5.23
[1] Quae dum īnsatiābilī animō Psȳchē, satis et cūriōsa, rīmātur atque pertrectat et marītī suī mīrātur arma, dēprōmit ūnam dē pharetrā sagittam [2] et punctō pollicis extrēmam aciem perīclitābunda trementis etiam nunc articulī nīsū fortiōre pupugit altius, ut per summam cutem rōrāverint parvulae sanguinis roseī guttae. [3] Sīc ignāra Psȳchē sponte in Amōris incīdit amōrem. Tunc magis magisque cupīdine fraglāns Cupīdinis prōna in eum efflīctim inhiāns patulīs ac petulantibus sāviīs festīnanter ingestīs dē somnī mēnsūrā metuēbat. [4] Sed dum bonō tantō percita sauciā mente fluctuat, lucerna illa, sīve perfidiā pessimā sīve invidiā noxiā sīve quod tāle corpus contingere et quasi bāsiāre et ipsa gestiēbat, ēvomuit dē summā lūminis suī stillam ferventis oleī super umerum deī dexterum. [5] Hem audāx et temerāria lucerna et amōris vīle ministerium, ipsum ignis tōtīus deum adūris, cum tē scīlicet amātor aliquis, ut diūtius cupītīs etiam nocte potīrētur, prīmus invēnerit. [6] Sīc inustus exiluit deus vīsāque dētēctae fideī colluviē prōrsus ex ōsculīs et manibus īnfēlīcissimae coniugis tacitus āvolāvit.
Psyche observes Cupid and pierces herself with his arrow before a drop of hot oil awakens him.
quae: Connecting relative, referring back to tēla.
et = etiam
cūriōsa: Psyche is another cūriōsus/a character who looks upon something transcendent and dangerous.
pertrectat…arma: arma is the object of only pertrectat and mīrātur; quae is the object of rīmātur.
punctū: Commentators inconsequentially discuss whether to correct the manuscript reading punctō (tip) to punctū (puncturing). The correction is not necessary, and I have retained the original word since punctum, -ī can also mean puncture. (L&S s.v. pungō IA).
articulī: “finger” (usually “knuckle” or “joint”)
altius: altus describes depth as well as height
summam cutem: i.e. the top layer of her skin
in…incīdit amōrem: “fall in love with.”
fraglāns: from flagrō, -āre, “burn”
cupīdine…Cupīdinis: the person desired is in the objective genitive (A&G § 348)
patulīs…ingestīs: abl. absolute
dē somnī mēnsurā: She is afraid Cupid will wake up soon.
sauciā: saucius refers often to someone figuratively wounded by love, cf. Medea animo aegra, amore saevo saucia (Ennius) L&S s.v. saucius II
tāle corpus: i.e. Cupid is attractive.
quod…ipsa gestiēbat: The lamp is personified.
lūminis: “opening,” “spout;” lumen describes the aperture that emits light (L&S s.v. lumen IB7)
hem: interjection “expressing surprise and indignation” (Kenney)
ipsum ignis tōtīus deum: Cupid is the god of fire because it is often said that being in love feels like being set on fire.
cum has concessive force
cupītīs …potīrētur: potior can take an ablative object.vīsāque dētēctae fideī colluviē: “seeing the filth of his uncovered trust” (Kenney)
insatiābilis, -e: that cannot be satisfied
rīmor, -ārī: examine thoroughly; pry into
pertrectō/pertractō, -āre: touch, feel, handle
dēprōmō, -prōmere, -prompsī, -promptus: draw out
punctum, -ī n.: puncture
perīclitābundus, -a, -um: testing, trying
nīsus, -ūs m.: pressure, exertion, effort
rōrō, -āre: bead, drip
roseus, -a, -um: rose-colored
gutta, -ae f.: a drop, a small amount
efflīctim: (adv.) desperately
inhiō, -āre: regard with longing, gape
patulus, -a, -um: extended, open, wide
petulans, -antis: impudent, wanton
s(u)āvium, -iī n.: kiss
percieo, -ēre, -īvī, -itum: excite, move, stir up
fluctuō, -āre: be restless, hesitate, move in waves
bāsiō, -āre: kiss
ēvomō, -ere, -uī, -itum: spew out, throw up
stilla, -ae f.: drop
inustus, -a, -um: burned
colluviēs, -ēī, f.: filth
