Winter Tasks, Destructive Storms, and Weather Signs — Virgil, Georgics 1.296–1.367, Latin & English

296

et foliis undam trepidi despumat aeni.

and skims the wave of the trembling caldron with leaves.

At rubicunda Ceres medio succiditur aestu

But golden Ceres is cut down in the midst of summer heat,

et medio tostas aestu terit area fruges.

and in the midst of the heat the threshing-floor grinds the parched grain.

Nudus ara, sere nudus; hiems ignava colono.¹

Plow naked, sow naked; winter is an idle time for the farmer.

300

Frigoribus parto agricolae plerumque fruuntur

During the cold, farmers mostly enjoy what they have acquired,

mutuaque inter se laeti convivia curant.

and joyfully arrange mutual feasts among themselves.

Invitat genialis hiems curasque resolvit,

The genial winter invites them and unties their cares,

ceu pressae cum iam portum tetigere carinae,

just as when laden ships have now reached the harbor,

puppibus et laeti nautae inposuere coronas.

and joyful sailors have placed garlands on the sterns.

305

Sed tamen et quernas glandes tum stringere tempus

But yet, then is the time to strip oak acorns,

et lauri bacas oleamque cruentaque myrta,

and bay-berries, and olives, and blood-red myrtle-berries,

tum gruibus pedicas et retia ponere cervis

then to set snares for cranes and nets for stags,

auritosque sequi lepores, tum figere dammas,

and to pursue long-eared hares, then to shoot does,

stuppea torquentem² Balearis verbera fundae,

whirling the hempen thongs of the Balearic sling,

310

cum nix alta iacet, glaciem cum flumina trudunt.

when deep snow lies, when rivers push down ice.

Quid tempestates autumni et sidera dicam,

Why should I speak of the storms and stars of autumn,

atque, ubi iam breviorque dies et mollior aestas,

and what things must be watched out for by men when now the day is shorter and the summer heat milder?

quae vigilanda viris.³ vel cum ruit imbriferum ver,

Or when showery spring rushes down,

spicea iam campis cum messis inhorruit et cum

when already the bearded harvest has bristled on the plains,

315

frumenta in viridi stipula lactentia turgent.

and when the milky grains swell on the green stalk.

Saepe ego, cum flavis messorem induceret arvis

Often I, when the farmer was leading the reaper into the golden fields

agricola et fragili iam stringeret hordea culmo,

and was already stripping the barley with its fragile stalk,

omnia ventorum concurrere proelia vidi,

have seen the battles of all the winds clash,

quae gravidam late segetem ab radicibus imis

which would tear up the heavy crop far and wide from its deepest roots,

320

sublimem expulsam eruerent; ita turbine nigro

casting it high; just so in a black whirlwind

ferret hiems culmumque levem stipulasque volantis.

would winter carry away the light stalk and flying stubble.

Saepe etiam inmensum caelo venit agmen aquarum

Often also an immense army of waters comes in the sky,

et foedam glomerant tempestatem imbribus atris

and clouds gathered from the deep mass up a foul storm with dark rains;

collectae ex alto nubes; ruit arduus aether

the high heaven rushes down,

325

et pluvia ingenti sata laeta boumque labores

and washes away with huge rain the glad crops and the labors of the oxen;

diluit; inplentur fossae et cava flumina crescunt

the ditches are filled, and the hollow rivers swell with a roar,

cum sonitu fervetque fretis spirantibus aequor.

and the sea seethes with breathing gulfs.

Ipse pater media nimborum in nocte corusca

The Father himself in the midst of the night of storm-clouds

fulmina molitur dextra; quo maxuma motu

wields the thunderbolts with his flashing right hand; with which motion

330

terra tremit; fugere ferae et mortalia corda

the vast earth trembles; wild beasts have fled, and mortal hearts

per gentis humilis stravit pavor; ille flagranti

throughout the nations are prostrated by humble fear; he

aut Athon aut Rhodopen aut alta Ceraunia telo

with his burning weapon casts down Athos or Rhodope or the high Ceraunians;

deicit; ingeminant austri et densissimus imber;

the south winds redouble and the densest rain;

nunc nemora ingenti vento, nunc litora plangunt.

now the groves, now the shores wail with the huge wind.

335

Hoc metuens caeli menses et sidera serva,

Fearing this, observe the months and stars of heaven,

frigida Saturni sese quo stella receptet,

whither the cold star of Saturn withdraws,

quos ignis caelo Cyllenius erret in orbis.

into what orbits the Cyllenian fire wanders in the sky.

In primis venerare deos atque annua magnae

In primis, worship the gods, and pay the annual

sacra refer Cereri laetis operatus in herbis

sacrifices to great Ceres, offering sacrifice on the joyful grass,

340

extremae sub casum hiemis, iam vere sereno.

just at the fall of extreme winter, now in the clear spring.

Tum pingues agni et tum mollissima vina,

Then lambs are fat, and then wines are most mellow;

tum somni dulces densaeque in montibus umbrae.

then sleeps are sweet, and dense are the shadows on the mountains.

Cuncta tibi Cererem pubes agrestis adoret;

Let all your rustic youth worship Ceres;

cui tu lacte favos et miti dilue Baccho,

for whom you should dilute the honeycombs with milk and mild wine,

345

terque novas circum felix eat hostia fruges,

and thrice let the auspicious victim go around the young crops,

omnis quam chorus et socii comitentur ovantes,

which the whole choir and shouting companions should accompany,

et Cererem clamore vocent in tecta; neque ante

and invite Ceres with a shout into their homes; nor before this

falcem maturis quisquam supponat aristis,

let anyone put the sickle to the ripe ears of grain,

quam Cereri torta redimitus tempora quercu⁴

until, having bound his temples with twisted oak,

350

det motus incompositos et carmina dicat.

he performs uncouth dances and sings songs in her honor.

Atque haec ut certis possemus discere signis,

And so that we might learn these things by certain signs—

aestusque pluviasque et agentis frigora ventos,

the heats and the rains and the winds that bring cold—

ipse Pater statuit, quid menstrua Luna moneret,

the Father himself has ordained what the monthly Moon should forewarn,

quo signo caderent austri, quid saepe videntes

by what sign the south winds should fall, seeing what

355

agricolae propius stabulis armenta tenerent.

the farmers should keep their herds closer to the stables.

Continuo ventis surgentibus aut freta ponti

Immediately, when the winds rise, either the gulfs of the sea

incipiunt agitata tumescere et aridus altis

begin to swell and lash, and a dry crash is heard on the high

montibus audiri fragor aut resonantia longe

mountains, or the far-echoing shores begin

litora misceri et nemorum increbrescere murmur.

to be confused, and the murmur of the groves grows louder.

360

Iam sibi tum a curvis male temperat unda carinis,⁵

Now even then the wave scarcely restrains itself from the curved hulls,

cum medio celeres revolant ex aequore mergi

when swift gulls fly back from the midst of the sea

clamoremque ferunt ad litora, cumque marinae

and bear their clamor to the shores, and when sea-coots

in sicco ludunt fulicae notasque paludes

play on the dry land, and the heron deserts its familiar marshes

deserit atque altam supra volat ardea nubem.

and flies high above the cloud.

365

Saepe etiam stellas vento inpendente videbis

Often also, when wind is threatening, you will see stars

praecipitis caelo labi noctisque per umbram

glide headlong from heaven, and through the shadow of the night

flammarum longos a tergo albescere tractus;

long tracts of flames whiten behind them;

Syntax notes5 items

1.299hiems ignava colono
An elliptical clause where the copula est is omitted. colono is a dative of reference or relation, showing in whose eyes or for whom winter is an inactive season.
1.309torquentem
The present active participle (accusative masculine singular) refers to and agrees with the implied subject (the hunter) of the infinitive figere in line 1.308, expressing the action performed during the shooting of does.
1.313quae vigilanda viris
The relative pronoun quae refers back to the weather phenomena in the preceding lines. vigilanda is a gerundive expressing obligation or necessity, and viris is a dative of agent ('which must be watched by men'). The subjunctive sint is omitted.
1.349torta redimitus tempora quercu
The perfect passive participle redimitus is used with a middle or reflexive force, taking tempora as a Greek accusative (accusative of specification/respect), meaning 'having bound his temples with twisted oak'.
1.360male temperat unda carinis
The verb tempero with the dative carinis (or optionally taking a preposition ab) means 'to restrain oneself from / spare.' The adverb male acts as a negative modifier ('scarcely' or 'with difficulty'), suggesting the waves can barely refrain from destroying the curved ships.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-22)urn:cts:latinLit:phi0690.phi002.humanitext-lat2:1.296-1.367