Propertius 3.25: learn to fear the fate of your beauty!

It recently happened that the breakup of a relationship of a celebrity couple was big news here. My newspaper has no show news (it is a serious newspaper!) and I was barely aware of their existence, let alone their relationship. A divorce though can be an inspiration for literature or in a fictional relationship it gives the writer a good excuse for emotional firework. That is exactly what happens here: it has finally dawned to Propertius that his relationship with Cynthia is disastrous and he is leaving her with an accompaniment of curses. It must have relieved him.

Propertius 3.25

Risus eram positis inter convivia mensis,

    et de me poterat quilibet esse loquax.

quinque tibi potui servire fideliter annos:

    ungue meam morso saepe querere fidem.

nil moveor lacrimis: ista sum captus ab arte;

    semper ab insidiis, Cynthia, flere soles.

flebo ego discedens, sed fletum iniuria vincit:

    tu bene conveniens non sinis ire iugum.

limina iam nostris valeant lacrimantia verbis,

    nec tamen irata ianua fracta manu.

at te celatis aetas gravis urgeat annis,

    et veniat formae ruga sinistra tuae!

vellere tum cupias albos a stirpe capillos,

    iam speculo rugas increpitante tibi,

exclusa inque vicem fastus patiare superbos,

    et quae fecisti facta queraris anus!

has tibi fatalis cecinit mea pagina diras:

    eventum formae disce timere tuae!

convivium: guests at a dinner, dinner company

positis mensis: at the (well) arranged tables

loquax, acis; gossiping 

quinque annos: i.e. since book 1 of the elegies had been published (Cynthia is first of all a fictional character.)

ungue morso: with bitten nail (mordeo momordi morsum)

querere = quereris: you shall grieve (queror questus)

arte: `trick’

ab insidiis: insidiously

flebo…vincit: breaking up will hurt Propertius too (note the emphatic ego, but the injustice done to him is stronger

bene conveniens: happily married/ living together

ire iugum: the yoke (of love) to move (further)

limina valeant: farewell threshold

lacrimantia: wet from tears

irata manu: with angry fist (though his words were full of tears, Propertius poetic ego controlled himself and he did not smash the door to pieces)

urgeat: the first of the subjunctives expressing curses (may the burden of old age press upon you!)

celatis annis: with its hidden years (i.e. spent in loneliness; to be connected with gravis aetas)

forma: beauty

ruga: wrinkle

vello (-ere): to tear out

a stirpe: from the root

capillus: hair

iam: some editions have ah

speculum: mirror

increpito: to harass, scold (the mirror is confronting you with your wrinkles)

exclusa: rejected

in vicem: in turn

fastus superbos: haughty arrogance

patior passus: to suffer (patiare = patiaris)

quae facta fecisti

anus (f.): old woman

has fatalis (= fatales) diras: these dire fates

pagina: page, poem

cano cecini (-ere): prophesy

eventus, us (m.): outcome, fate

Translation by A.S. Kline (2002, 2008)

I was laughed at among the guests seated for the banquet, and whoever wished was able to gossip of me. I managed to serve you faithfully for five years: you’ll often grieve for my loyalty with bitten nails.

Tears have no effect on me: I was ensnared by those wiles: Cynthia you only ever wept with guile. I will weep, in departing, but insult overcomes tears: you would not allow the yoke to move in harmony.

Now goodbye to the threshold weeping at my words: to the entrance never hurt by my hand in anger. But let age’s weight burden you with secret years and luckless lines furrow your features! May you long then to tear out your white hairs by their roots, ah, when the mirror rebukes you with your wrinkles, and may you in turn, rejected, suffer proud arrogance, and, changed to an old woman, regret your deeds!

These are the dread events my pages prophesy: learn to fear the fate of your beauty!

Propertius 3, 19: too demanding.

In ancient societies female sexuality was – and unfortunately still is in many contemporary societies – seen as something dangerous: a woman with too much sexual appetite disrupts the moral framework of a family or a city. Propertius – or at least his poetic persona – thinks his lover Cynthia sexually too demanding. In this poem he warns against such women, not so much addressing Cynthia, but womankind in general. The poem is not easy, as he evokes with a few words a situation known to his educated audience, but not to the modern reader. His Latin too is dense and requires careful reading. Well, easy texts make lazy readers and at a time universities here in the Netherlands and elsewhere tend to treat students as toddlers, reading a difficult text is an act of insubordination.

Propertius 3, XIX

Obicitur totiens a te mihi nostra libido:

    crede mihi, vobis imperat ista magis.

vos, ubi contempti rupistis frena pudoris,

    nescitis captae mentis habere modum.

flamma per incensas citius sedetur aristas,

    fluminaque ad fontis sint reditura caput,

et placidum Syrtes portum et bona litora nautis

    praebeat hospitio saeva Malea suo,

quam possit vestros quisquam reprehendere cursus

    et rabidae stimulos frangere nequitiae.

testis, Cretaei fastus quae passa iuvenci

    induit abiegnae cornua falsa bovis;

testis Thessalico flagrans Salmonis Enipeo,

    quae voluit liquido tota subire deo.

crimen et illa fuit, patria succensa senecta

    arboris in frondes condita Myrrha novae.

nam quid Medeae referam, quo tempore matris

    iram natorum caede piavit amor?

quidve Clytaemestrae, propter quam tota Mycenis

    infamis stupro stat Pelopea domus?

tuque, o, Minoa venumdata, Scylla, figura

    tondes purpurea regna paterna coma.

hanc igitur dotem virgo desponderat hosti!

    Nise, tuas portas fraude reclusit amor.

at vos, innuptae, felicius urite taedas:

    pendet Cretaea tracta puella rate.

non tamen immerito Minos sedet arbiter Orci:

    victor erat quamvis, aequus in hoste fuit.

obicio obieci obiectum:  to throw before, object, taunt, reproach

mihi: regarding me

nostra: i.e. of all man

ista = libido

vobis: you womankind

contempti pudoris: i.e shame contemned  by you women

rumpo rupi ruptum (-ere): to break

frenum:  briddle, curb

captae (libidine) mentis

sedo (-are): to bring to rest, extinguish

arista: beard of corn

fontis caput: the origin of their spring

Sirtes: two sandbanks on the Northern coast of Africa (Sirtes  praebeant)

praebeo praebui praebitum: to offer

Malea: a promontory in the Peloponnesus, at the south of Laconia

hospitio suo: with saeva `cruel with her hospitality’

cursus; `way of life’

frango fregi fractum: to break

nequitia: wickedness

testis –is (m. and f.): a witness (here Pasiphaë. She was a Minoan queen who fell in live with the Minotaur (Cretaeus iuvencus `the Cretean bull’). In order to look like a cow, Daedalus constructed a wooden cow in which she could fulfil her lust for the Minotaur.)

fastus –us (m.): disdain, contempt

patior passum: to suffer

induo indui indutum: to put on

abiegnus: made of fir wood

fragrans Slmonis: Tyro, daughter of king Salmoneus of Elis. She married her uncle Cretheus, but before her marriage she fell in love with the river god Enipeus. Poseidon changed himself into this god and they made love, from which two children were born . Tyro exposed the children, but they were saved by a herdsman.)

subire: to yield, but the literal meaning `to go under’ is quite apt in this situation

crimen et illa fuit: she too was a crime (Myrrha, she did not pay respect to Aphrodite and the goddess made her fall in love with her father. When her father noticed he had sex with his daughter, he became furious and chased her with a sword. The gods had pity and changed her in a myrrh tree. Out of this intercourse Adonis was born.)

succensa (set in fire for) and condita (founded, changed) depend on illa

patria senecta (abl.): the fatherly old age = her old father

frons frondis (f.): leafy branch

(crimen) Medeae

quo tempore matris iram natorum caede piavit amor: at the time love appeased the anger of the mother by the slaughter of her children. A difficult sentence, which has been variously translated.  Many take matris with quo tempore, but Rothstein (1924) suggests the opposition matris iram vs caede infantorum. Most difficult is piavit amor:  it is not love as such but hurt love, turned into rage when Jason had left Medea for another woman.

(crimen) Clytemnestrae: she lived with her lover Aegisthus and killed her husband Agamemnon, when he returned home from the Trojan war.

Mycenis Pelopea domus: the house of Pelops at Mycene

stuprum: lust, adultery

Scylla: daughter of king Nissus of Megara. Nissus had a lock of purple hair, which protected the city. When Minos besieged Megara, Scylla fell in love with him and cut of the purple lock and gave it to Minos and so he could take the city. Minos was disgusted by her lack of fidelity and left Megara immediately with his ship. Scylla swam after him, but her father – turned into a sea eagle - drowned her. Since then she is a seabird.

Minoa venumdata figura: Minoa is abl. from Minous `belonging to Minos’. venum-do is `to put up for sale’, especially slaves, so `enslaved by the beauty of Minos’ or something like that.

tondeo totondi tonsum: to shave

tondes purpurea regna paterna coma: as the meter shows, purpurea coma is abl., so it is the paterna regna which is cut of, together with the purple hair.

dos dotis (f.): dowry

despondeo despondi desponsum: to promise (in marriage)

recludo reclusi reclusum: to open

innupta: unmarried woman, virgin

urite taedas: burn the wedding torches

pendet Cretaea tracta puella rate: she clings to the Cretan ship and is dragged away

Minos: after his death, Minos became one of the three judges of the underworld (iudex Orci).

victor erat quamvis, aequus in hoste fuit: though he was victorious, he was fair towards his enemy. i.e. by turning down the love of Scylla.

Translation by A.S. Klyne.

You often taunt me with my passion: believe me, it controls you more. You, when you’ve snapped the reins of that modesty you despise, can set no limits to your mind ensnared. A fire in burning corn will sooner be quenched, the rivers return to the founts where they were born, the Syrtes offer quiet harbour, and Cape Malea offer the sailor a kind welcome on its wild shore, than any man be able to restrain your course, or curb the spurs of your impetuous wantonness.

Witness Pasiphae who suffered the disdain of the Cretan bull and wore the deceptive horns of the wooden cow; witness Tyro, Salmoneus’s daughter, burning for Thessalian Enipeus, longing to yield completely to the river-god. Myrrha too is a reproach, on fire for her aged father, buried in the foliage of a new-created tree. Why need I mention Medea, who, in her time as a mother, satisfied her fury by the murder of her children? Or Clytemnestra through whom the whole House of Mycenean Pelops remains infamous for her adultery?

And you Scylla, oh, sold on Minos’ beauty, shore off your father’s kingdom with his purple lock of hair. That was the dowry the virgin pledged his foe! Nisus, treacherous love opened your city gates. And you, unmarried ones, burn torches of happier omen: the girl clutched the Cretan ship and was dragged away.

Still Minos does not sit as a judge in Hell without reason: though he conquered, he was merciful to his foe.

Propertius: allone in the woods.

A happy love-life is but seldom an inspiration for interesting poetry. Fortunately for us the relation between Propertius and Cynthia had its ups and downs and the next poem describes a very deep crisis: Cynthia has been unfaithful. In the loneliness of a wood Propertius is desperately wondering why: did Cynthia think he has a new girl (nova puella l.10)? Certainly not! Was there something in his appearance from which she could have inferred something (l.170? Didn’t he show his love and faithfulness enough (l.18)?

He even tells he stood in vain weeping for her closed door (l.24). And though not stated, I think Cynthia was having fun with her new lover, while Propertius was waiting for her to open the doors - which she of course didn’t.  Still, he wants her dearly back. Well, I would have turned away from her and look for a new girlfriend. Thus far no love poetry has appeared from my hand.

Propertius, 1,18

Haec certe deserta loca et taciturna querenti,

    et vacuum Zephyri possidet aura nemus.

hic licet occultos proferre impune dolores,

    si modo sola queant saxa tenere fidem.

unde tuos primum repetam, mea Cynthia, fastus?                 5

    quod mihi das flendi, Cynthia, principium?

qui modo felices inter numerabar amantes,

    nunc in amore tuo cogor habere notam.

quid tantum merui? quae te mihi crimina mutant?

    an nova tristitiae causa puella tuae?                 10

sic mihi te referas, levis, ut non altera nostro

    limine formosos intulit ulla pedes.

quamvis multa tibi dolor hic meus aspera debet,

    non ita saeva tamen venerit ira mea,

ut tibi sim merito semper furor, et tua flendo                 15

    lumina deiectis turpia sint lacrimis.

an quia parva damus mutato signa colore,

    et non ulla meo clamat in ore fides?

vos eritis testes, si quos habet arbor amores,

    fagus et Arcadio pinus amica deo.                 20

ah quotiens vestras resonant mea verba sub umbras,

    scribitur et teneris Cynthia corticibus!

ah tua quot peperit nobis iniuria curas,

    quae solum tacitis cognita sunt foribus!

omnia consuevi timidus perferre superbae                 25

    iussa neque arguto facta dolore queri.

pro quo continui montes et frigida rupes

    et datur inculto tramite dura quies;

et quodcumque meae possunt narrare querelae,

    cogor ad argutas dicere solus aves.                 30

sed qualiscumque's, resonent mihi 'Cynthia' silvae,

    nec deserta tuo nomine saxa vacent.

queror questus sum: to express grief

Zephyrus: Western wind

nemus nemoris (n.): wood grove

profero: to bring forward, utter

impune: unpunished

si modo: if only

queo quivi quitum: to be able

repeto repetivi repetirum: to find, uncover (i.e. the reason  for her disdain (fastus, -us m,)

principium: reason, cause

habere notam: a nota is a mark which the censores put at a name on the list of civilians , when someone had misbehaved, hence: punishment

mihi: concerning me

crimina: another reading is carmina (spells) adopted in the translation belw

causa tristitiae (unfriendliness) is predicate to nova puella

referas te: you can bring yourself back = you can return

levis: fickle-hearted

non altera ulla: not any other (girl)

quamvis…lacrimis: whatever this anguish of mine owes for you many painful things (i.e. in return for your fastus) my anger will still never become that raging, that I am rightly always (an object of) fury for you and that through crying your eyes will be ugly by falling tears.

mutato colore: by a change of complexion (some editors read: mutato calore : by a change of (love-) fire.)

et…fides:  i.e. that you cannot read my faithfulness in my face

fagus (f.):  beech-tree

Arcadio deo: Pan, for whom the pine-tree (pinus) was sacred

cortex cortices (f. and m.): bark

pario peperi partum: to bring forth, give birth

iniuria: unfaithful actions

tacitis foribus: to your silent doors (Propertius is thinking of standing in front of the house of Cynthia)

consuevi: I am used (the perfect tense implies a long period, still valid for the present)

tacitis foribus: to the silent doors (of Cynthia’s house)

superbae: of you, haughty girl

neque..queri:  nor to complain your deeds by loud grief

pro quo: as reward of that

continui montes (dantur): the manuscripts are corrupt here and various reading have been proposed: a range of mountains,  divini fontes or dumosi (bushy) montes

rupes rupes (f.): rock

inculto tramite: on an untrodden path (trames, f.)

querela: complaint

argutas aves: note that argutus has here a different meaning than in arguto doloro `twittering birds’

qualiscumque's:  whatever you are

tuo nomine vacent: will be free of your name

Translation by A.S. Klyne.

Truly this is a silent, lonely place for grieving, and the breath of the West Wind owns the empty wood. Here I could speak my secret sorrows freely, if only these solitary cliffs could be trusted.

To what cause shall I attribute your disdain, my Cynthia? Cynthia, what reason for my grief did you give me? I, who but now was numbered among the joyous, now am forced to look for signs of your love. Why do I merit this? What spell turns you away from me? Is some new girl the root of your anger? You can give yourself to me again, fickle girl, since no other has ever set lovely foot on my threshold. Though my sorrow’s indebted to you for much grief my anger will never be so fierce with you that rage could ever be justified in you or your weeping eyes be disfigured with falling tears.

Is it because I show few signs of altered complexion, and my faith does not cry aloud in my face? Beech-tree and pine, beloved of the Arcadian god, you will be witnesses, if trees know such passions. Oh, how often my words echo in gentle shadows and Cynthia is carved in your bark!

Oh! How often has your injustice caused me pains that only your silent threshold knows? I am used to suffering your tyrannous orders with diffidence, without moaning about it in noisy complaint. For this I win sacred springs, cold rocks, and rough sleep by a wilderness track: and whatever my complaint can tell of must be uttered alone to melodious birds.

Yet whatever you may be, let the woods echo ‘Cynthia’ to me, and let not the wild cliffs be free of your name.