videt hic stagnum lucentis ad imum usque solum lymphae. Non illic canna palustris nec steriles ulvae nec acuta cuspide iunci: perspicuus liquor est; stagni tamen ultima vivo [300] caespite cinguntur semperque virentibus herbis. |
The Naiads nursed an infant son of Hermes, surely his of Aphrodite gotten in the caves of Ida, for the child resembled both the god and goddess, and his name was theirs. The years passed by, and when the boy had reached the limit of three lustrums, he forsook his native mountains; for he loved to roam through unimagined places, by the banks of undiscovered rivers; and the joy of finding wonders made his labour light. Leaving Mount Ida, where his youth was spent, he reached the land of Lycia, and from thence the verge of Caria, where a pretty pool of soft translucent water may be seen, so clear the glistening bottom glads the eye: no barren sedge, no fenny reeds annoy, no rushes with their sharpened arrow-points, but all around the edges of that pool the softest grass engirdles with its green. |
| Nympha colit, sed nec venatibus apta, nec arcus flectere quae soleat nec quae contendere cursu, solaque naiadum celeri non nota Dianae. Saepe suas illi fama est dixisse sorores: [305] ‘Salmaci, vel iaculum vel pictas sume pharetras, et tua cum duris venatibus otia misce.’ Nec iaculum sumit nec pictas illa pharetras, nec sua cum duris venatibus otia miscet, sed modo fonte suo formosos perluit artus, [310] saepe Cytoriaco deducit pectine crines et, quid se deceat, spectatas consulit undas; nunc perlucenti circumdata corpus amictu mollibus aut foliis aut mollibus incubat herbis; saepe legit flores. Et tunc quoque forte legebat, [315] cum puerum vidit visumque optavit habere. Nec tamen ante adiit, etsi properabat adire, quam se conposuit, quam circumspexit amictus, et finxit vultum et meruit formosa videri. Tum sic orsa loqui: ‘Puer o dignissime credi [320] esse deus, seu tu deus es, potes esse Cupido, sive es mortalis, qui te genuere, beati, et frater felix, et fortunata profecto, siqua tibi soror est, et quae dedit ubera nutrix: sed longe cunctis longeque beatior illa, [325] siqua tibi sponsa est, siquam dignabere taeda. Haec tibi sive aliqua est, mea sit furtiva voluptas, seu nulla est, ego sim, thalamumque ineamus eundem.’ Nais ab his tacuit. |
A Nymph dwells there, unsuited to the chase, unskilled to bend the bow, slothful of foot, the only Naiad in the world unknown to rapid-running Dian. Whensoever her Naiad sisters pled in winged words, "Take up the javelin, sister Salmacis, take up the painted quiver and unite your leisure with the action of the chase;" she only scorned the javelin and the quiver, nor joined her leisure to the active chase. Rather she bathes her smooth and shapely limbs; or combs her tresses with a boxwood comb, Citorian; or looking in the pool consults the glassed waters of effects increasing beauty; or she decks herself in gauzy raiment, and reposing lolls on cushioned leaves, or grass-enverdured beds; or gathers posies from the spangled lawns. Now, haply as she culled the sweetest flowers she saw the youth, and longing in her heart made havoc as her greedy eyes beheld. Although her love could scarcely brook delay, she waited to enhance her loveliness, in beauty hoping to allure his love. All richly dight she scanned herself and robes, to know that every charm should fair appear, and she be worthy: wherefore she began: "O godlike youth! if thou art of the skies, thou art no other than the god of Love; if mortal, blest are they who gave thee birth; happy thy brother; happy, fortunate thy sister; happy, fortunate and blest the nurse that gave her bosom; but the joys surpassing all, dearest and tenderest, are hers whom thou shalt wed. So, let it be if thou so young have deigned to marry, let my joys be stolen; if unmarried, join with me in wedlock." So she spoke, and stood in silence waiting for the youth's reply. |
| Pueri rubor ora notavit (nescit enim, quid amor), sed et erubuisse decebat. [330] Hic color aprica pendentibus arbore pomis aut ebori tincto est, aut sub candore rubenti, cum frustra resonant aera auxiliaria, lunae. Poscenti nymphae sine fine sororia saltem oscula iamque manus ad eburnea colla ferenti [335] ‘desinis? aut fugio, tecumque’ ait ‘ista relinquo.’ Salmacis extimuit ‘loca’ que ‘haec tibi libera trado, hospes’ ait, simulatque gradu discedere verso, tunc quoque respiciens, fruticumque recondita silva delituit, flexuque genu submisit. [340] |
He knows nor cares for love--with loveliness the mounting blushes tinge his youthful cheeks, as blush-red tint of apples on the tree, ripe in the summer sun, or as the hue of painted ivory, or the round moon red-blushing in her splendour, when the clash of brass resounds in vain. And long the Nymph implored; almost clung on his neck, as smooth and white as ivory; unceasingly imploring him to kiss her, though as chaste as kisses to a sister; but the youth outwearied, thus: "I do beseech you make an end of this; or must I fly the place and leave you to your tears?" Affrighted then said Salmacis, "To you I freely give-- good stranger here remain." Although she made fair presence to retire, she hid herself, that from a shrub-grown covert, on her knees she might observe unseen. |
| At ille, scilicet ut vacuis et inobservatus in herbis, huc it et hinc illuc, et in adludentibus undis summa pedum taloque tenus vestigia tingit; nec mora, temperie blandarum captus aquarum mollia de tenero velamina corpore ponit. [345] Tum vero placuit, nudaeque cupidine formae Salmacis exarsit: flagrant quoque lumina nymphae, non aliter quam cum puro nitidissimus orbe opposita speculi referitur imagine Phoebus. Vixque moram patitur, vix iam sua gaudia differt, [350] iam cupit amplecti, iam se male continet amens. Ille cavis velox adplauso corpore palmis desilit in latices, alternaque bracchia ducens in liquidis translucet aquis, ut eburnea siquis signa tegat claro vel candida lilia vitro. [355] ‘Vicimus et meus est!’ exclamat nais et omni veste procul iacta mediis inmittitur undis, pugnantemque tenet luctantiaque oscula carpit, subiectatque manus invitaque pectora tangit, et nunc hac iuveni, nunc circumfunditur illac; [360] denique nitentem contra elabique volentem inplicat, ut serpens, quam regia sustinet ales sublimemque rapit: pendens caput illa pedesque adligat et cauda spatiantes inplicat alas: utve solent hederae longos intexere truncos, [365] utque sub aequoribus deprensum polypus hostem continet, ex omni dimissis parte flagellis. Perstat Atlantiades, sperataque gaudia nymphae denegat. Illa premit, commissaque corpore toto sicut inhaerebat, ‘pugnes licet, inprobe’ dixit, [370] ‘non tamen effugies. Ita di iubeatis! et istum nulla dies a me nec me diducat ab isto.’ |
As any boy that heedless deems his mischief unobserved, now here now there, he rambled on the green; now in the bubbly ripples dipped his feet, now dallied in the clear pool ankle-deep;-- the warm-cool feeling of the liquid then, so pleased him, that without delay he doffed his fleecy garments from his tender limbs. Ah, Salmacis, amazement is thy meed! Thou art consumed to know his naked grace! As the hot glitters of the round bright sun collected, sparkle from the polished plate, thine eyes are glistened with delirious fires. Delay she cannot; panting for his joy, languid for his caressing, crazed, distract, her passion difficult is held in check.-- He claps his body with his hollow palms and lightly vaults into the limped wave, and darting through the water hand over hand shines in the liquid element, as though should one enhance a statue's ivorine, or glaze the lily in a lake of glass. And thus the Naiad, "I have gained my suit; his love is mine,--is mine!" Quickly disrobed, she plunged into the yielding wave--seized him, caressed him, clung to him a thousand ways, kissed him, thrust down her hands and touched his breast: reluctant and resisting he endeavours to make escape, but even as he struggles she winds herself about him, as entwines the serpent which the royal bird on high holds in his talons; --as it hangs, it coils in sinuous folds around the eagle's feet;-- twisting its coils around his head and wings: or as the ivy clings to sturdy oaks; or as the polypus beneath the waves, by pulling down, with suckers on all sides, tenacious holds its prey. And yet the youth, descendant of great Atlas, not relents nor gives the Naiad joy. Pressing her suit she winds her limbs around him and exclaims, "You shall not scape me, struggle as you will, perverse and obstinate! Hear me, ye Gods! Let never time release the youth from me; time never let me from the youth release!" |
| Vota suos habuere deos: nam mixta duorum corpora iunguntur, faciesque inducitur illis una, velut, siquis conducat cortice ramos, [375] crescendo iungi pariterque adolescere cernit. Sic ubi conplexu coierunt membra tenaci, nec duo sunt et forma duplex, nec femina dici +nec puer ut possit: neutrumque et utrumque videntur. |
Propitious deities accord her prayers: the mingled bodies of the pair unite and fashion in a single human form. So one might see two branches underneath a single rind uniting grow as one: so, these two bodies in a firm embrace no more are twain, but with a two-fold form nor man nor woman may be called--Though both in seeming they are neither one of twain. |
| Ergo ubi se liquidas, quo vir descenderat, undas semimarem fecisse videt, mollitaque in illis membra, manus tendens, sed non iam voce virili, Hermaphroditus ait: ‘Nato date munera vestro, et pater et genetrix, amborum nomen habenti: quisquis in hos fontes vir venerit, exeat inde [385] semivir et tactis subito mollescat in undis.’ Motus uterque parens nati rata verba biformis fecit et incesto fontem medicamine tinxit." Finis erat dictis. Sed adhuc Minyeia proles urget opus spernitque deum festumque profanat, [390] tympana cum subito non adparentia raucis obstrepuere sonis, et adunco tibia cornu tinnulaque aera sonant; redolent murraeque crocique, resque fide maior, coepere virescere telae inque hederae faciem pendens frondescere vestis. [395] Pars abit in vites, et quae modo fila fuerunt, palmite mutantur; de stamine pampinus exit; purpura fulgorem pictis adcommodat uvis. Iamque dies exactus erat, tempusque subibat, quod tu nec tenebras nec possis dicere lucem, [400] sed cum luce tamen dubiae confinia noctis: tecta repente quati pinguesque ardere videntur lampades et rutilis conlucere ignibus aedes falsaque saevarum simulacra ululare ferarum. |
When that Hermaphroditus felt the change, so wrought upon him by the languid fount, considered that he entered it a man, and now his limbs relaxing in the stream he is not wholly male, but only half,-- he lifted up his hands and thus implored, albeit with no manly voice; "Hear me O father! hear me mother! grant to me this boon; to me whose name is yours, your son; whoso shall enter in this fount a man must leave its waters only half a man." Moved by the words of their bi-natured son both parents yield assent: they taint the fount with essences of dual-working powers. Now though the daughters of King Minyas have made an end of telling tales, they make no end of labour; for they so despise the deity, and desecrate his feast. While busily engaged, with sudden beat they hear resounding tambourines; and pipes and crooked horns and tinkling brass renew, unseen, the note; saffron and myrrh dissolve in dulcet odours; and, beyond belief, the woven webs, dependent on the loom, take tints of green, put forth new ivy leaves, or change to grape-vines verdant. There the thread is twisted into tendrils, there the warp is fashioned into many-moving leaves-- the purple lends its splendour to the grape. And now the day is past; it is the hour when night ambiguous merges into day, which dubious owns nor light nor dun obscure; and suddenly the house begins to shake, and torches oil-dipped seem to flare around, and fires a-glow to shine in every room, and phantoms, feigned of savage beasts, to howl.-- |
| Fumida iamdudum latitant per tecta sorores, diversaeque locis ignes ac lumina vitant; dumque petunt tenebras, parvos membrana per artus porrigitur tenuique includit bracchia pinna. Nec qua perdiderint veterem ratione figuram scire sinunt tenebrae. Non illas pluma levavit, [410] sustinuere tamen se perlucentibus alis; conataeque loqui minimam et pro corpore vocem emittunt, peraguntque leves stridore querellas. Tectaque, non silvas celebrant lucemque perosae nocte volant, seroque tenent a vespere nomen. [415] |
Full of affright amid the smoking halls the sisters vainly hide, and wheresoever they deem security from flaming fires, fearfully flit. And while they seek to hide, a membrane stretches over every limb, and light wings open from their slender arms. In the weird darkness they are unaware what measure wrought to change their wonted shape. No plumous vans avail to lift their flight, yet fair they balance on membraneous wing. Whenever they would speak a tiny voice, diminutive, apportioned to their size, in squeaking note complains. Adread the light, their haunts avoid by day the leafy woods, for sombre attics, where secure they rest till forth the dun obscure their wings may stretch at hour of Vesper;--this accords their name. |
Source Information
Latin: Ovid. Metamorphoses. Hugo Magnus. Gotha (Germany). Friedr. Andr. Perthes. 1892.
[Via Perseus]
English: Ovid. Metamorphoses. Brookes More. Boston. Cornhill Publishing Co. 1922.
[Via Perseus]