Ovid Metamorphoses book 7 lines 1-99

Iamque fretum Minyae Pagasaea puppe secabant, perpetuaque trahens inopem sub nocte senectam / Phineus visus erat, iuvenesque Aquilone creati virgineas / volucres miseri senis ore fugarant, multaque perpessi claro sub Iasone tandem / contigerant rapidas limosi Phasidos undas. Dumque adeunt regem Phrixeaque vellera poscunt lexque datur Minyis magnorum horrenda laborum, concipit interea validos Aeetias ignes et luctata diu, postquam ratione furorem / vincere non poterat, 'frustra, Medea, repugnas: nescioquis deus / obstat,' ait, 'mirumque, nisi hoc est, aut aliquid certe / simile huic, quod amare vocatur. nam cur iussa patris nimium mihi dura videntur? (sunt quoque dura nimis!) cur, quem modo denique vidi, / ne pereat, timeo? quae tanti causa timoris?

And now the Argonauts were cutting (through) the strait in their Pagasaean ship, and Phineus had been seen dragging out his helpless old age in continual darkness, while the youths begotten by the north wind had put to flight the maiden birds from the face of the wretched old man, and having endured many things under (the leadership of) the famous Jason, had finally reached the swift waters of muddy Phasis. And while they were approaching the king and demanding the Phrixian fleece, and the dreadful condition (involving) great toils was imposed upon the Minyae, the daughter of Aeetes meanwhile conceived strong fires (of passion) and having struggled for a long time, when she could not overcome her passion by reason, she said, 'In vain do you resist, Medea: some god or other stands in the way and it would be surprising unless this, or at any rate something similar to this, is what is called love. For why do the commands of my father seem too harsh to me? They are even too harsh! Why am I afraid that he whom I saw only recently may die? What is the cause of such great fear?"

excute virgineo conceptas pectore flammas, / si potes, infelix. si possem, sanior essem. sed trahit invitam nova vis, aliudque cupido, / mens aliud suadet; video meliora proboque, / deteriora sequor. quid in hospite, regia virgo, / ureris et thalamos alieni concipis orbis? haec quoque terra potest quod ames dare. vivat an ille / occidat, in dis est; vivat tamen! idque precari / vel sine amore licet; quid enim commisit Iason? quem, nisi crudelem, non tangat Iasonis / aetas et genus et virtus? quem non, ut cetera desint, / ore movere potest? certe mea pectora movit. at nisi opem tulero, taurorum adflabitur ore concurretque suae segeti, tellure creatis / hostibus, aut avido dabitur fera praeda draconi.

'Shake off the flames conceived within (your) maidenly breast, if you can, unhappy one. If I could, I would be more sensible. But a new force drags me along, unwillingly, and my passion advises one thing, my mind, another. I see the better course and approve of it, but I follow a worse one: why do you burn (with passion) for a guest, royal maiden, and contemplate marriage with a foreign world? This land also can give you something to love. Whether he lives or dies, is in the hands of the gods. However, may he live! It is permitted to pray for this without (being in) love. For what has Jason committed? Whom would the youth, race and courage of Jason not touch, unless he were a cruel person? Even though everything else was lacking, whom can he not move with his facial beauty? Certainly, he has affected my feelings. But unless I bring help, he will be scorched by the (fiery) mouth of the bulls, and he will fight the crop he has sown, the enemy created in the earth, or he will be given as a savage prey to the greedy dragon.

hoc ego si patiar, tum me de tigride natam, / tum ferrum et scopulos gestare in corde fatebor. cur non et specto pereuntem oculosque videndo / conscelero? cur non tauros exhortor in illum / terrigenasque feros insopitumque draconem? di meliora velint! quamquam non ista precanda, / sed facienda mihi. prodamne ego regna parentis / atque ope nescioquis servabitur advena nostra ut per me sospes sine me det lintea ventis / virque sit alterius, poenae Medea relinquar? si facere hoc aliamve potest praeponere / nobis, occidat ingratus! sed non is vultus in illo, / non ea nobilitas animo est, ea gratia formae, ut timeam fraudem meritique oblivia nostri. et dabit ante fidem, cogamque in foedera testes / esse deos.

If I allow this, then I will acknowledge that I was born from a tigress, and then that I wear iron and rocks in my heart. Why do I not also watch him dying and by looking at him, pollute my eyes? Why do I not urge on the bulls against him and the earthborn monsters and the sleepless dragon? May the gods intend better things! Although I should not pray for those things but do them. Shall I betray the kingdom of my father, and will some foreigner be saved by my help, so that unharmed through my agency he may spread his sails to the winds without me and be another's husband, and so that I, Medea, may be abandoned for punishment? If he can do this or prefer another woman to me, may the ungrateful (man) die. But that is not the kind of appearance on him, that is not the kind of nobility in his mind, such is not the grace of his beauty that I should fear deceit and forgetfulness of our service (to him); but he will give me his word beforehand, and I shall compel the gods to be witnesses.

quid tuta times? accingere et omnem / pelle moram! tibi se semper debebit Iason, te face / sollemni iunget sibi, perque Pelasgas / servatrix urbes matrum celebrabere turba. ergo ego germanam fratremque patremque deosque / et natale solum ventis ablata relinquam? nempe pater saevus, nempe est mea barbara tellus, frater adhuc infans; stant mecum vota sororis, maximus intra me deus est! non magna relinquam, / magna sequar: titulum servatae pubis Achivae / notitiamque soli melioris et oppida, quorum / hic quoque fama viget cultusque artesque locorum, quemque ego cum rebus, quas totus possidet orbis, / Aesoniden mutasse velim, quo coniuge felix / et dis cara ferar et vertice sidera tangam.

Why do you fear a safe situation? Get ready for action and banish all delay! Jason will always be in your debt, will bind you to him with the sacred torch of marriage and you will be celebrated as his saviour throughout the Pelasgian cities by a host of mothers. Shall I then be carried away by the winds and leave my sister, brother, father, the gods and my native soil? Of course, my father is cruel, my country is uncivilised, my brother is still a child; my sister’s prayers are on my behalf. A very powerful god is within me! I shall not be leaving great things behind, I shall be pursuing them: the glory of having saved the Greek youth, acquaintance with a better place, and the towns, whose fame flourishes even here, the civilisation and arts of the region, and (him) whom I would be willing to have received in exchange, the son of Aeson, for the things which the whole world possesses, with whom as my husband I shall be spoken of as fortunate and beloved of the gods and I shall touch the stars with my head.’

quid, quod nescioqui mediis concurrere in undis / dicuntur montes ratibusque inimica Charybdis / nunc sorbere fretum, nunc reddere, cinctaque saevis / Scylla rapax canibus Siculo latrare profundo? nempe tenens, quod amo, gremioque in Iasonis haerens per freta longa ferar; nihil illum amplexa verebor aut, siquid metuam, metuam de coniuge solo. coniugiumne putas speciosaque nomina culpae / inponis, Medea, tuae? quin adspice, quantum / adgrediare nefas, et, dum licet, effuge crimen!' dixit, et ante oculos rectum pietasque pudorque / constiterant, et victa dabat iam terga Cupido.

What of the fact that some mountains are said to clash in the middle of the waves and Charybdis, hostile to ships, is said to now swallow the sea, now to return it, and ravenous Scylla girded with fierce dogs barks in the Sicilian deep? Surely, holding what I love and clinging onto Jason's breast, I shall be carried through the long straits; embracing him I shall fear nothing, or, if I fear something, I shall fear only about my husband - do you think of marriage, Medea, and do you place plausible beautiful names on your crime? Why not look at attempting how great a wickedness you are approaching, and, while it is allowed, escape from the crime.' She said this, and Right, Piety and Modesty stood before her eyes, and Cupid, conquered, now turned his back.

Ibat ad antiquas Hecates Perseidos aras, quas nemus umbrosum secretaque silva tegebat, et iam fortis erat, pulsusque recesserat ardor, cum videt Aesoniden exstinctaque flamma reluxit. erubuere genae, totoque recanduit ore, utque solet ventis alimenta adsumere, quaeque / parva sub inducta latuit scintilla favilla / crescere et in veteres agitata resurgere vires, sic iam lenis amor, iam quem languere putares, ut vidit iuvenem, specie praesentis inarsit. et casu solito formosior Aesone natus / illa luce fuit posses ignoscere amanti.

She was going to the ancient altars of Hecate, daughter of Perses, which such a shady grove and secret forest covered, and now she was strong and her banished passion had subsided, when she saw the son of Aeson and the extinguished flame relit. Her cheeks flushed red, and she glowed again in her whole face, and just as a small spark which lies hidden under the overlaid ash is accustomed to take nourishment from the winds and to grow and, having been stirred, to rise again into its old strength, in this way now her gentle love, which now you might think was fading, as she saw the young man, caught fire by the appearance of him present. And by chance, the one born from Aeson was more beautiful than usual: you would be able to forgive the lover.

spectat et in vultu veluti tum denique viso / lumina fixa tenet nec se mortalia demensora videre putat nec se declinat ab illo; ut vero coepitque loqui dextramque prehendit / hospes et auxilium submissa voce rogavit promisitque torum, lacrimis ait illa profusis: 'quid faciam, video, nec me ignorantia veri / decipiet, sed amor. servabere munere nostro; / servatus promissa dato!' per sacra triformis / ille deae lucoque foret quod numen in illo perque patrem soceri cernentem cuncta futuri eventusque suos et tanta pericula iurat. creditus accepit cantatas protinus herbas edidicitque usum laetusque in tecta recessit.

She watches and keeps her eyes fixed on his face, as if it had then finally been seen, and, out of her mind, doesn't think she is seeing a mortal face, and doesn't turn away from him; but as the guest began to speak and grasped her right hand and asked for help in a lowered voice and promised a marriage-bed, she said with tears that had poured out: "I see what I am doing; nor will ignorance of the truth deceive me, but love. You will be saved by my gift, and, having been saved, give what you have promised!" By the rites of the triple-formed goddess and what power was in that grove and by the father of his future father-in-law, seeing everything, and his own successes and such great dangers he swears: having been believed, he received the enchanted herbs at once and thoroughly learned their use and happily went back to the palaces.