Symphosius Riddle 47: Tus

ALEXANDRAREIDER

Date: Fri 01 Jul 2022
Original text:

Dulcis odor nemoris flamma fumoque fatigor,
Et placet hoc superis, medios quod mittor in ignes,
Cum mihi peccandi meritum natura negavit.

Translation:

The sweet scent of the grove, I am fatigued by flame and smoke,
And it is pleasing to the gods that I am sent into the middle of the flames,
Because nature denied me the reward of sinning.

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Incense


Notes:

This edition is based on Raymond T. Ohl, ed. The Enigmas of Symphosius. PhD dissertation, University of Pennsylvania, 1928.

If you're researching/studying this collection, you should also consult this excellent new edition: T. J. Leary, ed. Symphosius: The Aenigmata, An Introduction, Text and Commentary. London: Bloomsbury, 2014. Textual differences in that edition include:

  • line 3 is from a different manuscript family: Nec mihi poena datur, sed habetur gratia dandi


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