LIBER PRIMUS.

Carmen I.-AD MECENATEM.

MECENAS atavis edite regibus,

O et præsidium et dulce decus meum!
Sunt quos curriculo pulverem Olympicum
Collegisse juvat; metaque fervidis

Evitata rotis, palmaque nobilis
Terrarum dominos evehit ad Deos:

Hunc, si mobilium turba Quiritium
Certat tergeminis tollere honoribus;
Illum, si proprio condidit horreo
Quidquid de Libycis verritur areis,
Gaudentem patrios findere sarculo
Agros Attalicis conditionibus
Nunquam dimoveas, ut trabe Cypria
Myrtoum pavidus nauta secet mare.
Luctantem Icariis fluctibus Africum
Mercator metuens, otium et oppidi
Landat rura sui; mox reficit rates
Quassas, indocilis pauperiem pati.
Est qui nec veteris pocula Massici,
Nec partem solido demere de die

Beneath an Arbutus recline

Embowered, or at the gentle source

Whence sacred waters take their course.

Many the camp will most rejoice

With trump and clarion's mingled voice,
And wars by mothers much abhorred.
Beneath the cold and wintry sky

The hunter dwells, nor can afford
For tender wife a thought or sigh;

If the staunch dogs a stag have found,

Or Marsian boar hath burst the bound

Of close-drawn nets which hemmed him round.

Me, shall the scholar's crown of pride,

Ivy unite with gods above;

The gentle troop, in shady grove

Of nymphs and satyrs me divide

From vulgar reach, if, my desire,
Euterpe's double pipe is lent,
And Polyhymnia consent,

To tune for me the Lesbian lyre.
If, ranked with lyric bards I rise,
My lofty head will touch the skies,

Spernit, nunc viridi membra sub arbuto
Stratus, nunc ad aquæ lene caput sacræ.
Multos castra juvant, et lituo tubæ
Permixtus sonitus, bellaque matribus
Detestata. Manet sub Jove frigido
Venator teneræ conjugis immemor,
Seu visa est catulis cerva fidelibus,
Seu rupit teretes Marsus aper plagas.
Me doctarum hederæ præmia frontium
Dîs miscent superis; me gelidum nemus
Nympharumque leves cum Satyris chori
Secernant populo, si neque tibias
Euterpe cohibet nec Polyhymnia

Lesboum refugit tendere barbiton.
Quod si me lyricis vatibus inseres,
Sublimi feriam sidera vertice.

Ode II.-TO AUGUSTUS CÆSAR.

Enough of dreadful hail and snow

Now Jove hath sent on earth below;
Shrines feel his red hand's lightning blow;
The Romans tremble:

The nations dread to see draw near
Sad Pyrrha's monstrous age, and fear
Lest Proteus' herd on mountains here
Again assemble.

When in tall elms, the dove's known shade,
Fish hung entangled, whilst afraid,
Stags swam the deluge to evade,

Which nature dooms.

We saw the Tiber's yellow stream
On Tuscan shores no longer gleam,
But bowed at Vesta's temple seem,

And kingly tombs ;

Forgetful of sad Ilia never,

For vengeance cries the uxorious river,

And o'er his left bank rushes ever,

Jove disapproving.

Few, through their fathers' civil rage,

Our youth shall hear in this sad age

How swords, which Parthians should engage,

Slay brothers loving.

Carmen II-AD AUGUSTUM CÆSAREM.

Jam satis terris nivis atque diræ
Grandinis misit Pater, et rubente
Dextera sacras jaculatus arces

Terruit Urbem,

Terruit gentes, grave ne rediret Seculum Pyrrhæ nova monstra questæ, Omne quum Proteus pecus egit altos

Visere montes,

Piscium et summa genus hæsit ulmo,
Nota quæ sedes fuerat columbis,
Et superjecto pavidæ natarunt
Æquore dama.

Vidimus flavum Tiberim retortis
Litore Etrusco violenter undis

Ire dejectum monumenta regis

Templaque Vesta;

Ilia dum se nimium querenti

Jactat ultorem, vagus et sinistra

Labitur ripa Jove non probante u

xorius amnis.

Audiet cives acuisse ferrum,

Quo graves Persæ melius perirent,

Audiet pugnas vitio parentum

Rara juventus.