§2.308et totum involvit flammis nemus et ruit atram §2.309ad caelum picea crassus caligine nubem, §2.310praesertim si tempestas a vertice silvis §2.311incubuit glomeratque ferens incendia ventus.
and wraps the whole grove in flames, and casts a thick cloud of pitchy darkness to heaven, especially if a storm has fallen on the woods from above and the wind, carrying the fire, rolls it in a mass.
§2.312Hoc ubi, non a stirpe valent caesaeque reverti §2.313possunt atque ima similes revirescere terra; §2.314infelix superat foliis oleaster amaris.
When this happens, they have no strength from the root, nor can they, when cut down, return and grow green again from the deep earth as before; only the unhappy wild olive with its bitter leaves survives.
Let no adviser, however wise, persuade you to stir the stiff earth when the North Wind blows.
Then winter closes the fields with frost, and when the seed is cast, does not suffer the frozen root to fix itself to the earth.
§2.319Optima vinetis satio, cum vere rubenti §2.320candida venit avis longis invisa colubris, §2.321prima vel autumni sub frigora, cum rapidus Sol §2.322nondum hiemem contingit equis, iam praeterit aestas.
The best time for planting vineyards is when in blushing spring the white bird arrives, hated by long snakes, or towards the first cold of autumn, when the swift Sun does not yet touch winter with his horses, but summer is already passing.
§2.323Ver adeo frondi nemorum, ver utile silvis; §2.324vere tument terrae et genitalia semina poscunt.
Spring indeed is useful for the leaves of groves, spring is useful for the woods; in spring the earth swells and demands the generative seeds.
§2.325Tum pater omnipotens fecundis imbribus Aether §2.326coniugis in gremium laetae descendit et omnis §2.327magnus alit magno commixtus corpore fetus.
Then the omnipotent father Aether, with fertile showers, descends into the lap of his joyful spouse, and, great himself, mingled with her great body, nurtures all offspring.
§2.328Avia tum resonant avibus virgulta canoris §2.329et Venerem certis repetunt armenta diebus; §2.330parturit almus ager Zephyrique tepentibus auris §2.331laxant arva sinus; superat tener omnibus humor; §2.332inque novos soles audent se germina tuto §2.333credere, nec metuit surgentis pampinus austros §2.334aut actum caelo magnis aquilonibus imbrem, §2.335sed trudit gemmas et frondes explicat omnis.
Then the pathless thickets resound with melodious birds, and the herds seek Venus again on certain days; the bountiful field brings forth, and to the warm breezes of the West Wind the lands loosen their bosoms; a tender moisture abounds in all; and the shoots dare to trust themselves safely to the new suns, nor does the vine-branch fear the rising south winds or the rain driven from heaven by the mighty north winds, but pushes forth its buds and unfolds all its leaves.
§2.336Non alios prima crescentis origine mundi §2.337inluxisse dies aliumve habuisse tenorem §2.338crediderim: ver illud erat, ver magnus agebat §2.339orbis et hibernis parcebant flatibus Euri, §2.340cum primae lucem pecudes hausere virumque §2.341terrea progenies duris caput extulit arvis, §2.342inmissaeque ferae silvis et sidera caelo.
I would believe that no other days shone at the first origin of the rising world, nor had any other course: that was spring; the great world was spending spring, and the East Winds spared their wintry blasts, when the first cattle drank in the light, and the earthy race of men raised its head from the hard fields, and wild beasts were sent into the woods, and stars into heaven.
§2.343Nec res hunc tenerae possent perferre laborem, §2.344si non tanta quies iret frigusque caloremque §2.345inter, et exciperet caeli indulgentia terras.
Nor could tender things endure this hardship, if so great a peace did not go between the cold and the heat, and the indulgence of heaven did not welcome the earth.
§2.346Quod superest, quaecumque premes virgulta per agros, §2.347sparge fimo pingui et multa memor occule terra, §2.348aut lapidem bibulum aut squalentis infode conchas; §2.349inter enim labentur aquae tenuisque subibit §2.350halitus atque animos tollent sata; iamque reperti, §2.351qui saxo super atque ingentis pondere testae §2.352urgerent; hoc effusos munimen ad imbris, §2.353hoc, ubi hiulca siti findit canis aestifer arva.
For the rest, whatever shoots you plant throughout the fields, sprinkle them with rich manure, and remember to cover them with much earth, or bury porous stone or rough shells; for between them the waters will glide, and a subtle breath will enter, and the plants will take heart; and now some have been found, who would press them from above with a stone and the weight of a huge tile; this is a protection against pouring rains, this, when the heat-bringing Dog-star splits the gaping fields with thirst.
§2.354Seminibus positis superest diducere terram §2.355saepius ad capita et duros iactare bidentis, §2.356aut presso exercere solum sub vomere et ipsa §2.357flectere luctantis inter vineta iuvencos; §2.358tum levis calamos et rasae hastilia virgae §2.359fraxineasque aptare sudes furcasque valentis, §2.360viribus eniti quarum et contemnere ventos §2.361adsuescant summasque sequi tabulata per ulmos.
When the shoots are planted, it remains to draw up the earth repeatedly to the heads, and to wield the heavy two-pronged hoes, or to work the soil under the pressed ploughshare, and to turn the struggling bullocks themselves between the rows of vines; then to fit light reeds and rods of peeled twigs and ashen stakes and strong two-pronged forks, by whose strength they may accustom themselves to rise and despise the winds, and to follow the stages up to the tops of the elms.
§2.362Ac dum prima novis adolescit frondibus aetas, §2.363parcendum teneris, et dum se laetus ad auras §2.364palmes agit laxis per purum inmissus habenis, §2.365ipsa acie nondum falcis temptanda, sed uncis §2.366carpendae manibus frondes interque legendae.
And while their first age grows up with new leaves, you must spare the tender ones; and while the joyful branch drives itself to the breezes, sent into the open sky with loose reins, the edge of the pruning-hook itself must not yet be tried, but with curved hands the leaves must be plucked and gathered from among them.
§2.367Inde ubi iam validis amplexae stirpibus ulmos §2.368exierint, tum stringe comas, tum bracchia tonde— §2.369ante reformidant ferrum—tum denique dura §2.370exerce imperia et ramos conpesce fluentis.
Then, when they have already embraced the elms with strong stems and shot up, then strip their foliage, then prune their branches— before this they shrink from the iron—then at last exercise hard dominion and restrain the flowing branches.
§2.371Texendae saepes etiam et pecus omne tenendum, §2.372praecipue dum frons tenera inprudensque laborum; §2.373cui super indignas hiemes solemque potentem §2.374silvestres uri adsidue capreaeque sequaces §2.375inludunt, pascuntur oves avidaeque iuvencae.
Hedges also must be woven and all cattle kept away, especially while the foliage is tender and ignorant of hardships; besides harsh winters and the powerful sun, wild buffaloes and pursuing goats continually mock it, and sheep and greedy heifers feed upon it.
§2.376Frigora nec tantum cana concreta pruina §2.377aut gravis incumbens scopulis arentibus aestas, §2.378quantum illi nocuere greges durique venenum §2.379dentis et admorso signata in stirpe cicatrix.
Nor have the colds, frozen with hoary frost, or the heavy summer brooding over dry rocks, done so much harm as those herds and the poison of their hard tooth, and the scar marked on the bitten stem.
§2.380Non aliam ob culpam Baccho caper omnibus aris §2.381caeditur et veteres ineunt proscaenia ludi §2.382praemiaque ingeniis pagos et compita circum §2.383thesidae posuere atque inter pocula laeti §2.384mollibus in pratis unctos saluere per utres.
For no other fault is the goat slaughtered to Bacchus on all altars, and ancient plays enter the stage, and the sons of Theseus set up rewards for genius around the villages and crossways, and joyful amidst their cups, danced on oiled wineskins in the soft meadows.
§2.385Nec non Ausonii, Troia gens missa, coloni
Likewise the Ausonian colonists, a race sent from Troy...