§3.1.82nec te, si cupiat, laedere rumor habet, §3.1.83sed tamen hoc factis adiunge prioribus unum, §3.1.84pro nostris ut sis ambitiosa malis.
Nor does rumor have the power to hurt you, even if it should desire to, but yet add this one thing to your former deeds, that you may be active on behalf of our misfortunes.
Strive that I may lie in a less hostile region, and no part of your duty will be lame.
§3.1.87magna peto, sed non tamen invidiosa roganti: §3.1.88utque ea non teneas, tuta repulsa tua est.
I ask great things, but yet not bringing envy upon the one who asks: and though you may not obtain them, your rejection is safe.
§3.1.89nec mihi suscense, totiens, si carmine nostro, §3.1.90quod facis, ut facias, teque imitere, rogo.
Nor be angry with me, if so many times, in our song, I ask you to do what you are doing, and to imitate yourself.
The trumpeter is accustomed to benefit the brave, and with his own mouth the leader incites men fighting well.
§3.1.93nota tua est probitas testataque tempus in omne; §3.1.94sit virtus etiam non probitate minor.
Known is your uprightness and witnessed for all time; let your courage also be no less than your uprightness.
You do not have to take up an Amazonian axe for me, or carry a crescent shield in your light hand.
§3.1.97numen adorandum est, non ut mihi fiat amicum, §3.1.98sed sit ut iratum, quam fuit ante, minus.
A divinity must be adored, not that he may become friendly to me, but that he may be less angry than he was before.
§3.1.99gratia si nulla est, lacrimae tibi gratia fient.
If there is no influence, tears will become your influence.
§3.1.100hac potes aut nulla parte movere deos.
By this part, or by none, you can move the gods.
§3.1.101quae tibi ne desint, bene per mala nostra cavetur: §3.1.102meque viro flendi copia dives adest; §3.1.103utque meae res sunt, omni, puto, tempore flebis.
Lest these be lacking to you, it is well provided by our misfortunes: and with me as your husband, a rich abundance of weeping is at hand; and as my affairs are, I think, you will weep at all times.
§3.1.104has fortuna tibi nostra ministrat opes.
Our fortune supplies these riches to you.
§3.1.105si mea mors redimenda tua, quod abominor, esset, §3.1.106Admeti coniunx, quam sequereris, erat.
If my death had to be redeemed by yours, which I deprecate, the wife of Admetus was she whom you would follow.
You would become a rival of Penelope, if with chaste deceit you, a wife, wished to deceive the pressing suitors.
If you followed as a companion the Manes of your deceased husband, Laodamia would be the leader of your deed.
§3.1.111Iphias ante oculos tibi erat ponenda volenti §3.1.112corpus in accensos mittere forte rogos.
The daughter of Iphis had to be placed before your eyes, if you wished perchance to throw your body into the burning pyre.
§3.1.113morte nihil opus est, nihil Icariotide tela.
There is no need of death, no need of the web of Icarius' daughter.
§3.1.114Caesaris est coniunx ore precanda tuo, §3.1.115quae praestat virtute sua, ne prisca vetustas §3.1.116laude pudicitiae saecula nostra premat: §3.1.117quae Veneris formam, mores Iunonis habendo §3.1.118sola est caelesti digna reperta toro.
The wife of Caesar must be entreated by your mouth, who surpasses in her own virtue, lest ancient antiquity should depress our ages by the praise of chastity: who by having the beauty of Venus, the character of Juno, is found alone worthy of the celestial couch.
§3.1.119quid trepidas et adire times? non impia Procne
Why do you tremble and fear to approach?
§3.1.120filiave Aeëtae voce movenda tua est, §3.1.121nec nurus Aegypti, nec saeva Agamemnonis uxor, §3.1.122Scyllaque, quae Siculas inguine terret aquas, §3.1.123Telegonive parens vertendis nata figuris, §3.1.124nexaque nodosas angue Medusa comas, §3.1.125femina sed princeps, in qua Fortuna videre §3.1.126se probat et caecae crimina falsa tulit: §3.1.127qua nihil in terris ad finem solis ab ortu §3.1.128clarius excepto Caesare mundus habet, §3.1.129eligito tempus captatum saepe rogandi, §3.1.130exeat adversa ne tua navis aqua.
No impious Procne or daughter of Aeetes is to be moved by your voice, nor the daughters-in-law of Egypt, nor the fierce wife of Agamemnon, and Scylla, who terrifies the Sicilian waters with her groin, or the parent of Telegonus, born for changing shapes, and Medusa, having bound her knotty hair with snakes, but the foremost woman, in whom Fortune proves herself, and has removed the false charges of being blind: than whom the world holds nothing more illustrious on earth from the rising to the setting of the sun, Caesar excepted, choose a time for asking, often watched for, lest your ship go out in adverse water.
§3.1.131non semper sacras reddunt oracula sortis, §3.1.132ipsaque non omni tempore fana patent, §3.1.133cum status urbis erit, qualem nunc auguror esse, §3.1.134et nullus populi contrahet ora dolor, §3.1.135cum domus Augusti, Capitoli more colenda, §3.1.136laeta, quod est et sit, plenaque pacis erit, §3.1.137tum tibi di faciant adeundi copia fiat, §3.1.138profectura aliquid tum tua verba putes.
Oracles do not always render sacred lots, and the temples themselves are not open at all times, when the state of the city will be such as I now augur it to be, and no grief of the people shall contract their faces, when the house of Augustus, to be revered in the manner of the Capitol, shall be joyful, which it is and may it be, and full of peace, then may the gods grant that an opportunity of approaching be made for you, then believe that your words will be of some avail.
If she is doing anything greater, defer your undertakings and beware of ruining my hope by hastening.
Nor on the other hand do I bid you seek when she is completely at leisure: she scarcely has leisure for the care of her own body.
§3.1.143omnia. . . . . . . . . . .
All things...
§3.1.144per rerum turbam tu quoque oportet eas.
through the crowd of affairs you also must go.
When it shall fall to your lot to approach the face of Juno, make sure you are mindful of the role which you must protect.
§3.1.147nec factum defende meum; mala causa silenda est.
And do not defend my deed; a bad cause must be kept silent.
§3.1.148nil nisi sollicitae sint tua verba preces, §3.1.149tum lacrimis demenda mora est, summissaque terra §3.1.150ad non mortalis brachia tende pedes.
Let your words be nothing but anxious prayers, then delay must be removed from tears, and lowered to the ground stretch out your arms to non-mortal feet.
§3.1.151tum pete nil aliud, saevo nisi ab hoste recedam; §3.1.152hostem Fortunam sit satis esse mihi.
Then ask nothing else, except that I may withdraw from the fierce enemy; let it be enough for me that Fortune is my enemy.
§3.1.153plura quidem subeunt, sed conturbata timore §3.1.154haec quoque vix poteris voce tremente loqui.
More things indeed come to mind, but disturbed by fear, even these you will scarcely be able to speak with a trembling voice.
§3.1.155suspicor hoc damno fore non tibi.
I suspect this will not be to your harm.
sentiet illa §3.1.156te maiestatem pertimuisse suam.
She will feel that you have deeply feared her majesty.
§3.1.157nec, tua si fletu scindentur verba, nocebit: §3.1.158interdum lacrimae pondera vocis habent, §3.1.159lux etiam coeptis facito bona talibus adsit §3.1.160horaque conveniens auspiciumque favens.
Nor will it hurt, if your words are broken by weeping: sometimes tears have the weight of a voice, make sure also that a good day is present for such undertakings, and a convenient hour and a favoring auspice.
But first, having placed fire on the holy altars, bring incense and pure wine to the great gods.
Out of whom, before all, adore the Augustan divinity and the loyal offspring and the partner of his couch.