LATIN TEXT
Dīxerat haec Tellūs: neque enim tolerāre vapōrem
ulterius potuit nec dīcere plūra suumque
rettulit ōs in sē propiōraque manibus antra;
at pater omnipotēns, superōs testātus et ipsum,
quī dederat currus, nisi opem ferat, omnia fatō 305
interitūra gravī, summam petit arduus arcem,
unde solet nūbēs lātīs indūcere terrīs,
unde movet tonitrūs vibrātaque fulmina iactat;
sed neque quās posset terrīs indūcere nūbēs
tunc habuit, nec quōs caelō dēmitteret imbrēs: 310
intonat et dextrā lībrātum fulmen ab aure
mīsit in aurīgam pariterque animāque rotīsque
expulit et saevīs conpescuit ignibus ignēs.
cōnsternantur equī et saltū in contraria factō
colla iugō ēripiunt abruptāque lōra relinquunt: 315
illic frēna iacent, illic tēmōne revulsus
axis, in hac radiī fractārum parte rotārum
sparsaque sunt lātē lacerī vestīgia currūs.
At Phaethon rutilōs flammā populante capillōs
volvitur in praeceps longōque per aera tractū 320
fertur, ut interdum de caelō stēlla serēnō
etsī non cecidit, potuit cecidisse vidērī.
quem procul a patria dīversō maximus orbe
excipit Eridanus flagrantiaque abluit ōrā.
Naides Hesperiae trifidā fūmantia flammā 325
corpora dant tumulō, signantque hōc carmine saxum:
hic : sitvs : est : phaethon : cvrrvs : avriga : paterni
qvem : si : non : tenvit : magnīs : tamen : excīdit : avsīs
Nam pater obductōs luctū miserābilis aegrō
condiderat vultūs, et, sī modo crēdimus, ūnum 330
isse diem sine sōle ferunt: incendia lūmen
praebēbānt aliquisque malō fuit ūsus in illō.
at Clymene postquam dīxit, quaecumque fuerunt
in tantīs dīcenda mālīs, lūgubris et āmēns
et laniāta sinūs tōtum percēnsuit orbem 335
exanimēsque artus prīmō, mox ossa requīrēns
repperit ossa tamen peregrīnā condīta rīpā
incubuitque locō nōmenque in marmore lēctum
perfūdit lacrimīs et apertō pectore fōvit.
Notes
(302-303) sumque...antra this is best translated as "and she withdrew into the caverns that lie closer to the underworld"
(306) arduus is a transferred epithet
intereō interīre interiī interitum to go among
(307) nūbēs nūbis cloud, storm cloud (often symbolic of the coming danger)
lātus lāta lātum borne, carried, endured
(308) tonitrus tonitrūs thunder
vibrātus vibrāta vibrātum was shaken
fulmen fulminis lightning, thunderbolt
(310) caelum caelī sky
imber imbris rain, storm, stormcloud
(311) intonō intonāre intonuī intonātus to thunder
(312) aurīga aurīgae charioteer
rota rotae wheel, chariot, (figuratively) "the disc of the sun"
(313) ignibus ignes a polyptoton
(315) lōrum lōrī reins of a bridle, whip
(316) frēnum frēnī bridle, harness, bit
tēmō tēmōnis pole, beam
(318) currus currūs wagon, chariot
(319) rutlius rutilia rutilium (yellowish) red, strawberry blonde
(324) flagrantia flagrantiae glowing heat, passion
(325) Eridanus There are rivers called Eridanus (named after in Greece, but in this instance it referencing the Po River in Northern Italy
Hesperiae also known as the "daughters of the evening" or "nymphs of the West" because they lived in Italy where the sun set (from the Greeks' point of view)
(326) carmen carminis verse
(327-328) hic...ausīs all the Us in this section are Vs, because it's carved into rock
(331) incendium incendiī fire, inferno, heat, torch
(333) Clymene Phaethon's mother, an Oceanid (sea nymph)
(334) lūgubris lūgubre of or pertaining to mourning, gloomy
(335) laniātus laniāta laniātum torn
(336) os ossis bone
artus artūs limbs
(337) peregrīnus peregrīna peregrīnum alien, foregien, exotic
(338) marmor marmoris marble, (figuratively) the surface of the sea