§1.5.1O mihi post nullos umquam memorande sodales, §1.5.2et cui praecipue sors mea visa sua est, §1.5.3attonitum qui me, memini, carissime, primus §1.5.4ausus es adloquio sustinuisse tuo, §1.5.5qui mihi consilium vivendi mite dedisti, §1.5.6cum foret in misero pectore mortis amor, §1.5.7scis bene, cui dicam, positis pro nomine signis, §1.5.8officium nec te fallit, amice, tuum.
O friend, never to be forgotten after any of my companions, and to whom especially my lot seemed as your own, you who first, I remember, my dearest, dared to support me, stunned as I was, with your consoling speech, who gave me gentle counsel for living, when there was a love of death in my wretched breast, you know well to whom I speak, signs being put in place of a name, nor does your kindness escape you, my friend.
§1.5.9haec mihi semper erunt imis infixa medullis, §1.5.10perpetuusque animae debitor huius ero, §1.5.11spiritus et vacuas prius hic tenuandus in auras §1.5.12ibit, et in tepido deseret ossa rogo, §1.5.13quam subeant animo meritorum oblivia nostro, §1.5.14et longa pietas excidat ista die.
These things will always be fixed in my deepest marrow, and I shall be a perpetual debtor of this life of mine to you, and this breath will sooner go, to be thinned into empty air, and leave my bones on the warm pyre, than forgetfulness of your merits should steal into our mind, and that loyalty should slip away by length of days.
May the gods be favorable to you; may they grant you a fortune needing nothing, and unlike to mine.
Yet, if this ship of mine were carried by a friendly wind, that loyalty of yours would perhaps be unknown.
§1.5.19Thesea Pirithous non tam sensisset amicum, §1.5.20si non infernas vivus adisset aquas, §1.5.21ut foret exemplum veri Phoceus amoris, §1.5.22fecerunt furiae, tristis Oresta, tuae.
Pirithous would not have felt Theseus so much a friend, if he had not gone alive to the underworld waters; that the Phocean should be an example of true love, was caused, sad Orestes, by your madness.
If Euryalus had not fallen among the Rutulian enemies, there would be no glory for Nisus, son of Hyrtacus.
§1.5.25scilicet ut fulvum spectatur in ignibus aurum, §1.5.26tempore sic duro est inspicienda fides, §1.5.27dum iuvat et vultu ridet Fortuna sereno, §1.5.28indelibatas cuncta sequuntur opes: §1.5.29at simul intonuit, fugiunt, nec noscitur ulli, §1.5.30agminibus comitum qui modo cinctus erat.
Just as yellow gold is tested in the fires, so loyalty must be examined in hard times; while Fortune helps and smiles with a serene countenance, all things follow unimpaired wealth; but as soon as it thunders, they flee, nor is he recognized by anyone, who just now was surrounded by columns of companions.
§1.5.31atque haec, exemplis quondam collecta priorum, §1.5.32nunc mihi sunt propriis cognita vera malis, §1.5.33vix duo tresve mihi de tot superestis amici: §1.5.34cetera Fortunae, non mea turba fuit.
And these things, once gathered from the examples of our predecessors, are now known to me as true by my own misfortunes; scarcely two or three of you friends survive for me out of so many, the rest was Fortune's crowd, not mine.
§1.5.35quo magis, o pauci, rebus succurrite laesis, §1.5.36et date naufragio litora tuta meo, §1.5.37neve metu falso nimium trepidate, timentes, §1.5.38hac offendatur ne pietate deus!
Wherefore the more, O you few, succor my injured fortunes, and give safe shores to my shipwreck; and do not tremble too much with false fear, dreading lest the god be offended by this loyalty.
§1.5.39saepe fidem adversis etiam laudavit in armis, §1.5.40inque suis amat hanc Caesar, in hoste probat,
Caesar has often praised loyalty even in hostile arms; he loves it in his own, and approves it in an enemy.
My cause is better, who did not support opposing weapons, but deserved this exile by my simplicity.
Watch, therefore, over my fortunes, I pray, if in any way the wrath of the divinity can be lessened.
If anyone desires to know all my misfortunes, he asks for more than what the reality allows to be done.
§1.5.47tot mala sum passus, quot in aethere sidera lucent §1.5.48parvaque quot siccus corpora pulvis habet; §1.5.49multaque credibili tulimus maiora ratamque, §1.5.50quamvis acciderint, non habitura fidem.
I have suffered as many evils as the stars shine in the sky and as the dry dust has small particles; and we have borne many things greater than belief, and destined not to have credit, even though they have happened.
A certain part of them ought also to die with me, and I would wish it could be covered while I dissemble.
§1.5.53si vox infragilis, pectus mihi firmius aere, §1.5.54pluraque cum linguis pluribus ora forent, §1.5.55non tamen idcirco complecterer omnia verbis, §1.5.56materia vires exsuperante meas.
If I had an unbroken voice, a breast firmer than bronze, and many mouths with many tongues, I would not, however, embrace everything in words, my strength being surpassed by the material.
Write of our misfortunes, learned poets, instead of the Neritian leader; for I have borne more evils than the Neritian.
§1.5.59ille brevi spatio multis erravit in annis §1.5.60inter Dulichias Iliacasque domos: §1.5.61nos freta sideribus totis distantia mensos §1.5.62sors tulit in Geticos Sarmaticosque sinus,
He wandered in a small space during many years, between the Dulichian and Trojan homes; fate carried us, who have measured seas separated by whole constellations, to the Getic and Sarmatian bays.
He had a faithful band and loyal companions; my companions deserted me in my flight.
He, joyful and victorious, was seeking his homeland; I fled from my homeland, defeated and an exile.
§1.5.67nec mihi Dulichium domus est Ithaceve Samosve, §1.5.68poena quibus non est grandis abesse locis, §1.5.69sed quae de septem totum circumspicit orbem §1.5.70montibus, imperii Roma deumque locus,
Nor is Dulichium, or Ithaca, or Samos my home, places from which to be absent is no great punishment, but Rome, which looks around upon the whole world from its seven hills, the seat of empire and of the gods.
He had a body hard and patient of labors; I have weak strength and a delicate constitution.
He was constantly driven in cruel arms; I myself was accustomed to gentle studies.
A god oppressed me, with no one lightening my misfortunes; to him the warlike goddess brought aid.
§1.5.77cumque minor Iove sit tumidis qui regnat in undis, §1.5.78illum Neptuni, me Iovis ira premit,
And although he who reigns in the swelling waves is inferior to Jove, the wrath of Neptune presses him, the wrath of Jove presses me.
Add that the greatest part of his labors is feigned; no fable is placed in my misfortunes.
§1.5.81denique quaesitas tetigit tamen ille Penates, §1.5.82quaeque diu petiit, contigit arva tamen: §1.5.83at mihi perpetuo patria tellure carendum est, §1.5.84ni fuerit laesi mollior ira dei.
Finally, he nevertheless reached the sought Penates, and nevertheless touched the fields he had long sought; but I must perpetually lack my native land, unless the wrath of the injured god should be gentler.