§10.1Ἐργατίνα βουκαῖε, τί νῦν ᾦζυρὲ πεπόνθεις;
Laboring Bucaeus, what has happened to you now, you miserable man?
§10.2οὔθʼ ἑὸν ὄγμον ἄγειν ὀρθὸν δύνᾳ, ὡς τὸ πρὶν ἆγες, §10.3οὔθʼ ἅμα λᾳοτομεῖς τῷ πλατίον, ἀλλʼ ἀπολείπῃ §10.4ὥσπερ ὄις ποίμνας, ἇς τὸν πόδα κάκτος ἔτυψε.
You can neither drive your furrow straight as you used to do, nor reap in time with your neighbor, but you fall behind like a sheep left behind by the flock, whose foot a cactus has pricked.
What kind of man will you be in the evening and after midday, you who now at the beginning of the furrow cannot even bite your way through?
Milon, you late-reaper, chip of stubborn rock, has it never happened to you to long for someone who is absent?
§10.9οὐδαμά.
Never.
τίς δὲ πόθος τῶν ἔκτοθεν ἐργάτᾳ ἀνδρί;
What longing for outside things should a working man have?
§10.10οὐδαμά νυν συνέβα τοι ἀγρυπνῆσαι διʼ ἔρωτα;
Has it never then happened to you to lie awake because of love?
§10.11μηδέ γε συμβαίη· χαλεπὸν χορίω κύνα γεῦσαι.
May it never happen indeed; it is bad to let a dog taste tripe.
§10.12ἀλλʼ ἐγὼ ὦ Μίλων ἔραμαι σχεδὸν ἑνδεκαταῖος.
But I, Milon, have been in love for almost eleven days.
§10.13ἐκ πίθω ἀντλεῖς δῆλον· ἐγὼ δʼ ἔχω οὐδʼ ἅλις ὄξος.
You draw from a jar, clearly; whereas I have not even enough vinegar.
§10.14τοιγάρτοι πρὸ θυρᾶν μοι ἀπὸ σπόρω ἄσκαλα πάντα.
Therefore all the land before my doors is unweeded since the sowing.
§10.15τίς δέ τυ τᾶν παίδων λυμαίνεται;
And which of the girls is ruining you?
Polybotas' girl, who lately piped for the reapers at Hippocion's.
§10.17εὗρε θεὸς τὸν ἀλιτρόν· ἔχεις πάλαι ὧν ἐπεθύμεις.
God has found the sinner; you have what you have long desired.
§10.18μάντίς τοι τὰν νύκτα χροϊξεῖθʼ ἁ καλαμαία.
Truly, the locust-like girl of the straw will embrace you all night.
You begin to mock me; but not only Plutus is blind, but also the reckless Love.
μὴ δὴ μέγα μυθεῦ.
Do not speak so big.
I do not speak big; only lay down the corn, and strike up some love-song for the girl.
ἅδιον οὑτῶς §10.23ἐργαξῇ· καὶ μὰν πρότερόν ποκα μουσικὸς ἦσθα.
In this way more sweetly you will work; and indeed, you used to be a musician once.
§10.24Μοῖσαι Πιερίδες, συναείσατε τὰν ῥαδινάν μοι §10.25παῖδʼ· ὧν γάρ χʼ ἅψησθε θεαί, καλὰ πάντα ποεῖτε.
Pierian Muses, sing with me of my slender girl; for whatever you touch, goddesses, you make all things beautiful.
§10.26Βομβύκα χαρίεσσα, Σύραν καλέοντί τυ πάντες, §10.27ἰσχνὰν ἁλιόκαυστον, ἐγὼ δὲ μόνος μελίχλωρον.
Graceful Bombyca, all call you a Syrian, lean and sunburnt, but I alone call you honey-pale.
§10.28καὶ τὸ ἴον μέλαν ἐστὶ καὶ ἁ γραπτὰ ὑάκινθος, §10.29ἀλλʼ ἔμπας ἐν τοῖς στεφάνοις τὰ πρᾶτα λέγονται.
The violet indeed is dark, and the lettered hyacinth, yet they are gathered first for wreaths.
§10.30ἁ αἲξ τὰν κύτισον, ὁ λύκος τὰν αἶγα διώκει, §10.31ἁ γέρανος τὤροτρον, ἐγὼ δʼ ἐπὶ τὶν μεμάνημαι.
The goat pursues the clover, the wolf pursues the goat, the crane pursues the plough, and I am mad for you.
§10.32αἴθέ μοι ἦς, ὅσσα Κροῖσόν ποκα φαντὶ πεπᾶσθαι, §10.33χρύσεοι ἀμφότεροί κʼ ἀνεκείμεθα τᾷ Ἀφροδίτᾳ, §10.34τὼς αὐλὼς μὲν ἔχοισα καὶ ἢ ῥόδον ἢ μᾶλον τύ, §10.35σχῆμα δʼ ἐγὼ καὶ καινὰς ἐπʼ ἀμφοτέροισιν ἀμύκλας.
Would that I had as much as Croesus is said to have possessed once, we should both stand dedicated in gold to Aphrodite, you holding your pipes and either a rose or an apple, and I in my fine attire and with new Amyclean shoes on both feet.
§10.36Βομβύκα χαρίεσσʼ, οἱ μὲν πόδες ἀστράγαλοί τευς, §10.37ἁ φωνὰ δὲ τρύχνος· τὸν μὰν τρόπον οὐκ ἔχω εἰπεῖν.
Graceful Bombyca, your feet are like dice, and your voice is like nightshade; but your sweet ways I cannot describe.
§10.38Ἦ καλὰς ἄμμι ποέων ἐλελήθει βοῦκος ἀοιδάς.
Truly, without our knowing, the herdsman was fashioning beautiful songs.
§10.39ὡς εὖ τὰν ἰδέαν τᾶς ἁρμονίας ἐμέτρησεν.
How well he measured the form of the harmony!
§10.40ὤμοι τῶ πώγωνος, ὃν ἀλιθίως ἀνέφυσα.
Alas for my beard, which I grew to no purpose!
§10.41θᾶσαι δὴ καὶ ταῦτα τὰ τῶ θείω Λιτυέρσα.
Come now, listen also to these verses of the divine Lityerses.
§10.42Δάματερ πολύκαρπε πολύσταχυ, τοῦτο τὸ λᾷον §10.43εὔεργόν τʼ εἴη καὶ κάρπιμον ὅττι μάλιστα. §10.44Σφίγγετʼ ἀμαλλοδέται τὰ δράγματα, μὴ παριών τις §10.45εἴποι· σύκινοι ἄνδρες, ἀπώλετο χοὗτος ὁ μισθός. §10.46Ἐς βορέην ἄνεμον τᾶς κόρθυος ἁ τομὰ ὔμμιν §10.47ἢ ζέφυρον βλεπέτω· πιαίνεται ὁ στάχυς οὑτῶς. §10.48σῖτον ἀλοιῶντας φεύγειν τὸ μεσαμβρινὸν ὕπνον· §10.49ἐκ καλάμας ἄχυρον τελέθει τημόσδε μάλιστα. §10.50ἄρχεσθαι δʼ ἀμῶντας ἐγειρομένω κορυδαλλῶ, §10.51καὶ λήγειν εὕδοντος, ἐλινῦσαι δὲ τὸ καῦμα. §10.52εὐκτὸς ὁ τῶ βατράχω παῖδες βίος· οὐ μελεδαίνει §10.53τὸν προπιεῖν ἐγχεῦντα· πάρεστι γὰρ ἄφθονον αὐτῷ. §10.54κάλλιον ὦπιμελητὰ φιλάργυρε τὸν φακὸν ἕψειν· §10.55μή τι τάμῃς τὰν χεῖρα καταπρίων τὸ κύμινον. §10.56ταῦτα χρὴ μοχθεῦντας ἐν ἁλίῳ ἄνδρας ἀείδειν, §10.57τὸν δὲ τεὸν βουκαῖε πρέπει λιμηρὸν ἔρωτα §10.58μυθίσδεν τᾷ ματρὶ κατʼ εὐνὰν ὀρθρευοίσᾳ.
“Demeter, rich in fruit and rich in ears, may this crop be easy to work and as fruitful as possible.” “Bind the sheaves tight, you sheaf-binders, lest someone passing by should say: ‘Figwood men, this wage also is wasted.’” “Let the cut end of your stack face the north wind or the west wind; for in this way the ear plumps up.” “Those who thresh corn should avoid sleep at midday; for at that time the chaff parts best from the straw.” “But reapers should begin when the lark wakes, and cease when it sleeps, and rest during the heat.” “Enviable is the life of the frog, my lads; he does not care for one to pour him a drink; for it is present for him in abundance.” “It is better, o stingy steward, to boil the lentils; do not cut your hand by splitting cumin-seeds.” These are the songs that men who toil in the sun should sing; but as for your starved love, Bucaeus, it is fitting to tell it to your mother as she wakes in her bed at dawn.