HORACE. Od. i. 4. VOLVITUR acris hiems grata vice veris et Favonî, SOLVITUR Trahuntque siccas machinæ carinas; Ac neque jam stabulis gaudet pecus, aut arator igni; Jam Cytherea choros ducit Venus imminente Luna ; Alterno terram quatiunt pede; dum graves Cyclopum Vulcanus ardens urit officinas. Nunc decet aut viridi nitidum caput impedire myrto, Aut flore, terræ quem ferunt solutæ. Nunc et in umbrosis Fauno decet immolare lucis, Seu poscat agna, sive malit hædo. Pallida mors æquo pulsat pede pauperum tabernas, 5 10 HORACE. Od. i. 4. TERN Winter melts as genial airs the balmy Spring restore, STERN And keels, long dry, are carried to the shore; The ploughman now the fireside leaves, nor herds in stalls remain, Nor hoar-frost glitters o'er the whiten'd plain; And Venus now by moonlight leads her revelry and mirth, And Nymphs, with Graces mingling, make the earth Ring with the music of their feet; while with his Cyclops train, At swelt'ring forge, stout Vulcan toils amain. 5 10 Our glossy hair should now with wreaths of myrtle green be found, Pale Death upon the peasant's door and prince's lordly gate Vitæ summa brevis spem nos vetat inchoare longam. Jam te premet nox, fabulæque manes, Et domus exilis Plutonia; quo simul meâris, Nec regna vini sortiere talis ; Nec tenerum Lycidam mirabere, quo calet juventus Nunc omnis, et mox virgines tepebunt. Od. i. 8. LYDIA dic, per omnes Te deos oro, Sybarin cur properes amando Perdere? cur apricum Oderit campum, patiens pulveris atque solis? Cur neque militaris Inter æquales equitat, Gallica nec lupatis Temperat ora frænis? Cur timet flavum Tiberim tangere? cur olivum 15 20 5 Our life's short span should moderate our lengthen'd hope's excess; Night and unreal ghosts shall round thee press 16 Ere long, and vainly wouldst thou hope, in Pluto's drear domain, By lot the banquet's sceptre to obtain ; Or Od. i. 8. LYDIA, by all the Gods above, Why now the Campus does he shun, Unshrinking once from dust and scorching sun Why now no more, in martial pride, Curbing his fiery Gallic horse? Why fear with active limb to stem the force Of yellow Tiber's swollen flood? Why, with abhorrence as of viper's blood, ? 5 10 Sanguine viperino Cautius vitat? neque jam livida gestat armis Brachia, sæpe disco, Sæpe trans finem jaculo nobilis expedito? Quid latet, ut marinæ Filium dicunt Thetidis sub lacrimosa Troja Funera, ne virilis Cultus in cædem et Lycias proriperet catervas ? Od. i. 9. VIDES, ut alta stet nive candidum Soracte, nec jam sustineant onus Flumina constiterint acuto. Dissolve frigus, ligna super foco 10 15 5 |