Robert Cerise OVID’S METAMORPHOSES ~ PYGMALION
Latin Text Sunt tamen obscenae Venerem Propoetides ausae esse negare deam. Pro quo sua numinis ir 240 corpora cum forma primae vulgasse feruntur: utque pudor cessit sanguisque induruit oris, in rigidium parvo silicem discrimine versae.
Quas quia Pygmalion aevum per crimen agentis viderat, offensus vitiis, quae plurima menti 245 femineae natura dedit, sine coniuge caelebs vivebat thalamique diu consorte carebat. Interea niveum mira feliciter arte
sculpsit ebur formamque dedit, qua femina nasci nulla potest: operisque sui concepit amorem. 250 Virginis est verae facies, quam vivere credas, et, si non obstet reverentia, velle moveri: ars adeo latet arte sua. Miratur et haurit pectore Pygmalion simulati corporis ignes. Saepe manus operi temptantes admovet, an sit 255 corpus an illud ebur: nec adhuc ebur esse fatetur. Oscula dat reddique putat loquiturque tenetque, et credit tactis digitos insidere membris, et metuit, pressos veniat ne livor in artus. Et modo blanditias adhibet, modo grata puellis
Robert Cerise OVID’S METAMORPHOSES ~ PYGMALION
260 munera fert illi conchas teretesque lapillos et parvas volucres et flores mille colorum liliaque pictasque pilas et ab arbore lapsas Heliadum lacrimas; ornat quoque vestibus artus, dat digitis gemmas, dat longa monilia collo: 265 aure leves bacae [pendent], redimicula pectore pendent. Cuncta decent: nec nuda minus formosa videtur. Conlocat hanc stratis concha Sidonide tinctis
appellatque tori sociam, acclinataque colla mollibus in plumis, tamquam sensura, reponit. 270 Festa dies Veneris tota celeberrima Cypro venerat, et pandis inductae cornibus aurum conciderant ictae nivea cervice iuvencae, turaque fumabant: cum munere functus ad aras constitit et timide, “si di dare cuncta potestis, 275 sit coniunx, opto” non ausus “eburnea virgo” dicere Pygmalion “similis mea” dixit “eburnae.” Sensit, ut ipsa suis aderat Venus aurea festis,
vota quid illa velint; et, amici numinis omen, flamma ter accensa est apicemque per aera duxit. 280 Ut rediit, simulacra suae petit ille puellae incumbensque toro dedit oscula: visa tepere est. Admovet os iterum, manibus quoque pectora temptat: temptatum mollescit ebur positoque rigore subsidit digitis ceditque, ut Hymettia sole
Robert Cerise OVID’S METAMORPHOSES ~ PYGMALION
285 cera remollescit tractataque pollice multas flectitur in facies ipsoque fit utilis usu. Dum stupet et dubie gaudet fallique veretur, rursus amans rursusque manu sua vota retractat.
Corpus erat! saliunt temptatae pollice venae. 290 Tum vero Paphius plenissima concipit heros verba, quibus Veneri grates agat, oraque tandem ore suo non falsa premit: dataque oscula virgo sensit et erubuit timidumque ad lumina lumen attollens pariter cum caelo vidit amantem. 295 Coniugio, quod fecit, adest dea. Iamque coactis cornibus in plenum noviens lunaribus orbem illa Paphon genuit, de qua tenet insula nomen.
Robert Cerise OVID’S METAMORPHOSES ~ PYGMALION
English Translation Nevertheless, the foul Propoetides dared To deny that Venus was a goddess. By whose anger of divine power, 240 They are said first to have prostituted their bodies along with their reputation: And when their modesty ceased, the blood of their mouth hardened, Having been turned into rigid stone by small distinction.
When Pygmalion had seen them leading a lifetime of crime (evil), Offended by their vices, many of which nature gave to the female mind, 245 He lived as a bachelor, without a partner, And he lacked a partner of the bedroom for a long time. Meanwhile, he happily sculpted white ivory with wonderful skill,
And he gave it a form, with which no woman is able to be born, And he fell in love with his work. 250 The appearance is of a true girl, which you might believe to be alive, And, if modesty did not block the path, you might wish to be moved: Art hides in its own art. Pygmalion looked (in admiration), And he consumed the fires of the pretend body in his heart. Often, he moved his hands over the work, testing whether it was a body 255 Or still ivory: nor did he admit it to be ivory. He gave it kisses and he thought that they were being returned and he spoke to it and he hugged it, And he believed that his fingers were sinking into the touched skin, And he feared that a bruise might come into her arms, having been pressed. And he applied compliments in this way:
Robert Cerise OVID’S METAMORPHOSES ~ PYGMALION
260 He brought gifts to her, pleasing to girls, shells and smooth stones And small birds and a thousand flowers of color And lilies and painted spheres and the dripping tears Of the Heliades from a tree (amber); he adorned the arms with clothing, He gave gems on her fingers, he gave her long necklaces on her neck, 265 Light pearls hung from her ears, wreaths hung down from her breast: All things were fitting for her; nor did she seem less beautiful naked. He placed this with coverlets dyed purple,
And he addressed her as a friend of the bed, and having leaned her neck Upon gentle feathers, he positioned her as if she might feel it. 270 The festival day of Venus, most celebrated all throughout Cyprus, Had come, and cows, with curved bent horns covered in gold, Collapsed, having been beaten on their white neck, And incenses gave off smoke: when Pygmalion, having performed his ritual duty, Stood at the altar and said with fear, “If, O gods, you are able to give all things, 275 I wish that she may be my wife,” and, not having dared to say, “The ivory maiden,” He spoke, “Someone similar to my girl of ivory,” Golden Venus, since she herself was present at her own feast,
Felt what those prayers wished, and as an omen of a friendly divinity (goddess), A flame was ignited three times, and she led the tip of the flame through the air. 280 When he returned, he sought the statue of that girl, And lying on the bed, he gave her kisses: she seemed to be warm. He moved his lips again, and he tested her breasts with his hands: Testing it, the ivory became soft and, Its stiffness having been abandoned, it gave way and yielded to his fingers, as the Hymettian wax
Robert Cerise OVID’S METAMORPHOSES ~ PYGMALION
285 Becomes soft under the sun, and having been handled with his thumb, Is bent into many shapes, and it becomes useful by its own use. While he was stupefied and rejoiced uncertainly, and he was afraid of beguile, Again and again the lover retraced his prayer with his hand for a second time.
It was a body! Having been touched under his thumb, her veins pulsed. 290 Then the Paphian hero produced very many words, By which he gave thanks to Venus, and finally He pressed her real (literally, “not false”) mouth to his own mouth: and the girl Felt the kisses, having been given and she blushed, raising her timid eyes to his eyes, She saw her lover at the same time that she saw the sky. 295 The goddess was present at the wedding, which she brought about. And with lunar horns having been brought into full sphere nine times1, She gave birth to Paphos, from which the island holds its name.
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