Dic mihi, Damoeta, cuium pecus, an Meliboei?
Who owns the flock, Damoetas? Meliboeus?
Non, verum Aegonis; nuper mihi tradidit Aegon.
Nay, they are Aegon's sheep, of late by him
Infelix o semper, ovis, pecus, ipse Neaeram
committed to my care.
dum fovet, ac ne me sibi praeferat illa veretur,
O every way
5
hic alienus ovis custos bis mulget in hora,
unhappy sheep, unhappy flock! while he
et sucus pecori et lac subducitur agnis.
still courts Neaera, fearing lest her choice
Parcius ista viris tamen obicienda memento:
should fall on me, this hireling shepherd here
novimus et qui te, transversa tuentibus hircis,
wrings hourly twice their udders, from the flock
et quo—sed faciles Nymphae risere—sacello.
filching the life-juice, from the lambs their milk.
10
Tum, credo, cum me arbustum videre Miconis
Hold! not so ready with your jeers at men!
atque mala vitis incidere falce novellas.
We know who once, and in what shrine with you—
Aut hic ad veteres fagos cum Daphnidis arcum
the he-goats looked aside—the light nymphs laughed—
fregisti et calamos quae tu, perverse Menalca,
Ay, then, I warrant, when they saw me slash
et cum vidisti puero donata, dolebas,
micon's young vines and trees with spiteful hook.
15
et si non aliqua nocuisses, mortuus esses.
Or here by these old beeches, when you broke
Quid domini faciant, audent cum talia fures!
the bow and arrows of Damon; for you chafed
non ego te vidi Damonis, pessime, caprum
when first you saw them given to the boy,
excipere insidiis, multum latrante Lycisca?
cross-grained Menalcas, ay, and had you not
et cum clamarem: “Quo nunc se proripit ille?
done him some mischief, would have chafed to death.
20
Tityre, coge pecus,” tu post carecta latebas.
With thieves so daring, what can masters do?
An mihi cantando victus non redderet ille
Did I not see you, rogue, in ambush lie
quem mea carminibus meruisset fistula caprum?
for Damon's goat, while loud Lycisca barked?
Si nescis, meus ille caper fuit; et mihi Damon
And when I cried, “Where is he off to now?
ipse fatebatur, sed reddere posse negabat.
Gather your flock together, Tityrus,”
25
Cantando tu illum, aut umquam tibi fistula cera
you hid behind the sedges.
iuncta fuit? Non tu in triviis, indocte, solebas
Well, was he
stridenti miserum stipula disperdere carmen?
whom I had conquered still to keep the goat.
Vis ergo inter nos quid possit uterque vicissim
Which in the piping-match my pipe had won!
experiamur? Ego hanc vitulam—ne forte recuses,
You may not know it, but the goat was mine.
30
bis venit ad mulctram, binos alit ubere fetus—
You out-pipe him? when had you ever pipe
depono: tu dic, mecum quo pignore certes.
wax-welded? in the cross-ways used you not
De grege non ausim quicquam deponere tecum.
on grating straw some miserable tune
Est mihi namque domi pater, est iniusta noverca;
to mangle?
bisque die numerant ambo pecus, alter et haedos.
Well, then, shall we try our skill
35
Verum, id quod multo tute ipse fatebere maius,
each against each in turn? Lest you be loth,
insanire libet quoniam tibi, pocula ponam
I pledge this heifer; every day she comes
fagina, caelatum divini opus Alcimedontis;
twice to the milking-pail, and feeds withal
lenta quibus torno facili superaddita vitis
two young ones at her udder: say you now
diffusos hedera vestit pallente corymbos:
what you will stake upon the match with me.
40
in medio duo signa, Conon, et—quis fuit alter,
Naught from the flock I'll venture, for at home
descripsit radio totum qui gentibus orbem,
I have a father and a step-dame harsh,
tempora quae messor, quae curvus arator haberet?
and twice a day both reckon up the flock,
Necdum illis labra admovi, sed condita servo.
and one withal the kids. But I will stake,
Et nobis idem Alcimedon duo pocula fecit,
seeing you are so mad, what you yourself
45
et molli circum est ansas amplexus acantho,
will own more priceless far—two beechen cups
Orpheaque in medio posuit silvasque sequentis.
by the divine art of Alcimedon
Necdum illis labra admovi, sed condita servo:
wrought and embossed, whereon a limber vine,
si ad vitulam spectas, nihil est quod pocula laudes.
wreathed round them by the graver's facile tool,
Nunquam hodie effugies; veniam, quocumque vocari
twines over clustering ivy-berries pale.
50
audiat haec tantum—vel qui venit ecce Palaemon
Two figures, one Conon, in the midst he set,
efficiam posthac ne quemquam voce lacessas.
and one—how call you him, who with his wand
Quin age, si quid habes, in me mora non erit ulla,
marked out for all men the whole round of heaven,
nec quemquam fugio: tantum, vicine Palaemon,
that they who reap, or stoop behind the plough,
sensibus haec imis, res est non parva, reponas.
might know their several seasons? Nor as yet
55
Dicite, quandoquidem in molli consedimus herba:
have I set lip to them, but lay them by.
et nunc omnis ager, nunc omnis parturit arbos,
For me too wrought the same Alcimedon
nunc frondent silvae, nunc formosissimus annus.
a pair of cups, and round the handles wreathed
Incipe, Darmoeta; tu deinde sequere Menalca:
pliant acanthus, Orpheus in the midst,
alternis dicetis; amant alterna Camenae.
the forests following in his wake; nor yet
60
Ab Iove principium, Musae; Iovis omnia plena:
have I set lip to them, but lay them by.
ille colit terras, illi mea carmina curae.
Matched with a heifer, who would prate of cups?
Et me Phoebus amat; Phoebo sua semper apud me
You shall not balk me now; where'er you bid,
munera sunt, lauri et suave rubens hyacinthus.
I shall be with you; only let us have
Malo me Galatea petit, lasciva puella,
for auditor—or see, to serve our turn,
65
et fugit ad salices, et se cupit ante videri.
yonder Palaemon comes! In singing-bouts
At mihi sese offert ultro, meus ignis, Amyntas,
i'll see you play the challenger no more.
notior ut iam sit canibus non Delia nostris.
Out then with what you have; I shall not shrink,
Parta meae Veneri sunt munera: namque notavi
nor budge for any man: only do you,
ipse locum, aëriae quo congessere palumbes.
neighbour Palaemon, with your whole heart's skill—
70
Quod potui, puero silvestri ex arbore lecta
for it is no slight matter—play your part.
aurea mala decem misi; cras altera mittam.
Say on then, since on the greensward we sit,
O quotiens et quae nobis Galatea locuta est!
and now is burgeoning both field and tree;
partem aliquam, venti, divom referatis ad auris!
now is the forest green, and now the year
Quid prodest, quod me ipse animo non spernis, Amynta.
at fairest. Do you first, Damoetas, sing,
75
si, dum tu sectaris apros, ego retia servo?
then you, Menalcas, in alternate strain:
Phyllida mitte mihi: meus est natalis, Iolla;
alternate strains are to the Muses dear.
cum faciam vitula pro frugibus, ipse venito.
“From Jove the Muse began; Jove filleth all,
Phyllida amo ante alias; nam me discedere flevit,
makes the earth fruitful, for my songs hath care.”
et longum “formose, vale, vale,” inquit, “Iolla.”
“Me Phoebus loves; for Phoebus his own gifts,
80
Triste lupus stabulis, maturis frugibus imbres.
bays and sweet-blushing hyacinths, I keep.”
arboribus venti, nobis Amaryllidis irae.
“Gay Galatea throws an apple at me,
Dulce satis umor, depulsis arbutus haedis,
then hies to the willows, hoping to be seen.”
lenta salix feto pecori, mihi solus Amyntas.
“My dear Amyntas comes unasked to me;
Pollio amat nostram, quamvis est rustica, Musam:
not Delia to my dogs is better known.”
85
Pierides vitulam lectori pascite vestro.
“Gifts for my love I've found; mine eyes have marked
Pollio et ipse facit nova carmina: pascite taurum,
where the wood-pigeons build their airy nests.”
iam cornu petat et pedibus qui spargat arenam.
“Ten golden apples have I sent my boy,
Qui te, Pollio, amat, veniat quo te quoque gaudet:
all that I could, to-morrow as many more.”
mella fluant illi, ferat et rubus asper amomum.
“What words to me, and uttered O how oft,
90
Qui Bavium non odit, amet tua carmina, Maevi,
hath Galatea spoke! waft some of them,
atque idem iungat vulpes et mulgeat hircos.
ye winds, I pray you, for the gods to hear.”
Qui legitis flores et humi nascentia fraga,
“It profiteth me naught, Amyntas mine,
frigidus, O pueri, fugite hinc, latet anguis in herba.
that in your very heart you spurn me not,
Parcite, oves, nimium procedere; non bene ripae
if, while you hunt the boar, I guard the nets.”
95
creditur; ipse aries etiam nunc vellera siccat.
“Prithee, Iollas, for my birthday guest
Tityre, pascentes a flumine reice capellas:
send me your Phyllis; when for the young crops
ipse ubi tempus erit, omnis in fonte lavabo.
I slay my heifer, you yourself shall come.”
Cogite ovis, pueri; si lac praeceperit aestus,
“I am all hers; she wept to see me go,
ut nuper, frustra pressabimus ubera palmis.
and, lingering on the word, ‘farewell’ she said,
100
Heu, heu, quam pingui macer est mihi taurus in ervo!
‘My beautiful Iollas, fare you well.’”
Idem amor exitium est pecori pecorisque magistro.
“Fell as the wolf is to the folded flock,
His certe neque amor causa est; vix ossibus haerent.
rain to ripe corn, Sirocco to the trees,
nescio quis teneros oculus mihi fascinat agnos.
the wrath of Amaryllis is to me.”
Dic, quibus in terris—et eris mihi magnus Apollo—
“As moisture to the corn, to ewes with young
105
tris pateat caeli spatium non amplius ulnas.
lithe willow, as arbute to the yeanling kids,
Dic, quibus in terris inscripti nomina regum
so sweet Amyntas, and none else, to me.”
nascantur flores, et Phyllida solus habeto.
“My Muse, although she be but country-bred,
Non nostrum inter vos tantas componere lites.
is loved by Pollio: O Pierian Maids,
Et vitula tu dignus, et hic, et quisquis amores
pray you, a heifer for your reader feed!”
110
aut metuet dulces, aut experietur amaros.
“Pollio himself too doth new verses make:
Claudite iam rivos, pueri, sat prata biberunt.
feed ye a bull now ripe to butt with horn,
Tap any Latin word to look it up · Tap a line to reveal the English translation