§4.1Sicelides Musae, paulo maiora canamus!
Sicilian Muses, let us sing of somewhat greater things!
Not all do orchards and humble tamarisks please; if we sing of woods, let the woods be worthy of a consul.
§4.4Ultima Cumaei venit iam carminis aetas; §4.5magnus ab integro saeclorum nascitur ordo: §4.6iam redit et Virgo, redeunt Saturnia regna; §4.7iam nova progenies caelo demittitur alto.
Now comes the final age of Cumaean song; a great order of the ages is born anew: now too the Virgin returns, the reign of Saturn returns; now a new offspring is sent down from high heaven.
§4.8Tu modo nascenti puero, quo ferrea primum §4.9desinet ac toto surget gens aurea mundo, §4.10casta fave Lucina: tuus iam regnat Apollo.
Only upon the boy at his birth, under whom the iron race shall first cease, and a golden race arise in all the world, show favor, chaste Lucina: now your own Apollo reigns.
And indeed under your consulship, this glory of the age shall begin, Pollio, and the mighty months shall begin to roll.
§4.13te duce, si qua manent sceleris vestigia nostri, §4.14inrita perpetua solvent formidine terras.
Under your guidance, if any traces of our guilt remain, they shall, rendered void, release the earth from perpetual fear.
§4.15ille deum vitam accipiet, divisque videbit §4.16permixtos heroas, et ipse videbitur illis, §4.17pacatumque reget patriis virtutibus orbem.
He shall receive the life of gods, and shall see heroes mingled with gods, and shall himself be seen by them, and shall rule a pacified world with his father's virtues.
§4.18At tibi prima, puer, nullo munuscula cultu §4.19errantis hederas passim cum baccare tellus §4.20mixtaque ridenti colocasia fundet acantho.
But for you, boy, as first little gifts, with no cultivation, shall the earth pour forth wandering ivy everywhere with baccaris, and colocasia mixed with smiling acanthus.
§4.21Ipsae lacte domum referent distenta capellae §4.22ubera, nec magnos metuent armenta leones; §4.23ipsa tibi blandos fundent cunabula flores, §4.24occidet et serpens, et fallax herba veneni §4.25occidet, Assyrium volgo nascetur amomum.
Of themselves shall the she-goats bring home their udders swollen with milk, nor shall the herds fear great lions; Your cradle itself shall pour forth enticing flowers for you, the serpent also shall die, and the deceitful poison-herb shall perish; Assyrian spice shall grow everywhere.
§4.26at simul heroum laudes et facta parentis §4.27iam legere et quae sit poteris cognoscere virtus, §4.28molli paulatim flavescet campus arista, §4.29incultisque rubens pendebit sentibus uva, §4.30et durae quercus sudabunt roscida mella
But as soon as you are able to read the praises of heroes and the deeds of your father, and to know what virtue is, gradually the field shall grow yellow with soft ears of grain, and the blushing grape shall hang from uncultivated thorns, and hard oaks shall sweat dewy honey.
§4.31Pauca tamen suberunt priscae vestigia fraudis, §4.32quae temptare Thetim ratibus, quae cingere muris §4.33oppida, quae iubeant telluri infindere sulcos:
Yet some few traces of ancient guilt shall remain, which bid men tempt the sea with ships, to gird towns with walls, and to cleave furrows in the earth.
§4.34alter erit tum Tiphys, et altera quae vehat Argo §4.35delectos Heroas; erunt etiam altera bella, §4.36atque iterum ad Troiam magnus mittetur Achilles.
Then shall there be another Tiphys, and another Argo to carry chosen heroes; there shall also be other wars, and once more great Achilles shall be sent to Troy.
§4.37Hinc, ubi iam firmata virum te fecerit aetas, §4.38cedet et ipse mari vector, nec nautica pinus §4.39mutabit merces: omnis feret omnia tellus:
Thereafter, when now strengthening age has made you a man, even the voyager himself shall withdraw from the sea, nor shall the pine ship exchange merchandise: every land shall bear all things.
§4.40non rastros patietur humus, non vinea falcem; §4.41robustus quoque iam tauris iuga solvet arator;
The soil shall not endure the rake, nor the vineyard the pruning-hook; the sturdy plowman too shall now loosen the yokes from his oxen.
§4.42nec varios discet mentiri lana colores: §4.43ipse sed in pratis aries iam suave rubenti §4.44murice, iam croceo mutabit vellera luto; §4.45sponte sua sandyx pascentis vestiet agnos.
Nor shall wool learn to counterfeit various colors, but the ram himself in the meadows shall change his fleece, now with sweetly blushing purple, now with saffron-yellow dye; of its own accord shall scarlet clothe the grazing lambs.
"Run on, such ages," said the Parcae to their spindles, harmonious in the steadfast will of the Fates.
§4.48Adgredere o magnos—aderit iam tempus—honores, §4.49cara deum suboles, magnum Iovis incrementum!
Enter upon your great honors—the time will soon be here— dear offspring of the gods, great increase of Jove!
Behold the world nodding with its vaulted weight, the lands and the expanses of the sea and the deep heaven!
§4.52Aspice, venturo laetentur ut omnia saeclo!
Behold how all things rejoice at the coming age!
§4.53O mihi tam longae maneat pars ultima vitae, §4.54spiritus et quantum sat erit tua dicere facta!
O may the final part of so long a life remain to me, and breath as much as shall suffice to tell of your deeds!
§4.55Non me carminibus vincet nec Thracius Orpheus, §4.56nec Linus, huic mater quamvis atque huic pater adsit, §4.57Orphei Calliopea, Lino formosus Apollo,
Neither Thracian Orpheus shall vanquish me in song, nor Linus, though his mother be near to the one and his father to the other, Calliopea to Orpheus, handsome Apollo to Linus.
Even Pan, if he should contend with me with Arcadia as judge, even Pan, with Arcadia as judge, would declare himself vanquished.
Begin, little boy, to recognize your mother with a smile, ten months have brought long weariness to your mother.