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Terrasque, tractusque maris, cœlumque profundum ;
Adspice, venturo lætantur ut omnia sæclo!

O mihi tam longæ maneat pars ultima vitæ,

Spiritus et, quantum sat erit tua dicere facta!

Non me carminibus vincet nec Thracius Orpheus,

Nec Linus; huic mater quamvis atque huic pater adsit,

Orphei Calliopea, Lino formosus Apollo.

Pan etiam Arcadia mecum si judice certet,
Pan etiam Arcadia dicat se judice victum.

Incipe, parve puer, risu cognoscere matrem ;
Matri longa decem tulerunt fastidia menses.
Incipe, parve puer; cui non risere parentes,
Nec deus hunc mensa, dea nec dignata cubili est.

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MEN. CUR non, Mopse, boni quoniam convenimus ambo,

Tu calamos inflare leves, ego dicere versus,

Hic corylis mixtas inter considimus ulmos?

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MOP. Tu major; tibi me est æquum parere, Menalca,
Sive sub incertas Zephyris motantibus umbras,
Sive antro potius succedimus. Adspice, ut antrum
Silvestris raris sparsit labrusca racemis.

MEN. Montibus in nostris solus tibi certet Amyntas.

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And lands, and sea's expanse, and heaven's depth ;
How all are joyous at the coming age!

O, that my life's full stage may last so long,
And so much breath be left to sing thy deeds!
Not Thracian Orpheus shall in song o'ercome me,
Nor Linus; though his mother aid the one,
His sire the last; Orpheus Calliope;
The bright Apollo Linus. Should e'en Pan
Contend with me, Arcadia being judge,
E'en Pan should yield, Arcadia being judge.

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Begin to know thy mother by her smile, Sweet babe; ten months brought on her tedious qualms.

Begin, babe; thou on whom no parents smiled,

Whom no god honour'd with his table, or

A goddess with her bed.

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MEN. Since, Mopsus, we have met; both skilful; you,

In playing on the slender pipe; and I,

In singing verses, why here have we not

Sat down among the elms with hazels mix'd?

MOP. You're elder; you I must obey, Menalcas,

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Whether 'mid fitful shades by zephyrs stirr'd,
Or rather to the grotto we repair.

See how the wild-vine has at intervals

The grotto with its clusters overspread!

MEN. Amyntas on our hills sole vies with you.

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MOP. Quid, si idem certet Phoebum superare canendo?

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MEN. Incipe, Mopse, prior, si quos aut Phyllidis ignes,
Aut Alconis habes laudes, aut jurgia Codri.
Incipe; pascentes servabit Tityrus hædos.

MOP. Immo hæc, in viridi nuper quæ cortice fagi
Carmina descripsi et modulans alterna notavi,
Experiar; tu deinde jubeto ut certet Amyntas.
MEN. Lenta salix quantum pallenti cedit olivæ,
Puniceis humilis quantum saliunca rosetis,
Judicio nostro tantum tibi cedit Amyntas.

MOP. Sed tu desine plura, puer; successimus antro.
Exstinctum Nymphæ crudeli funere Daphnin
Flebant; vos coryli testes et flumina Nymphis ;
Quum complexa sui corpus miserabile nati
Atque deos atque astra vocat crudelia mater.

Non ulli pastos illis egere diebus

Frigida, Daphni, boves ad flumina; nulla nec amnem
Libavit quadrupes, nec graminis attigit herbam.
Daphni, tuum Ponos etiam ingemuisse leones
Interitum, montesque feri silvæque loquuntur.
Daphnis et Armenias curru subjungere tigres
Instituit, Daphnis thiasos inducere Baccho,
Et foliis lentas intexere mollibus hastas.

Vitis ut arboribus decori est, ut vitibus uvæ,
Ut gregibus tauri, segetes ut pinguibus arvis :
Tu decus omne tuis. Postquam te Fata tulerunt,
Ipsa Pales agros atque ipse reliquit Apollo.
Grandia sæpe quibus mandavimus hordea, sulcis

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MOP. What, if with Phoebus he dare strive in song?
MEN. Mopsus, if aught you know of Phillis' love,
Or Alcon's praise, or Codrus' strifes, begin;
Tityrus will the browsing kids attend.

Mor. Nay, I will try those lines I lately carved
On the green beech-tree's bark, and play'd and carved
By turns. Bid, then, Amyntas vie (with me).

MEN. Just as lithe willow to pale olive yields,

And humble lavender to th' crimson rose,

Amyntas, in my judgment, yields to you.

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MOP. Friend, say no more; we've reach'd the grot. The Nymphs Daphnis, by ruthless death cut off, deplored.

Ye streams and hazels, for th' Nymphs witnesses,
When, clasping the wail'd body of her son,

The mother calls the gods and heaven cruel.
No one drove cattle to the cooling streams,
O Daphnis, nor steed tasted of the brook,

Nor touch'd a blade of grass; the mountains wild
And woods declare the lions of Carthage mourn'd
Thy death, O Daphnis! Daphnis taught (men) to yoke
Armenian tigers to the chariot (pole);

Daphnis, to lead the Bacchian choristers,

And wreathe with tender leaves the pliant spears.

As is the vine a glory to the trees,

As grapes are to the vine, as bulls to herds,
And as the standing corn to fertile fields,
So wast thou all the glory of thy (swains).
For, since the Fates have taken thee away,
Pales and Phoebus both have left the fields.

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In furrows where plump barley oft we've sown,

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Infelix lolium et steriles nascuntur avenæ ;

Pro molli viola, pro purpureo narcisso
Carduus et spinis surgit paliurus acutis.

Spargite humum foliis, inducite fontibus umbras,
Pastores, mandat fieri sibi talia Daphnis ;

Et tumulum facite, et tumulo superaddite carmen:
"Daphnis ego in silvis, hinc usque ad sidera notus,
Formosi pecoris custos, formosior ipse."

MEN. Tale tuum carmen nobis, divine poëta,
Quale sopor fessis in gramine, quale per æstum
Dulcis aquæ saliente sitim restinguere rivo;
Nec calamis solum æquiparas, sed voce magistrum.
Fortunate pner, tu nunc eris alter ab illo.

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Nos tamen hæc quocumque modo tibi nostra vicissim
Dicemus, Daphninque tuum tollemus ad astra ;
Daphnin ad astra feremus: amavit nos quoque Daphnis.
MOP. An quidquam nobis tali sit munere majus ?
Et puer ipse fuit cantari dignus, et ista
Jam pridem Stimicon laudavit carmina nobis.

MEN. Candidus insuetum miratur limen Olympi
Sub pedibusque videt nubes et sidera Daphnis.
Ergo alacris silvas et cetera rura voluptas
Panaque pastoresque tenet Dryadasque puellas :
Nec lupus insidias pecori, nec retia cervis

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Ulla dolum meditantur; amat bonus otia Daphnis.
Ipsi lætitia voces ad sidera jactant

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