§9.4.43ne verba quidem verbis aut nomina nominibus similiaque his continuari decet, cum virtutes etiam ipsae taedium pariant nisi gratia varietatis adiutae.
It is not even becoming for verbs to be continued with verbs, or nouns with nouns, and things similar to these, since even virtues themselves produce satiety unless they are aided by the grace of variety.
§9.4.44membrorum incisorumque iunctura non ea modo est observanda quae verborum, quanquam et ut his extrema ac prima coeunt, sed plurimum refert compositionis, quae quibus anteponas.
In the joining of members and clauses, not only that must be observed which is observed in words (although in these also the ends and beginnings run together), but it is of the greatest importance for composition, which things you place before which.
nam et vomens frustis esculentis gremium suum et totum tribunal implevit et contra (nam frequentius utar iisdem diversarum quoque rerum exemplis, quo sint magis familiaria) saxa atque solitudines voci respondent, bestiae saepe immanes cantu flectuntur atque consistent magis insurgebat, si verteretur; nam plus est saxa quam bestias commoveri, vicit tamen compositionis decor.
For and if we compare 'vomens frustis esculentis gremium suum et totum tribunal implevit' and on the other hand (for I shall use more frequently the same examples of different things, that they may be more familiar) 'saxa atque solitudines voci respondent, bestiae saepe immanes cantu flectuntur atque consistunt', it would have risen more grandly if it were reversed; for it is a greater thing for rocks to be moved than beasts, yet the beauty of the composition won.
sed transeamus ad numeros.
But let us pass over to numbers.
§9.4.45omnis structura ac dimensio et copulatio vocum constat aut numeris (numeros ῥυθμούς accipi volo) aut μέτροις, id est dimensione quadam.
Every structure and dimension and copulation of words consists either of numbers (I wish 'numbers' to be understood as rhythmoi) or of metra, that is, a certain dimension.
quod, etiamsi constat utrumque pedibus, habet tamen non simplicem differentiam.
Which, although both consist of feet, nevertheless has a not simple difference.
§9.4.46nam primum numeri spatio temporum constant, metra etiam ordine, ideoque alterum esse quantitatis videtur, alterum qualitatis.
For first, numbers consist of the space of times, metra also of order, and therefore the one seems to be of quantity, the other of quality.
ῥυθμὸς est aut par ut dactylicus, §9.4.47una enim syllaba longa par est duabus brevibus (est quidem vis eadem et aliis pedibus, sed nomen illud tenet; longam esse duorum temporum, brevem unius, etiam pueri sciunt) aut sescuplex ut paeonicus: is est ex longa et tribus brevibus, aut ex tribus brevibus et longa, vel alio quoquo modo ut tempora tria ad duo relata sescuplum faciant; aut duplex, ut iambus (nam est ex brevi et longa) quique est ei contrarius.
Rhythm is either equal, as dactylic, for one long syllable is equal to two short ones (indeed the power is the same in other feet, but it holds that name; even boys know that a long syllable is of two times, a short of one), or one-and-a-half times as paeonic: this is of a long and three shorts, or of three shorts and a long, or in any other way so that three times related to two make one-and-a-half times; or double, as iambus (for it is of a short and a long) and that which is contrary to it.
§9.4.48sunt hi et metrici pedes, sed hoc interest, quod rhythmo indifferens, dactylicusne ille priores habeat breves an sequentes; tempus enim solum metitur, ut a sublatione ad positionem idem spatii sit.
These are also metrical feet, but this is the difference, because to rhythm it is indifferent whether that dactylic foot has the shorts first or following; for it measures time alone, so that there is the same space from the elevation to the position.
proinde alia dimensio est versuum; pro dactylico poni non poterit anapaestus aut spondeus, nec paean eadem ratione brevibus incipiet ac desinet.
Therefore the dimension of verses is other; for the dactylic, an anapaest or spondee cannot be placed, nor will the paean by the same reason begin and end with shorts.
§9.4.49neque solum alium pro alio pedem metrorum ratio non recipit, sed ne dactylum quidem aut forte spondeum alterum pro altero.
And not only does the system of metres not admit one foot for another, but not even a dactyl or perhaps a spondee one for another.
itaque si quinque continuos dactylos, ut sunt ut illo
"
panditur interea domus omnipotentis Olympi
"
confundas, solveris versum.
Therefore if you should confuse five continuous dactyls, as they are in that line, "panditur interea domus omnipotentis Olympi" you will dissolve the verse.
§9.4.50sunt et illa discrimina, quod rhythmis libera spatia, metris finita sunt, et his certae clausulae, illi, quomodo coeperant, currunt usque ad μεταβολήν, id est transitum ad aliud rhythmi genus, et quod metrum ut verbis modo, rhythmos etiam ut corporis motu est.
There are also those differences, that for rhythms there are free spaces, for metres limited ones, and for the latter certain clausulae, while the former run, as they had begun, all the way to metabole, that is, a transition to another kind of rhythm, and that metre is in the manner of words only, rhythm also as in the motion of the body.
§9.4.51inania quoque tempora rhythmi facilius accipient, quanquam haec et ut metris accidunt.
Empty times also rhythms will receive more easily, although these happen also to metres.
maior tamen illic licentia est, ubi tempora etiam metiuntur et pedum et digitorum ictu, et intervalla signant quibusdam notis atque aestimant, quot breves illud spatium habeat; inde τετράσημοι, πεντάσημοι deinceps longiores fiunt percussiones; nam σημεῖον tempus est unum.
Yet there is greater license there, where they measure times also by the beat of feet and fingers, and mark intervals with certain signs and estimate how many short syllables that space has; thence four-time, five-time, and successively longer beats are made; for a semeion is one time.
§9.4.52in compositione orationis certior et magis omnibus aperta servari debet dimensio.
In the composition of speech a more certain and more open dimension to all must be observed.
est igitur ut pedibus et metricis quidem pedibus, qui adeo reperiuntur ut oratione, ut ut ea frequenter non sentientibus nobis omnium generum excidant versus; et contra nihil non, quod est prosa scriptum, redigi possit ut quaedam versiculorum genera vel ut membra, sicut ut molestos incidimus grammaticos,
It is therefore of feet, and indeed of metrical feet, which are so found in speech that from it frequently, without our perceiving it, verses of all kinds escape; and on the contrary, there is nothing written in prose that cannot be reduced to certain kinds of small verses or as members, just as we fall upon troublesome grammarians,