Who I was, that playful poet of tender loves, whom you read, accept this, posterity, so that you may know.
§4.10.3Sulmo mihi patria est, gelidis uberrimus undis, §4.10.4milia qui novies distat ab urbe decem.
Sulmo is my homeland, very rich in cold waters, which is ninety miles away from the city.
Here I was born, and indeed, so that you may know the time, it was when both consuls fell by an equal fate.
§4.10.7si quid id est, usque a proavis vetus ordinis heres §4.10.8non modo fortunae munere factus eques,
If that is anything, I am an heir of an ancient rank from my ancestors, not just made a knight by the gift of fortune.
§4.10.9nec stirps prima fui; genito sum fratre creatus, §4.10.10qui tribus ante quater mensibus ortus erat.
Nor was I the first offspring; I was born after a brother had been begotten, who had been born four times three months before.
§4.10.11Lucifer amborum natalibus affuit idem: §4.10.12una celebrata est per duo liba dies; §4.10.13haec est armiferae festis de quinque Minervae, §4.10.14quae fieri pugna prima cruenta solet.
The same morning star was present at the birth of both of us: one day was celebrated with two cakes; this is the first of the five festival days of weapon-bearing Minerva, which is accustomed to be the first to become bloody with battle.
Immediately we were educated from our tender years, and by the care of our father we went to the men of the city distinguished for their art.
§4.10.17frater ad eloquium viridi tendebat ab aevo, §4.10.18fortia verbosi natus ad arma fori, §4.10.19at mihi iam puero caelestia sacra placebant, §4.10.20inque suum furtim Musa trahebat opus.
My brother was striving toward eloquence from his green age, born for the strong weapons of the wordy forum, but to me, even as a boy, the heavenly sacred rites were pleasing, and the Muse was stealthily drawing me into her own work.
§4.10.21saepe pater dixit ‘studium quid inutile temptas:
Often my father said, "Why do you attempt a useless study?
§4.10.22Maeonides nullas ipse reliquit opes. ’ §4.10.23motus eram dictis, totoque Helicone relicto §4.10.24scribere temptabam verba soluta modis.
The Maeonian himself left no wealth." I was moved by his words, and leaving Helicon entirely, I was attempting to write words freed from meter.
§4.10.25sponte sua carmen numeros veniebat ad aptos, §4.10.26et quod temptabam scribere versus erat.
Of its own accord, song was coming to fit numbers, and what I was attempting to write was verse.
§4.10.27interea tacito passu labentibus annis §4.10.28liberior fratri sumpta mihique toga est, §4.10.29induiturque umeris cum lato purpura clavo, §4.10.30et studium nobis, quod fuit ante, manet.
Meanwhile, as the years glided by with silent step, the freer toga was assumed by my brother and me, and purple with a broad stripe was put upon our shoulders, and our study, which was before, remained with us.
And now my brother had doubled ten years of life, when he died, and I began to lack a part of myself.
I also took the first honors of tender age, and was once one part of the three men.
The senate house remained; the measure of the stripe was narrowed: that burden was greater than our strength.
§4.10.37nec patiens corpus, nec mens fuit apta labori, §4.10.38sollicitaeque fugax ambitionis eram, §4.10.39et petere Aoniae suadebant tuta sorores §4.10.40otia, iudicio semper amata meo.
Neither was my body enduring, nor my mind suited for labor, and I was a fugitive from anxious ambition, and the Aonian sisters were persuading me to seek safe leisure, always beloved in my judgment.
I cherished and favored the poets of that time, and as many bards as were present, I thought that gods were present.
§4.10.43saepe suas volucres legit mihi grandior aevo, §4.10.44quaeque nocet serpens, quae iuvat herba. Macer.
Often Macer, older in age, read to me his birds, and the serpent that harms, and the herb that helps.
§4.10.45saepe suos solitus recitare Propertius ignes, §4.10.46iure sodalicii, quo mihi iunctus erat.
Often Propertius was accustomed to recite his fires, by right of the fellowship by which he was joined to me.
Ponticus, famous in heroic verse, and Bassus also, famous in iambics, were sweet members of my circle.
And Horatius, rich in meters, held our ears, while he struck refined songs with the Ausonian lyre.
I only saw Virgil; and greedy fate did not give Tibullus time for my friendship.
§4.10.53successor fuit hic tibi, Galle, Propertius illi; §4.10.54quartus ab his sene temporis ipse fui.
He was your successor, Gallus, and Propertius was his; I myself was the fourth from these in order of time.
And as I cherished my elders, so the younger cherished me, and my Thalia was made famous not slowly.
When first I read my youthful songs to the people, my beard had been shaved once or twice.
She who was sung through the whole city, called by me by a non-true name, Corinna, had moved my genius.
I wrote many things indeed, but what I thought faulty, I myself gave to the correcting fires.
§4.10.63tunc quoque, cum fugerem, quaedam placitura cremavi, §4.10.64iratus studio carminibusque meis.
Then too, when I was fleeing, I burned some things that would have pleased, angry with my study and my songs.
§4.10.65molle Cupidineis nec inexpugnabile telis §4.10.66cor mihi, quodque levis causa moveret, erat.
My heart was soft and not impregnable to Cupid's darts, and was such that a slight cause would move it.
§4.10.67cum tamen hic essem minimoque accenderer igni,
Since, however, I was such and was kindled by the smallest fire,