Lament and Celebration of the Deified Daphnis — Virgil, Eclogues 5.1–5.90, Latin & English

Cur non, Mopse, boni quoniam convenimus ambo,

Why not, Mopsus, since we have met, both of us skilled,

tu calamos inflare levis, ego dicere versus,

you at blowing the light reeds, I at singing verses,

hic corylis mixtas inter consedimus¹ ulmos?

why do we not sit here among the elms mixed with hazelnuts?

Tu maior; tibi me est aequum parere, Menalca,

You are the elder; it is right for me to obey you, Menalcas,

sive sub incertas zephyris motantibus umbras,

whether we go under the shadows made uncertain by shifting west winds,

sive antro potius succedimus: aspice, ut antrum

or whether we rather enter the cave: see, how the cave

silvestris raris sparsit labrusca racemis.

the wild vine has sprinkled with scattered clusters.

Montibus in nostris solus tibi certat Amyntas.

In our mountains, Amyntas alone contends with you.

Quid, si idem certet Phoebum superare canendo?

What if the same man should contend to surpass Phoebus in song?

Incipe, Mopse, prior, si quos aut Phyllidis ignes,

Begin first, Mopsus, if you have any love-songs of Phyllis,

aut Alconis habes laudes, aut iurgia Codri:

or praises of Alcon, or quarrels of Codrus:

incipe, pascentis servabit Tityrus haedos.

begin; Tityrus will watch the grazing kids.

Immo haec, in viridi nuper quae cortice fagi

Nay, these verses which lately on the green bark of a beech tree

carmina descripsi et modulans alterna² notavi,

I wrote down and, modulating them, noted the alternating parts,

experiar, tu deinde iubeto ut certet Amyntas.

I will try; then you may bid Amyntas to contend.

Lenta salix quantum pallenti cedit olivae,

As much as the pliant willow yields to the pale olive,

puniceis humilis quantum saliunca rosetis,

as much as the humble wild nard yields to crimson rosebeds,

iudicio nostro tantum tibi cedit Amyntas.

so much in my judgment does Amyntas yield to you.

sed tu desine plura, puer; successimus antro.

But cease from more words, boy; we have entered the cave.

Extinctum nymphae crudeli funere Daphnim

For Daphnis cut off by a cruel death the nymphs

flebant; vos coryli testes et flumina nymphis;

were weeping; you, hazelnuts, and rivers were witnesses to the nymphs;

cum complexa sui corpus miserabile nati,

when, embracing the pitiable body of her own son,

atque deos atque astra vocat crudelia mater.

the mother called both gods and stars cruel.

Non ulli pastos illis egere diebus

No shepherds in those days drove their well-fed oxen

frigida, Daphni, boves ad flumina; nulla neque amnem

to the cold streams, Daphnis; no beast either tasted the river

libavit quadrupes, nec graminis attigit herbam.

nor touched a blade of grass.

Daphni, tuum Poenos etiam ingemuisse leones

Daphnis, that even African lions groaned at your death

interitum montesque feri silvaeque loquuntur.

the wild mountains and the woods declare.

Daphnis et Armenias curru subiungere tigres

Daphnis also taught men to yoke Armenian tigers to the chariot;

instituit; Daphnis thiasos inducere Bacchi,

Daphnis introduced the dances of Bacchus,

et foliis lentas intexere mollibus hastas.

and to interweave tough spears with soft leaves.

Vitis ut arboribus decori est, ut vitibus uvae,

As the vine is an ornament to trees, as grapes to vines,

ut gregibus tauri, segetes ut pinguibus arvis,

as bulls to herds, as crops to rich fields,

tu decus omne tuis. Postquam te fata tulerunt,

so you were all the glory of your own. After the fates took you away,

ipsa Pales agros atque ipse reliquit Apollo.

Pales herself and Apollo himself have left the fields.

Grandia saepe quibus mandavimus hordea sulcis,

In the furrows to which we often entrusted the large barley grains,

infelix lolium et steriles nascuntur avenae;

luckless darnel and barren wild oats grow;

pro molli viola, pro purpureo narcisso,

instead of the soft violet, instead of the purple narcissus,

carduus et spinis surgit paliurus acutis.

the thistle and the Christ’s thorn rise with sharp prickles.

Spargite humum foliis, inducite fontibus umbras,

Scatter the ground with leaves, bring shade over the springs,

pastores, mandat fieri sibi talia Daphnis;

shepherds, Daphnis commands such things to be done for him;

et tumulum facite, et tumulo superaddite carmen:

and make a mound, and upon the mound add a verse:

"DAPHNIS EGO IN SILVIS HINC VSQUE AD SIDERA NOTVS"

”I AM DAPHNIS IN THE WOODS, KNOWN FROM HERE EVEN TO THE STARS,”

"FORMONSI PECORIS CVSTOS FORMONSIOR IPSE."

”THE KEEPER OF A BEAUTIFUL FLOCK, MYSELF MORE BEAUTIFUL.”

Tale tuum carmen nobis, divine poeta,

Such is your song to us, divine poet,

quale sopor fessis in gramine, quale per aestum

as sleep on the grass to the weary, as in the heat

dulcis aquae saliente sitim restinguere rivo:

to slake thirst from a leaping stream of sweet water:

nec calamis solum aequiparas, sed voce magistrum.

nor with the reeds alone do you equal your master, but in voice also.

Nos tamen haec quocumque modo tibi nostra vicissim

Yet we, in our turn, will sing these songs of ours to you as best we can,

dicemus, Daphnimque tuum tollemus ad astra;

and will raise your Daphnis to the stars;

Daphnin ad astra feremus: amavit nos quoque Daphnis.

we will carry Daphnis to the stars: Daphnis loved us too.

An quicquam nobis tali sit³ munere maius

Could anything be greater to us than such a gift?

Et puer ipse fuit cantari dignus, et ista

Both the boy himself was worthy to be sung, and those

iam pridem Stimichon laudavit carmina nobis.

songs Stimichon long ago praised to us.

Candidus insuetum miratur limen Olympi,

Shining in beauty, Daphnis marvels at the unfamiliar threshold of Olympus,

sub pedibusque videt nubes et sidera Daphnis.

and under his feet Daphnis sees the clouds and stars.

ergo alacris silvas et cetera rura voluptas

Therefore eager pleasure holds the woods and all the rest of the countryside,

Panaque pastoresque tenet, Dryadasque puellas;

and Pan, and the shepherds, and the Dryad maidens;

nec lupus insidias pecori, nec retia cervis

neither does the wolf plan ambush for the flock, nor any nets plan

ulla dolum meditantur: amat bonus otia Daphnis.

guile for the deer: good Daphnis loves peace.

ipsi laetitia voces ad sidera iactant

The unshorn mountains themselves toss their voices with joy to the stars;

intonsi montes; ipsae iam carmina rupes,

now the rocks themselves sing songs,

ipsa sonant arbusta: “Deus, deus ille, Menalca.”

the very orchards resound: “A god, a god is he, Menalcas!”

Sis bonus O felixque tuis! En quattuor aras:

O be good and favorable to your own! Behold four altars:

ecce duas tibi, Daphni, duas altaria Phoebo.

lo, two for you, Daphnis, and two high altars for Phoebus.

pocula bina novo spumantia lacte quotannis,

Two cups foaming with fresh milk each year,

craterasque duo statuam tibi pinguis olivi,

and two bowls of rich olive oil will I set up for you,

et multo in primis hilarans convivia Baccho,—

and above all, gladdening the feasts with much wine,—

ante focum, si frigus erit, si messis, in umbra,—

before the hearth if it be cold, in the shade if it be harvest-time,—

vina novum fundam calathis Ariusia nectar.

I will pour Ariusian wine from cups, a new nectar.

cantabunt mihi Damoetas et Lyctius Aegon;

Damoetas and Lyctian Aegon shall sing for me;

saltantis satyros imitabitur Alphesiboeus.

Alphesiboeus shall imitate the dancing satyrs.

Haec tibi semper erunt, et cum solemnia vota

These rites shall always be yours, both when we pay our solemn vows

reddemus Nymphis, et cum lustrabimus agros.

to the Nymphs, and when we purify the fields.

Dum iuga montis aper, fluvios dum piscis amabit,

As long as the wild boar loves the mountain ridges, as long as the fish loves the rivers,

dumque thymo pascentur apes, dum rore cicadae,

and as long as bees feed on thyme, as long as cicadas feed on dew,

semper honos nomenque tuum laudesque manebunt;

always shall your honor, your name, and your praises remain;

ut Baccho Cererique, tibi sic vota quotannis

as to Bacchus and Ceres, so to you each year

agricolae facient: damnabis tu quoque votis.⁴

shall the husbandmen make vows: you too shall bind them to their vows.

Quae tibi, quae tali reddam pro carmine dona?

What, what gifts shall I return to you for such a song?

Nam neque me tantum venientis sibilus austri,

For neither does the whisper of the coming South Wind delight me so much,

nec percussa iuvant fluctu tam litora, nec quae

nor the shores struck by the wave so please me, nor the rivers which

saxosas inter decurrunt flumina valles.

run down among the rocky valleys.

Hac te nos fragili donabimus ante cicuta:

First I will gift you with this fragile hemlock-pipe:

haec nos, “Formosum Corydon ardebat Alexim,”

this taught us: “Corydon burned for beautiful Alexis,”

haec eadem docuit, “Cuium pecus, an Meliboei?”

this same pipe taught: “Whose flock is this? Is it Meliboeus’?”

At tu sume pedum, quod, me cum saepe rogaret,

But do you take this crook, which, though he often asked me,

non tulit Antigenes—et erat tum dignus amari—

Antigenes did not get—and he was then worthy to be loved—

formosum paribus nodis atque aere, Menalca.

beautiful with equal knots and brass, Menalcas.

Syntax notes4 items

5.1Cur non... consedimus
An interrogative clause introduced by Cur non with the perfect indicative consedimus (from consido), expressing a strong exhortation or proposal for an action in the present ('why do we not sit down?').
5.14alterna
The neuter accusative plural of the adjective alternus. It can be taken either adverbially ('alternately, in turn') or as modifying the preceding carmina ('alternating songs'), referring to the alternating performance of pastoral songs.
5.53sit
Present subjunctive. It is used in a rhetorical question to express potentiality or mild doubt ('Could there be anything...?'), implying a strong negative answer.
5.80damnabis tu quoque votis
A religious and legal idiom. While damnare usually means 'to condemn,' combined with the ablative votis, it means 'to bind (someone) to their vows' (i.e., by granting their prayers, making them obligated to pay the vowed offering). It signifies Daphnis's deification.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-22)urn:cts:latinLit:phi0690.phi001.humanitext-lat2:5.1-5.90