Signs from the Sun, Caesar's Portents, and Prayer for Octavian — Virgil, Georgics 1.440–1.514, Latin & English

440

et quae mane refert et quae surgentibus astris.

both those which he brings back in the morning and those when the stars arise.

Ille ubi nascentem maculis variaverit ortum

When he has speckled his rising birth with spots,

conditus in nubem medioque refugerit orbe,

hidden in a cloud, and has shrunk back with the center of his disc,

suspecti tibi sint imbres; namque urget ab alto

let showers be suspected by you; for

arboribusque satisque Notus pecorique sinister.

the South Wind, sinister to trees and crops and cattle, presses from the deep.

445

Aut ubi sub lucem densa inter nubila sese

Or when, towards dawn, among dense clouds,

diversi rumpent radii aut ubi pallida surget

his rays break forth scattered, or when pale Aurora rises,

Tithoni croceum linquens Aurora cubile,

leaving the saffron bed of Tithonus,

heu male¹ tum mitis defendet pampinus uvas:

alas, poorly then will the mild vine-leaf defend the grapes:

tam multa in tectis crepitans salit horrida grando.

so many a horrid hail leaps rattling on the roofs.

450

Hoc etiam, emenso cum iam decedit Olympo,

This also, when he now departs from the traversed Olympus,

profuerit meminisse magis; nam saepe videmus

it will have been more useful to remember; for often we see

ipsius in voltu varios errare colores:

various colors wander on his very face:

caeruleus pluviam denuntiat, igneus Euros;

dark-blue foretells rain, fiery red the East Winds;

sin maculae incipient rutilo inmiscerier² igni,

but if spots begin to be mingled with the ruddy fire,

455

omnia tum pariter vento nimbisque videbis

then you will see all things equally with wind and storms

fervere. Non illa quisquam me nocte per altum

rage. Let no one on that night advise me to go through the deep,

ire, neque a terra moneat convellere funem.

or to loose the cable from the land.

At si, cum referetque diem condetque relatum,

But if, both when he brings back the day and hides it when returned,

lucidus orbis erit, frustra terrebere nimbis

the disc shall be bright, in vain will you be terrified by storms,

460

et claro silvas cernes Aquilone moveri.

and you will see the woods moved by the clear North Wind.

Denique quid vesper serus vehat, unde serenas

Finally, what the late evening brings, from where the wind drives

ventus agat nubes, quid cogitet humidus Auster,

the serene clouds, what the damp South Wind meditates,

sol tibi signa dabit. Solem quis dicere falsum

the sun will give you signs. Who would dare to call the sun false?

audeat. Ille etiam caecos instare tumultus

He even often warns that blind tumults are near,

465

saepe monet fraudemque et operta tumescere bella.

and that treachery and hidden wars are swelling.

Ille etiam exstincto miseratus Caesare Romam,

He also pitied Rome when Caesar was extinguished,

cum caput obscura nitidum ferrugine texit

when he covered his bright head with dark iron-rust,

inpiaque aeternam timuerunt saecula noctem.

and the impious generations feared eternal night.

Tempore quamquam illo tellus quoque et aequora ponti

Although at that time the earth also and the plains of the sea,

470

obscenaeque canes inportunaeque volucres

and ill-omened dogs and troublesome birds

signa dabant. Quotiens Cyclopum effervere in agros

gave signs. How often did we see Etna boil over

vidimus undantem ruptis fornacibus Aetnam

waving into the fields of the Cyclopes from its broken furnaces,

flammarumque globos liquefactaque volvere saxa!

and roll globes of flame and liquefied rocks!

Armorum sonitum toto Germania caelo

Germany heard the clash of arms through the whole sky;

475

audiit, insolitis tremuerunt motibus Alpes.

the Alps trembled with unusual motions.

Vox quoque per lucos volgo exaudita silentis

A voice also was heard by all through the silent groves,

ingens et simulacra modis pallentia miris

huge, and ghosts pale in wondrous ways were seen

visa sub obscurum noctis, pecudesque locutae,

under the darkness of night, and beasts spoke—unspeakable!

infandum! sistunt amnes terraeque dehiscunt

rivers stand still and the earth gapes open,

480

et maestum inlacrimat templis ebur aeraque sudant.

and in the temples the sad ivory weeps and bronzes sweat.

Proluit insano contorquens vertice silvas

Eridanus, the king of rivers, poured forth, whirling woods in its mad vortex,

fluviorum rex Eridanus camposque per omnis

and through all the fields

cum stabulis armenta tulit. Nec tempore eodem

carried away herds with their stables. Nor at the same time

tristibus aut extis fibrae adparere³ minaces

did menacing fibers cease to appear in the gloomy entrails,

485

aut puteis manare cruor cessavit et altae

or blood to flow from wells, and lofty cities

per noctem resonare lupis ululantibus urbes.

to resound through the night with howling wolves.

Non alias caelo ceciderunt plura sereno

Never at any other time did more lightnings fall from a serene sky,

fulgura nec diri totiens arsere cometae.

nor did dire comets burn so often.

ergo inter sese paribus concurrere telis

Therefore Philippi saw Roman armies clash again

490

Romanas acies iterum videre Philippi;

with equal weapons among themselves;

nec fuit indignum superis, bis sanguine nostro

nor was it unseemly to the gods that Emathia and the broad plains of Haemus

Emathiam et latos Haemi pinguescere campos.

should twice grow rich with our blood.

Scilicet et tempus veniet, cum finibus illis

Surely also a time will come when in those territories

agricola incurvo terram molitus aratro

the farmer, tilling the earth with a curved plow,

495

exesa inveniet scabra robigine pila

will find javelins eaten away by rough rust,

aut gravibus rastris galeas pulsabit inanis

or will strike empty helmets with heavy rakes,

grandiaque effossis mirabitur ossa sepulchris.

and marvel at the huge bones in excavated graves.

Di patrii, Indigetes, et Romule Vestaque mater,

Gods of our fathers, native deities, and Romulus, and mother Vesta,

quae Tuscum Tiberim et Romana Palatia servas,

who guard the Tuscan Tiber and Roman Palatine,

500

hunc saltem everso iuvenem succurrere saeclo

do not prevent this youth, at least, from succoring

ne prohibete! Satis iam pridem sanguine nostro

this overturned age! Long enough already have we washed away

Laomedonteae luimus periuria Troiae;

the perjury of Laomedon’s Troy with our blood;

iam pridem nobis caeli te regia, Caesar,

long already, Caesar, the palace of heaven envies us you,

invidet atque hominum queritur curare triumphos;

and complains that you care for the triumphs of men;

505

quippe ubi fas versum atque nefas: tot bella per orbem,

seeing that here right and wrong are inverted: so many wars through the world,

tam multae scelerum facies; non ullus aratro

so many faces of crime; no worthy honor

dignus honos, squalent abductis arva colonis

to the plow, the fields lie waste with the tillers taken away,

et curvae rigidum falces conflantur in ensem.

and curved sickles are forged into the rigid sword.

Hinc movet Euphrates, illinc Germania bellum;

Here the Euphrates, there Germany stirs up war;

510

vicinae ruptis inter se legibus urbes

neighboring cities, having broken their treaties among themselves,

arma ferunt; saevit toto Mars inpius orbe;

bear arms; impious Mars rages through the whole world;

ut cum carceribus sese effudere quadrigae,

as when four-horse chariots have poured forth from the barriers,

addunt in spatia⁴ et frustra retinacula tendens

they quicken their pace into the courses, and the charioteer, stretching the reins in vain,

fertur equis auriga neque audit currus habenas.

is carried away by the horses, and the chariot does not heed the reins.

Syntax notes4 items

1.448male
The adverb male can modify either mitis ('mild, soft') or defendet ('will defend'). Here, it modifies defendet, meaning 'will poorly defend' or 'will fail to protect sufficiently'.
1.454inmiscerier
An archaic form of the present passive/deponent infinitive inmisceri ('to be mingled'), ending in -ier, which is occasionally preserved in classical poetry.
1.484adparere
This verb, along with the subsequent manare and resonare, depends as a complementary infinitive on cessavit ('ceased').
1.513addunt in spatia
An extremely elliptic phrase, literally 'they add into the spaces (or courses)'. It is understood with the omission of se ('themselves') or gradum ('step, pace'), describing how the chariots accelerate as they cover successive laps (spatia).

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-22) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-09-21)

2026-09-21 AI review — note 1

urn:cts:latinLit:phi0690.phi002.humanitext-lat2:1.440-1.514