ECLOGAE I MELIBOEUS TITYRE, tu patulae recubans sub tegmine fagi PR 5 TITYRUS O Meliboee, deus nobis haec otia fecit. namque erit ille mihi semper deus, illius aram saepe tener nostris ab ovilibus imbuet agnus. ille meas errare boves, ut cernis, et ipsum ludere quae vellem calamo permisit agresti. MELIBOEUS Non equidem invideo; miror magis: undique totis usque adeo turbatur agris. en, ipse capellas protinus aeger ago; hanc etiam vix, Tityre, duco. hic inter densas corylos modo namque gemellos, spem gregis, a! silice in nuda conixa reliquit. 10 15 12 turbamur PR: turbatur read by Quintilian, I. IV. 28, and preferred by Servius, ECLOGUES I MELIBOEUS You, Tityrus, lie under your spreading beech's covert, wooing the woodland Muse on slender reed, but we are leaving our country's bounds and sweet fields. We are outcasts from our country; you, Tityrus, at ease beneath the shade, teach the woods to re-echo "fair Amaryllis." TITYRUS O Meliboeus, it is a god who wrought for us this peace-for a god he shall ever be to me; often shall a tender lamb from our folds stain his altar. Of his grace my kine roam, as you see, and I, their master, play what I will on my rustic pipe.1 MELIBOEUS Well, I grudge you not-rather I marvel; such unrest is there on all sides in the land. See, heartsick, I myself am driving my goats along, and here, Tityrus, is one I scarce can lead. For here just now amid the thick hazels, after hard travail, she dropped twins, the hope of the flock, alas! on the naked flint. 1 In this pastoral allegory Tityrus represents Virgil, who went to Rome and appealed successfully to Octavian (afterwards Augustus) against the confiscation of his farm. saepe malum hoc nobis, si mens non laeva fuisset, TITYRUS Urbem, quam dicunt Romam, Meliboee, putavi stultus ego huic nostrae similem, quo saepe solemus pastores ovium teneros depellere fetus. sic canibus catulos similis, sic matribus haedos noram, sic parvis componere magna solebam. verum haec tantum alias inter caput extulit urbės, quantum lenta solent inter viburna cupressi. MELIBOEUS Et quae tanta fuit Romam tibi causa videndi? TITYRUS 21 25 Libertas, quae sera tamen respexit inertem, candidior postquam tondenti barba cadebat, respexit tamen et longo post tempore venit, postquam nos Amaryllis habet, Galatea reliquit. 30 namque, fatebor enim, dum me Galatea tenebat, nec spes libertatis erat, nec cura peculi. quamvis multa meis exiret victima saeptis, pinguis et ingratae premeretur caseus urbi, non umquam gravis aere domum mihi dextra redibat. MELIBOEUS Mirabar, quid maesta deos, Amarylli, vocares, 36 Often, I mind, this mishap was foretold me, had not my wits been dull, by the oaks struck from heaven. But still tell me, Tityrus, who is this god of yours? TITYRUS The city which they call Rome, Meliboeus, I, foolish one! thought was like this of ours, whither we shepherds are wont to drive the tender younglings of our flocks. Thus I knew puppies were like dogs, and kids like their dams; thus I used to compare great things with small. But this one has reared her head as high among all other cities as cypresses oft do among the bending osiers. MELIBOEUS And what was the great occasion of your seeing Rome? TITYRUS Freedom, who, though late, yet cast her eyes upon me in my sloth, when my beard began to whiten as it fell beneath the scissors. Yet she did cast her eyes on me, and came after a long time-after Amaryllis began her sway and Galatea left me. For-yes, I must confess-while Galatea ruled me, had neither hope of freedom nor thought of savings. Though many a victim left my stalls, and many a rich cheese was pressed for the thankless town, never would my hand come home money-laden. MELIBOEUS I used to wonder, Amaryllis, why so sadly you called on the gods, and for whom you let the apples hang on their native trees. Tityrus was gone from home. The very pines, Tityrus, the very springs, the very orchards here were calling for you! TITYRUS Quid facerem? neque servitio me exire licebat 40 nec tam praesentis alibi cognoscere divos. hic illum vidi iuvenem, Meliboee, quotannis bis senos cui nostra dies altaria fumant. hic mihi responsum primus dedit ille petenti : pascite, ut ante, boves, pueri; submittite tauros." MELIBOEUS Fortunate senex, ergo tua rura manebunt. 46 et tibi magna satis, quamvis lapis omnia nudus limosoque palus obducat pascua iunco. non insueta gravis temptabunt pabula fetas, 50 nec mala vicini pecoris contagia laedent. TITYRUS Ante leves ergo pascentur in aethere cervi, et freta destituent nudos in litore piscis, ante pererratis amborum finibus exsul aut Ararim Parthus bibet aut Germania Tigrim, quam nostro illius labatur pectore voltus. 63 labatur P1: labantur P2. 55 60 |