All Baucis et Philemon Latin OCR GCSE Translation Verse Literature

iuppiter huc specie mortali cumque parente venit Atlantiades positis caducifer alis.

Jupiter came here in human form and, with his father, came the wand bearing descendant of Atlas, having set aside his wings.

mille domos adiere locum requiemque petentes,

mille domos clausere serae. tamen una recepit,

They approached a thousand houses, seeking a place to rest: bars shut a thousand houses. However one received them,parva

parva quidem stipulis et canna tecta palustri,

sed pia Baucis anus parilique aetate Philemon

a small one, it is true, covered with stalks and marshy reeds, but the dutiful old woman Baucis, and Philemon of similar age

illa sunt annis iuncti iuvenalibus, illa

consenuere casa paupertatemque fatendo

effecere levem nec iniqua mente ferendo.

were united in their young years in that cottage, grew old in that cottage, and, by acknowledging their poverty, and bearing it with a not unfair mind, made it unimportant.

nec refert, dominos illic famulosne requires:

tota domus duo sunt, idem parentque iubentque.

And it does not matter whether you look for the masters or servants there: the two are the whole house, the same people obey and order.

ergo ubi caelicolae parvos tetigere penates

summissoque humiles intrarunt vertice postes,

Therefore, when the heaven-dwellers arrived at the small household and entered the lowly doorposts with lowered head

membra senex posito iussit relevare sedili,

cui superiniecit textum rude sedula Baucis

the old man ordered them to relax their limbs on a couch which had been set out for them, over which the busy Baucis placed a rough, woven cloth.

inde foco tepidum cinerem dimovit et ignes

suscitat hesternoes foliisque et cortice sicco

nutrit et ad flammas anima producit anili,

Then she separated the warm ash in the hearth and rouses yesterday’s fires, feeds them with leaves and dry bark, brings forth flames with the breath of an old woman

multifidasque faces ramaliaque arida tecto

detulit et minuit parvoque admovit aeno,

and brought down torches split into many pieces and dry sticks from the roof, made them smaller and applied them to a small bronze pot;

quodque suus coniunx riguo collegerat horto

truncat holus foliis;

and she strips a cabbage of its leaves, which her husband had gathered from the well-watered garden;

furca levat ille bicorni

sordida terga suis nigro pendentia tigno

with a two pronged fork he lifts the sooty back of a pig which was hanging on a black beam,

servatoque diu resecat de tergore partem

exiguam sectamque domat ferventibus undis.

cuts off a thin slice from the long-preserved back and having cut it up, softens it in the boiling waters.

interea medias fallunt sermonibus horas

sentirique moram prohibent.

Meanwhile, they while away the intervening hours with conversations and prevent the delay from being realised.

erat alveus illic

fagineus dura clavo suspensus ab ansa;

There was a bathtub there made of beech, suspended from a nail by a sturdy handle;

is tepidis impletur aquis artusque fovendos

accipit.

this is filled with warmwater and receives limbs which need warming.

in medio torus est de mollibus ulvis

impositus lecto sponda pedibusque salignis;

In the middle of the house is a mattress of soft sedge placed on a bed with a frame and feet made of willow;

vestibus hunc velant quas non nisi tempore festo

sernere consuerant,

they cover this with a coverlet which they were not accustomed to strew over it except at holiday time,

sed et haec vilisque vetusque

vestis erat, lecto non indignanda saligno.

but even this coverlet was both cheap and ancient, not to be deemed unworthy of the willow couch

accubuere dei.

The gods reclined on it.

interea totiens haustum cratera repleri

sponte sua per seque vident succrescere vina;

Meanwhile they see the mixing bowl, which had been drained so many times, refilled of its own accord and the wine increasing by itself.

attoniti novitate pavent manibusque supinnis

concipient Baucisque preces timidusque Philemon

et veniam dapibus nullisque paratibus orant.

Astonished by the strangeness (of the event), they fear, and with hands facing upwards, both Baucis and fearful Philemon (begin to) form prayers and beg pardon for the feast and lack of preparations.

unicus answer erat, minimae custodia villae,

quem dis hospitibus domini mactare parabant;

There was (just) one goose, guardian of the very small house, which the owners were preparing to kill for the gods, their guests;

ille celer penna tardos aetate fatigat

eluditque die tandemque est visis ad ipsos

confugisse deos. (next section)

the goose, swift with its wing(s), wore (them) out as they were slow through age, eluded them for a long time and finally seemed to have fled for refuge to the gods themselves.

superi vetuere necari

‘di’ que ‘sumus, meritasque luet civinia poenas

impia’ dixerunt; ‘vobis immunibus huius

esse mali dabitur. (next section)

The gods forbade it to be killed, and said, ‘We are gods, and the irreligious neighbourhood will pay the penalty it deserves; it will be granted to you to be exempt from this destruction.

modo vestra relinquite tecta

ac nostros comitate gradus et in ardua montis ite simul.’

Just leave your home and accompany our steps and go together with (us) to the steep parts of the mountain.’

parent ambo baculisque levati

nituntur longo vestigia ponere clibo.

Both obey, and supported by their staffs, they strive to place their footsteps on the long slope.

tantum aberant summo, quantam semel ire sagitta

missa potest; flexere oculos et mersa palude

cetera prospiciunt, tantum sua teecta manere.

They were (about) as far away from the top as an arrow, once discharged, can go; they turned their eyes and see the rest (of the houses) submerged by a marsh, and only their house remaining.

dumque ea mirantur, dum deflent fata suorum,

illa vetus dominis etiam casa prava duobus

vertitur in templum; furcas subiere columnae,

And while they were marvelling at these things, while they were weeping for the destructions of their friends, that old house, small even for its two owners, is turned into a temple; columns replaced the poles

stramina flavescunt aurataque tecta videntur

caelataeque fores adopertaque marmore tellus.

the thatch becomes yellow and a golden roof is seen, doors engraved, and the earth covered with marble.

talia tum placido Saturnius edidit ore:

Then the son of Saturn uttered the following (words) with calm expression:

‘dicite, iuste senex et femina conjuge iusto

digna, quid optetis.’ cum Baucide pauca locutus

iudicium superis aperit commune Philemon:

‘Honest old man and woman worthy of an honest husband, tell me what you desire.’ Having spoken a few (words) with Baucis, Philemon reveals their joint decision to the gods:

‘esse sacerdotes dulubraque vestra tueri

poscimus, et quoniam concordes egimus annos,

‘We ask to be priests and to guard your shrine, and since we have spent the years in harmony’

auferat hora duos eadem, nec coniugus umquam

busta meae videam neu sim tumulandus ab illa.’

‘may the same our take away the two of us, and neither may I ever see the grave of my wife, nor may I have to be buried by her.’

vota fides sequitur; templi tutela fuere,

donec vita data est. (next section)

Fulfilment followed the prayers; they were the guardian of the temple, as long as life was given (to them).

___________________annis aevoque soluti

ante gradus sacros cum starent forte locique

narrarentcases, frondere Philemona Baucis,

When, weakened by their years and time, they were standing by chance in front of the sacred steps (of the temple) and were relating the events of hte place, Baucis noticed Philemon growing leaves

Baucida conspexit senior frondere Philemon.

and the aged Philemon noticed Baucis growing leaves.

iamque super geminos crescente cacumine vultus

mutua, dum licuit, reddebant dicta ‘vale’ que

‘o coniunx’ dixere simul, simul abdita texit

ora frutex.

And now, as a treetop grew over their two faces, they exchanged words with each other, while they could, and at the same time said, ‘Farewell, O spouse’, and at the same time a shrub hid and covered their faces.