Chapter Fourteen

at illa studiose gradum celerans

However, Psyche, quickening her pace eagerly,

montis extremum petit cumulum certe vel illic inventura vitae pessimae finem.

made for the highest mound of the mountain sure at least to find there an end to her most terrible life.

sed cum primum praedicti iugi conterminos locos appulit,

But as soon as she reached the places which are neighbouring the ridge, which had been pointed out,

videt rei vastae letalem difficultatem:

she saw the deadly difficulty of the vast task:

namque saxum immani magnitudine procerum

For the rock, which was lofty with its immense size

et inaccessa salebritate lubricum

and slippery from its inaccessible ruggedness

mediis e faucibus lapidis fontes horridos evomebat,

was pouring out from the middle of the chasms of stone wild streams

qui statim proni foraminis lacunis editi

which, having been produced at once from the hollows of the sloping fissure

perque proclive delapsi

and having slipped down along the downward slope

et angusti canalis exarato contecti tramite proxumam convallem latenter incidebant.

and having been hidden by the ploughed up track of a narrow channel was flowing upon the nearby valley by secret ways.

dextra laevaque cautibus cavatis proserpunt et longa colla porrecti saevi dracones

To the right and to the left from hollowed out crags fierce serpents creep forward with their long necks stretched out,

inconnivae vigiliae luminibus addictis

with their eyes dedicated to unsleeping watchfulness

et in perpetuam lucem pupulis excubantibus.

and with pupils attentive to everlasting vision.

iamque et ipsae semet muniebant vocales aquae;

And now also the very tuneful waters were defending themselves.

nam et ‘discede,’ et ‘quid facis? vide,’ et ‘quid agis? cave,’ et ‘fuge,’ et ‘peribis’ subinde clamant.

For they cry repeatedly both “Leave!” and “What are you doing? See!” and “what are you doing? Watch out!” and “Flee” and “You will die!”

sic impossibilitate ipsa mutata in lapidem Psyche

Thus Psyche herself having been changed into stone by the impossibility [of fulfilling her task],

quamvis praesenti corpore, sensibus tamen aberat,

although with her body present, nevertheless was absent from her senses

et inextricabilis periculi mole prorsus obruta

and having been entirely overwhelmed by the weight of a danger impossible to disentangle,

lacrimarum etiam extremo solacio carebat.

she was lacking even the extreme comfort of tears.