C. Valerius Catullus, Carmen 64.58–75
The description of the coverlet continues, lingering on Ariadne's figure and her state on the shore, before the narrator looks back to the moment Venus first stirred love in her — when Theseus had sailed from Piraeus and arrived at the Cretan palace at Gortyn.
Tier 1
sed Thēseus Ariadnae nōn meminit. Thēseus ē lītore fugit et nāvem agit. omnia prōmissa sua ventīs relinquit.
Ariadna procul ē lītore Thēseum spectat oculīs tristibus. Ariadna stat sīcut statua. nōn sē movet.
Ariadna Thēseum spectat et māgnās cūrās in corde habet, sīcut mare māgnās undās habet.
Ariadna mītram in capite nōn habēbat. vestēs eius solūtae erant. omnia vestīmenta dē corpore cecidērunt. nunc undae maris cum vestīmentīs ante pedēs Ariadnae lūdunt.
sed Ariadna vestīmenta nōn cūrat. tōtō pectore, tōtō animō, tōtā mente Thēseum amābat.
ō misera puella! Venus eam vulnerāvit et acerbās cūrās in pectore eius sēvit. hoc tum factum est, cum Thēseus prīmum ad Crētam vēnit. Thēseus ē portū Athēnārum nāvigāverat et ad domum rēgis crūdēlis advēnerat.
Tier 2
at iuvenis immemor, fugiēns, pellit aequora rēmīs, et linquit prōmissa irrita ventōsae tempestātī.
Ariadna eum procul ē lītore prōspicit maestīs ocellīs, sīcut saxea effigiēs bacchantis, eheu, et fluctuat māgnīs undīs cūrārum.
nōn retinēbat subtīlem mītram in flāvō vertice, nōn tegēbat pectus levī amictū, nōn cingēbat pectus strophiō.
omnia vestīmenta, dē tōtō corpore dēlāpsa, ante pedēs eius iacēbant; et fluctūs salis cum eīs lūdēbant.
sed Ariadna neque mītram neque amictum fluitantem cūrābat. tōtō pectore, tōtō animō, tōtā mente dē tē, Thēseu, cōgitābat.
ah misera! Venus eam adsiduīs lūctibus terruit; Venus spīnōsās cūrās in pectore eius sēvit. illō tempore Thēseus ferōx ē curvīs lītoribus Pīraeī ēgressus erat, et Gortynia tēcta iniūstī rēgis attigerat.
Tier 3
at immemor iuvenis, fugiēns, pellit vada rēmīs, linquēns irrita prōmissa ventōsae procellae.
quem Mīnōis prōcul ē algā maestīs ocellīs, ut saxea effigiēs bacchantis, prōspicit, eheu, prōspicit et fluctuat māgnīs undīs cūrārum, nōn retinēns subtīlem mītram flāvō vertice, nōn contēcta vēlātum pectus levī amictū, nōn vincta lactentīs papillās teretī strophiō, omnia, quae dē tōtō corpore passim dēlāpsa, ante pedēs ipsīus, fluctūs salis adlūdēbant.
sed illa, neque tum vicem mītrae neque tum fluitantis amictūs cūrāns, pendēbat tōtō ex tē pectore, Thēseu, tōtō animō, tōtā peritā mente.
ah misera, quam Erycīna adsiduīs lūctibus exsternāvit, serēns spīnōsās cūrās in pectore illā tempestāte, quō ex tempore ferōx Thēseus, ēgressus curvīs ē lītoribus Pīraeī, attigit Gortynia tēcta iniūstī rēgis.
Tier 4 - Carmen Ipsum
- immemor at iuvenis fugiens pellit vada rēmīs,
- irrita ventōsae linquēns prōmissa procellae.
- quem procul ex algā maestīs Mīnōis ocellīs
- saxea ut effigiēs bacchantis prōspicit, ēheu,
- prōspicit et māgnīs cūrārum fluctuat undīs,
- nōn flāvō retinēns subtīlem vertice mītram,
- nōn contēcta levī vēlātum pectus amictū,
- nōn teretī strophiō lactentīs vincta papillās,
- omnia quae tōtō dēlāpsa ē corpore passim
- ipsīus ante pedēs fluctūs salis adlūdēbant.
- sed neque tum mītrae neque tum fluitantis amictūs
- illa vicem cūrāns tōtō ex tē pectore, Thēseu,
- tōtō animō, tōtā pendēbat peritā mente.
- ah misera, adsiduīs quam lūctibus exsternāvit
- spīnōsās Erycīna serēns in pectore cūrās
- illā tempestāte, ferōx quō ex tempore Thēseus
- ēgressus curvīs ē lītoribus Pīraeī
- attigit iniūstī rēgis Gortynia tēcta.
Original draft written by Robert Amstutz
