Ovid Lines 50-63 - Translation

The use of "||" indicates the following or preceding text is from the middle of a line.

|| parent ambo baculisque levati

nituntur longo vestigia ponere clivo.

|| They both obey, and supported by their staffs,

They strive to place their footsteps on the long slope.

tanum aberant summo, quantum semel ire sagitta

missa potest; ||

They were about as far away from the top as an arrow that has been fired

And is able to go in one shot; ||

|| flexere oculos et mersa palude

cetera prospiciunt, tantum sua tecta manere.

|| they turned their eyes and they see the rest of the houses

Submerged by a marsh, and only their house was remaining.

dumque ea mirantur, dum deflent fata suorum,

illa vetus dominis etiam casa parva duobus

vertitur in templum; ||

And while they were marvelling at these things, while they were weeping

For the destruction of their friends, that old house, small even for its two owners,

It turned into a temple; ||

|| furcas subiere columnae,

stramina flavescunt aurataque tecta videntur

caelataeque fores adopertaque marmore tellus.

|| columns replaced the poles,

The thatch becomes yellow, and a golden roof is seen,

And the doors engraved, and the earth covered with marble.

talia tum placido Saturnius edidit ore:

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

“dicite, iuste senex et femina coniuge iusto

digna, quid optetis.” ||

“Honest old man and woman worthy of an honest husband,

Tell me what you desire.” ||

|| cum Baucis pauca locutus

iudicium superis aperit commune Philemon:

|| Having spoken a few [words] with Baucis,

Philemon reveals their joint decision to the gods: