Metamorphoses

by Ovid

(the cheeks of the gods are never allowed to be moistened by tears),

Why punish a man for a pure mistake?

‘Where are you fleeing, you traitor, who owe your successes to me? I put you before my country, I put you before my father.

Let those who are loved by the gods be gods, and those who have worshipped be worshipped.”

‘Now feast on my ruin, Saturnian Juno! Feast, cruel goddess! Look down from above on this scene of destruction and glut the desires of your brutal heart! Or else, if my plight cries out to be pitied even by you, my inveterate enemy, racked as I am by harrowing torture, relieve me of life, [180] the life that I hate, the life that was destined for nothing but labours. Death will now be a boon and a worthy gift from my stepmother.

‘If the oaths of the cursed can ever be trusted, I swear by the gods that I never deserved this wrong. How cruel to be punished for nothing! My life has been guiltless. If that is not true, I pray I may wither and lose every leaf that I have and be chopped by the axe for the bonfire.

Iphis loved without hope of ever enjoying her loved one, [725] which made her passion the stronger – a girl in love with a girl!

The lover was deeply angry at being forced to live on, and that obstacles had to be thrown in his way when he simply wanted to die.

wasn’t allowed to lose one child without blood being spilt. I thought, since you were a girl, you’d be safe from the sword; but girl though you were, the sword has destroyed you.

It’s you that I fear, Galatea; your anger is fiercer than lightning. To tell you the truth, I could better endure this cruel contempt,