§8.1Pastorem Musam Damonis et Alphesiboei— §8.2immemor herbarum quos est mirata iuvenca §8.3certantis, quorum stupefactae carmine lynces, §8.4et mutata suos requierunt flumina cursus— §8.5Illonis Musam dicemus et Alphesiboei.
The pastoral Muse of Damon and Alphesiboeus— whom, competing, the heifer, unmindful of her grass, admired, at whose song lynxes were stupefied, and the rivers, changed, stayed their courses— the Muse of Damon and Alphesiboeus we shall sing.
§8.6Tu mihi seu magni superas iam saxa Timavi, §8.7sive oram Illyrici legis aequoris, en erit umquam §8.8ille dies, mihi cum liceat tua dicere facta?
You, whether you are now passing the rocks of great Timavus, or coasting the shore of the Illyrian sea, lo, will that day ever come when I may sing your deeds?
Lo, will it be that I am permitted to carry through the whole world your songs alone worthy of the Sophoclean buskin?
§8.11A te principium, tibi desinam: accipe iussis §8.12carmina coepta tuis, atque hanc sine tempora circum §8.13inter victrices hederam tibi serpere laurus.
From you is my beginning, in you I shall end: accept the songs begun at your bidding, and permit this ivy to creep around your temples amidst your victorious laurels.
§8.14Frigida vix caelo noctis decesserat umbra, §8.15cum ros in tenera pecori gratissimus herba; §8.16incumbens tereti Damon sic coepit olivae. §8.17Nascere, praeque diem veniens age, Lucifer, almum, §8.18coniugis indigno Nisae deceptus amore §8.19dum queror, et divos, quamquam nil testibus illis §8.20profeci, extrema moriens tamen adloquor hora.
Scarcely had the cold shadow of night departed from the sky, when the dew on the tender grass is most welcome to the flock; leaning on his smooth olive-staff, Damon thus began: "Arise, Lucifer, and coming beforehand bring the genial day, while, deceived by the unworthy love of my bride Nisa, I lament, and, though I have profited nothing by having them as witnesses, yet at my last hour, dying, I address the gods.
§8.21Incipe Maenalios mecum, mea tibia, versus.
Begin with me, my pipe, Maenalian verses.
§8.22Maenalus argutumque nemus pinosque loquentis §8.23semper habet; semper pastorum ille audit amores, §8.24Panaque, qui primus calamos non passus inertis.
Maenalus always has a whistling grove and speaking pines; he always hears the loves of shepherds, and Pan, who first did not allow the reeds to lie idle.
§8.25Incipe Maenalios mecum, mea tibia, versus.
Begin with me, my pipe, Maenalian verses.
§8.26Mopso Nisa datur: quid non speremus amantes?
Nisa is given to Mopsus: what may we lovers not expect?
Now griffins will be mated with horses, and in the following age, timid does will come with dogs to drink.
§8.29Mopse, novas incide faces: tibi ducitur uxor; §8.30sparge, marite, nuces: tibi deserit Hesperus Oetam.
Mopsus, cut new torches: a wife is being led to you; scatter the nuts, bridegroom: Hesperus is leaving Oeta for you.
§8.31Incipe Maenalios mecum, mea tibia, versus.
Begin with me, my pipe, Maenalian verses.
§8.32O digno coniuncta viro, dum despicis omnes, §8.33dumque tibi est odio mea fistula, dumque capellae, §8.34hirsutumque supercilium promissaque barba, §8.35nec curare deum credis mortalia quemquam!
O you who are joined to a worthy husband, while you despise all others, and while my pipe is your hatred, and my goats, and my shaggy eyebrow and long beard, and you believe that no god cares for mortal things!
§8.36Incipe Maenalios mecum, mea tibia, versus.
Begin with me, my pipe, Maenalian verses.
In our orchards I saw you, a little girl, gathering dewy apples with your mother—I was your guide.
§8.39Alter ab undecimo tum me iam acceperat annus; §8.40iam fragilis poteram ab terra contingere ramos.
The year next after the eleventh had already received me then; already I could reach the fragile branches from the ground.
§8.41Ut vidi, ut perii! Ut me malus abstulit error!
As I saw, how I was lost! How the evil delusion carried me away!
§8.42Incipe Maenalios mecum, mea tibia, versus.
Begin with me, my pipe, Maenalian verses.
§8.43Nunc scio, quid sit Amor: duris in cotibus illum §8.44aut Tmaros, aut Rhodope, aut extremm Garamantes, §8.45nec generis nostri puerum nec sanguinis edunt.
Now I know what Love is: on hard crags Tmarus, or Rhodope, or the furthest Garamantes gave him birth, a boy not of our race or blood.
§8.46Incipe Maenalios mecum, mea tibia, versus.
Begin with me, my pipe, Maenalian verses.
§8.47saevus Amor docuit natorum sanguine matrem §8.48commaculare manus; crudelis tu quoque, mater: §8.49crudelis mater magis, an puer improbus ille?
Cruel Love taught a mother to defile her hands with the blood of her children; cruel were you also, mother: was the mother more cruel, or was that boy more wicked?
§8.50improbus ille puer; crudelis tu quoque, mater.
Wicked was that boy; cruel were you too, mother.
§8.51Incipe Maenalios mecum, mea tibia, versus.
Begin with me, my pipe, Maenalian verses.
§8.52nunc et ovis ultro fugiat lupus; aurea durae §8.53mala ferant quercus; narcisso floreat alnus; §8.54pinguia corticibus sudent electra myricae; §8.55certent et cycnis ululae; sit Tityrus Orpheus, §8.56Orpheus in silvis, inter delphinas Arion.
Now let even the wolf flee from the sheep of his own accord; let hard oaks bear golden apples; let the alder bloom with narcissus; let tamarisks sweat rich amber from their bark; let owls compete even with swans; let Tityrus be Orpheus, Orpheus in the woods, Arion among the dolphins.
§8.57Incipe Maenalios mecum, mea tibia, versus.
Begin with me, my pipe, Maenalian verses."