Echo & Narcissus: Up to line 57

aspicit hunc trepidos agitantem in retia cervos vocalis nymphe,

The talkative nymph caught sight of this man chasing frightened deer into nets

quae nec reticere loquenti nec

the nymph who had learnt neither to keep quiet when someone was talking,

prius ipsa loqui didicit,

nor to speak first herself,

resonabilis Echo.

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echoing Echo.

corpus adhuc Echo, non vox, erat

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Echo was still a body, not a voice

et tamen usum garrula non alium, quam nunc habet, oris habebat,

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and, although a chatterbox, she had no other use of her mouth than she has now,

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reddere de multis ut verba novissima posset.

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namely that she could repeat only the last words out of many.

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ergo ubi Narcissum per devia rura vagantem vidit

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Therefore when she saw Narcissus wandering through the lonely countryside

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et incaluit,

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and fell in love,

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sequitur vestigia furtim,

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she followed his footsteps secretly,

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quoque magis sequitur,

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and the more she followed,

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flamma propiore calescit,

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the more the flame of passion burned within her,

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non aliter quam cum summis circumlita taedis admotas rapiunt vivacia sulphura flammas.

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just as when lively sulphur, smeared around the tops of torches, snatches at flames which have been brought close.

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o quotiens voluit blandis accedere dictis et molles adhibere preces.

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O how often she wanted to approach him with sweet words and to use gentle prayers.

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natura repugnat nec sinit incipiat;

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Nature prevented her and did not allow her to begin;

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sed, quod sinit, illa parata est exspectare sonos, ad quos sua verba remittat.

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but she was ready to do what nature did allow - to wait for sounds to which she might send back her own words.

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forte puer comitum seductus ab agmine fido dixerat

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By chance the boy, separated from the trusty procession of his companions, had said,

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‘ecquis adest?’ et ‘adest!’ responderat Echo.

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‘Is anyone here?’ and Echo had replied, ‘Here!’

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hic stupet, utque aciem partes dimittit in omnes

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He was astonished, and as he gazed around in all directions,

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voce 'veni!' magna clamat;

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he shouted in a loud voice, 'Come!';

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vocat illa vocantem.

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she called the one who called.

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respicit et rursus nullo veniente

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He looked around and, when no one came,

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'quid' inquit 'me fugis?'

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again he said, 'Why are you fleeing from me?'

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et totidem, quot dixit, verba recepit.

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and he got back as many words as he said.

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perstat et alternae deceptus imagine vocis,

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He persisted and, deceived by the illusion of an answering voice,

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'huc coeamus!' ait

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he said, 'Let us meet here!'

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nullique libentius umquam responsura sono ... Echo

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and Echo, who would never reply more willingly to any sound,

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'coeamus' rettulit

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replied, 'Let us meet'

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et verbis favet ipsa suis

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and she herself was as good as her words and,

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egressaque silva

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having gone out of the wood,

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ibat, ut iniceret sperato bracchia collo.

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she was going in order to throw her arms around the neck she hoped for.

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ille fugit fugiensque

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He fled and as he fled

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‘manus complexibus aufer; ante’ ait ‘emoriar, quam sit tibi copia nostri.’

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he said, ‘Take your hands away from my embrace; may I die before you enjoy me’

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rettulit illa nihil nisi

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She answered nothing except

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‘sit tibi copia nostri.’

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‘may you enjoy me.’ \n

spreta latet silvis

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Rejected she lay hidden in the woods

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pudibundaque frondibus ora protegit

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and, ashamed she covered her face with foliage

et solis ex illo vivit in antris;

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and from that time on lived in lonely caves.

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sed tamen haeret amor

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But nevertheless her love persisted

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crescitque dolore repulsae:

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and grew with the pain of rejection:

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attenuant vigiles corpus miserabile curae,

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the cares which kept her awake wore out her pitiable body

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\n adducitque cutem macies

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and emaciation shrivelled her skin,

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et in aera sucus corporis omnis abit;

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and all the moisture of her body went into the air.

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vox tantum atque ossa supersunt:

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Only her voice and her bones survived

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vox manet:

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Her voice remained

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ossa ferunt lapidis traxisse figuram.

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they say her bones took on the shape of a stone

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inde latet silvis

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Ever since she lies hidden in the woods

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nulloque in monte videtur.

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and is seen on none of the mountains.

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omnibus auditur

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she is heard by all

sonus est,

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there is a sound,

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qui vivit in illa.

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which lives in her.

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hic puer,

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This boy,

et studio venandi lassus et aestu,

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tired both by his enthusiasm for hunting and by the heat,

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procubuit faciemque loci fontemque secutus;

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attracted by both the appearance of the place and the spring, lay down;

dumque sitim sedare cupit,

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and while he was desiring to quench his thirst

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sitis altera crevit,

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another thirst grew

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dumque bibit,

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and while he was drinking

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visae correptus imagine formae,

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captivated by the image of beauty which he saw,

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spem sine corpore amat,

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he loved a hope without a body,

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corpus putat esse, quod umbra est.

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and he thought that what was a reflection to be a body.

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astupet ipse sibi

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He himself was astonished at himself

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vultuque immotus eodem haeret,

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and motionless, he clung to the same face

ut e Pario formatum marmore signum.

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like a statue shaped from Parian marble.

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spectat humi positus geminum, sua lumina, sidus

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lying on the ground, he looked at the twin stars, his own eyes

et dignos Baccho, dignos et Apolline crines,

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and the hair, worthy of both Bacchus and Apollo

impubesque genas

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and his youthful cheeks

et eburnea colla

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and the ivory coloured neck

decusque oris

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and his beautiful face

et in niveo mixtum candore ruborem,

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and at his blush mixed with snow-white radiance,

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cunctaque miratur,

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and he admired everything,

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quibus est mirabilis ipse.

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for which he himself was admired

se cupit imprudens

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Unknowing he desired himself

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et, qui probat, ipse probatur,

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and he who fancied was himself fancied,

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dumque petit, petitur,

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And while he seeks, he is sought,

pariterque accendit et ardet.

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and equally he is set on fire and burns

irrita fallaci quotiens dedit oscula fonti!

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How often he gave useless kisses to the deceitful spring!

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in mediis quotiens visum ... mersit aquis

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How often did he dip into the middle of the water, arms

... captantia collum bracchia ...

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trying to catch the neck which he saw,

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nec se deprendit in illis!

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but he did not catch himself in them!

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quid videat nescit,

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He did not know what he saw,

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sed quod videt uritur illo

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but he was inflamed by that which he saw

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LINE 57: atque oculos idem qui decipit incitat error.

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and at the same illusion which deceived his eyes, exited his eyes.