And onward shall to ocean rush the lofty Apennine, And marvellous concupiscence and novel hankerings pair Brute beasts: the tiger yearn to be the roebuck's concubine, And with the hawk the turtle-dove be joint adulterer: From tawny lion trustful kine no more in terror start, And the salt sea's expanse become the soft-haired ram's delight. This having sworn, and what else may from sweet return dispart, Let us, let the whole commonwealth, with one accord take flight, Or such of us as better are than untaught clowns, and let The hopeless and effeminate hold this ill-omened nest. But ye of manly heart, away with womanly regret; Beyond Etruscan sea-board be your wingèd course addressed. Us, ocean's circumambient stream awaits: let us the fields Go forth to seek-those blessed fields, and those rich islands where An untilled soil its yearly growth of grain Cererian yields, And unpruned vineyards constantly luxuriant clusters bear, And the unfailing olive-branch buds ever, and distills Honey from hollow ilexes, and purple figs withal Decorate their parental tree, and limpid crystal rills With lightly tripping, tinkling feet, leap from the mountains tall. There to the milk-pails the she-goats without a bidding come, An amicable flock, and their distended udders bear. In mare seu celsus procurrerit Apenninus, Mirus amor, juvet ut tigres subsidere cervis, Adulteretur et columba miluo, Credula nec ravos timeant armenta leones, Ametque salsa levis hircus aequora. Haec et quae poterunt reditus abscindere dulces, Eamus omnis exsecrata civitas, Aut pars indocili melior grege; mollis et exspes Inominata perprimat cubilia. Vos quibus est virtus muliebrem tollite luctum, Etrusca praeter et volate litora. Nos manet Oceanus circumvagus: arva, beata Petamus arva divites et insulas, Reddit ubi Cererem tellus inarata quotannis, Et imputata floret usque vinea, Germinat et nunquam fallentis termes olivae, Mella cava manant ex ilice, montibus altis Levis crepante lympha desilit pede. Illic injussae veniunt ad mulctra capellae, Not there does bear at eventide around the sheepfold roam, Nor does the ground with hillocks swell where vipers have their lair. More yet shall we with joy admire, how neither watery South wind with over-copious showers the plough-land devastates, Nor are the sappy' germs burnt up by earth's aridity: Each of the two extremes, the king of heaven moderates. Argonaut rowers hither ne'er their bark essayed to steer; Here the lascivious Colchian's foot was never known to tread; Sidonian navigators ne'er their sailyards pointed here, governed rage. Jupiter for a pious race those islands set apart, When with a brass admixture he alloyed the golden age; With brass, then iron, hardening the ages; whence to fly. Shall for the good be pathway safe-such is my prophecy. Refertque tenta grex amicus ubera; Nulla nocent pecori contagia, nullius astri |