Accustomed with his father's bow to fly That headlong rivers may flow back And the entire Socratic family, Composed perhaps on the occasion of some lady friend of Horace sacrificing, or dedicating a little chapel to the Goddess of Love. O VENUS, queen of Cnidus and of Paphos, Let with thee haste thy fervid boy, the Graces, Is when without thee. Doctus sagittas tendere Sericas Montibus, et Tiberim reverti; Cum tu coëmptos undique nobiles Libros Panaeti, Socraticam et domum, Mutare loricis Hiberis, Pollicitus meliora, tendis? XXX. AD VENEREM. O VENUS, regina Cnidi Paphique, Sperne dilectam Cypron, et vocantis Ture te multo Glycerae decoram Transfer in aedem. Fervidus tecum puer, et solutis In commemoration of his victory at Actium, Augustus dedicated to Apollo a temple, with a library attached, built by him on the Palatine Hill. After the ceremonies of dedication were over, we may suppose Horace putting in his own claim to the god's favour in this Ode, in which he represents himself as offering a libation, and asking for mens sana in corpore sano.' WHAT asks the bard in consecrated shrine Not goodly herds from parched Calabria's fold; Not meads through which, with quiet play, With pruning-hook be vines Calenian pressed Choice wines, in trade's exchanges ta'en The Atlantic main uninjured. Me Mild mallows nourish, olives, succory. Grant me, Latona's son, my modest wealth To enjoy with mind still vigorous and in health ; Not lacking the lute's company. XXXI. AD APOLLINEM. QUID dedicatum poscit Apollinem Armenta; non aurum, aut ebur Indicum; Mordet aqua, taciturnus amnis. Premant Calenam falce, quibus dedit Fortuna vitem: dives et aureis Mercator exsiccet culullis Vina Syra reparata merce, Dis carus ipsis, quippe ter et quater Me cichorea, levesque malvae. Frui paratis et valido mihi, Cum mente; nec turpem senectam In spite of all the scholiasts have written there is no clue whatever to the occasion of this Ode.' It is doubtful whether the first word should be Poscimur' or Poscimus.' If the first, it may mean that he had been requested to write on some subject of the day, though nobody knows what; but it may also mean that he felt the poetic afflatus upon him, and was bound accordingly. I AM required. If with thee idling ever In the cool shade, aught have I uttered, destined This year and more to live-a Latin carol Sing now, my rebeck. Thou who first tuned wert by a Lesbic townsman, Who, in arms fierce, still in the midst of conflict, Or after making fast his storm-tost galley To the dank seabeach, Would of wine sing, music, and lovely Venus, Shell, who art welcomed at high Jove's carousals, Pride of bright Phoebus, and my labour's dulcet Solace, propitiously assist whene'er I Duly invoke thee. |