Ovid

Ovid HOME The Metamorphoses (Transformations) is considered as Ovid’s magnum opus; comprising 11,995 lines, 15 books and over 250 myths, the poem chronicles the history of the in a loose mythico-historical framework.
Ovid Metamorphoses Excerpts I want to speak about bodies changed into new forms. You, gods, since you are the ones who alter these, and all other things, inspire my attempt, and spin out a continuous thread of words, from the world's first origins to my own time. Before there was earth or sea or the sky that covers everything, Nature appeared the same throughout the whole world: what we call chaos: a raw confused mass, nothing but inert matter, badly combined discordant atoms of things, confused in the one place. There was no Titanyet, shining his light on the world, or waxing Phoebe renewing her white horns, or the earth hovering in surrounding air balanced by her own weight, or watery Amphitrite stretching out her arms along the vast shores of the world. Though there was land and sea and air, it was unstable land, unswimmable water, air needing light. Nothing retained its shape, one thing obstructed another, because in the one body, cold fought with heat, moist with dry, soft with hard, and weight with weightless things. This conflict was ended by a god and a greater order of nature, since he split off the earth from the sky, and the sea from the land, and divided the transparent heavens from the dense air. When he had disentangled the elements, and freed them from the obscure mass, he fixed them in separate spaces in harmonious peace. The weightless fire, that forms the heavens, darted upwards to make its home in the furthest heights. Next came air in lightness and place. Earth, heavier than either of these, drew down the largest elements, and was compressed by its own weight. The surrounding water took up the last space and enclosed the solid world. […] “As wave is driven by wave And each, pursued, pursues the wave ahead, So time flies on and follows, flies, and follows, Always, for ever and new. What was before Is left behind; what never was is now; And every passing moment is renewed.” [….] “When he, whoever of the gods it was, had thus arranged in order and resolved that chaotic mass, and reduced it, thus resolved, to cosmic parts, he first moulded the Earth into the form of a mighty ball so that it might be of like form on every side … And, that no region might be without its own forms of animate life, the stars and divine forms occupied the floor of heaven, the sea fell to the shining fishes for their home, Earth received the beasts, and the mobile air the birds … Then Man was born:… though all other animals are prone, and fix their gaze upon the earth, he gave to Man an uplifted face and bade him stand erect and turn his eyes to heaven.” […] But now I get it! I am that other one! I've finally seen through my own image! I burn with love for - me! The spark I kindle is the torch I carry: whatever can I do? Am I the favor-seeker, or the favor sought? Why seek at all, when all that I desire is mine already? Riches in such abundance that I've been left completely without means! Oh, would that I were able to secede from my own body, depart from what I love! (Now that's an odd request from any lover.) My grief is draining me, my end is near; soon I will be extinguished in my prime. This death is no grave matter, for it brings an end to sorrow. Of course, I would have been delighted if my beloved could have lived on, but now in death we two will merge as one.” […] “And now the measure of my song is done: The work has reached its end; the book is mine, None shall unwrite these words: nor angry Jove, Nor war, nor fire, nor flood, Nor venomous time that eats our lives away. Then let that morning come, as come it will, When this disguise I carry shall be no more, And all the treacherous years of life undone, And yet my name shall rise to heavenly music, The deathless music of the circling stars. As long as Rome is the Eternal City These lines shall echo from the lips of men, As long as poetry speaks truth on earth

Ovid HOME

The Metamorphoses (Transformations) is considered as Ovid’s magnum opus; comprising 11,995 lines, 15 books and over 250 myths, the poem chronicles the history of the in a loose mythico-historical framework.

Ovid

Metamorphoses

Excerpts

I want to speak about bodies changed into new forms.
You, gods, since you are the ones who alter these,
and all other things, inspire my attempt,
and spin out a continuous thread of words,
from the world's first origins to my own time.
Before there was earth or sea
or the sky that covers everything,
Nature appeared the same throughout the whole world:
what we call chaos: a raw confused mass,
nothing but inert matter,
badly combined discordant atoms of things,
confused in the one place.
There was no Titanyet, shining his light on the world,
or waxing Phoebe renewing her white horns,
or the earth hovering in surrounding air
balanced by her own weight, or watery
Amphitrite stretching out her arms
along the vast shores of the world.
Though there was land and sea and air,
it was unstable land, unswimmable water, air needing light.
Nothing retained its shape, one thing obstructed another,
because in the one body,
cold fought with heat, moist with dry, soft with hard,
and weight with weightless things.
This conflict was ended by a god
and a greater order of nature,
since he split off the earth from the sky,
and the sea from the land,
and divided the transparent heavens
from the dense air.
When he had disentangled the elements,
and freed them from the obscure mass,
he fixed them in separate spaces
in harmonious peace.
The weightless fire, that forms the heavens,
darted upwards to make its home in the furthest heights.
Next came air in lightness and place.
Earth, heavier than either of these,
drew down the largest elements,
and was compressed by its own weight.
The surrounding water took up
the last space and enclosed the solid world.
[…]
“As wave is driven by wave
And each, pursued, pursues the wave ahead,
So time flies on and follows, flies, and follows,
Always, for ever and new. What was before
Is left behind; what never was is now;
And every passing moment is renewed.”
[….]
“When he, whoever of the gods it was,
had thus arranged in order
and resolved that chaotic mass,
and reduced it, thus resolved, to cosmic parts,
he first moulded the Earth into the form of a mighty ball
so that it might be of like form on every side …
And, that no region might be
without its own forms of animate life,
the stars and divine forms occupied the floor of heaven,
the sea fell to the shining fishes for their home,
Earth received the beasts,
and the mobile air the birds …
Then Man was born:…
though all other animals are prone,
and fix their gaze upon the earth,
he gave to Man an uplifted face
and bade him stand erect
and turn his eyes to heaven.”
[…]
But now I get it! I am that other one!
I've finally seen through my own image!
I burn with love for - me! The spark I kindle
is the torch I carry: whatever can I do?
Am I the favor-seeker, or the favor sought?
Why seek at all, when all that I desire
is mine already? Riches in such abundance
that I've been left completely without means!
Oh, would that I were able to secede
from my own body, depart from what I love!
(Now that's an odd request from any lover.)
My grief is draining me, my end is near;
soon I will be extinguished in my prime.
This death is no grave matter,
for it brings an end to sorrow.
Of course, I would have been
delighted if my beloved could have lived on,
but now in death we two will merge as one.”
[…]
“And now the measure of my song is done:
The work has reached its end; the book is mine,
None shall unwrite these words: nor angry Jove,
Nor war, nor fire, nor flood,
Nor venomous time that eats our lives away.
Then let that morning come, as come it will,
When this disguise I carry shall be no more,
And all the treacherous years of life undone,
And yet my name shall rise to heavenly music,
The deathless music of the circling stars.
As long as Rome is the Eternal City
These lines shall echo from the lips of men,
As long as poetry speaks truth on earth