ICARUS FALLING
rapidi vicinia solis
mollit odoratas, pennarum vincula, ceras;
tabuerant cerae: nudos quatit ille lacertos,
remigioque carens non ullas percipit auras,
oraque caerulea patrium clamantia nomen
excipiuntur aqua, quae nomen traxit ab illo.
The nearness (vicinia) of the fierce sun (rapidi solis) softened the fragrant waxes (odoratas ceras), the bonds of his wings (vincula pennarum).
The waxes dissolved (tabuerant cerae). He shook (quatit ille) his naked arms (nudos lacertos), and lacking his oar (remigium) he could grasp no breezes (non ullas percipit auras). And his mouth (oraque), crying out his father’s name (patrium clamantia nomen), was snatched (excipiuntur) by the caerulean water (caerulea aqua) – which draws its name from him (quae nomen traxit ab illo).
Sol is the sun. Vicinia is the root of our vicinity. Mollio, to soften, survives in mollify. Ora is the root of oral. Caerulean is a shade of blue. Samos is in the part of the Aegean which is still called the Icarian Sea, after Icarus. Clamantia, crying out, can be seen in clamour and exclamation.
Our word for a pen derives from penna, a feather. This dates back to the days of the goose-feather quill.
Ille and illo are different forms of the Latin word for him.