Ausonius Epigrams, 76


      Women who changed their gender
At Vallebana — a novelty the poets could hardly believe,
but something recorded from eyewitness reporting —
A male bird was took on the appearance of a female,
and there a peahen stood where a peacock had been right before their eyes.
Everybody was astonished at this portent: but more tenderly than a lamb
does this girl speak with the voice of a maiden.
Why do you yokels ogle this like it has appearance of some astonishing novelty?
Have you not read the poems of Ovidius Naso?
The Saturn-born Consus turned Caenis into a boy
and Tiresias had a body of both genders.
Salmacis the pond gazed upon the half-male Hermaphroditus.
Pliny saw the nubile Androgynus.
Nor is it very long ago that in Campania at Benevento
One of the town youth was recently a girl.
Still, I prefer not to hold the reporting of recent reporting at arm's length.
Look! I have been turned from a boy into a woman.
—— trans by RTM

     
     
     

Ausonius, Epigrammata 76
Quae sexum mutarint

Vallebanae (nova res et vix credenda poetis,
Sed quae de vera promitur historia)
Femineam in speciem convertit masculus ales
Pavaque de pavo constitit ante oculos.
Cuncti admirantur monstrum: sed mollior agna
Talia virginea voce puella refert:
"Quid stolidi ad speciem notae novitatis hebetis?
An vos Nasonis carmina non legitis?
Caenida convertit proles Saturnia Consus
Ambiguoque fuit corpore Tiresias.
Vidit semivirum fons Salmacis Hermaphroditum:
Vidit nubentem Plinius Androgynum. Nec satis antiquum, quod Campana in Benevento
Unus epheborum virgo repente fuit.
Nolo tamen veteris documenta arcessere famae. Ecce ego sum factus femina de puero."