Letter to the Bailiff: True Contentment of the Mind — Horace, Epistles Book 1 (1.14.1–1.14.44), Latin & English

Vilice silvarum et mihi me reddentis agelli,

Bailiff of my woods and of the little estate that restores me to myself,

quem tu fastidis, habitatum quinque focis et

which you despise, though inhabited by five households and

quinque bonos solitum¹ Variam dimittere patres,

accustomed to send five good fathers of families to Varia,

certemus, spinas animone ego fortius an tu

let us compete, whether I more stoutly tear out the thorns from my mind, or you

evellas² agro, et melior sit Horatius an res.

from the field, and whether Horace or his property is in better condition.

Me quamvis Lamiae pietas et cura moratur,

Although Lamia’s affection and concern delay me,

fratrem maerentis, rapto de fratre dolentis

as he mourns his brother, grieving inconsolably for his snatched-away

insolabiliter, tamen istuc mens animusque

brother, yet my mind and soul carry me thither

fert et amat spatiis obstantia rumpere claustra,

and long to break through the barriers that obstruct the course.

rure ego viventem, tu dicis in urbe beatum.

I call the one living in the country happy, you the one in the city.

cui placet alterius, sua nimirum est odio sors.

He who fancies another’s lot, naturally hates his own.

stultus uterque locum immeritum causatur inique:

Each foolishly and unjustly blames the innocent place:

in culpa est animus, qui se non effugit umquam.

the fault is in the mind, which never escapes itself.

Tu mediastinus tacita prece rura petebas,

As a common drudge, you used to pray in secret for the country;

nunc urbem et ludos et balnea vilicus optas:

now as a bailiff, you long for the city, the games, and the baths.

me constare mihi scis et discedere tristem

You know that I am consistent with myself and depart in sadness

quandocumque trahunt invisa negotia Romam,

whenever hateful business drags me to Rome.

non eadem miramur; eo disconvenit inter

We do not admire the same things; hence is the disagreement between

meque et te. nam quae deserta et inhospita tesqua

me and you. For what you believe to be deserted and inhospitable wilds,

credis, amoena vocat mecum qui sentit, et odit

he who feels with me calls lovely, and hates

quae tu pulchra putas, fornix tibi et uncta popina

what you think beautiful. A brothel and a greasy cookshop

incutiunt urbis desiderium, video, et quod

strike you with a longing for the city, I see, and because

angulus iste feret piper et tus ocius uva,³

that little corner of yours will bear pepper and incense sooner than a grape,

nec vicina subest vinum praebere taberna

and because there is no tavern nearby to supply you with wine,

quae possit tibi, nec meretrix tibicina, cuius

nor a flute-playing harlot, to whose

ad strepitum salias terrae gravis; et tamen urges

din you may heavy-footed dance upon the ground; and yet you labor

iampridem non tacta ligonibus arva bovemque

at the fields untouched by hoes for a long time, and care for

disiunctum curas et strictis frondibus exples;

the unyoked ox and fill him with stripped leaves;

addit opus pigro rivus, si decidit imber,

the brook adds work to the lazy one if a shower falls,

multa mole docendus aprico parcere prato.⁴

to be taught with many a mound to spare the sunny meadow.

Nunc age, quid nostrum concentum dividat audi.

Now come, hear what divides our harmony.

quem tenues decuere togae nitidique capilli,

A man whom fine togas and glossy hair once became,

quem scis immunem⁵ Cinarae placuisse rapaci,

who, as you know, pleased rapacious Cinara without a gift,

quem bibulum liquidi media de luce Falerni,

who liked drinking clear Falernian from midday onwards,

cena brevis iuvat et prope rivum somnus in herba;

now a brief dinner pleases, and sleep on the grass near a stream;

nec lusisse pudet, sed non incidere ludum,

nor is it a shame to have played, but not to cut short the play.

non istic obliquo oculo mea commoda quisquam

No one there diminishes my advantages with a squinting eye,

limat, non odio obscuro morsuque venenat:

nor poisons them with secret hatred and bite;

rident vicini glaebas et saxa moventem.

the neighbors laugh as I move the clods and stones.

cum servis urbana diaria rodere mavis;

You prefer to gnaw the town rations with the slaves;

horum tu in numerum voto ruis: invidet usum

you rush to join their number in your prayer. But

lignorum et pecoris tibi calo argutus et horti,

the shrewd drudge envies you your use of the wood, the cattle, and the garden.

optat ephippia bos, piger optat arare caballus.

The ox desires the saddle, the lazy horse desires to plow.

quam scit uterque libens censebo exerceat artem.⁶

I shall decree that each gladly practice the art which he understands.

Syntax notes6 items

1.14.2habitatum ... solitum
Both participles agree with agelli (genitive singular) in line 1. The infinitive dimittere depending on solitum has the estate (agellus) as its implied subject, with patres functioning as its direct object.
1.14.4spinas animone ego fortius an tu / evellas
A double indirect question introduced by certemus (present subjunctive of exhortation). The particles -ne ... an structure the contrast: "whether I [pull out thorns] more stoutly from my mind, or you from the field."
1.14.23ocius uva
The ablative of comparison uva depending on the comparative ocius ("sooner/faster than a grape"). It sarcastically suggests that the barren land is more likely to produce exotic spices than the grapes normally expected of it.
1.14.30docendus aprico parcere prato
The gerundive docendus agrees with and modifies rivus (the brook), the subject of the clause. Since the verb parcere governs the dative case, aprico prato is placed in the dative.
1.14.33immunem
An adjective in the accusative agreeing with the omitted subject of the infinitive placuisse (referring back to the relative pronoun quem in line 32, representing Horace himself). It is used adverbially to mean "without a gift" or "empty-handed."
1.14.44quam scit uterque libens censebo exerceat artem
The word order is highly inverted; the structural arrangement is censebo (ut) exerceat artem quam uterque (libens) scit. The verb censebo introduces the present subjunctive exerceat without ut, expressing a strong recommendation or decree.

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

2026-09-22 AI review — source 1

urn:cts:latinLit:phi0893.phi005.humanitext-lat2:1.14.1-1.14.44