Prima Syracosio dignata est ludere versu,
first my Thalia stooped in sportive mood
nostra nec erubuit silvas habitare Thalia.
to Syracusan strains, nor blushed within
Cum canerem reges et proelia, Cynthius aurem
the woods to house her. When I sought to tell
vellit, et admonuit: “Pastorem, Tityre, pinguis
of battles and of kings, the Cynthian god
5
pascere oportet ovis, deductum dicere carmen.”
plucked at mine ear and warned me: “Tityrus,
Nunc ego—namque super tibi erunt, qui dicere laudes,
beseems a shepherd-wight to feed fat sheep,
Vare, tuas cupiant, et tristia condere bella—
but sing a slender song.” Now, Varus, I—
agrestem tenui meditabor arundine Musam.
for lack there will not who would laud thy deeds,
Non iniussa cano: si quis tamen haec quoque, si quis
and treat of dolorous wars—will rather tune
10
captus amore leget, te nostrae, Vare, myricae,
to the slim oaten reed my silvan lay.
te nemus omne canet; nec Phoebo gratior ulla est,
I sing but as vouchsafed me; yet even this
quam sibi quae Vari praescripsit pagina nomen.
if, if but one with ravished eyes should read,
Pergite, Pierides! Chromis et Mnasyllos in antro
of thee, O Varus, shall our tamarisks
Silenum pueri somno videre iacentem,
and all the woodland ring; nor can there be
15
inflatum hesterno venas, ut semper, Iaccho:
a page more dear to Phoebus, than the page
serta procul tantum capiti delapsa iacebant,
where, foremost writ, the name of Varus stands.
et gravis attrita pendebat cantharus ansa.
Speed ye, Pierian Maids! Within a cave
Adgressi—nam saepe senex spe carminis ambo
young Chromis and Mnasyllos chanced to see
luserat—iniciunt ipsis ex vincula sertis:
silenus sleeping, flushed, as was his wont,
20
addit se sociam, timidisque supervenit Aegle,—
with wine of yesterday. Not far aloof,
Aegle, Naiadum pulcherrima,—iamque videnti
slipped from his head, the garlands lay, and there
sanguineis frontem moris et tempora pingit.
by its worn handle hung a ponderous cup.
Ille dolum ridens, “Quo vincula nectitis?” inquit;
Approaching—for the old man many a time
“solvite me, pueri; satis est potuisse videri:
had balked them both of a long hoped-for song—
25
carmina, quae voltis, cognoscite; carmina vobis,
garlands to fetters turned, they bind him fast.
huic aliud mercedis erit.” Simul incipit ipse.
Then Aegle, fairest of the Naiad-band,
Tum vero in numerum Faunosque ferasque videres
aegle came up to the half-frightened boys,
ludere, tum rigidas motare cacumina quercus;
came, and, as now with open eyes he lay,
nec tantum Phoebo gaudet Parnasia rupes,
with juice of blood-red mulberries smeared him o'er,
30
nec tantum Rhodope miratur et Ismarus Orphea.
both brow and temples. Laughing at their guile,
Namque canebat, uti magnum per inane coacta
and crying, “Why tie the fetters? loose me, boys;
semina terrarumque animaeque marisque fuissent,
enough for you to think you had the power;
et liquidi simul ignis; ut his exordia primis
now list the songs you wish for—songs for you,
omnia et ipse tener mundi concreverit orbis;
another meed for her”—forthwith began.
35
tum durare solum et discludere Nerea ponto
Then might you see the wild things of the wood,
coeperit, et rerum paulatim sumere formas;
with Fauns in sportive frolic beat the time,
iamque novum terrae stupeant lucescere solem,
and stubborn oaks their branchy summits bow.
altius atque cadant submotis nubibus imbres;
Not Phoebus doth the rude Parnassian crag
incipiant silvae cum primum surgere, cumque
so ravish, nor Orpheus so entrance the heights
40
rara per ignaros errent animalia montis.
of Rhodope or Ismarus: for he sang
Hinc lapides Pyrrhae iactos, Saturnia regna,
how through the mighty void the seeds were driven
Caucasiasque refert volucres, furtumque Promethei:
of earth, air, ocean, and of liquid fire,
his adiungit, Hylan nautae quo fonte relictum
how all that is from these beginnings grew,
clamassent, ut litus “Hyla, Hyla!” omne sonaret.
and the young world itself took solid shape,
45
et fortunatam, si numquam armenta fuissent,
then 'gan its crust to harden, and in the deep
Pasiphaen nivei solatur amore iuvenci.
shut Nereus off, and mould the forms of things
ah, virgo infelix, quae te dementia cepit!
little by little; and how the earth amazed
Proetides inplerunt falsis mugitibus agros:
beheld the new sun shining, and the showers
at non tam turpis pecudum tamen ulla secuta est
fall, as the clouds soared higher, what time the woods
50
concubitus, quamvis collo timuisset aratrum,
'gan first to rise, and living things to roam
et saepe in levi quaesisset cornua fronte.
scattered among the hills that knew them not.
ah, virgo infelix, tu nunc in montibus erras:
Then sang he of the stones by Pyrrha cast,
ille, latus niveum molli fultus hyacintho,
of Saturn's reign, and of Prometheus' theft,
ilice sub nigra pallentis ruminat herbas,
and the Caucasian birds, and told withal
55
aut aliquam in magno sequitur grege. “Claudite, nymphae,
nigh to what fountain by his comrades left
Dictaeae nymphae, nemorum iam claudite saltus,
the mariners cried on Hylas till the shore
si qua forte ferant oculis sese obvia nostris
then re-echoed “Hylas, Hylas!” soothed
errabunda bovis vestigia; forsitan illum,
pasiphae with the love of her white bull—
aut herba captum viridi, aut armenta secutum,
happy if cattle-kind had never been!—
60
perducant aliquae stabula ad Gortynia vaccae.”
o ill-starred maid, what frenzy caught thy soul
Tum canit Hesperidum miratam mala puellam;
the daughters too of Proetus filled the fields
tum Phaethontiades musco circumdat amaro
with their feigned lowings, yet no one of them
corticis, atque solo proceras erigit alnos.
of such unhallowed union e'er was fain
Tum canit, errantem Permessi ad flumina Gallum
as with a beast to mate, though many a time
65
Aonas in montis ut duxerit una sororum,
on her smooth forehead she had sought for horns,
utque viro Phoebi chorus adsurrexerit omnis;
and for her neck had feared the galling plough.
ut Linus haec illi, divino carmine pastor,
O ill-starred maid! thou roamest now the hills,
floribus atque apio crinis ornatus amaro,
while on soft hyacinths he, his snowy side
dixerit: “Hos tibi dant calamos, en accipe, Musae,
reposing, under some dark ilex now
70
Ascraeo quos ante seni, quibus ille solebat
chews the pale herbage, or some heifer tracks
cantando rigidas deducere montibus ornos:
amid the crowding herd. Now close, ye Nymphs,
his tibi Grynei nemoris dicatur origo,
ye Nymphs of Dicte, close the forest-glades,
ne quis sit lucus, quo se plus iactet Apollo.”
if haply there may chance upon mine eyes
Quid loquar aut Scyllam Nisi, quam fama secuta est
the white bull's wandering foot-prints: him belike
75
candida succinctam latrantibus inguina monstris
following the herd, or by green pasture lured,
Dulichias vexasse rates, et gurgite in alto,
some kine may guide to the Gortynian stalls.
ah, timidos nautas canibus lacerasse marinis,
Then sings he of the maid so wonder-struck
aut ut mutatos Terei narraverit artus;
with the apples of the Hesperids, and then
quas illi Philomela dapes, quae dona pararit,
with moss-bound, bitter bark rings round the forms
80
quo cursu deserta petiverit, et quibus ante
of Phaethon's fair sisters, from the ground
infelix sua tecta supervolitaverit alis?
up-towering into poplars. Next he sings
Omnia, quae Phoebo quondam meditante, beatus
of Gallus wandering by Permessus' stream,
audiit Eurotas, iussitque ediscere laurus,
and by a sister of the Muses led
ille canit: pulsae referunt ad sidera valles;
to the Aonian mountains, and how all
85
cogere donec ovis stabulis numerumque referri
the choir of Phoebus rose to greet him; how
iussit, et invito processit Vesper Olympo.
the shepherd Linus, singer of songs divine,
Tap any Latin word to look it up · Tap a line to reveal the English translation