§5.1Cur non, Mopse, boni quoniam convenimus ambo, §5.2tu calamos inflare levis, ego dicere versus, §5.3hic corylis mixtas inter consedimus ulmos?
Why not, Mopsus, since we have met, both of us skilled, you at blowing the light reeds, I at singing verses, why do we not sit here among the elms mixed with hazelnuts?
§5.4Tu maior; tibi me est aequum parere, Menalca, §5.5sive sub incertas zephyris motantibus umbras, §5.6sive antro potius succedimus: aspice, ut antrum §5.7silvestris raris sparsit labrusca racemis.
You are the elder; it is right for me to obey you, Menalcas, whether we go under the shadows made uncertain by shifting west winds, or whether we rather enter the cave: see, how the cave the wild vine has sprinkled with scattered clusters.
§5.8Montibus in nostris solus tibi certat Amyntas.
In our mountains, Amyntas alone contends with you.
§5.9Quid, si idem certet Phoebum superare canendo?
What if the same man should contend to surpass Phoebus in song?
§5.10Incipe, Mopse, prior, si quos aut Phyllidis ignes, §5.11aut Alconis habes laudes, aut iurgia Codri: §5.12incipe, pascentis servabit Tityrus haedos.
Begin first, Mopsus, if you have any love-songs of Phyllis, or praises of Alcon, or quarrels of Codrus: begin; Tityrus will watch the grazing kids.
§5.13Immo haec, in viridi nuper quae cortice fagi §5.14carmina descripsi et modulans alterna notavi, §5.15experiar, tu deinde iubeto ut certet Amyntas.
Nay, these verses which lately on the green bark of a beech tree I wrote down and, modulating them, noted the alternating parts, I will try; then you may bid Amyntas to contend.
§5.16Lenta salix quantum pallenti cedit olivae, §5.17puniceis humilis quantum saliunca rosetis, §5.18iudicio nostro tantum tibi cedit Amyntas.
As much as the pliant willow yields to the pale olive, as much as the humble wild nard yields to crimson rosebeds, so much in my judgment does Amyntas yield to you.
§5.19sed tu desine plura, puer; successimus antro.
But cease from more words, boy; we have entered the cave.
§5.20Extinctum nymphae crudeli funere Daphnim §5.21flebant; vos coryli testes et flumina nymphis; §5.22cum complexa sui corpus miserabile nati, §5.23atque deos atque astra vocat crudelia mater.
For Daphnis cut off by a cruel death the nymphs were weeping; you, hazelnuts, and rivers were witnesses to the nymphs; when, embracing the pitiable body of her own son, the mother called both gods and stars cruel.
§5.24Non ulli pastos illis egere diebus §5.25frigida, Daphni, boves ad flumina; nulla neque amnem §5.26libavit quadrupes, nec graminis attigit herbam.
No shepherds in those days drove their well-fed oxen to the cold streams, Daphnis; no beast either tasted the river nor touched a blade of grass.
Daphnis, that even African lions groaned at your death the wild mountains and the woods declare.
§5.29Daphnis et Armenias curru subiungere tigres §5.30instituit; Daphnis thiasos inducere Bacchi, §5.31et foliis lentas intexere mollibus hastas.
Daphnis also taught men to yoke Armenian tigers to the chariot; Daphnis introduced the dances of Bacchus, and to interweave tough spears with soft leaves.
§5.32Vitis ut arboribus decori est, ut vitibus uvae, §5.33ut gregibus tauri, segetes ut pinguibus arvis, §5.34tu decus omne tuis.
As the vine is an ornament to trees, as grapes to vines, as bulls to herds, as crops to rich fields, so you were all the glory of your own.
Postquam te fata tulerunt, §5.35ipsa Pales agros atque ipse reliquit Apollo.
After the fates took you away, Pales herself and Apollo himself have left the fields.
§5.36Grandia saepe quibus mandavimus hordea sulcis, §5.37infelix lolium et steriles nascuntur avenae; §5.38pro molli viola, pro purpureo narcisso, §5.39carduus et spinis surgit paliurus acutis.
In the furrows to which we often entrusted the large barley grains, luckless darnel and barren wild oats grow; instead of the soft violet, instead of the purple narcissus, the thistle and the Christ’s thorn rise with sharp prickles.
§5.40Spargite humum foliis, inducite fontibus umbras, §5.41pastores, mandat fieri sibi talia Daphnis; §5.42et tumulum facite, et tumulo superaddite carmen: §5.43"DAPHNIS EGO IN SILVIS HINC VSQUE AD SIDERA NOTVS" §5.44"FORMONSI PECORIS CVSTOS FORMONSIOR IPSE." §5.45Tale tuum carmen nobis, divine poeta, §5.46quale sopor fessis in gramine, quale per aestum §5.47dulcis aquae saliente sitim restinguere rivo: §5.48nec calamis solum aequiparas, sed voce magistrum.
Scatter the ground with leaves, bring shade over the springs, shepherds, Daphnis commands such things to be done for him; and make a mound, and upon the mound add a verse: "I AM DAPHNIS IN THE WOODS, KNOWN FROM HERE EVEN TO THE STARS," "THE KEEPER OF A BEAUTIFUL FLOCK, MYSELF MORE BEAUTIFUL." Such is your song to us, divine poet, as sleep on the grass to the weary, as in the heat to slake thirst from a leaping stream of sweet water: nor with the reeds alone do you equal your master, but in voice also.
§5.50Nos tamen haec quocumque modo tibi nostra vicissim §5.51dicemus, Daphnimque tuum tollemus ad astra; §5.52Daphnin ad astra feremus: amavit nos quoque Daphnis.
Yet we, in our turn, will sing these songs of ours to you as best we can, and will raise your Daphnis to the stars; we will carry Daphnis to the stars: Daphnis loved us too.
§5.53An quicquam nobis tali sit munere maius
Could anything be greater to us than such a gift?
Both the boy himself was worthy to be sung, and those songs Stimichon long ago praised to us.
Shining in beauty, Daphnis marvels at the unfamiliar threshold of Olympus, and under his feet Daphnis sees the clouds and stars.
§5.58ergo alacris silvas et cetera rura voluptas §5.59Panaque pastoresque tenet, Dryadasque puellas; §5.60nec lupus insidias pecori, nec retia cervis §5.61ulla dolum meditantur: amat bonus otia Daphnis.
Therefore eager pleasure holds the woods and all the rest of the countryside, and Pan, and the shepherds, and the Dryad maidens; neither does the wolf plan ambush for the flock, nor any nets plan guile for the deer: good Daphnis loves peace.
§5.62ipsi laetitia voces ad sidera iactant §5.63intonsi montes; ipsae iam carmina rupes, §5.64ipsa sonant arbusta: “Deus, deus ille, Menalca. ” §5.65Sis bonus O felixque tuis! En quattuor aras:
The unshorn mountains themselves toss their voices with joy to the stars; now the rocks themselves sing songs, the very orchards resound: “A god, a god is he, Menalcas!” O be good and favorable to your own!
§5.66ecce duas tibi, Daphni, duas altaria Phoebo.
Behold four altars: lo, two for you, Daphnis, and two high altars for Phoebus.
§5.67pocula bina novo spumantia lacte quotannis, §5.68craterasque duo statuam tibi pinguis olivi, §5.69et multo in primis hilarans convivia Baccho,— §5.70ante focum, si frigus erit, si messis, in umbra,— §5.71vina novum fundam calathis Ariusia nectar.
Two cups foaming with fresh milk each year, and two bowls of rich olive oil will I set up for you, and above all, gladdening the feasts with much wine,— before the hearth if it be cold, in the shade if it be harvest-time,— I will pour Ariusian wine from cups, a new nectar.
Damoetas and Lyctian Aegon shall sing for me; Alphesiboeus shall imitate the dancing satyrs.
These rites shall always be yours, both when we pay our solemn vows to the Nymphs, and when we purify the fields.
§5.76Dum iuga montis aper, fluvios dum piscis amabit, §5.77dumque thymo pascentur apes, dum rore cicadae, §5.78semper honos nomenque tuum laudesque manebunt; §5.79ut Baccho Cererique, tibi sic vota quotannis §5.80agricolae facient: damnabis tu quoque votis.
As long as the wild boar loves the mountain ridges, as long as the fish loves the rivers, and as long as bees feed on thyme, as long as cicadas feed on dew, always shall your honor, your name, and your praises remain; as to Bacchus and Ceres, so to you each year shall the husbandmen make vows: you too shall bind them to their vows.
§5.81Quae tibi, quae tali reddam pro carmine dona?
What, what gifts shall I return to you for such a song?
§5.82Nam neque me tantum venientis sibilus austri, §5.83nec percussa iuvant fluctu tam litora, nec quae §5.84saxosas inter decurrunt flumina valles.
For neither does the whisper of the coming South Wind delight me so much, nor the shores struck by the wave so please me, nor the rivers which run down among the rocky valleys.
§5.85Hac te nos fragili donabimus ante cicuta: §5.86haec nos, “Formosum Corydon ardebat Alexim,” §5.87haec eadem docuit, “Cuium pecus, an Meliboei?”
First I will gift you with this fragile hemlock-pipe: this taught us: “Corydon burned for beautiful Alexis,” this same pipe taught: “Whose flock is this?
§5.88At tu sume pedum, quod, me cum saepe rogaret, §5.89non tulit Antigenes—et erat tum dignus amari— §5.90formosum paribus nodis atque aere, Menalca.
Is it Meliboeus’?” But do you take this crook, which, though he often asked me, Antigenes did not get—and he was then worthy to be loved— beautiful with equal knots and brass, Menalcas.