Delectabere tibiae

Mixtis carminibus, non sine fistula. Illic bis pueri die

Numen cum teneris virginibùs tuum Laudantes, pede candido

In morem Salium, ter quatient humum. Me nec femina, nec puer

Jam nec spes animi credula mutui, Nec certare juvat mero,

Nec vincire novis tempora floribus. Sed cur, heu! Ligurine cur

Manat rara meas lacruma per genas?

Cur facunda parum decoro

Inter verba cadit lingua silentio ? Nocturnis ego somniis

Jam captum teneo, jam volucrem sequor

Te per gramina Martii

Campi; te per aquas, dure, volubiles.

II. AD ANTONIUM IULUM.

PINDARUM quisquis studet aemulari
Jule, ceratis ope Daedalea

Fashioned; and name will be to sea-tract glassy

Speedily giving.

Like to a river pouring down the mountain,
Which the rains o'er its wonted banks have lifted,
Even so rages, deep-mouthed, rushing onward
Measureless Pindar;

Sure to be gifted with Apollo's laurel,
Whether he roll through daring dithyrambics
Newly-framed phrases, onward borne by numbers
Law disregarding;

Or of gods sing, or kings, of gods the offspring,
Who upon Centaurs merited destruction
Heaped, and by whom of terrible Chimaera
Quenched were the blazes;

Or of steed tell or boxer whom Elean
Palm brings back home, exalted as celestials,
And a reward bestows on them excelling
Hundreds of statues;

Or lamentation makes for youthful lover
Reft from his weeping bride; and unto heaven
Raises his courage, strength, and sterling morals
Cheating black Orcus.

Plentiful airs sustain the swan Dircean

Oft as he soars, Antonius, to lofty

Regions of Cloudland. I in mode and manner Like to Matinian

Bee, that sweet thyme rifles with mickle labour, Mid the copsewood and banks of wat'ry Tibur, In my small way, employ myself composing Canzonets laboured.

Nititur pennis, vitreo daturus

Nomina ponto.

Monte decurrens velut amnis, imbres Quem super notas aluere ripas, Fervet, immensusque ruit profundo Pindarus ore;

Laurea donandus Apollinari,

Seu per audaces nova dithyrambos
Verba devolvit, numerisque fertur
Lege solutis ;

Seu deos, regesve canit, deorum
Sanguinem, per quos cecidere justa
Morte Centauri, cecidit tremendae
Flamma Chimaerae :

Sive quos Elea domum reducit
Palma caelestes, pugilemve equumve
Dicit, et centum potiore signis
Munere donat.

Flebili sponsae juvenemve raptum

Plorat; et vires animumque moresque Aureos educit in astra nigroque

Invidet Orco.

Multa Dircaeum levat aura cycnum,

Tendit, Antoni, quotiens in altos
Nubium tractus. Ego apis Matinae
More modoque

Grata carpentis thyma per laborem
Plurimum, circa nemus uvidique
Tiburis ripas, operosa parvus

Carmina fingo.

Poet, thyself, of a superior order

Caesar shalt sing, when with the well-earned laurel Graced, he shall drag along the sacred hillock,

Savage Sicambri :

Greater than whom or better, to the nations,

Have the Fates naught, nor have the good gods given, Either shall give, e'en though return the golden Epoch primeval.

Holidays gladsome and the city's public

Games shalt thou sing, hailing the re-appearance
Prayed for of brave Augustus, and the forum

Silent from lawsuits.

Then, of my voice, if aught I say worth hearing, Added shall good part be, and 'oh! fair morning' Will I exulting sing, 'oh day praiseworthy,

Bringing back Caesar!'

Nor as thy train moves on, 'Io triumphe!'
Only once will we cry: 'Io triumphe!'
Shall the entire town shout, and to benignant
Gods offer incense.

Thee, will ten bulls and heifers in like number,
Me, a young calf, absolve, which from its mother
Taken, is growing up in ample pastures

Till my vows need him.

He on his brow copies the fiery crescent

Which the new moon displays at her third rising : There, is blanched too with snowy patch, albeit

Elsewhere all tawny.

Concines majore poëta plectro
Caesarem, quandoque trahet feroces
Per sacrum clivum, merita decorus
Fronde, Sigambros;

Quo nihil majus meliusve terris
Fata donavere bonique divi,

Nec dabunt, quamvis redeant in aurum

Tempora priscum.

Concines laetosque dies, et Urbis
Publicum ludum, super impetrato
Fortis Augusti reditu, forumque
Litibus orbum.

Tum meae (si quid loquar audiendum)
Vocis accedet bona pars: et, O Sol

Pulcher, o laudande, canam, recepto
Caesare felix.

Tuque dum procedis, io Triumphe,
Non semel dicemus, io Triumphe,
Civitas omnis, dabimusque divis
Tura benignis.

Te decem tauri totidemque vaccae,
Me tener solvet vitulus relicta
Matre, qui largis juvenescit herbis

In mea vota;

Fronte curvatos imitatus ignes
Tertium lunae referentis ortum,
Qua notam duxit, niveus videri,
Cetera fulvus.