Then Samson went down to Thamnatha, and seeing there a woman of the daughters of the Philistines,

Descendit ergo Samson in Thamnatha: vidensque ibi mulierem de filiabus Philisthiim,

Samson paid a visit to Thamnatha, and there was a woman there, a Philistine, that took his eye;

He came up, and told his father and his mother, saying: I saw a woman in Thamnatha of the daughters of the Philistines: I beseech you, take her for me to wife.

ascendit, et nuntiavit patri suo et matri suæ, dicens: Vidi mulierem in Thamnatha de filiabus Philisthinorum: quam quæso ut mihi accipiatis uxorem.

and when he went home he told his father and mother, I have seen a Philistine woman in Thamnatha I would fain have you choose out for my bride.

And his father and mother said to him: Is there no woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that thou wilt take a wife of the Philistines, who are uncircumcised? And Samson said to his father: Take this woman for me, for she hath pleased my eyes.

Cui dixerunt pater et mater sua: Numquid non est mulier in filiabus fratrum tuorum, et in omni populo meo, quia vis accipere uxorem de Philisthiim, qui incircumcisi sunt? Dixitque Samson ad patrem suum: Hanc mihi accipe: quia placuit oculis meis.

What, said his parents, canst thou find no bride amongst the women of thy own tribe, nay, of all Israel, that thou must wed the daughter of some uncircumcised Philistine? She must be thy choice for me, Samson told his father; I like her well.

Now his parents knew not that the thing was done by the Lord, and that he sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel.

Parentes autem ejus nesciebant quod res a Domino fieret, et quæreret occasionem contra Philisthiim: eo enim tempore Philisthiim dominabantur Israëli.

How could they know that this was the Lord’s will; that this was to be the occasion of a quarrel between Samson and the Philistines, who then held Israel under their dominion?

Then Samson went down with his father and mother to Thamnatha. And when they were come to the vineyards of the town, behold a young lion met him raging and roaring.

Descendit itaque Samson cum patre suo et matre in Thamnatha. Cumque venissent ad vineas oppidi, apparuit catulus leonis sævus, et rugiens, et occurrit ei.

So, with his father and mother, Samson went to Thamnatha again. And now they had reached the vineyards belonging to the town, when, of a sudden, he met a young lion, that roared upon him savagely.

And the spirit of the Lord came upon Samson, and he tore the lion as he would have torn a kid in pieces, having nothing at all in his hand: and he would not tell this to his father and mother.

Irruit autem spiritus Domini in Samson, et dilaceravit leonem, quasi hædum in frustra discerpens, nihil omnino habens in manu: et hoc patri et matri noluit indicare.

Thereupon the spirit of the Lord came down upon Samson, and although he had no weapon, he tore it to pieces as easily as if it had been a kid. He told his father and mother nothing of it,

And he went down and spoke to the woman that had pleased his eyes.

Descenditque, et locutus est mulieri quæ placuerat oculis ejus.

but hastened on to have speech with the woman he loved.

And after some days returning to take her, he went aside to see the carcass of the lion, and behold there was a swarm of bees in the mouth of the lion and a honeycomb.

Et post aliquot dies revertens ut acciperet eam, declinavit ut videret cadaver leonis, et ecce examen apum in ore leonis erat ac favus mellis.

Some days afterwards, he came there again to make her his wife. He turned aside on his way to find the lion’s carcase; and what should he find in its mouth but a swarm of bees, and a comb of honey?

And when he had taken it in his hands, he went on eating: and coming to his father and mother, he gave them of it, and they ate: but he would not tell them, that he had taken the honey from the body of the lion.

Quem cum sumpsisset in manibus comedebat in via: veniensque ad patrem suum et matrem, dedit eis partem, qui et ipsi comederunt: nec tamen eis voluit indicare quod mel de corpore leonis assumpserat.

So he carried off the comb, and fell to eating it as he went along; gave some, too, to his father and mother to eat, but still did not tell them that the honey came from a lion’s body.

So his father went down to the woman, and made a feast for his son Samson: for so the young men used to do.

Descendit itaque pater ejus ad mulierem, et fecit filio suo Samson convivium: sic enim juvenes facere consueverant.

And now that Samson’s father had reached the home of his daughter-in-law, he gave a feast in Samson’s honour; for still the young men would be at their feasting;

And when the citizens of that place saw him, they brought him thirty companions to be with him.

Cum ergo cives loci illius vidissent eum, dederunt ei sodales triginta ut essent cum eo.

and thirty of these had been appointed by their fellow-citizens, when he came, to be his companions for the wedding.

And Samson said to them: I will propose to you a riddle, which if you declare unto me within the seven days of the feast, I will give you thirty shirts, and as many coats:

Quibus locutus est Samson: Proponam vobis problema: quod si solveritis mihi intra septem dies convivii, dabo vobis triginta sindones, et totidem tunicas:

To these, Samson proposed that he should ask them a riddle; if they could answer it within seven days, while the feasting lasted, he would give each of them a linen shirt and a new garment;

But if you shall not be able to declare it, you shall give me thirty shirts and the same number of coats. They answered him: Put forth the riddle that we may hear it.

sin autem non potueritis solvere, vos dabitis mihi triginta sindones, et ejusdem numeri tunicas. Qui responderunt ei: Propone problema, ut audiamus.

if they could not, each of them should do the same by him. Tell us the riddle, they said; let us hear it.

And he said to them: Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness. And they could not in three days expound the riddle.

Dixitque eis: De comedente exivit cibus, et de forti egressa est dulcedo. Nec potuerunt per tres dies propositionem solvere.

And he said, Out of the eater came food, and out of strength, sweetness. The third day came, and still they had not found the answer.

And when the seventh day came, they said to the wife of Samson: Soothe thy husband, and persuade him to tell thee what the riddle meaneth. But if thou wilt not do it, we will burn thee, and thy father’s house. Have you called us to the wedding on purpose to strip us?

Cumque adesset dies septimus, dixerunt ad uxorem Samson: Blandire viro tuo et suade ei ut indicet tibi quid significet problema: quod si facere nolueris, incendemus te, et domum patris tui: an idcirco vocastis nos ad nuptias ut spoliaretis?

And at last, on the eve of the seventh day, they went to Samson’s wife; Use all thy arts, they said, with thy husband, and make him tell thee what the riddle means; or we will burn thy father’s house down, and thyself with it; didst thou bid us to the wedding only to strip us bare?

So she wept before Samson and complained, saying: Thou hatest me, and dost not love me: therefore thou wilt not expound to me the riddle which thou hast proposed to the sons of my people. But he answered: I would not tell it to my father and mother, and how can I tell it to thee?

Quæ fundebat apud Samson lacrimas, et quærebatur, dicens: Odisti me, et non diligis: idcirco problema, quod proposuisti filiis populi mei, non vis mihi exponere. At ille respondit: Patri meo et matri nolui dicere: et tibi indicare potero?

Already, when she was alone with Samson, she was ever weeping and bemoaning herself, Thou art weary of me, thou dost not love me any longer; thou hast asked these neighbours of mine a riddle, and thou wilt not tell me the answer. Nay, said he, why should I tell thee? Have I not kept it secret from my own father and mother?

So she wept before him the seven days of the feast: and at length on the seventh day as she was troublesome to him, he expounded it. And she immediately told her countrymen.

Septem igitur diebus convivii flebat ante eum: tandemque die septimo cum ei esset molesta, exposuit. Quæ statim indicavit civibus suis.

Such were the plaints she had made all through the week of the banquet; and now, this seventh day, she plied him hard, and at last he told her. At once she betrayed it to her fellow-townsfolk,

And they on the seventh day before the sun went down said to him: What is sweeter than honey? and what is stronger than a lion? And he said to them: If you had not ploughed with my heifer, you had not found out my riddle.

Et illi dixerunt ei die septimo ante solis occubitum: Quid dulcius melle, et quid fortius leone? Qui ait ad eos: Si non arassetis in vitula mea, non invenissetis propositionem meam.

and they, before the sun of the seventh day had set, asked Samson, What is sweeter than honey, what is stronger than a lion? You have been yoking my heifer, said he, to your plough, or my riddle would be unanswered still.

And the spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he went down to Ascalon, and slew there thirty men, whose garments he took away and gave to them that had declared the riddle. And being exceeding angry he went up to his father’s house:

Irruit itaque in eum spiritus Domini, descenditque Ascalonem, et percussit ibi triginta viros: quorum ablatas vestes dedit iis qui problema solverant. Iratusque nimis ascendit in domum patris sui:

Then the spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he went down to Ascalon and there slew thirty men, whose clothes he stripped off and gave to the answerers of his riddle. So, in high displeasure, he went back to his father’s house,

But his wife took one of his friends and bridal companions for her husband.

uxor autem ejus accepit maritum unum de amicis ejus et pronubis.

and his wife mated with one of these friends of his, that had been his guests at the wedding.