Marcus Valerius Martialis
1st-2nd c. AD (over 1,900 years ago)
Trans. RMBullard
Latin (Silver Age)
1st-2nd c. AD (over 1,900 years ago)
Trans. RMBullard
Latin (Silver Age)
XII
Inter Caesareae discrimina saeua Dianae
fixisset grauidam cum leuis hasta suem,
[Between the savage boundaries of Caesarea, the light-weight spear of Diana had already stuck a heavy sow,]
exiluit partus miserae de uulnere matris.
[and the offspring spilled out from the wound of its doomed mother.]
O Lucina ferox, hoc peperisse fuit?
[O cruel Lucina, what was the point of this delivery?]
Pluribus illa mori uoluisset saucia telis, 5
[Wounded, she had began to die from even more spears,]
omnibus ut natis triste pateret iter.
[so that she could tread her sad journey in accompaniment with all her childrens.]
Quis negat esse satum materno funere Bacchum?
[Who can deny that Bacchus was born at the very point of his mother's death?]
sic genitum numen credite:
[so, believe in the divine power of procreation:]
nata fera est.
[Birth is a wild animal.]
