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5.4
[1] Fīnītīs voluptātibus vesperā suādente concēdit Psȳchē cubitum. Iamque prōvectā nocte clēmēns quīdam sonus aurēs eius accēdit. [2] Tunc virginitātī suae prō tanta sōlitūdine metuēns et pavet et horrēscit et quōvīs mālō plūs timet quod ignōrat. [3] Iamque aderat ignōbilis marītus et torum inscenderat et uxōrem sibi Psȳchēn fēcerat et ante lūcis exortum properē discesserat. [4] Statim vōcēs cubiculō praestōlātae novam nūptam interfectae virginitātis cūrant. Haec diūtinō tempore sīc agēbantur. [5] Atque ut est nātūra redditum, novitās per assiduam cōnsuētūdinem dēlectātiōnem eī commendārat et sonus vōcis incertae sōlitūdinis erat sōlācium.
[6] Intereā parentēs eius indēfessō lūctu atque maerōre cōnsenēscēbant, lātiusque porrēcta fāmā sorōrēs illae maiōrēs cūncta cognōrant properēque maestae atque lūgubres dēsertō lare certātim ad parentum suōrum cōnspectum adfātumque perrēxerant.
Psyche returns to her bedchambers and is greeted by an unknown visitor.
vesperā suādente: abl. absolute. Suādeō here means “urge, compel.”
clēmēns quīdam sonus aurēs eius accēdit: An unknown sound has entered Psȳchē’s bedchambers; this is distinct from the intangible sounds Psȳchē describes in the previous chapter, as we can infer from the following sentence, where she begins to shake and tremble in fear.
prō tanta sōlitūdine: prō + abl: here, “in the face of.”
quōvīs mālō plūs timet quod ignōrat: abl. of comparison: “more than (she fears) any danger, she fears what she does not know.”
et uxorem sibi Psȳchēn fecerat: This is a euphemistic way of saying that the ignobilis maritus has raped Psȳchē, taking her virginity and apparently bonding Psȳchē to him in marriage.
aderat…inscenderat…fēcerat…discesserat…. These successive pluperfects will become typical for Cupid’s nocturnal visits.
interfectae virginitātis: gen. of specification with curant (A&G §349d), a metaphor for Psȳchē’s being “deflowered.”
haec diūtinō tempore sīc agēbantur: haec refers to the coming and going of Psȳchē’s intruder, who returns night after night to commit the same offense against her.
atque ut est nātūrā redditum: lit. “as has been brought about by nature;” more idiomatically, “as is usually the case.”
prōvehō, -ere, -vexī, -vectus: to proceed, advance
horrēscō, -ere, horruī: to tremble with fear
ignōbilis, -e: unknown
torus, -ī m.: bed
inscendō, -ere, -ī: to climb, ascend, mount
exortus, -ūs m.: a rising, emergence
properē: (adv.) speedily, hastily
praestōlor, -arī: to expect, wait for, stand ready for
interficiō, -ere, -fēcī, -fectus: to destroy, bring to naught
assiduus, -a, -um: continual, unremitting
cōnsuētūdō, -inis f.: customary practice, habit
dēlectātio, -ōnis f.: delight, pleasure
commendō, -āre: to entrust, commend
indēfessus, -a, -um: unceasing, unwearied
lūctus, -ūs m.: grief, sorrow
maeror, -ōris m.: mourning, sadness
cōnsenēscō, -ere, -senuī: grow old
lūgubrīs, -e: mournful, in mourning
certātim (adv.): in competition, eagerly
affātus, -ūs m.: a speaking to, conversation
pergō, pergere, perrēxī, perrēctus: to go, proceed, make haste