aspicit hunc trepidos agitantem in retia cervos
vocalis nymphe, quae nec reticere loquenti
nec prius ipsa loqui didicit, resonabilis Echo.
corpus adhuc Echo, non vox, erat; et tamen usum
garrula non alium, quam nunc habet, oris habebat, 5
reddere de multis ut verba novissima posset.
ergo ubi Narcissum per devia rura vagantem
vidit et incaluit, sequitur vestigia furtim,
quoque magis sequitur, flamma propiore calescit,
non aliter quam cum summis circumlita taedis 10
admotas rapiunt vivacia sulphura flammas.
o quotiens voluit blandis accedere dictis
et molles adhibere preces. natura repugnat
nec sinit incipiat; sed, quod sinit, illa parata est
exspectare sonos, ad quos sua verba remittat.

The talkative nymph caught sight of him chasing frightened deer
into (his) nets, she who had not learnt to keep quiet for the speaker
nor to speak first herself, the reverberating Echo.
Echo was still a body (then), not (just) a voice; and yet,
(though) talkative, she had no other use of her mouth than she has now,5
(namely) that she could give back the very last words from many.
Therefore when she saw Narcissus roaming through the remote
countryside and grew warm, she followed his tracks secretly,
also the more she followed, (the more) she burned from the closer flame,
not unlike when lively sulphur smeared round the tips 10
of torches snatches flames which are brought near.
O how often she wanted to approach him with sweet words
and employ tender prayers. Her condition prevented (her)
and did not allow her to begin; but, what it did allow, she was ready for,
to wait for sounds to which she might send back her own words. 15

forte puer comitum seductus ab agmine fido
dixerat ‘ecquis adest?’ et ‘adest!’ responderat Echo.
hic stupet, utque aciem partes dimittit in omnes,
voce ‘veni!’ magna clamat; vocat illa vocantem.
respicit et rursus nullo veniente ‘quid’ inquit20
‘me fugis?’ et totidem, quot dixit, verba recepit.
perstat et alternae deceptus imagine vocis,
‘huc coeamus!’ ait nullique libentius umquam
responsura sono ‘coeamus’ rettulit Echo
et verbis favet ipsa suis egressaque silva25
ibat, ut iniceret sperato bracchia collo.

By chance the boy, separated from his faithful group of companions,
had said, ‘Is anyone here?’ and Echo had replied, ‘Here!’
He was astonished, and as he darted his gaze in all directions,
he called with a loud voice, ‘Come!’; she called to him calling.
He looked back and, again as no one came, he said, ‘Why 20
do you flee from me?’ and he got back as many words as he had said.
He persevered and, deceived by the illusion of another voice,
he said, ‘Let us get together here!’ and Echo, who would never make
a more willing reply to any sound, answered, ‘Let us get together’
and she backed up her words and, coming out of the wood, 25
she was advancing to throw her arms around the neck she hoped for.

ille fugit fugiensque ‘manus complexibus aufer;
ante’ ait ‘emoriar, quam sit tibi copia nostri.’
rettulit illa nihil nisi ‘sit tibi copia nostri.’
spreta latet silvis pudibundaque frondibus ora
protegit et solis ex illo vivit in antris;
sed tamen haeret amor crescitque dolore repulsae:
attenuant vigiles corpus miserabile curae,
adducitque cutem macies, et in aera sucus
corporis omnis abit; vox tantum atque ossa supersunt:
vox manet: ossa ferunt lapidis traxisse figuram.
inde latet silvis nulloque in monte videtur.
omnibus auditur: sonus est, qui vivit in illa.

hic puer, et studio venandi lassus et aestu,
procubuit faciemque loci fontemque secutus;
dumque sitim sedare cupit, sitis altera crevit,
dumque bibit, visae correptus imagine formae,
spem sine corpore amat, corpus putat esse, quod umbra est.
astupet ipse sibi vultuque immotus eodem
haeret, ut e Pario formatum marmore signum.
spectat humi positus geminum, sua lumina, sidus
et dignos Baccho, dignos et Apolline crines,
impubesque genas et eburnea colla decusque
oris et in niveo mixtum candore ruborem,
cunctaque miratur, quibus est mirabilis ipse.
se cupit imprudens et, qui probat, ipse probatur,
dumque petit, petitur, pariterque accendit et ardet.
irrita fallaci quotiens dedit oscula fonti!
in mediis quotiens visum captantia collum
bracchia mersit aquis nec se deprendit in illis!
quid videat nescit, sed quod videt uritur illo
atque oculos idem qui decipit incitat error.

Here the boy, tired by his enthusiasm for hunting and by the heat,
fell down attracted both by the appearance of the place and by the spring. 40
And while he wanted to quench his thirst, another thirst grew,
and while he drank, captivated by the image of the beauty he saw,
he loved a hope without a body, and thought it was a body what was a reflection.
He himself was astonished at himself and motionless with unchanging
expression he lingered, like a statue shaped from Parian marble. 45
Positioned on the ground he watched the double stars, his own eyes,
and hair worthy of Bacchus, worthy also of Apollo,
and his unbearded cheeks and ivory neck and the beauty
of his face and the blush mixed in the snow-white radiance,
and he admired everything, for which he himself was admired. 50
Unknowing he desired himself and he who approved was himself approved.
And while he sought, he was sought, and he equally inflamed and burned.
How often he gave futile kisses to the deceitful spring!
How often did he sink his arms in the middle of the waters, trying to catch
the neck he saw and yet did not seize himself in them! 55
He did not know what he saw, but he was inflamed by that which he saw
and the same error which deceived his eyes (also) encouraged (them).

quae simul aspexit liquefacta rursus in unda,
non tulit ulterius sed, ut intabescere flavae
igne levi cerae matutinaeque pruinae
sole tepente solent, sic attenuatus amore
liquitur et tecto paulatim carpitur igni;
et neque iam color est mixto candore rubori,
nec vigor et vires et quae modo visa placebant,
nec corpus remanet, quondam quod amaverat Echo.
quae tamen ut vidit, quamvis irata memorque
indoluit, quotiensque puer miserabilis ‘eheu’
dixerat, haec resonis iterabat vocibus ‘eheu’.
cumque suos manibus percusserat ille lacertos,
haec quoque reddebat sonitum plangoris eundem.

As soon as he saw this again in the clear water,
he could not bear it any longer, but, just as honey-gold wax
is accustomed to melt with a gentle flame and the morning frosts 60
are accustomed to thaw in the warming sun, thus weakened by love
he melted away and was gradually consumed by a hidden fire;
and there was no longer colour to his rosy white complexion,
nor the energy and strength and the things which just now were seen and pleasing, nor did his body, which Echo had once loved, remain. 65
However when she saw this, although angry and unforgetting,
she grieved for him, and whenever the pitiable boy said , ‘alas!’,
she kept repeating ‘alas!’ with echoing sounds.
And whenever he struck his own arms with his hands
she also kept returning the same sound of grief. 70

ultima vox solitam fuit haec spectantis in undam:
‘heu frustra dilecte puer!’ totidemque remisit
verba locus, dictoque vale, ‘vale’ inquit et Echo.
ille caput viridi fessum summisit in herba,
lumina mors clausit domini mirantia formam.
tum quoque se, postquam est inferna sede receptus,
in Stygia spectabat aqua. planxere sorores
Naides et sectos fratri posuere capillos,
planxerunt Dryades; plangentibus assonat Echo.
iamque rogum quassasque faces feretrumque parabant:
nusquam corpus erat; croceum pro corpore florem
inveniunt foliis medium cingentibus albis.