D. Qui te, Pollio, amat, veniat, quo te quoque gaudet; Mella fluant illi, ferat et rubus asper amomum. M. Qui Bavium non odit, amet tua carmina, Maevi, 90 Atque idem jungat vulpes et mulgeat hircos. D. Qui legitis flores et humi nascentia fraga, Frigidus, o pueri, fugite hinc, latet anguis in herba. M. Parcite, oves, nimium procedere: non bene ripae Creditur; ipse aries etiam nunc vellera siccat. D. Tityre, pascentes a flumine reice capellas: Ipse, ubi tempus erit, omnes in fonte lavabo. M. Cogite oves, pueri; si lac praeceperit aestus, Ut nuper, frustra pressabimus ubera palmis. 95 D. Heu, heu, quam pingui macer est mihi taurus in ervo! Idem amor exitium pecori pecorisque magistro. 100 M. His certe neque amor causa est: vix ossibus haerent. Nescio quis teneros oculus mihi fascinat agnos. D. Dic, quibus in terris-et eris mihi magnus ApolloTres pateat coeli spatium non amplius uinas. M. Dic, quibus in terris inscripti nomina regum Nascantur flores, et Phyllida solus habeto. P. Non nostrum inter vos tantas componere lites. Et vitulâ tu dignus, et hic, et quisquis amores Aut metuet dulces, aut experietur amaros. Claudite jam rivos, pueri: sat prata biberunt. 105 110 -regum, i. e. of Ajax and Hyacinthus, the son of a king. 107. flores, i. e. the hyacinths (marked by the letters AI and Y, initials of the names Alas and 'Tákivlos.) ECLOGA IV. POLLIO. The poet proposes to compose a poem worthy of his protector and friend, Asinius Pollio, who at this time held the office of consul. The time foretold by the Cumaean sibyl is described as approaching, when the calamities to which Italy had been long exposed, by intestine wars, were to cease; and he extols the consul as the harbinger of a new era of happiness, a new order of centuries, a new and better race of men, a second golden age, which should follow the birth of a promised child, the son of the consul. SICELIDES Musae, paulo majora canamus! Non omnes arbusta juvant humilesque myricae ; Ille deûm vitam accipiet, divisque videbit At tibi prima, puer, nullo munuscula cultu, Errantes hederas passim cum bacchare tellus Mixtaque ridenti colocasia fundet acantho. Ipsae lacte domum referent distenta capellae Ecl. 4.-6. Virgo, i. e. Astraea or Alkη, Justice. 8. nascenti puero, the new-born son of Pollio. 11. inibit, absolutely = incipiet. 14. irrita abolita, 'the vestiges, 5 10 15 20 Ubera, nec magnos metuent armenta leones. 25 At simul heroum laudes et facta parentis Jam legere et quae sit poteris cognoscere virtus: Et durae quercus sudabunt roscida mella. 30 35 Non rastros patietur humus, non vinea falcem ; 40 45 Aggredere o magnos-aderit jam tempus-honores, Cara deûm suboles, magnum Jovis incrêmentum! Aspice convexo nutantem pondere mundum, 50 Aspice, venturo laetantur ut omnia saeclo! O mihi tam longae maneat pars ultima vitae, Spiritus et, quantum sat erit tua dicere facta: Non me carminibus vincet nec Thracius Orpheus, 55 Nec Linus, huic mater quamvis atque huic pater adsit, 26. simul simulac, 'as soon as.' 51. terrasqué, the last syllable made long by the arsis. Orphei Calliopea, Lino formosus Apollo. Incipe, parve puer, risu cognoscere matrem : 60 Two shepherds, Menalcas, an excellent singer, and Mopsus, a skilful player on the flute, challenge each other to a competition in musical skill. Mopsus first deplores the death of Daphnis, then Menalcas praises his virtues, and celebrates his deification. Finally the singers make costly presents to one another. It is conjectured that Virgil celebrates Julius Caesar under the name of Daphnis, though with some poetical license. The name of Daphnis is borrowed from a hero of Sicily, the subject of frequent panegyric in pastoral melodies. Me. CUR non, Mopse, boni quoniam convenimus ambo, Tu calamos inflare leves, ego dicere versus, Hic corylis mixtas inter considimus ulmos? 5 Mo. Tu major: tibi me est aequum parere, Menalca, Me. Montibus in nostris solus tibi certat Amyntas. ignes, Aut Alconis habes laudes, aut jurgia Codri. Incipe; pascentes servabit Tityrus haedos. 57. Or-phēt, (dat. Graec. 'Oppeî), a dissyllable. 61. tulerunt, poetic. instead of tulêrunt. 10 Ecl, 5.-1. boni, poetic. with the infin. inflare = periti: 'able, fit,' (Comp. below v. 54 and 89.) Mo. Immo haec, in viridi nuper quae cortice fagì Mo. Sed tu desine plura, puer; successimus antro. 15' 20 30 Frigida, Daphni, boves ad flumina; nulla nec amnem 25 35 35 Spargite humum foliis, inducite fontibus umbras, 40 Pastores-mandat fieri sibi talia Daphnis Et tumulum facite, et tumulo superaddite carmen: DAPHNIS EGO IN SILVIS, HINC USQUE AD SIDERA NOTUS, FORMOSI PECORIS CUSTOS, FORMOSIOR IPSE. Me. Tale tuum carmen nobis, divine poëta, Quale sopor fessis in gramine, quale per aestum Dulcis aquae saliente sitim restinguere rivo. 23. mater, i. e. Venus, as foundress of the Julian race (by Aeneas, her son). 29. curru, dative = currui. 45 34. tulêrunt, poetic. = sustulêrunt. |