§1carmina prima tibi eum iam puerilibus annis §2traderet adsidui permulcens cura magistri §3inbueretque novas aures sensusque sequaces, §4ut respondendas docili quoque murmure voees §5emendata rudi perferret lingua palato, §6addidimus nil triste senes, ne cura monendi §7laederet aut dulces gustus vitiaret amaris.
When already in your childish years, the first poems to you the care of an attentive teacher was delivering, soothing you, and was imbruing your fresh ears and compliant senses, so that, with a docile murmur, words to be answered might be uttered by a refined tongue from a rough palate, we, as old men, added nothing sorrowful, lest the care of instructing should harm or vitiate sweet tastes with bitter things.
§8at modo, cum motu vigeas iam puberis aevi §9fortiaque a teneris possis secernere et ipse §10admonitor morumque tibi fandique videri, §11accipe non praecepta equidem, set vota precantis §12et gratantis avi festum ad sollemne nepotis.
But now, since you are vigorous with the motion of youth's age and can separate the strong from the tender, and yourself can seem to be an adviser of morals and speech to yourself, receive indeed not precepts, but the vows of one who prays and of a grandfather rejoicing at the solemn festival of his grandson.
§13adnuit, ut reducem fatorum ab fine senectam §14sospes agam festumque diem dubitataque cernam §15sidera, deposito prope conclamatus in aevo.
He (Fate/God) has granted that I, safe, may lead an old age brought back from the end of the fates, and see this festive day and the doubted stars, having been almost cried out for (given up for dead) in my laid-down life.
§16hoc, mellite nepos, duplicato faenore partum §17natali accedente tuo, munusque salutis §18plenius hoc nostrae, quod iam tibi puberis aevi §19crescit honos iuvenemque senex iam cerno nepotem.
This, sweet grandson, has been produced with double interest as your birthday approaches, and this gift of our safety is more complete, because now the honor of youth's age grows for you, and I, an old man, now behold my grandson as a young man.
This sixth trieteris (eighteenth year) returns to you from your first year, bringing back the September Ides with your well-known birthday.
§22Idus alma dies, geniis quoque culta deorum.
The Ides is a genial day, cherished also by the genii of the gods.
Latonian Hecate claims the August Ides, Mercury the May ones, joined to the honor of the gods above.
§25Octobres olim genitus Maro dedicat idus: §26Idus saepe colas bis senis mensibus omnes, §27Ausonii quicumque mei celebraveris idus.
Maro (Virgil), born of old, dedicates the October Ides: May you often celebrate all the Ides in the twice six months, whoever of you shall have celebrated the Ides of my Ausonius.
§28Vale nepos dulcissime.
Farewell, sweetest grandson.