Cupid & Psyche — Chapter 22 (cont.)

Latin

English

2iam 1-que 3lassa, 5salute 4defecta, 6dum 8saepius 10divini 11vultus 7intuetur 9pulchritudinem, 12recreatur 13animi.

1videt 5capitis 4aurei 2genialem 3caesariem 7ambrosia 6temulentam, 9cervices 8lacteas 17genas 10-que 16purpureas 15pererrantes 12crinium 11globos 13decoriter 14impeditos, 18alios 19antependulos, 20alios 21retropendulos, 24quorum 23splendore 22nimio 26fulgurante 25iam 27et 28ipsum 29lumen 30lucernae 31vacillabat.

1per 2umeros 3volatilis 4dei 6pinnae 5roscidae 8micanti 9flore 7candicant 10et 11quamvis 12alis 13quiescentibus 14extimae 18plumulae 15tenellae 16ac 17delicatae 19resultantes 20tremule 21lasciviunt 22inquieta.

1ceterum 2corpus 3glabellum 4atque 5luculentum 6et 7quale 11peperisse 8Venerem 9non 10paeniteret.

1ante 2lectuli 3pedes 4iacebat 5arcus 6et 7pharetra 8et 9sagittae, 12magni 13dei 10propitia 11tela.

And now, weary, abandoned by safety, while she gazes at again and again the beauty of the divine face, she is revived in spirit.

She sees the delightful hair golden head dripping with ambrosia, milk-white neck and locks of hair gracefully tangled, wandering over rosy cheeks, some hanging in front, others hanging behind; excessive splendour because of whose now flashing, even the very light of the lamp flickered.

Over the shoulders of the winged god the dewy feathers gleam white, with a glistening bloom and although his wings are at rest, the outermost delicate and dainty, little feathers quivering tremulously, frisk restlessly.

As for the rest, his body (was) smooth and radiant, and such as Venus would not regret to have borne

Before the little bed’s feet lay the bow and quiver and arrows, the gracious weapons of the mighty god.

Content — what is happening

Weary and faint, Psyche revives as she gazes again and again on the beauty of the sleeping god’s face.
She sees his golden hair soaked in ambrosia, his milk-white neck, and tumbling locks straying over his rosy cheeks — some falling in front, some behind — so dazzling that even the lamplight wavers.
Over the winged god’s shoulders the dewy feathers gleam white, and the soft outer down quivers and frisks though the wings themselves are still.
The rest of his body is smooth and radiant — such as Venus herself would not regret having borne.
And at the foot of the little bed lie the bow, quiver and arrows: the gracious weapons of the mighty god.