E&N FULL TEXT

A - 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 prius ipsa loqui didicit, resonabilis Echo.

she who had learnt neither to keep quiet when someone is speaking nor to speak first herself, ever-answering Echo.

Corpus adhuc Echo, non vox erat;

Echo was still a body, not a voice

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

and however talkative she had no other use of her mouth than she had now,

reddere de multis ut verba novissima posset.

namely that she could give back the last words from many.

B -

Juno had done this because frequently, when she could have caught nymphs sleeping with her husband Jupiter on the mountain, Echo would deliberately distract the goddess with her continual chatter until the nymphs made their escape. When the daughter of Saturn realised this, she said, 'The power of that tongue, which you have used to fool me, will be restricted, and you will be allowed only very brief use of your voice'. She madegood her threats. Echo can only repeat the last words of theperson speaking and reproduce the words she hears.

C - Ergo ubi Narcissum per devia rura vagantem vidit et incaluit, sequitur vestigia furtim,

Therefore, when she saw Narcissus, roaming through the remote countryside, she fell in love and followed his footsteps secretly,

quoque magis sequitur, flamma propiore calescit,

and the more she followed, she burned as she came closer to her love,

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

not unlike than when lively sulphur, smeared around the tips of torches, snatch flames brought near.

o quotiens voluit blandis accedere dictis et molles adhibere preces.

O how often she wanted to approach with sweet words and to employ tender prayers.

natura repugnat nec sinit incipiat; sed, quod sinit, illa parata est

Her condition prevented her and didn't allow her to begin but what it allowed she was ready for

exspectare sonos, ad quos sua verba remittat.

to wait for sounds to which she might send back her own words.

D - forte puer, comitum seductus ab agmine fido

by chance, the boy having been separated from the faithful group of companions

dixerat "ecquis adest?" et "adest!" responderat Echo.

had said "is anyone here?" and Echo had replied "here!"

hic stupet, utque aciem partes dimittit in omnes,

He was astonished and as he darted his gaze in all directions,

voce 'veni!' magna clamat; vocat illa vocantem.

he called with a loud voice "come!" she called to him calling.

Respicit et rursus nullo veniente, "Quid," inquit "me fugis?"

He looked around and as again no one came, he said "why do you flee from me?"

et totidem, quot dixit, verba recepit.

and he received as many words as he said.

perstat et alternae deceptus imagine vocis

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

"huc coeamus!" ait nullique libentius umquam responsura sono "coeamus" rettulit Echo

said "Here, let's get together!" and Echo, who would never make a more willing reply to any sound answered "Let's get together!"

et verbis favet ipsa suis egressaque silva

and she kept true to her own words, and having come out from the woods,

ibat, ut iniceret sperato bracchia collo

she was advancing to throw her arms around the neck she hoped for

Ille fugit fugiensque, "Manus conplexibus aufer! Ante," ait, "emoriar, quam sit tibi copia nostri."

he fled and as he fled, said "take away your hands from the embrace; may I die before you have enjoyment of me"

Rettulit illa nihil nisi, "Sit tibi copia nostri."

she answered nothing except "you have enjoyment of me"

E - spreta latet silvis pudibundaque frondibus ora protegit et solis ex illo vivit in antris;

Rejected, she hid in the woods and she covered her embarassed face with leaves and from that time on she lived in lonely caves;

sed tamen haeret amor crescitque dolore repulsae:

but nonetheless her love persisted and grew with the pain of rejection:

attenuant vigiles corpus miserabile curae,

the trouble which kept her away wore out her pitiful body

adducitque cutem macies

and emaciation shrivelled her skin,

et in aera sucus corporis omnis abit;

and all the moisture of her body disappeared into the air;

vox tantum atque ossa supersunt: vox manet;

Only a voice and bones were left: her voice remained;

ossa ferunt lapidis traxisse figuram.

they say that her bones took on the shape of stone.

inde latet silvis nulloque in monte videtur.

ever since she lies hidden in the woods and is seen on none of the mountains.

omnibus auditur:

she is heard by everyone:

sonus est, qui vivit in illa.

there is a sound, which lives in her

F -

In this way Narcissus had toyed with her feelings, as he had those of other nymphs sprung from the waters or the mountains, and those of his male admirers too. Then one of the admirers he had rejected, raising his hand to the sky, said: 'Let he himself fall in love and may he also be rejected by his beloved.' The goddess Nemesis granted these well-deserved prayers.

G -

There was a clear and silvery pool, with shining water, which neither the shepherds nor the goats which feed on the mountain nor any cattle had muddied, and which no bird nor wild beast nor branch fallen from a tree had disturbed. Around it was lush grass which the nearby water nourished, and the wood kept it cool, so that it would not suffer from the heat of the sun.

H - hic puer, et sudio venandi lassus et aestu,

Here the boy, tired by his enthusiasm for hunting and by the heat,

procubuit faciemque loci fontemque secutus;

fell down attracted by the appearance of the place by the spring;

dumque sitim sedare cupit, sitis altera crevit,

and while he wanted to quench his thirst, another thirst grew,

dumque bibit, visae correptus imagine formae,

and while he drank, captivated by the image of beauty he saw,

spem sine corpore amat, corpus putat esse, quod umbra est.

he loved a hope without a body, and he thought that which was a reflection was a body.

astupet ipse sibi vultuque immotus eodem haeret,

he himself was astonished at himself and lingered motionless with unchanging expression,

ut e Pario formatum marmore signum.

just like a statue shaped from Parian marble.

Spectat humi positus geminum, sua munina, sidus

lying on the ground he watched a pair of stars, his own eyes

et dignos Baccho, dignos et Apolline crines

and hair worthy of Bacchus and also worthy of Apollo

inpubesque genas et ebrunea colla decusque oris et in niveo mixtum candore ruborem,

his unbearded cheeks and ivory neck and the beauty of his face and the blush mixed with the snow-white radiance,

cunctaque miratur, quibus est mirabilis ipse

and he admired everything, for which he himself was admired

se cupit imprudens et, qui probat, ipse probatur,

unknowing he desired himself, and who approved, he himself was approved,

dumque petit, petitur, pariterque accendit et ardet.

and while he sought, he was sought and equally he inflamed and burnt.

irrita fallaci quotiens dedit oscula fonti!

How often he gave futile kisses to the deceitful spring!

in mediis quotiens visum captantia collum bracchia mersit aquis

how often he sunk his arms in the middle of the waters, trying to catch the neck he saw

nec se deprendit in illis!

and he did not catch himself in them!

quid videat nescit, sed quod videt uritur illo

he did not know what he saw but was inflamed by that which he saw

atque oculos idem qui decipit incitat error.

and the same error which deceived his eyes encouraged his eyes.

crudele, quid frustra simulacra fugacia captas?

naive boy, why do you try in vain to capture a fleeting likeness?

quod petis est nusquam; quod amas, avertere, perdes.

what you seek is nowhere; what you love, turn around and you will lose it.

ista repercussae, quam cernis, imaginis umbra est.

That shadow which you see, is a shadow of a reflected image.

nil habet ista sui;

That shadow has nothing of itself;

tecum venitque manetque,

it both came with you and stays with you,

tecum discedet, si tu discedere possis

it will leave with you, if you could leave

I -

No thought of food or rest was able to drag him away from there ,but sprawled on the shady grass he stared at the deceitful shape with a gaze that was never satisfied - and it was by his own eyes that he perished. Then raising himself a little and holding out his arms to the encircling woods, he said, 'O woods, who has ever loved more cruelly? You should know, for you have been a lucky meeting-place for many. Do you, who have lived for so many centuries, recall anyone in that long time who has wasted away like this? What I see pleases me, but what pleases me to see I cannot reach: I am in love, but all I feel is confusion! I grieve all the more, since no great ocean separates us, nor a highway nor mountains nor city walls with closed gates: we are kept apart by the tiniest stretch of water. He himself desires to be embraced, for as often as I reach out to kiss him through the clear water, he, with upturned face, strives to reach me. You would think he could be touched. It is such a small thing that stands in the way of our love.

J -

Whoever you are, come out here! Why do you play tricks on me, oboy unparalleled in beauty! Where are you going when I seek for you? It is certainly neither my looks nor my age that you flee, for the nymphs have loved me too! With your friendly face you offer me hope; when I stretch out my arms to you, you stretch out your sin return; when I laugh, you laugh back, and often I have noticed your tears while I am crying; you return my signs with a nod, and as far as I can see from the movement of your beautiful lips you answer me with words that do not reach my ears. I am that boy! I understand it: my own image does not deceive me! I burn with love for myself. I both fan the flames and suffer them. Sorrow is draining my strength; no long life lies ahead for me; I am snuffed out in the first flush of youth. But death does not lie heavy upon me, for in death I shall remove all my sorrows: my only wish would have been for him whom I adore to outlive me. Instead we will die together, united in a single spirit.'

K -

He spoke and, maddened by grief, turned back to that same face and disturbed the waters with his tears; the image returned, but indistinct in the swirling water. When he saw it disappearing, he cried out, 'Where are you fleeing? Stay, cruel one! Do not desert me who loves you! Let me look on what I cannot touch and sofeed my unhappy passion.' While he was grieving he tore away the top of his tunic and beat his naked breast with hands white as marble. His beaten chest showed traces of red, in the way that apples do which show part white and part red, or as grapes starting to ripen display a tinge of purple amongst clusters of different colours.

L - quae simul aspexit liquefacta rursus in unda, non tulit ulterius

As soon as he saw this again in clear water, he couldn't bear it any longer,

sed, ut intabescere flavae igne levi cerae matutinaeque pruinae sole tepente solent

but just as honey-gold wax is accustomed to melt with a gentle flame and the morning frost is accustomed to thaw in the morning dun

sic attenuatus amore liquitur et tecto paulatim carpitur igni

thus weakened by love he wasted away and was gradually consumed by a hidden fire

et neque iam color est mixto candore rubori

and his rosy white complexion now had no colour

nec vigor et vires et quae modo visa placebant,

and the energy and strength and things which just now had seen and liked were no longer

nec corpus remanet, quondam quod amaverat Echo

nor did his body which Echo had once loved remain

quae tamen ut vidit quamvis irata memorque indoluit

however when she saw this although angry and unforgetting she grieved

quotiensque puer miserabilis 'eheu' dixerat haec resonis iterabat vocibus 'eheu'

and whenever the pitiable boy said 'alas' she kept repeating 'alas' with her echoing sounds

cumque suos manibus percusserat ille lacertos

and when he struck his own arms with his hands

haec quoque reddebat sonitum plangoris eundem

she also kept returning the same sound of grief

ultima vox solitam fuit haec spectantis in undam

his last cry as he looked into the familiar water was this

'heu frustra dilecte puer!'

'alas boy loved in vain!'

totidemque remisit verba locus, dictoque vale, 'vale' inquit et Echo.

and the place sent back the same number of words, and when he said farewell, Echo said 'farewell' too

M - ille caput viridi fessum summisit in herba

he lay down his tired head in the green grass

lumina mors clausit domini mirantia formam

death closed his eyes which were admiring the beauty of their master

tum quoque se, postquam est inferna sede receptus, in Stygia spectabat aqua.

then after he had been received in the region of the underworld he also kept looking at himself in the Stygian water

planxere sorores Naides et sectos fratri posuere capillos

his sisters, the Naiads wailed and they cut off their hair and offered it to their brother

planxerunt Dryades plangentibus assonat Echo

and the Dryads wailed Echo returned their wailing

iamque rogum quassasque faces feretrumque parabant

and now they were preparing the funeral pyre and the torches which would be shaken and the bier

nusquam corpus erat

the body was nowhere

croceum pro corpore florem inveniunt

instead of the body they found a yellow flower

foliis medium cingentibus albis

with white petals surrounding its centre