§4.243stellio et lucifugis congesta cubilia blattis §4.244immunisque sedens aliena ad pabula fucus §4.245aut asper crabro imparibus se immiscuit armis, §4.246aut dirum tiniae genus, aut invisa Minervae §4.247laxos in foribus suspendit aranea casses.
the gecko, and chambers packed with light-shunning cockroaches, and the drone sitting inactive at another's food without contributing, or the fierce hornet has joined in with unequal arms, or the dread race of the moth, or the spider, hated by Minerva, hangs her loose webs in the doorways.
§4.248Quo magis exhaustae fuerint, hoc acrius omnes §4.249incumbent generis lapsi sarcire ruinas §4.250complebuntque foros et floribus horrea texent.
The more they are exhausted, the more eagerly will they all strive to repair the ruins of their fallen race, and will fill the passages and weave their granaries with flowers.
§4.251Si vero, quoniam casus apibus quoque nostros §4.252vita tulit, tristi languebunt corpora morbo— §4.253quod iam non dubiis poteris cognoscere signis: §4.254continuo est aegris alius color, horrida vultum §4.255deformat macies, tum corpora luce carentum §4.256exportant tectis et tristia funera ducunt; §4.257aut illae pedibus conexae ad limina pendent, §4.258aut intus clausis cunctantur in aedibus, omnes §4.259ignavaeque fame et contracto frigore pigrae.
But if, since life has brought our misfortunes to the bees as well, their bodies languish with sad disease— which you will now be able to recognize by no doubtful signs: at once the sick have a different color, a grim thinness disfigures their face, then they carry out the bodies of those lacking light from their homes and lead sad funeral processions; or they hang at the threshold with their feet linked together, or cling inside their closed dwellings, all sluggish with hunger and inactive from the contracted cold.
§4.260Tum sonus auditur gravior, tractimque susurrant, §4.261frigidus ut quondam silvis immurmurat Auster, §4.262ut mare sollicitum stridit refluentibus undis, §4.263aestuat ut clausis rapidus fornacibus ignis: §4.264hic iam galbaneos suadebo incendere odores §4.265mellaque harundineis inferre canalibus, ultro §4.266hortantem et fessas ad pabula nota vocantem.
Then a deeper sound is heard, and they hum drawlingly, as sometimes the cold South wind murmurs in the woods, as the troubled sea resounds with its ebbing waves, as a rapid fire rages in closed furnaces: here now I will advise you to burn galbanum odors and to introduce honey through reed conduits, voluntarily encouraging them and calling the weary ones to their familiar food.
§4.267Proderit et tunsum gallae admiscere saporem §4.268Arentesque rosas aut igni pinguia multo §4.269defruta vel psithia passos de vite racemos §4.270Cecropiumque thymum et grave olentia centaurea.
It will also be beneficial to mix in the pounded flavor of gall and dried roses, or wine thick from much fire, concentrated must, or raisins from the Psithian vine, and Cecropian thyme and strong-smelling centaury.
§4.271Est etiam flos in pratis, cui nomen amello §4.272fecere agricolae, facilis quaerentibus herba; §4.273namque uno ingentem tollit de caespite silvam, §4.274aureus ipse, sed in foliis, quae plurima circum §4.275funduntur, violae sublucet purpura nigrae; §4.277asper in ore sapor; tonsis in vallibus illum §4.278pastores et curva legunt prope flumina Mellae.
There is also a flower in the meadows, to which the farmers have given the name of amellus, a herb easy for seekers to find; for from a single turf it raises a massive growth of stems, golden itself, but in the leaves, which are spread around in great abundance, the purple of the dark violet shines through; the taste is bitter in the mouth; in the shorn valleys shepherds gather it, and near the winding river of Mella.
Boil the roots of this in fragrant wine and place the food at the doorways in full baskets.
§4.281Sed siquem proles subito defecerit omnis, §4.282nec genus unde novae stirpis revocetur habebit, §4.283tempus et Arcadii memoranda inventa magistri §4.284pandere, quoque modo caesis iam saepe iuvencis §4.285insincerus apes tulerit cruor.
But if anyone's whole stock should suddenly fail, and he has no source from which the race of a new line may be recalled, it is time to disclose the memorable inventions of the Arcadian master, and in what manner, young bullocks having often been slain, the tainted blood has produced bees.
Altius omnem §4.286expediam prima repetens ab origine famam.
I will set forth all the story more deeply, tracing it back from its first origin.
§4.287Nam qua Pellaei gens fortunata Canopi §4.288accolit effuso stagnantem flumine Nilum §4.289et circum pictis vehitur sua rura phaselis, §4.290quaque pharetratae vicinia Persidis urget, §4.294omnis in hac certam regio iacit arte salutem.
For where the fortunate people of Pellaean Canopus dwell beside the Nile, which stagnates with its overflowing stream, and are carried around their own fields in painted skiffs, and where the neighborhood of quivered Persia presses, the whole region places its certain safety in this art.
§4.295Exiguus primum atque ipsos contractus in usus §4.296eligitur locus; hunc angustique imbrice tecti §4.297parietibusque premunt artis et quattuor addunt, §4.298quattuor a ventis obliqua luce fenestras.
First, a small place, contracted for this very use, is chosen; this they confine with the tiling of a narrow roof and narrow walls, and they add four windows with slanting light from the four winds.
§4.299Tum vitulus bima curvans iam cornua fronte §4.300quaeritur; huic geminae nares et spiritus oris §4.301multa reluctanti obstruitur, plagisque perempto §4.302tunsa per integram solvuntur viscera pellem.
Then a bullock, already curving his horns on his two-year-old forehead, is sought; his twin nostrils and the breath of his mouth are stopped up despite his great resistance, and when he is slain by blows, his pounded entrails are crushed within his unbroken hide.
§4.303Sic positum in clauso linquunt et ramea costis §4.304subiciunt fragmenta, thymum casiasque recentes.
Thus placed, they leave him in the closed space, and put beneath his ribs broken branches, thyme, and fresh casia.
§4.305Hoc geritur Zephyris primum impellentibus undas, §4.306ante novis rubeant quam prata coloribus, ante §4.307garrula quam tignis nidum suspendat hirundo.
This is done when the West winds first ruffle the waves, before the meadows blush with new colors, before the babbling swallow hangs her nest from the rafters.
§4.308Interea teneris tepefactus in ossibus umor §4.309aestuat et visenda modis animalia miris, §4.310trunca pedum primo, mox et stridentia pennis, §4.311miscentur tenuemque magis magis aera carpunt, §4.312donec, ut aestivis effusus nubibus imber, §4.313erupere aut ut nervo pulsante sagittae, §4.314prima leves ineunt si quando proelia Parthi.
Meanwhile, the moisture, warmed within the tender bones, ferments, and living creatures, wondrous to look upon, at first devoid of limbs, soon also buzzing with wings, mingle together and more and more capture the thin air, until, like a shower poured forth from summer clouds, they burst out, or like arrows from the pulsating string, whenever the light Parthians enter upon their first battles.
§4.315Quis deus hanc, Musae, quis nobis extudit artem?
What god, O Muses, what god fashioned this art for us?
§4.316Unde nova ingressus hominum experientia cepit?
Whence did the new experience of men take its beginning?
§4.317Pastor Aristaeus fugiens Peneia Tempe, §4.318amissis, ut fama, apibus morboque fameque, §4.319tristis ad extremi sacrum caput adstitit amnis §4.320multa querens atque hac adfatus voce parentem: §4.321“Mater, Cyrene mater, quae gurgitis huius §4.322ima tenes, quid me praeclara stirpe deorum, §4.323si modo, quem perhibes, pater est Thymbraeus Apollo,
The shepherd Aristaeus, fleeing Peneian Tempe, his bees being lost, as the story goes, by disease and hunger, stood sadly at the sacred source of the extreme river, lamenting much, and addressed his parent with this voice: "Mother, Cyrene mother, who hold the depths of this abyss, why did you bear me from the glorious stock of the gods— if indeed, as you say, Thymbraean Apollo is my father— hated by the fates?
§4.324invisum fatis genuisti? aut quo tibi nostri
Or whither has your love for us