Daedalus in the meantime, hating Crete and his long exile

and having been touched by the love of his birthplace[1],

had been closed in by the sea. He says, "Although Minos obstructs[2]

the land and waves, the sky at least lies open; we will fly there.

Minos may possess everything, but he does not possess the air."

He spoke and sends down his mind into unknown arts[3]

and changes his nature[4]. For he puts feathers in a row

beginning with the small ones, and the shorter ones following the long ones,

so that you should think it has grown on an incline; in the same way that

a countryman's pipe gradually builds up with reeds of different lengths.

Then he binds the middle ones with thread and the last feathers with wax

and then bends what he has created by a small curvature as

to mimic real birds. Together with his father, the boy Icarus

was standing nearby, unaware that he was facing danger,

now with a beaming face was capturing the feathers

which the wandering air has moved, with his thumb now was softening the yellow wax

and with his play he kept interrupting the marvelous work of his father.

After the finishing touch had been placed

on the work, the craftsman balanced his body

on the twin wings and suspended his body in the open air;

"I warn you to travel in the middle course, Icarus, so that the waves

may not weigh down your wings if you go too low,

and so that the sun will not scorch your wings if you go too high.

Stay between both. I order you not to look at Boötes,

or Helice, or the drawn sword of Orion.

With me leading, seize the way!" He hands over at the same time the rules of flying

and fits the unknown wings on his shoulders.

Between the work and warnings the old cheeks grew wet,

and his fatherly hands trembled; He gave to his son kisses

not to be repeated, and having lifted himself up on his wings

he flies before and he fears for his comrade. Just as a bird

who has led forth a tender offspring from a high nest into the air,

and encourages [him] to follow and instructs [him] in the destructive arts

and he moves himself and looks back at the wings of his son.

Someone while catching fish with a trembling rod,

either a shepherd leaning on his staff or a plowman on a plow

saw these men and was stunned, and they who were able to snatch the sky,

he believed were gods. And now Juno's Samos was on the left

side (for Delos and Paros had been left behind)

and on the right was Lebynthos and Kalymnos rich in honey,

when the boy began to rejoice in his bold flight

and deserted his leader, and attracted by a desire for the sky

he took his path [went] higher. The vicinity of the sun

softens the fragrant wax, the chains of the feathers;

the wax melted: he shook his bare arms

and lacking oarage he takes up no air,

and his mouth shouting his father's name

is swept up in the blue sea, which takes its name from him.

But the unlucky father, and no longer a father, said, "Icarus,

Icarus, where are you? In what region shall I seek you?

Icarus!" he kept saying: he caught sight of feathers in the waves

and cursed his own arts and buried the body in a tomb,

and the land is called Icaria the name of the one buried there. ↑ Athens ↑ 'obstructs' almost means 'controls' ↑ the art of flying ↑ i.e., from a creature of the land to one of the air

Daedalus intereā Crēten longumque perōsus

exilium tactusque locī nātālis amōre

clausus erat pelagō. "terrās licet" inquit "et undās

obstruat: et cælum certē patet; ībimus illac:

omnia possideat, nōn possidet āera Mīnos."

dīxit et ignōtās animum dīmittit in artēs

nātūramque novat. nam pōnit in ordine pennās

ā minimā cœptās, longam breviōre sequentī,

ut clīvō crēvisse putēs: sīc rūstica quondam

fistula disparibus paulātim surgit avēnīs;

tum līnō mediās et cērīs alligat īmās

atque ita conpositās parvō curvāmine flectit,

ut vērās imitētur avēs. puer Īcarus ūna

stābat et, ignārus sua sē tractāre perīcla,

ōre renīdentī modo, quās vaga mōverat aura,

captābat plūmās, flāvam modo pollice cēram

mollībat lūsūque suō mīrābile patris

impediēbat opus. postquam manus ultima cœptō

inposita est, geminās opifex librāvit in ālās

ipse suum corpus mōtāque pependit in aurā;

instruit et nātum "mediō" que "ut līmite currās,

Īcare," ait "moneō, nē, sī dēmissior ībīs,

unda gravet pennās, sī celsior, ignis adūrat:

inter utrumque volā. nec tē spectāre Boōten

aut Helicen iubeō strictumque Orīonis ensem:

mē duce carpe viam!" pariter praecepta volandī

trādit et ignōtās umerīs accommodat ālās.

inter opus monitūsque genae maduēre senīlēs,

et patriae tremuēre manūs; dedit oscula nātō

nōn iterum repetenda suō pennīsque levātus

ante volat comitīque timet, velut āles, ab altō

quae teneram prolem prōduxit in āera nīdō,

hortāturque sequī damnōsāsque ērudit artēs

et movet ipse suās et nātī respicit ālās.

hōs aliquis tremulā dum captat harundine piscēs,

aut pastor baculō stivāve innixus arātor

vīdit et obstipuit, quique æthera carpere possent,

crēdidit esse deōs. et iam Iūnōnia lævā

parte Samōs (fuerant Dēlosque Parōsque relictae)

dextra Lebinthos erat fēcundaque melle Calymnē,

cum puer audācī cœpit gaudēre volātū

dēseruitque ducem cælīque cupīdine tractus

altius ēgit iter. rapidī vīcīnia sōlis

mollit odōrātās, pennārum vincula, cērās;

tābuerant cēræ: nūdōs quatit ille lacertōs,

rēmigiōque carēns non ullās percipit aurās,

ōraque cæruleā patrium clāmantia nōmen

excipiuntur aquā, quae nōmen traxit ab illō.

at pater infēlix, nec iam pater, "Īcare," dīxit,

"Īcare," dīxit "ubi es? quā tē regiōne requīram?"

"Īcare" dīcēbat: pennās aspexit in undīs

dēvōvitque suās artēs corpusque sepulcrō

condidit, et tellūs ā nōmine dicta sepultī.