Solstitium pecori defendite; jam venit æstas

Torrida, jam læto turgent in palmite gemmæ.

THY. Hic focus, et tædæ pingues, hic plurimus ignis Semper, et assidua postes fuligine nigri :

Hic tantum Boreæ curamus frigora, quantum

Aut numerum lupus, aut torrentia flumina ripas.

COR. Stant et juniperi, et castaneæ hirsutæ ;
Strata jacent passim sua quaque sub arbore poma;
Omnia nunc rident: at, si formosus Alexis
Montibus his abeat, videas et flumina sicca.

THY. Aret ager; vitio moriens sitit aëris herba;
Liber pampineas invidit collibus umbras:
Phyllidis adventu nostræ nemus omne virebit ;
Jupiter et læto descendet plurimus imbri.

COR. Populus Alcidæ gratissima, vitis Iaccho,
Formosa myrtus Veneri, sua laurea Phœbo:

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Phyllis amat corylos; illas dum Phyllis amabit,

Nec myrtus vincet corylos, nec laurea Phœbi.

THY. Fraxinus in silvis pulcherrima, pinus in hortis,

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Populus in fluviis, abies in montibus altis :

Sæpius at si me, Lycida formose, revisas,

Fraxinus in silvis cedat tibi, pinus in hortis.

MEL. Hæc memini, et victum frustra contendere Thyrsin.

Ex illo Corydon Corydon est tempore nobis.

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The heat keep from my flock; hot summer comes;
E'en now the buds swell in the joyous vine.

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THY. A hearth and unctuous pines (are) here, and e'er Huge fires, and doors black with continuous smoke. The Northern colds we mind as much here as The wolves do flocks, or raging streams their banks. COR. Both junipers and prickly chesnuts stand here; And 'neath each tree its fruits lie strewn about. Now all things smile, but, if the fair Alexis

These hills should leave, you'd see the rivers dry.

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THY. The land is parch'd; from want of air the grass

Is dying of thirst; Bacchus has grudged our hills
The shadows of his vines; at the approach
Of our (own) Phyllis every grove shall bloom,
And amply Jove in joyous showers descend.

COR. The poplar is by Hercules most prized,
The vine by Bacchus, by the beauteous Venus
The myrtle, and his laurel by Apollo;
Phyllis loves hazels, while them Phyllis loves,
Neither the myrtle hazels shall surpass,
Nor shall Apollo's laurel (overcome).

THY. The fairest in the forest is the ash;
The pine in gardens; poplars by the stream;
The fir upon the lofty mountain's (brow);
But, if, O charming Lycidas, thou'dst oft
Revisit me, then ash i' th' woods, and pine

I' th' gardens ne'er would cease to yield to thee.
MEL. These verses I remember and (as well)
That Thyrsis, vanquish'd, did contend in vain ;
Thence, Corydon, 'tis Corydon for me.

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ECLOGA VIII. PHARMACEUTRIA.

DAMON. ALPHESIBUS.

PASTORUM Musam Damonis et Alphesiboi,
Immemor herbarum quos est mirata juvenca
Certantes, quorum stupefactæ carmine lynces,
Et mutata suos requierunt flumina cursus;
Damonis Musam dicemus et Alphesibai.

Tu mihi, seu magni superas jam saxa Timavi,
Sive oram Illyrici legis æquoris; en erit unquam
Ille dies, mihi quum liceat tua dicere facta?
En erit, ut liceat totum mihi ferre per orbem

Sola Sophocleo tua carmina digna cothurno?
A te principium, tibi desinet; accipe jussis
Carmina cœpta tuis; atque hanc sine tempora circum
Inter victrices hederam tibi serpere lauros.

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Frigida vix coelo noctis decesserat umbra, Quum ros in tenera pecori gratissimus herba,

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Incumbens tereti Damon sic cœpit olivæ :

DAM. Nascere, præque diem veniens age, Lucifer, almum;

Conjugis indigno Nisa deceptus amore

Dum queror, et divos, quanquam nil testibus illis

Profeci, extrema moriens tamen alloquor hora.

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ECLOGUE VIII. PHARMACEUTRIA.

DAMON.

ALPHESIBEUS.

THE SONG of Damon and Alphesibous,

Shepherds whom heifers, heedless of their food,
Admired contending; with whose melody
The lynxes were astounded; and the floods,
Their courses changing, ceased to run-the lay
We'll sing of Damon and Alphesibous.

Aid me now, Pollio, whether thou cross the rocks
Of great Timavus, or thou coast along
The shore of the Illyrian sea; say, shall
That day e'er come when I may be allow'd
To sing thy deeds? Say, shall it be that I

Through all the world may spread thy verse, alone
Worthy the buskin of a Sophocles?

With thee commenced, with thee (our Muse) shall end;
Accept our song begun at thy command,

And, intermix'd with thy victorious bays,

Suffer this ivy round thy brow to creep.

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Scarce from the sky had night's cold shade withdrawn, When dew is on tender grass most prized by herds, 'Gainst a smooth olive leaning Damon spake :

DAM. Rise, Star of Morn, and, coming in advance,
Bring on resplendent day, while I, deceived.
By the false love of Nisa, my betrothed,

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Complain, and, dying, address the gods, although

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To my last hour I've nothing profited

By invocating them as witnesses.

Incipe Mænalios mecum, mea tibia, versus.

Mænalus argutumque nemus pinosque loquentes Semper habet; semper pastorum ille audit amores, Panaque, qui primus calamos non passus inertes. Incipe Mænalios mecum, mea tibia, versus.

Mopso Nisa datur: quid non speremus amantes ?
Jungentur jam gryphes equis; ævoque sequenti
Cum canibus timidi venient ad pocula damæ.

Mopse, novas incide faces; tibi ducitur uxor;
Sparge, marite, nuces; tibi deserit Hesperus Etam.
Incipe Mænalios mecum, mea tibia, versus.

O digno conjuncta viro, dum despicis omnes,
Dumque tibi est odio mea fistula, dumque capellæ,
Hirsutumque supercilium, promissaque barba,
Nec curare deum credis mortalia quemquam !
Incipe Mænalios mecum, mea tibia, versus.

Sepibus in nostris parvam te roscida mala-
Dux ego vester eram-vidi cum matre legentem.
Alter ab undecimo tum me jam ceperat annus;
Jam fragiles poteram a terra contingere ramos.
Ut vidi, ut perii, ut me malus abstulit error!
Incipe Mænalios mecum, mea tibia, versus.

Nunc scio quid sit Amor; duris in cotibus illum Ismarus, aut Rhodope, aut extremi Garamantes, Nec generis nostri puerum nec sanguinis, edunt.

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