§1.2.1Troiam belli scriptorem. Maxime Lolli, §1.2.2dum tu declamas Romae, Praeneste relegi; §1.2.3qui quid sit pulchrum, quid turpe, quid utile, quid non, §1.2.4planius ac melius Chrysippo et Crantore dicit,
The writer of the Trojan war, O Lollius Maximus, while you declaim in Rome, I have read again at Praeneste; who tells what is fair, what is base, what is useful, what is not, more clearly and better than Chrysippus and Crantor.
§1.2.5cur ita crediderim, nisi quid te distinet, audi.
Why I have so believed, unless something keeps you back, listen.
§1.2.6Fabula, qua Paridis propter narratur amorem §1.2.7Graecia barbariae lento collisa duello, §1.2.8stultorum regum et populorum continet aestus.
The story, in which on account of Paris's love Greece is said to have clashed with the barbarian land in a lingering war, contains the passions of foolish kings and peoples.
Antenor proposes to cut off the cause of the war; what does Paris do?
§1.2.11cogi posse negat.
He denies that he can be compelled, even that he may reign in safety and live happy.
Nestor componere litis §1.2.12inter Peliden festinat et inter Atriden; §1.2.13hunc amor, ira quidem communiter urit utrumque, §1.2.14quidquid delirant reges, plectuntur Achivi.
Nestor hastens to settle the disputes between the son of Peleus and the son of Atreus; love burns this one, but anger indeed burns both in common; whatever madness the kings commit, the Achaians suffer.
§1.2.15seditione, dolis, scelere atque libidine et ira §1.2.16Iliacos intra muros peccatur et extra.
By faction, deceit, crime, and lust and anger, sins are committed both within and without the walls of Ilium.
§1.2.17Rursus, quid virtus et quid sapientia possit, §1.2.18utile proposuit nobis exemplar Ulixen, §1.2.19qui domitor Troiae multorum providus urbes §1.2.20et mores hominum inspexit, latumque per aequor, §1.2.21dum sibi, dum sociis reditum parat, aspera multa §1.2.22pertulit, adversis rerum immersabilis undis.
Again, of what virtue and what wisdom can achieve, he has set before us Ulysses as a useful exemplar, who, the conqueror of Troy, providently inspected the cities and customs of many men, and through the wide sea, while he prepared a return for himself and his companions, endured many hardships, unsubmergeable in the adverse waves of fortune.
§1.2.23Sirenum voces et Circae pocula nosti; §1.2.24quae si cum sociis stultus cupidusque bibisset, §1.2.25sub domina meretrice fuisset turpis et excors, §1.2.26vixisset canis immundus vel amica luto sus.
You know the voices of the Sirens and Circe’s cups; which if he had foolishly and greedily drunk with his companions, he would have been debased and senseless under a mistress whore, and would have lived as an unclean dog or a sow that loves the mire.
§1.2.27nos numerus sumus et fruges consumere nati, §1.2.28sponsi Penelopae nebulones, Alcinoique §1.2.29in cute curanda plus aequo operata iuventus, §1.2.30cui pulchrum fuit in medios dormire dies et §1.2.31ad strepitum citharae cessatum ducere curam.
We are but a number, born to consume the fruits of the earth, the suitors of Penelope, spendthrifts, and the youth of Alcinous, employed more than was right in pampering their skin, to whom it was beautiful to sleep until midday and to banish care to the sound of the lyre.
§1.2.32Ut iugulent hominem, surgunt de nocte latrones; §1.2.33ut te ipsum serves, non expergisceris? atqui
To cut a man’s throat, robbers rise by night; to save yourself, will you not wake up?
§1.2.34si noles sanus, curres hydropicus; et ni §1.2.35posces ante diem librum cum lumine, si non §1.2.36intendes animum studiis et rebus honestis, §1.2.37invidia vel amore vigil torquebere.
Yet if you will not run when sound, you will run when dropsical; and unless you call for a book and a light before daybreak, unless you apply your mind to studies and honest pursuits, you will be tortured and kept awake by envy or love.
nam cur §1.2.38quae laedunt oculum festinas demere; si quid §1.2.39est animum, differs curandi tempus in annum?
For why do you hasten to remove what hurts the eye, yet if anything eats into your mind, do you defer the time of curing it for a year?
§1.2.40dimidium facti qui coepit habet; sapere aude;
He who has begun has half the deed done; dare to be wise; begin!
§1.2.41incipe! qui recte vivendi prorogat horam, §1.2.42rusticus exspectat dum defluat amnis; at ille §1.2.43labitur et labetur in omne volubilis aevum
He who postpones the hour of living rightly is like the rustic waiting for the river to flow by; but it flows and will flow, rolling on for all time.
§1.2.44Quaeritur argentum puerisque beata creandis §1.2.45uxor, et incultae pacantur vomere silvae: §1.2.46quod satis est cui contingit, nihil amplius optet.
Wealth is sought after, and a fruitful wife to bear children, and wild woods are subdued by the ploughshare: let him to whose lot falls what is enough, wish for nothing more.
§1.2.47non domus et fundus, non aeris acervus et auri §1.2.48aegroto domini deduxit corpore febris, §1.2.49non animo curas; valeat possessor oportet, §1.2.50si comportatis rebus bene cogitat uti.
Neither house nor land, nor a heap of bronze and gold, has ever driven away fevers from the sick body of their master, nor cares from his mind; the possessor must be healthy, if he thinks to make good use of his gathered stores.
§1.2.51qui cupit aut metuit, iuvat illum sic domus et res, §1.2.52ut lippum pictae tabulae, fomenta podagram, §1.2.53auriculas citharae collecta sorde dolentis.
To him who desires or fears, house and wealth give just as much pleasure as pictures to the sore-eyed, poultices to the gouty, or the lyre to ears that ache with gathered wax.
§1.2.54sincerum est nisi vas, quodcumque infundis acescit.
Unless the vessel is clean, whatever you pour in turns sour.
§1.2.55Sperne voluptates; nocet empta dolore voluptas,
Despise pleasures; pleasure bought with pain is harmful.
§1.2.56semper avarus eget; certum voto pete finem.
The covetous man is always in want; seek a fixed limit for your desire.
The envious man grows thin at the prosperity of another; Sicilian tyrants have invented no torment greater than envy.
§1.2.59maius tormentum, qui non moderabitur irae, §1.2.60infectum volet esse, dolor quod suaserit et mens, §1.2.61dum poenas odio per vim festinat inulto,
He who will not moderate his anger, will wish undone what grief and passion have prompted, while he hastens to take vengeance by force for his unavenged hatred.
§1.2.62ira furor brevis est: animum rege; qui nisi paret §1.2.63imperat; hunc frenis, hunc tu compesce catena.
Anger is a short madness; rule your mind, which unless it obeys, commands; curb this with reins, coerce this with a chain.
§1.2.64Fingit equum tenera docilem cervice magister §1.2.65ire viam qua monstret eques; venaticus, ex quo §1.2.66tempore cervinam pellem latravit in aula, §1.2.67militat in silvis catulus, nunc adhibe puro
The trainer moulds the horse while its neck is tender and docile, to go the way which the rider points out; the hound, from the time he barked at the stag's skin in the hall, does service in the woods.
§1.2.68pectore verba puer, nunc te melioribus offer,
Now, while a boy, imbibe my words with a pure heart; now offer yourself to your betters.
A jar will long preserve the odor with which it was once seasoned when new.
quod si cessas aut strenuus anteis, §1.2.71nec tardum opperior nec praecedentibus insto.
But if you lag behind or vigorously press on ahead, I neither wait for the slow nor press upon those who go before.