Fast-dissolving face,
self-beloved in vain,
echoed voice, farewell
speaking.
The nymph Echo loves Narcissus. Juno took away her voice because she wouldn't tattle on Jupiter's hanky-panky. She can only repeat what others say. Narcissus doesn't love others, only his own image, which is too insubstantial for him to possess. When he dies of frustration, Echo repeats his farewell utterance.
By far the best way to read the Metamorphoses, in my opinion, is to use the late 17th-century translation that John Dryden edited. I think the translations are by a lot of different people, but Dryden edited and rewrote them all. The downloadable searchable version is very easy to use, and Dryden's English is very accessible.
self-beloved in vain,
echoed voice, farewell
speaking.
The nymph Echo loves Narcissus. Juno took away her voice because she wouldn't tattle on Jupiter's hanky-panky. She can only repeat what others say. Narcissus doesn't love others, only his own image, which is too insubstantial for him to possess. When he dies of frustration, Echo repeats his farewell utterance.
By far the best way to read the Metamorphoses, in my opinion, is to use the late 17th-century translation that John Dryden edited. I think the translations are by a lot of different people, but Dryden edited and rewrote them all. The downloadable searchable version is very easy to use, and Dryden's English is very accessible.
