§9.1te, Moeri, pedes? an, quo via ducit, in urbem?
Do your feet carry you, Moeris? Or where the road leads, into the city?
§9.2O Lycida, vivi pervenimus, advena nostri §9.3(quod numquam veriti sumus) ut possessor agelli §9.4diceret: “Haec mea sunt; veteres migrate coloni!” §9.5nunc victi, tristes, quoniam Fors omnia versat, §9.6hos illi—quod nec vertat bene—mittimus haedos.
O Lycidas, we have lived to see the day when a stranger, as the possessor of our little farm (a thing we never feared), should say: "These are mine; depart, old colonists!" Now vanquished, sad, since Fortune overturns all things, we send these kids to him—and may it not turn out well for him.
§9.7Certe equidem audieram, qua se subducere colles §9.8incipiunt, mollique iugum demittere clivo, §9.9usque ad aquam et veteres (iam fracta cacumina) fagos §9.10omnia carminibus vestrum servasse Menalcan.
Certainly indeed I had heard that where the hills begin to withdraw and to lower their ridge with a gentle slope, as far as the water and the old beeches (now with broken tops), your Menalcas had saved all things by his songs.
§9.11Audieras, et fama fuit; sed carmina tantum §9.12nostra valent, Lycida, tela inter Martia, quantum §9.13Chaonias dicunt aquila veniente columbas.
You had heard it, and so the rumor was; but our songs have only so much power, Lycidas, amid the weapons of Mars, as they say Chaonian doves have when the eagle approaches.
§9.14quod nisi me quacumque novas incidere lites §9.15ante Sinistra cava monuisset ab ilice cornix, §9.16nec tuus hic Moeris, nec viveret ipse Menalcas.
Therefore, unless a sinister crow from a hollow oak had warned me beforehand to cut short new disputes in whatever way, neither your Moeris here nor Menalcas himself would be alive.
§9.17Heu, cadit in quemquam tantum scelus? Heu, tua nobis §9.18paene simul tecum solatia rapta, Menalca?
Alas, does such great wickedness fall upon anyone? Alas, was your solace, Menalcas, almost snatched away from us along with you yourself?
§9.19quis caneret nymphas;
Who would sing of the nymphs?
quis humum florentibus herbis §9.20spargeret, aut viridi fontes induceret umbra?
Who would scatter the ground with flowering herbs or cover the springs with green shade?
§9.21vel quae sublegi tacitus tibi carmina nuper, §9.22cum te ad delicias ferres, Amaryllida, nostras?
Or those songs which I silently stole from you recently, when you were making your way to Amaryllis, our darling?
§9.23Tityre, dum redeo—brevis est via—pasce capellas, §9.24et potum pastas age, Tityre, et inter agendum §9.25occursare capro, cornu ferit ille, caveto. §9.26Immo haec, quae Varo necdum perfecta canebat: §9.27“Vare, tuum nomen, superet modo Mantua nobis— §9.28Mantua, vae miserae nimium vicina Cremonae— §9.29cantantes sublime ferent ad sidera cycni. ” §9.30Sic tua Cyrneas fugiant examina taxos; §9.31sic cytiso pastae distendant ubera vaccae!
"Tityrus, till I return—the way is short—feed the goats, and when fed, drive them to drink, Tityrus, and while driving, be careful not to meet the he-goat; he strikes with his horn." Nay rather, those which he sang to Varus, not yet finished: "Varus, your name, if only Mantua remains to us— Mantua, alas, too near to wretched Cremona!— singing swans shall bear aloft to the stars." So may your swarms avoid Cyrnean yews; so may your cows, fed on cytisus, distend their udders!
§9.32Incipe, si quid habes: et me fecere poetam §9.33Pierides; sunt et mihi carmina; me quoque dicunt §9.34vatem pastores, sed non ego credulus illis.
Begin, if you have anything: the Muses of Pieria have made me a poet too; I too have songs; the shepherds also call me a bard, but I am not credulous of them.
§9.35Nam neque adhuc Vario videor, nec dicere Cinna §9.36digna, sed argutos inter strepere anser olores.
For as yet I seem to sing nothing worthy of Varus or Cinna, but to cackle like a goose among the tuneful swans.
§9.37Id quidem ago et tacitus, Lycida, mecum ipse voluto, §9.38si valeam meminisse; neque est ignobile carmen: §9.39`huc ades, O Galatea; quis est nam ludus in undis
That indeed I am doing, and silently, Lycidas, I am turning it over with myself, if I might be able to remember; nor is it an ignoble song: "Come hither, O Galatea; for what play is there in the waves?
§9.40hic ver purpureum; varios hic flumina circum §9.41fundit humus flores; hic candida populus antro §9.42imminet, et lentae texunt umbracula vites.
Here is blushing spring; here around the rivers the earth pours forth varied flowers; here the white poplar leans over the cave, and the pliant vines weave shady bowers.
Come hither; let the mad waves beat the shores." What of those which I had heard you singing alone under the clear night?
§9.45audieram? Numeros memini, si verba tenerem.
I remember the measure, if only I held the words.
§9.46“Daphni, quid antiquos signorum suspicis ortus?
"Daphnis, why do you look up at the ancient risings of the constellations?
§9.47Ecce Dionaei processit Caesaris astrum, §9.48astrum, quo segetes gauderent frugibus, et quo §9.49duceret apricis in collibus uva colorem.
Behold, the star of Dionaean Caesar has come forth, a star by which the fields might rejoice in their crops, and by which the grape might take color on the sunny hills.
§9.50insere, Daphni, piros: carpent tua poma nepotes. ” §9.51Omnia fert aetas, animum quoque: saepe ego longos §9.52cantando puerum memini me condere soles: §9.53nunc oblita mihi tot carmina; vox quoque Moerim §9.54iam fugit ipsa; lupi Moerim videre priores.
Graft your pears, Daphnis; your descendants shall pluck your fruits." Age carries away all things, even the mind; often I remember that as a boy I laid the long days to rest with singing; now so many songs are forgotten by me; even the voice itself now flees Moeris; wolves saw Moeris first.
§9.55Sed tamen ista satis referet tibi saepe Menalcas.
But yet Menalcas will repeat those things to you often enough.
§9.56Causando nostros in longum ducis amores: §9.57et nunc omne tibi stratum silet aequor, et omnes, §9.58aspice, ventosi ceciderunt murmuris aurae.
By making excuses you prolong our longing; and now the whole expanse of water lies smooth and silent for you, and all, look, the windy breezes of murmuring have fallen.
§9.59hinc adeo media est nobis via; namque sepulcrum §9.60incipit adparere Bianoris: hic ubi densas §9.61agricolae stringunt frondes, hic, Moeri, canamus; §9.62hic haedos depone: tamen veniemus in urbem.
Just from here is the half of our journey; for the tomb of Bianor begins to appear; here, where the farmers thin the thick foliage, here, Moeris, let us sing; here put down the kids: we shall reach the city anyway.
§9.63aut si, nox pluviam ne colligat ante, veremur, §9.64cantantes licet usque (minus via laedit) eamus; §9.65cantantes ut eamus, ego hoc te fasce levabo.
Or if we fear lest night gather rain beforehand, we may go singing all the way (the journey tires us less); that we may go singing, I will relieve you of this burden.