Poem 4A: Echo & Narcissus

• adpsicit hunc trepidos agitantem in retia cervos

  She notices this man hunting frightened stags in nets
• vocalis nymphe, quae new reticere loquenti

  The talkative nymph, who did not learn to keep quiet from talking
• nec prior ipsa loqui didicit, resonabilis echo

  nor to talk first herself, answering echo
• corpus adhuc echo, non vox erat; et tamen usum

  Echo was still a body, not just a voice; and although
• garrula non alium quam nunc habet, oris habebat

  a chatterbox she had no other use for her mouth than she has now
• reddere de multis ut verba novissima posset

  namely that she was able to repeat only the last words out of many
• ergo ubi Narcissum per devia rura vagantem

  therefore, when she saw narcissus wandering through the lonely countryside
• vidit et incaluit sequitur vestiga furtim

  and she fell in love with him, she followed his footsteps secretly
• quoque magis sequitur, flamma propiore calescit

  and the more she followed, the more the flame of her passion burned within her
• non aliter quam cum summis circumlita taedis

  just as when having been smeared around the top of torches
• admotas rapiunt vivacia sulphura flammas

  lively sulphur seizes flames brought close
• o quotiens voluit blandis accedere dictis

  oh how often she wanted to approach him with charming words
• et molles adhibere preces! natura repugnat

  and to use gentle prayers! her condition prevents
• nec sinit incipat; sed, quod sinit, illa parata est

  and does not allow her to begin, but, that which it does allow, she is ready
• exspectare sonos, ad quos sua verba remittat

  to await the sounds to which she can return her own words
• forte puer comitum seductus ab agmine fido

  by chance the boy, having been separated from his trusty band of companions
• dixerat “ecquis adest?” et “adest” responderat Echo

  had said “who is here?” and “here” echo had replied
• hic stupet, utque aciem partes dimittit in omnes

  he is amazed and as he gazes around in every direction
• voce “veni” magna clamat; vocat illa vocantem

  in a loud voice “come! ” he shouts: she calls him calling
• respicit et rursus nullo veniente “quid” inquit

  he looks around again, with no one coming, he says “why”
• “Corpus adhuc Echo, non vox erat”

  Foreshadowing
• “loquenti … loquenti“

  polyptoton
• ”admotas … vivacia sulphura flammas”

  chiasmus
• “devia rura”

  melancholy atmosphere
• ”incaluit … flamma … calsecit”

  metaphor
• “vocalis nymphe … resonabilis Echo”

  description of echo frames the line
• “voluit”

  emphatic positioning
• “remittat … responderat … respicit … recepit”

  Re verbs
• “o quotieno”

  apostrophe
• “nec sinit … quod sinit”

  anaphora
• “repugnant“

  tortology
• “voce … vocat … vocantem”

  alliteration & polyptoton