Uma Vênus de Ovídio

Eu tenho este livrinho que se chama Ovid in English, uma coletânea, preparada por certo Christopher Martin, de diversos trechos, de diversas épocas, de diversos livros do diverso Ovídio. E achei esta tradução dum trechinho inicial do IV canto dos Fastos (4.91-113) nele.

In praise of Venus (tradução de 1925),

by F. A. Wright (1869-1946)

Venus is queen: to her is given

Power over land and sea and heaven.

To her the gods her lineage owe

And we all things on earth that grow.

'Twas she who peopled wood and grove.

'Twas she who taught the world to love.

Ram against ram his horn will press,

Yet woo the sheep with soft caress;

The bull, whom all the forest fears,

10 Complacent to his cow appears;

And e'en the fish beneath the sea

Acknowledge Venus' mastery.

Venus is queen: she did remove

Men's savage ways and gave them love.

A thousand arts from her derive;

For when to please a maid men strive

They have to show craftsman's skill

If they would mould her to their will.

A lover first, his suit refused,

20 The power of plaintive music used.

A lover first on some stern maid

The pleader's cunning art essayed.

It is with Venus songs commence,

And Venus lends us eloquence.

E o belo original:

illa quidem totum dignissima temperat orbem,
illa tenet nullo regna minora deo,
iuraque dat caelo, terrae, natalibus undis,
perque suos initus continet omne genus.
95 illa deos omnes (longum est numerare) creavit,
illa satis causas arboribusque dedit,
illa rudes animos hominum contraxit in unum,
et docuit iungi cum pare quemque sua.
quid genus omne creat volucrum, nisi blanda voluptas?
100 nec coeant pecudes, si levis absit amor.
cum mare trux aries cornu decertat, at idem
frontem dilectae laedere parcit ovis;
deposita sequitur taurus feritate iuvencam,
quem toti saltus, quem nemus omne tremit;
105 vis eadem lato quodcumque sub aequore vivit
servat, et innumeris piscibus implet aquas.
prima feros habitus homini detraxit: ab illa
venerunt cultus mundaque cura sui.
primus amans carmen vigilatum nocte negata
110 dicitur ad clausas concinuisse fores,
eloquiumque fuit duram exorare puellam,
proque sua causa quisque disertus erat.
mille per hanc artes motae; studioque placendi,
quae latuere prius, multa reperta ferunt.