Carmina

Perseus Latin · Perseus Latin · 2,080 sections

17.13
Two-year-old and a-sleep on trembling forearm of father.
17.14
He though, wedded to girl in greenest bloom of her youth-tide,
17.15
(Bride-wife daintier bred than ever was delicate kidlet,
17.16
Worthier diligent watch than grape-bunch blackest and ripest)
17.17
Suffers her sport as she please nor rates her even at hair’s worth,
17.18
Nowise ’stirring himself, but lying log-like as alder
17.19
Felled and o’er floating the fosse of safe Ligurian woodsman,
17.20
Feeling withal, as though such spouse he never had own’d;
17.21
So this marvel o’ mine sees naught, and nothing can hear he,
17.22
What he himself, an he be or not be, wholly unknowing.
17.23
Now would I willingly pitch such wight head first fro’ thy bridge,
17.24
Better a-sudden t’arouse that numskull’s stolid old senses,
17.25
Or in the sluggish mud his soul supine to deposit
17.26
Even as she-mule casts iron shoe where quagmire is stiffest.
18.1
This grove to thee devote I give, Priapus!
18.2
Who home be Lampsacus and holt, Priapus!
18.3
For thee in cities worship most the shores
18.4
Of Hellespont the richest oystery strand.
19.1
This place, O youths, I protect, nor less this turfbuilded cottage,
19.2
Roofed with its osier-twigs and thatched with its bundles of sedges;
19.3
I from the dried oak hewn and fashioned with rustical hatchet,
19.4
Guarding them year by year while more are they evermore thriving.
19.5
For here be owners twain who greet and worship my Godship,
19.6
He of the poor hut lord and his son, the pair of them peasants:
19.7
This with assiduous toil aye works the thicketty herbage
19.8
And the coarse water-grass to clear afar from my chapel:
19.9
That with his open hand ever brings me offerings humble.
19.10
Hung up in honour mine are flowery firstlings of spring-tide,
19.11
Wreaths with their ears still soft the tender stalklets a-crowning;
19.12
Violets pale are mine by side of the poppy-head pallid;
19.13
With the dull yellow gourd and apples sweetest of savour;
19.14
Lastly the blushing grape disposed in shade of the vine-tree.
19.15
Anon mine altar (this same) with blood (but you will be silent!)
19.16
Bearded kid and anon some horny-hoofed nanny shall sprinkle.
19.17
Wherefore Priapus is bound to requite such honours by service,
19.18
Doing his duty to guard both vineyard and garth of his lordling.
19.19
Here then, O lads, refrain from ill-mannered picking and stealing:
19.20
Rich be the neighbour-hind and negligent eke his Priapus:
19.21
Take what be his: this path hence leadeth straight to his ownings.
20.1
I thuswise fashionèd by rustic art
20.2
And from dried poplar-trunk (O traveller!) hewn,
20.3
This fieldlet, leftwards as thy glances fall,
20.4
And my lord’s cottage with his pauper garth
20.5
Protect, repelling thieves’ rapacious hands.
20.6
In spring with vari-coloured wreaths I’m crown’d,
20.7
In fervid summer with the glowing grain,
20.8
Then with green vine-shoot and the luscious bunch,
20.9
And glaucous olive-tree in bitter cold.
20.10
The dainty she-goat from my pasture bears
20.11
Her milk-distended udders to the town:
20.12
Out of my sheep-cotes ta’en the fatted lamb
20.13
Sends home with silver right-hand heavily charged;
20.14
And, while its mother lows, the tender calf
20.15
Before the temples of the Gods must bleed.
20.16
Hence of such Godhead, (traveller !) stand in awe,
20.17
Best it befits thee off to keep thy hands.
20.18
Thy cross is ready, shaped as artless yard;
20.19
I’m willing, ’faith (thou say’st) but ’faith here comes
20.20
The boor, and plucking forth with bended arm
20.21
Makes of this tool a club for doughty hand.
21.1
Aurelius, father of the famisht crew,
21.2
Not sole of starvelings now, but wretches who
21.3
Were, are, or shall be in the years to come,
21.4
My love, my dearling, fain art thou to strum.
21.5
Nor privately; for nigh thou com’st and jestest
21.6
And to his side close-sticking all things questest.
21.7
’Tis vain: while lay’st thou snares for me the worst,
21.8
By I will teach thee first.
21.9
An food-full thus do thou, my peace I’d keep:
21.10
But what (ah me ! ah me !) compels me weep
21.11
Are thirst and famine to my dearling fated.
21.12
Cease thou so doing while as modest rated,
21.13
Lest to thy will thou win—but
22.1
Varus, yon wight Suffenus known to thee
22.2
Fairly for wit, free talk, urbanity,
22.3
The same who scribbles verse in amplest store—
22.4
Methinks he fathers thousands ten or more
22.5
Indited not as wont on palimpsest,
22.6
But paper-royal, brand-new boards, and best
22.7
Fresh bosses, crimson ribbands, sheets with lead
22.8
Ruled, and with pumice-powder all well polished.
22.9
These as thou readest, seem that fine, urbane
22.10
Suffenus, goat-herd mere, or ditcher-swain
22.11
Once more, such horrid change is there, so vile.
22.12
What must we wot thereof? a Droll erst while,
22.13
Or (if aught) cleverer, he with converse meets,
22.14
He now in dullness, dullest villain beats
22.15
Forthright on handling verse, nor is the wight
22.16
Ever so happy as when verse he write:
22.17
So self admires he with so full delight.
22.18
In sooth, we all thus err, nor man there be
22.19
But in some matter a Suffenus see
22.20
Thou canst: his lache allotted none shall lack
22.21
Yet spy we nothing of our back-borne pack.
23.1
Furius !Nor chest, nor slaves can claim,
23.2
Bug, Spider, nor e’e n hearth aflame,
23.3
Yet thine a sire and step-dame who
23.4
Wi’ tooth can ever flint-food chew!
23.5
So thou, and pleasant happy life
23.6
Lead wi’ thy parents wooden wife.

Perseus Latin. CTS URN phi0472.phi001.perseus-eng3. Via the Perseus Digital Library / Open Greek and Latin TEI corpora. Licence: Available under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Source.