VERGIL: Orpheus and Eurydice-

Non te nullius exercent numinis irae;

magna luis commissa:

The angers of no gods do not exercise you; you atone for great crimes committed by one's own error.

tibi has miserabilis Orpheus haudquaquam ob meritum poenas, ni fata resistant, suscitat et rapta graviter pro coniuge saevit.

Sad Orpheus stirs up these deserving punishment for you not at all because of merit, and rages heavily for the snatched spouse.

Illa quidem, dum te fugeret per flumina praeceps,

immanem ante pedes hydrum moritura puella

servantem ripas alta non vidit in herba.

Indeed that girl, about to die, does not see the monstrous serpent keeping to the riverbank in the high grass before her feet, if only she might flee you headlong through the river.

At chorus aequalis Dryadum clamore supremos

implerunt montes; flerunt Rhodopeiae arces

altaque Pangaea et Rhesi mavortia tellus

atque Getae atque Hebrus et Actias Orithyia.

But a group of equal-aged nymphs filled up the farthest mountains with shouts, the towers of Rhodope and high Pangean and the war-like land of Rhesus and the Getae and the Hebrus and Orithya, daughter of Acte, cry.

Ipse cava solans aegrum testudine amorem

te, dulcis coniunx, te solo in litore secum,

te veniente die, te decedente canebat.

Orpheus himself alone, comforting his sick love with a hollow lyre, was singing about you, sweet spouse, you on the lonely shore with himself, you when the day was coming, to you when the day was going

Taenarias etiam fauces, alta ostia Ditis,

et caligantem nigra formidine lucum

ingressus manesque adiit regemque tremendum

nesciaque humanis precibus mansuescere corda.

He even entered the Taenarian entrance, the high gates of the Underworld, and the grove dark with black fear, he went to the Manes (shades) and the fearful king and the heart not knowing to grow mild by human prayers.

At cantu commotae Erebi de sedibus imis

umbrae ibant tenues simulacraque luce carentum,

quam multa in foliis avium se milia condunt

vesper ubi aut hibernus agit de montibus imber,

But slim shadows having been moved by the song and the phantoms of those lacking light were going from the deepest seats of the underworld as the many thousands of birds hides themselves in the leaves when evening or wintery rainstorm drives them from the mountains.

matres atque viri defunctaque corpora vita

magnanimum heroum, pueri innuptaeque puellae,

impositique rogis iuvenes ante ora parentum,

quos circum limus niger et deformis harundo

Cocyti tardaque palus inamabilis unda

alligat et noviens Styx interfusa coercet.

Mothers and also women of great-hearted heroes having fulfilled life, boys and unwed girls, youths having been placed on pyres before the faces of parents [were going] around whom and dark mud and foul needs of Cocyrtes and the revolting swamp with its slow water and bind around whom the Styx having been poured nine times surround.

Iamque pedem referens casus evaserat omnes;

redditaque Eurydice superas veniebat ad auras,

pone sequens, namque hanc dederat Proserpina legem,

And now, retracing his step, he had avoided all misfortune and eurydice, having been returned, was coming to the upper airs, following from behind, for proserpina had given this law

cum subita incautum dementia cepit amantem,

ignoscenda quidem, scirent si ignoscere manes.

Restitit Eurydicenque suam iam luce sub ipsa

immemor (heu!) victusque animi respexit.

when sudden madness seized the incatious lover, indeed must be forgiven, if the shades knew to forgive, he stopped and already under the light itself, forgetful (alas!) and having been conquered in spirit he looked back, at his own Eurydice,

Ibi omnis effusus labor atque immitis rupta tyranni

foedera, terque fragor stagnis auditus Avernis.

Illa, Quis et me, inquit, miseram et te perdidit, Orpheu,

quis tantus furor?

at that exact moment all his work was wasted, and the agreements of the stern tyrant was broken, and three times the crash in the Avernian pools was heard. "What both miserable me," she said, "and you destroyed, orpheus, what so great anger?

En iterum crudelia retro

Fata vocant, conditque natantia lumina somnus.

Iamque vale: feror ingenti circumdata nocte

invalidasque tibi tendens, heu non tua, palmas!

Look, again the cruel Fates call me back, husband, and sleep covers my swimming eyes. And now farewell: I am carried having been surrounded by huge night, and stretching out weak hands to you, alas no longer yours!"

dixit et ex oculis subito, ceu fumus in auras

commixtus tenues, fugit diversa, neque illum,

prensantem nequiquam umbras et multa volentem

dicere, praeterea vidit, nec portitor Orci

amplius obiectam passus transire paludem.

She said, and out of his eyes suddenly, just like smoke having been mixed into thin upper air, she fled in an opposite direction and she did not see orpheus keeping on grasping at the shadows in vain and orpheus wanting to say more nor did the carrier of underworld allow orpheus to cross the blocked swamp again.

Quid faceret? Quo se rapta bis coniuge ferret?

Quo fletu Manis, quae numina voce moveret?

Illa quidem Stygia nabat iam frigida cumba.

What could he do? Where might he bear himself with his wife having been snatched twice? With what voie could he move the divine powers? She indeed now, cold, was swimming on the stygian small boat.