Letter to Quinctius: The Sabine Farm and True Virtue — Horace, Epistles Book 1 (1.16.1–1.16.79), Latin & English

Ne perconteris, fundus meus, optime Quincti,

Do not inquire, my dearest Quinctius, whether my farm

arvo pascat erum an bacis opulentet olivae,

feeds its master with arable land, or enriches him with the berries of the olive,

pomisne an pratis an amicta vitibus ulmo,

or with orchards, or meadows, or the elm clothed with vines;

scribetur tibi forma loquaciter et situs agri.

the form and situation of the land shall be described to you loquaciter.

Continui montes, ni dissocientur opaca

There are continuous mountains, except that they are separated by a shady

valle, sed ut veniens dextrum latus aspiciat sol,

valley, but in such a way that the coming sun looks upon the right side,

laevum discedens curru fugiente vaporet.

and departing, warms the left with his fleeing chariot.

temperiem laudes, quid si rubicunda benigni

You would praise its mildness. What if the generous brambles bear red

corna vepres et pruna ferant? si quercus et ilex

cornel-berries and plums? If the oak and the holm-oak

multa fruge pecus, multa dominum iuvet umbra?

gladden the cattle with abundant fruit, and the master with abundant shade?

dicas adductum propius frondere Tarentum,

You would say that Tarentum, brought closer, is in leaf.

fons etiam rivo dare nomen idoneus, ut nec

There is also a spring, fit to give its name to a river, so that

frigidior Thracam nec purior ambiat Hebrus,

Hebrus flows through Thrace neither colder nor purer;

infirmo capiti fluit utilis, utilis alvo.

it flows useful for an infirm head, useful for the stomach.

hae latebrae dulces, etiam, si credis, amoenae,

This sweet, and even, if you believe me, lovely retreat

incolumem tibi me praestant Septembribus horis.

preserves me safe and sound for you during the hours of September.

Tu recte vivis, si curas esse quod audis,¹

You live rightly, if you take care to be what you are reputed to be.

iactamus iam pridem omnis te Roma beatum;

We, all of Rome, have long since been proclaiming you happy;

sed vereor ne cui de te plus quam tibi credas,

but I fear lest you believe anyone about yourself more than yourself,

neve putes alium sapiente bonoque beatum,

or lest you think anyone happy other than the wise and good,

neu, si te populus sanum recteque valentem

or lest, if the people repeatedly declare you healthy and well,

dictitet, occultam febrem sub tempus edendi

you should disguise an unspoken fever up to the time of eating,

dissimules, donec manibus tremor incidat unctis.

until tremor falls upon your greasy hands.

stultorum incurata pudor malus ulcera celat.

The false shame of fools conceals uncured ulcers.

Si quis bella tibi terra pugnata marique

If anyone should tell you of wars fought by you on land and sea,

dicat et his verbis vacuas permulceat auris:

and soothe your empty ears with these words:

“tene magis salvum populus velit an populum tu,²

“Whether the people wish you more safe, or you the people,

servet in ambiguo, qui consulit et tibi et urbi,

may Jupiter, who cares for both you and the city, keep in doubt,”

Iuppiter,” Augusti laudes agnoscere possis:

you would be able to recognize the praises of Augustus.

cum pateris sapiens emendatusque vocari,

When you allow yourself to be called wise and faultless,

respondesne tuo, dic sodes, nomine? “nempe

do you answer, tell me please, in your own name? “Of course,

vir bonus et prudens dici delector ego ac tu.”

I delight to be called a good and prudent man, as do you.”

qui dedit hoc hodie, cras, si volet, auferet, ut si

He who gave this today, will take it away tomorrow, if he wishes, just as if

detulerit fasces indigno, detrahet idem.

he had conferred the fasces on an unworthy man, the same will take them back.

pone, meum est inquit: pono tristisque recedo.

“Lay it down, it is mine,” he says; I lay it down and depart sad.

idem si clamet furem, neget esse pudicum,

If the same man should cry out that I am a thief, deny that I am chaste,

contendat laqueo collum pressisse paternum,

contend that I have strangled my father’s neck with a noose,

mordear opprobriis falsis mutemque colores?

should I be bitten by false reproaches and change colors?

falsus honor iuvat et mendax infamia terret

Whom does false honor delight, and lying infamy terrify,

quem nisi mendosum et medicandum? Vir bonus est quis?

except the faulty and him who needs medicine? Who is the good man?

“qui consulta patrum, qui leges iuraque servat,

“He who keeps the decrees of the fathers, who preserves the laws and rights,

quo multae magnaeque secantur iudice lites,

by whose judgment many and great disputes are decided,

quo res sponsore et quo causae teste tenentur.”

by whose security property is held, and by whose testimony cases are won.”

sed videt hunc omnis domus et vicinia tota

But all his household and the whole neighborhood see him

introrsum turpem, speciosum pelle decora.

foul within, though specious with a fair skin.

nec furtum feci nec fugi, si mihi dicat

“I have neither committed a theft nor run away,” if

servus, habes pretium, loris non ureris, aio.

a slave should say to me, “You have your reward, you are not burned with whips,” I say.

non hominem occidi: non pasces in cruce corvos.

“I have not killed a man.” “You shall not feed crows on a cross.”

sum bonus et frugi: renuit negitatque Sabellus.

“I am good and honest.” The Sabellian shakes his head and denies it.

cautus enim metuit foveam lupus accipiterque

For the cautious wolf fears the pitfall, and the hawk

suspectos laqueos et opertum miluus hamum,

the suspected snares, and the kite the concealed hook.

oderunt peccare boni virtutis amore,

The good hate to sin from the love of virtue;

tu nihil admittes in te formidine poenae:

you will commit nothing from the fear of punishment.

sit spes fallendi, miscebis sacra profanis.

Let there be a hope of escaping detection, you will mix sacred things with profane.

nam de mille fabae modiis cum surripis unum,

For when you steal one bushel of beans out of a thousand,

damnum est, non facinus, mihi pacto lenius isto.³

the loss is lighter in that deal for me, but not the crime.

vir bonus, omne forum quem spectat et omne tribunal,

The good man, whom the whole forum and every tribunal looks upon,

quandocumque deos vel porco vel bove placat,

whenever he placates the gods with either a pig or an ox,

Iane pater! clare, clare cum dixit, Apollo!

after he has said clearly, clearly: “Father Janus! Apollo!”

labra movet metuens audiri: “pulchra Laverna,

moves his lips, fearing to be heard: “Beautiful Laverna,

da mihi fallere, da iusto sanctoque videri,

grant me to deceive, grant me to appear just and holy,

noctem peccatis et fraudibus obice nubem.”

cast night over my sins, and a cloud over my frauds.”

Qui melior servo, qui liberior sit avarus,

How the covetous man is better than a slave, or how he is freer,

in triviis fixum cum se demittit ob assem,

when he bends down for an as fixed in the crossroads,

non video; nam qui cupiet, metuet quoque; porro,

I do not see; for he who desires, will also fear; moreover,

qui metuens vivet, liber mihi non erit umquam,

he who lives in fear will never, in my opinion, be free.

perdidit arma, locum Virtutis deseruit, qui

He has lost his weapons, he has deserted the post of Virtue, who

semper in augenda festinat et obruitur re.

is always hastening in increasing his wealth and is overwhelmed by it.

vendere cum possis captivum, occidere noli;

When you can sell a captive, do not kill him;

serviet utiliter; sine pascat durus aretque,

he will serve usefully; let him feed cattle and plow, hardy as he is;

naviget ac mediis hiemet mercator in undis,

let him sail and winter as a merchant in the midst of the waves;

annonae prosit, portet frumenta penusque.

let him assist the market, let him carry corn and provisions.

Vir bonus et sapiens audebit dicere: “Pentheu,

A good and wise man will dare to say: “Pentheus,

rector Thebarum, quid me perferre patique

ruler of Thebes, what unworthy treatment will you force me to suffer and endure?”

indignum coges?” Adimam bona. “Nempe pecus, rem,

“I will take away your goods.” “You mean my cattle, my property,

lectos, argentum: tollas licet.” “In manicis et

beds, silver: you may take them.” “In hand-shackles and

compedibus saevo te sub custode tenebo.”

foot-fetters I will keep you under a cruel guard.”

Ipse deus, simul atque volam, me solvet. opinor,

“The god himself, as soon as I wish, will release me.” I think

hoc sentit moriar. mors ultima linea rerum est.

he means this: “I shall die.” Death is the final boundary of things.

Syntax notes3 items

1.16.17esse quod audis
The verb audis is used passively to mean 'to be reputed as' or 'to be called' (imitating the Greek usage of ἀκούω). quod is the relative pronoun acting as the complement of the infinitive esse.
1.16.27tene magis salvum populus velit an populum tu
An indirect double question introduced by -ne... an... with the subjunctive velit. In the second clause, salvum velis is omitted after populum tu, forming a parallel structure: 'whether the people wish you safe, or you the people'.
1.16.56damnum est, non facinus, mihi pacto lenius isto
The phrase pacto... isto is an ablative of comparison depending on the comparative adjective lenius. The syntax contrasts the material loss (damnum) with the moral crime (facinus): 'by that deal, the loss indeed is lighter for me, but not the crime itself'.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-22) · Revision history (3, latest 2026-09-22)

2026-09-22 AI review — source 1
2026-09-21 AI review — source 2

urn:cts:latinLit:phi0893.phi005.humanitext-lat2:1.16.1-1.16.79