latin thisbe

Pyramus et Thisbe, iuvenum pulcherrimus alter,

Pyramus and Thisbe, one the most beautiful of young men,

altera, quas Oriens habuit, praelata puellis,

the other, preferred among the girls whom the East held,

contiguas tenuere domos, ubi dicitur altam

they lived in neighboring houses, where it is said that

coctilibus muris cinxisse Semiramis urbem.

Semiramis surrounded the tall city with brick walls.

notitiam primosque gradus vicinia fecit,

Their closeness made their first acquaintance and steps of love,

tempore crevit amor; taedae quoque iure coissent,

in time their love grew; they would have joined in marriage by law,

sed vetuere patres; quod non potuere vetare,

but their parents forbade it; what they could not forbid,

ex aequo captis ardebant mentibus ambo.

they both burned equally with captured minds.

conscius omnis abest; nutu signisque loquuntur,

No witness was present; they spoke with nods and gestures,

quoque magis tegitur, tectus magis aestuat ignis.

and the more it was hidden, the more the hidden fire burned.

Pyramus et Thisbe, iuvenum pulcherrimus alter,

Pyramus and Thisbe, one the most beautiful of young men,

altera, quas Oriens habuit, praelata puellis,

the other, preferred among the girls whom the East held,

contiguas tenuere domos, ubi dicitur altam

they lived in neighboring houses, where it is said that

coctilibus muris cinxisse Semiramis urbem.

Semiramis surrounded the tall city with brick walls.

notitiam primosque gradus vicinia fecit,

Their closeness made their first acquaintance and steps of love,

tempore crevit amor; taedae quoque iure coissent,

in time their love grew; they would have joined in marriage by law,

sed vetuere patres; quod non potuere vetare,

but their parents forbade it; what they could not forbid,

ex aequo captis ardebant mentibus ambo.

they both burned equally with captured minds.

conscius omnis abest; nutu signisque loquuntur,

No witness was present; they spoke with nods and gestures,

quoque magis tegitur, tectus magis aestuat ignis.

and the more it was hidden, the more the hidden fire burned.

fissus erat tenui rima, quam duxerat olim,

A thin crack had split, which once had formed,

cum fieret, paries domui communis utrique.

when the wall was built shared by both houses.

id vitium nulli per saecula longa notatum

This flaw, unnoticed for many long centuries,

quid non sentit amor? primi vidistis amantes

what does love not notice? You, lovers, were the first to see it

et vocis fecistis iter, tutaeque per illam

and made a path for your voice, and through that safe crack

murmure blanditiae minimo transire solebant.

sweet nothings used to pass with the smallest whispers.

saepe, ubi constiterant hinc Thisbe, Pyramus illinc,

Often, when Thisbe stood on this side, Pyramus on that side,

inque vicem fuerat captatus anhelitus oris,

and they had caught each other’s breath in turn,

“invide” dicebant “paries, quid amantibus obstas?”

they would say, “Jealous wall, why do you stand in the way of lovers?”

talia diversa nequiquam sede locuti

Having spoken such words from separate places in vain,

sub noctem dixere “vale” partique dedere

as night approached, they said “farewell” and gave each

oscula quisque sua non pervenientia contra.

their own kisses that did not reach the other side.

postera nocturnos Aurora removerat ignes,

The next dawn removed the night’s fires,

solque pruinosas radiis siccaverat herbas:

and the sun’s rays had dried the dewy grass:

ad solitum coiere locum.

they met again at their usual place.

tum murmure parvo

Then, with a small whisper,

multa prius questi statuunt, ut nocte silenti

having complained much before, they decided that in the silent night

fallere custodes foribusque excedere temptent.

they would deceive their guards and try to leave their homes.

cumque domo exierint, urbis quoque tecta relinquant,

And when they had left their houses, they would also leave the city’s walls,

neve sit errandum lato spatiantibus arvo,

and so that they would not get lost wandering in the broad field,

conveniant ad busta Nini lateantque sub umbra

they would meet at Ninus’ tomb and hide under the shade

arboris; arbor ibi niveis uberrima pomis,

of a tree; a tree there, abundant with snow-white fruit,

ardua morus, erat, gelido contermina fonti.

a tall mulberry tree, standing next to a cool spring.

pacta placent; et lux, tarde discedere visa,

They agreed on the plan; and the daylight, which seemed slow to leave,

praecipitatur aquis, et aquis nox exit ab isdem.

plunged into the waters, and night rose from the same waters.

Callida per tenebras versato cardine Thisbe

Clever Thisbe, after turning the door hinge in the darkness,

egreditur fallique suos adopertaque vultum

slips out and deceives her family, with her face covered,

pervenit ad tumulum dictaque sub arbore sedit.

and arrives at the tomb and sits under the appointed tree.

audacem faciebat amor.

Love made her bold.

venit ecce recenti

But look — there came fresh

caede leaena boum spumantis oblita rictus

a lioness, her mouth smeared with the fresh blood of oxen,

depositura sitim vicini fontis in unda.

who came to quench her thirst in the nearby spring.

quam procul ad lunae radios Babylonia Thisbe

Babylonian Thisbe saw her far off in the moon’s light

vidit et obscurum timido pede fugit in antrum,

and fled with trembling feet into a dark cave,

dumque fugit, tergo velamina lapsa reliquit.

and as she fled, she left her fallen veil behind.

ut lea saeva sitim multa compescuit unda,

When the savage lioness quenched her thirst with much water,

dum redit in silvas, inventos forte sine ipsa

as she returned to the forest, by chance she found the veil without Thisbe herself,

ore cruentato tenues laniavit amictus.

and with her bloody mouth, she shredded the delicate veil.

serius egressus vestigia vidit in alto

Pyramus, having come out later, saw footprints in the deep sand,

pulvere certa ferae totoque expalluit ore.

surely those of a beast, and his whole face grew pale.

Pyramus; ut vero vestem quoque sanguine tinctam

Pyramus; but when he also saw the veil stained with blood,

reperit, “una duos” inquit “nox perdet amantes,

he said, “One night will destroy two lovers,

e quibus illa fuit longa dignissima vita;

of whom she was most worthy of a long life;

nostra nocens anima est. ego te, miseranda, peremi,

my guilty soul has destroyed you, poor girl,

in loca plena metus qui iussi nocte venires

for I ordered you to come to this fearful place at night,

nec prior huc veni: nostrum divellite corpus.

and I did not come first: tear apart my body.

velamina Thisbes

He picked up Thisbe’s veil,

tollit et ad pactae secum fert arboris umbram,

and carried it with him to the shade of the agreed-upon tree,

utque dedit notae lacrimas, dedit oscula vestis,

and as he shed tears on it, he kissed the veil,

“accipe nunc” inquit “nostri quoque sanguinis haustus!”

“Receive now,” he said, “a drink of my blood as well!”

quoque erat accinctus, demisit in ilia ferrum,

And he plunged the sword, which was girded at his waist, into his body,

nec moră, ferventi moriens e vulnere traxit.

and without delay, dying, he pulled the sword from the burning wound.

ut iacuit resupinus humo, cruor emicat alte,

As he lay on his back on the ground, blood spurted high,

non aliter quam cum vitato fistula plumbo

not unlike when a pipe with its lead split open,

scinditur et tenui stridente foramine longas

is split and from the thin, hissing hole

eiaculat aquas atque ictibus aera rumpit.

it shoots out water and bursts through the air with force.

arborei fetus adspergine caedis in atram

The fruit of the tree, soaked in the dark spray of blood,

vertuntur et vertuntur in color sanguinis.

turned black, the color of blood.

“Ecce metu nondum posito, ne fallat amantem,”

“Behold, with her fear not yet put aside, lest she disappoint her lover,”

illa redit iuvenemque oculis animoque requirit,

she returned and sought the young man with her eyes and her heart,

quantaque vitarit narrare pericula gestit;

and she eagerly wished to tell of the dangers she had avoided;

utque locum et visa cognoscit in arbore formam,

and as she recognized the place and the shape of the tree she had seen,

sic facit incertam pomi color: haeret, an haec sit.

the color of the fruit made her uncertain: she hesitated, wondering if this was the place.

dum dubitat, tremebunda videt pulsare cruentum

While she hesitated, trembling, she saw the quivering body

membra solum, retroque pedem tulit, oraque buxo

on the bloody ground; she stepped back, and her face, pale as boxwood,

pallidiora gerens exhorruit aequoris instar,

turned paler than the surface of the sea,

quod tremit, exigua cum summum stringitur aura.

which trembles when touched by the slightest breeze.

sed postquam remorata suos cognovit amores,

But after delaying, she recognized her love,

percutit indignos claro plangore lacertos

and struck her unworthy arms with loud wailing,

et laniata comas amplexaque corpus amatum

and having torn her hair, she embraced her lover’s body

vulnera supplevit lacrimis fletumque cruori

and filled his wounds with tears, and mingled her weeping with his blood,

miscuit et gelidis in vultibus oscula figens

and as she pressed kisses upon his cold face,

“Pyrame,” clamavit, “quis te mihi casus ademit?

“Pyramus,” she cried, “what misfortune has taken you from me?

Pyrame, responde! tua te carissima Thisbe

Pyramus, answer me! Your dearest Thisbe

nominat; exaudi vultusque attolle iacentes!”

is calling you; hear me, and lift your resting face!”

ad nomen Thisbes oculos a morte gravatos

At the name of Thisbe, he raised his eyes, heavy with death,

Pyramus erexit visaque recondidit illa.

Pyramus opened his eyes, saw her, and closed them again.

“Quae postquam vestemque suam cognovit et ense

After she recognized her veil and the sword,

vidit ebur vacuum, “tua te manus” inquit “amorque

and saw the ivory sheath empty, she said, “Your hand and your love

perdidit, infelix! est et mihi fortis in unum

have destroyed you, unlucky one! But I too have courage for one thing—