§2.464inlusasque auro vestes Ephyreiaque aera, §2.465alba neque Assyrio fucatur lana veneno §2.466nec casia liquidi corrumpitur usus olivi: §2.467at secura quies et nescia fallere vita, §2.468dives opum variarum, at latis otia fundis— §2.469speluncae vivique lacus et frigida Tempe §2.470mugitusque boum mollesque sub arbore somni— §2.471non absunt; illic saltus ac lustra ferarum
nor at garments embroidered with gold and Corinthian bronzes, nor is white wool stained with Assyrian dye, nor is the use of clear olive oil spoiled by cassia: but secure rest and a life that knows not how to deceive, rich in varied wealth, and leisure in broad estates— caverns and living lakes, and cool Tempe valleys, and lowing of cattle and soft slumbers under the tree— are not lacking; there are glades and coverts of wild beasts, and youth enduring of labors and accustomed to little, sacred rites of the gods and revered fathers; among them Justice, as she departed from the earth, left her last footprints.
§2.472et patiens operum exiguoque adsueta iuventus, §2.473sacra deum sanctique patres; extrema per illos §2.474iustitia excedens terris vestigia fecit. §2.475Me vero primum dulces ante omnia Musae, §2.476quarum sacra fero ingenti percussus amore, §2.477accipiant caelique vias et sidera monstrent, §2.478defectus solis varios lunaeque labores; §2.479unde tremor terris, qua vi maria alta tumescant §2.480obicibus ruptis rursusque in se ipsa residant, §2.481quid tantum Oceano properent se tinguere soles §2.482hiberni, vel quae tardis mora noctibus obstet.
But as for me, first of all, may the sweet Muses, whose sacred emblems I bear, smitten with a mighty love, receive me and show me the pathways of heaven and the stars, the various eclipses of the sun and the labors of the moon; whence comes trembling to the earth, by what force the deep seas swell, bursting their barriers, and sink back again into themselves, why winter suns make such haste to dip themselves in Ocean, or what delay blocks the slow nights.
§2.483Sin, has ne possim naturae accedere partis, §2.484frigidus obstiterit circum praecordia sanguis: §2.485rura mihi et rigui placeant in vallibus amnes, §2.486flumina amem silvasque inglorius.
But if, lest I be able to approach these parts of nature, the cold blood around my heart should stand in the way: may the countryside and the flowing streams in the valleys please me, may I love the rivers and the woods, inglorious.
O ubi campi §2.487Spercheosque et virginibus bacchata Lacaenis
Oh, where are the plains and Spercheus, and Taygetus where Spartan maidens hold Bacchic revels!
Oh, for someone who would set me in the cool valleys of Haemus and shelter me with the mighty shade of branches!
§2.490Felix, qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas, §2.491atque metus omnis et inexorabile fatum §2.492subiecit pedibus strepitumque Acherontis avari.
Happy is he who was able to know the causes of things, and has cast beneath his feet all fears and inexorable fate and the roar of greedy Acheron.
§2.493Fortunatus et ille, deos qui novit agrestis, §2.494panaque Silvanumque senem Nymphasque sorores: §2.495illum non populi fasces, non purpura regum §2.496flexit et infidos agitans discordia fratres §2.497aut coniurato descendens Dacus ab Histro, §2.498non res Romanae perituraque regna; neque ille §2.499aut doluit miserans inopem aut invidit habenti
Blessed also is he who knows the rustic gods, Pan and aged Silvanus and the sister Nymphs: him neither the fasces of the people nor the purple of kings has bent, nor discord driving faithless brothers, or the Dacian coming down from the conspirator Danube, nor Roman affairs and kingdoms doomed to perish; neither did he grieve in pity for the poor or envy the rich.
§2.500quos rami fructus, quos ipsa volentia rura §2.501sponte tulere sua, carpsit; nec ferrea iura §2.502insanumque forum aut populi tabularia vidit.
Whatever fruits the branches, whatever the willing fields themselves bore of their own accord, he gathered; nor did he see iron laws, the mad forum, or the archives of the public.
§2.503sollicitant alii remis freta caeca ruuntque §2.504in ferrum, penetrant aulas et limina regum; §2.505hic petit excidiis urbem miserosque Penatis, §2.506ut gemma bibat et Sarrano dormiat ostro; §2.507condit opes alius defossoque incubat auro; §2.508hic stupet attonitus rostris; hunc plausus hiantem §2.509per cuneos—geminatus enim plebisque patrumque— §2.510corripuit; gaudent perfusi sanguine fratrum, §2.511exsilioque domos et dulcia limina mutant §2.512atque alio patriam quaerunt sub sole iacentem.
Others harass blind seas with oars and rush upon the sword, penetrate the courts and thresholds of kings; this one seeks to destroy a city and its wretched household gods, that he may drink from a jeweled cup and sleep on Tyrian purple; another hoards wealth and broods over buried gold; this one stands dazed, spellbound by the rostra; that one, gaping, the applause through the tiers—for it is redoubled, from both plebeians and patricians— has carried away; they rejoice, drenched in the blood of their brothers, and exchange their homes and sweet thresholds for exile and seek a fatherland lying under another sun.
§2.513Agricola incurvo terram dimovit aratro: §2.514hinc anni labor, hinc patriam parvosque nepotes §2.515sustinet, hinc armenta boum meritosque iuvencos.
The farmer has cleft the earth with his curved plough: hence comes his year's labor, hence he sustains his country and little grandchildren, hence his herds of oxen and deserving bullocks.
§2.516Nec requies, quin aut pomis exuberet annus §2.517aut fetu pecorum aut cerealis mergite culmi, §2.518proventuque oneret sulcos atque horrea vincat.
And there is no rest, but that the year abounds either with fruits or with the increase of the flock or the sheaves of Ceres' stalk, and loads the furrows with increase and overflows the granaries.
§2.519Venit hiems: teritur Sicyonia baca trapetis, §2.520glande sues laeti redeunt, dant arbuta silvae; §2.521et varios ponit fetus autumnus et alte §2.522mitis in apricis coquitur vindemia saxis.
Winter comes: the Sicyonian berry is bruised in the oil-presses, the swine return well-fed with acorns, the woods yield wild strawberries; and autumn lays down its varied fruits, and high up the mild vintage is ripened on sunny rocks.
§2.523Interea dulces pendent circum oscula nati, §2.524casta pudicitiam servat domus, ubera vaccae §2.525lactea demittunt pinguesque in gramine laeto §2.526inter se adversis luctantur cornibus haedi.
Meanwhile, sweet children cling about his kisses, the chaste house preserves its purity, cows let down milky udders, and fat on the joyful grass kids struggle with one another with opposing horns.
§2.527Ipse dies agitat festos fususque per herbam, §2.528ignis ubi in medio et socii cratera coronant, §2.529te libans, Lenaee, vocat pecorisque magistris §2.530velocis iaculi certamina ponit in ulmo, §2.531corporaque agresti nudant praedura palaestrae.
He himself keeps holiday, and stretched out on the grass, where there is a fire in the midst and his companions crown the bowl, pouring libation, he calls on you, Lenaeus, and for the keepers of the flock sets up contests of the swift javelin on an elm, and they strip their hardy bodies for the rustic wrestling.
§2.532Hanc olim veteres vitam coluere Sabini, §2.533hanc Remus et frater, sic fortis Etruria crevit §2.534scilicet et rerum facta est pulcherrima Roma, §2.535septemque una sibi muro circumdedit arces.
This life of old the ancient Sabines cultivated, this Remus and his brother, thus brave Etruria grew surely, and Rome became the fairest of things, and, single, enclosed seven hills within her wall.
§2.536Ante etiam sceptrum Dictaei regis et ante §2.537inpia quam caesis gens est epulata iuvencis, §2.538aureus hanc vitam in terris Saturnus agebat; §2.539necdum etiam audierant inflari classica, necdum §2.540inpositos duris crepitare incudibus enses.
Even before the sceptre of the Dictaean king, and before an impious race feasted on slaughtered bullocks, golden Saturn led this life on earth; not yet indeed had they heard war-trumpets blown, nor yet swords clattering when placed on hard anvils.