Symphosius Riddle 45: Rosa
ALEXANDRAREIDER
Date: Fri 01 Jul 2022Original text:
Purpura sum terrae, pulcro perfusa colore;
Saeptaque, ne violer, telis defendor acutis.
O felix, longo si possim vivere fato!
Translation:
I am crimson in the earth, imbued with a beautiful colour;
And enclosed, so that I may not be violated, I am defended by sharp points.
O happy, if I were able to live out a long fate!
Rose
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 1: colore > rubore
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