Nota mihi freta sunt
Afrum plangentia litus;
temporibus certis dantque
negantque uiam.
Cum dabit aura uiam,
praebebis carbasa uientis;
nunc
leuis eiectam continet alga ratem.
Tempus ut obseruem, manda mihi: certior ibis,
nec te, si cupies, ipsa manere sinam.
Et socii requiem poscunt, laniataque classis
postulat
exiguas semirefecta moras.
Pro meritis et siqua tibi praebebimus ultra ,
non spe coniguii tempora parua peto,
dum freta mitescunt et
amor, dum tempore et usu
fortiter edisco tristia posse pati.
Si minus, est animus nobis
effundere uitam;
in me crudelis non potes esse diu.
The seas beating on the African shores were well-known
to me;
at certain
times they give the path, and at certain times deny it.
When the breeze will give the way, you will give your
sail to the wind;
now the light
seaweed holds your ship driven ashore.
Entrust to me the watching of the weather; you will
sail more certainly,
I, although
you desire, will not allow you to stay.
Even your allies demand rest, and your mangled,
half-repaired
fleet calls for a short delay;
due to your kindnesses and some other thing that I
will give to you,
due to my hope
of wedlock, I seek a little time,
while the seas and my love grow mild, while through
time and need
I learn to be
able to put up with my woes strongly.
If less, my purpose is to pour forth my life;
you are not
able to be cruel to me for long.
plangentia: present, neuter, participle with freta (
nominative, plural, neuter), object is Afrum litus ; verb plango normally
refers to the beating of one’s breast 1
nota sunt: 3rd person, plural, perfect, passive,
indicative; from nosco, noscere
temporibus: ablative of time when; ‘temporibus certis’
used in meteorological observation 1, Dido here
is altering her appeal for Aeneas to stay by using poor weather conditions as a
deterrent. dantque, negantque: 3rd
person, plural, active, present, indicative
cum dabit: future used in place of subjunctive in a temporal
cum clause
eiactam: perfect passive participle; accusative, singular,
feminine; modifies ratem; Dido here is reminding Aeneas how he arrived
in Carthage1, thrown by the storm of Hera’s
planning
continet alga ratem: seaweed
piled on a shore was a sign of stormy seas 1
tempus ut obseruem: idiom, ‘watch for an opportunity’1
manda: future imperative; manda mihi ut observem tempus;
ut introduces result clause
ibis: 2nd person, singular, future, active,
indicative; from < eo, ivi
si:, = etsi, used as concessive; ‘although’
manere: present, active, infinitive, complementary with sinam
sinam: 1st person, singular, future, active,
indicative; from sino, sinere
laniata, semirefecta: perfect passive participles; nominative, singular, feminine;
modifying classis
pro: used
with peto; ‘due to … and…, I seek….’
siqua … ultra: an allusion to the possibility of her pregnancy1
spe: ablative, singular, feminine; used with pro
taken from line 177; other sources of Heroides VII have pro in place of non
here
mitescunt: 3rd person, plural, present, active,
indicative; subject ‘freta et amor’,
from mitesco, mitescere; Dido is comparing her love to the waves
of the sea
tempore: ablative, singular, neuter; ablative of attendant
circumstances
usu: ablative, singular, masculine; ablative of attendant
circumstances
posse: present active infinitive, used with edisco;
introduces pati
pati: present passive infinitive; form of deponent verb
(thus active meaning), infinitive complementary to posse: edisco
posse pati, ‘I learn to be able to put up with….’
si minus: minus
= non manes; Dido is threatening to take her own life if Aeneas does not
stay 1
effundere: present active infinitive, used as predicate
adjective of animus: nobis animus est effundere; ‘my purpose is
to pour forth’
crudelis: nominative, singular, masculine; predicate adjective
modifying subject of non potes (Aeneas)
diu: adverb, modifies esse crudelis