Rura cano rurisque deos. His vita magistris
Desuevit querna pellere glande famem:
Illi compositis primum docuere tigillis
Exiguam viridi fronde operire domum,
Illi etiam tauros primi docuisse feruntur

Servitium et plaustro supposuisse rotam.
Tunc victus abiere feri, tunc consita pomus,
Tunc bibit irriguas fertilis hortus aquas,
Aurea tunc pressos pedibus dedit uva liquores
Mixtaque securo est sobria lympha mero.
Rura ferunt messes, calidi cum sideris aestu
Deponit flavas annua terra comas.
Rure levis verno flores apis ingerit alveo,
Compleat ut dulci sedula melle favos.
Agricola assiduo primum satiatus aratro
Cantavit certo rustica verba pede

Et satur arenti primum est modulatus avena
Carmen, ut ornatos diceret ante deos,
Agricola et minio suffusus, Bacche, rubenti
Primus inexperta duxit ab arte choros.
Huic datus a pleno, memorabile munus, ovili
*Dux pecoris hircus auxerat hircus oves.
Rure puer verno primum de flore coronam
Fecit et antiquis imposuit Laribus.
Rure etiam teneris curam exhibitura puellis
Molle gerit tergo lucida vellus ovis.

40

45

50

55

60

Hinc et femineus labor est, hinc pensa colusque,
Fusus et apposito pollice versat opus:
Atque aliqua assiduae textrix operata Minervae
Cantat, et appulso tela sonat latere.

Ipse quoque inter agros interque armenta Cupido
Natus et indomitas dicitur inter equas.

Illic indocto primum se exercuit arcu:

Hei mihi, quam doctas nunc habet ille manus!
Nec pecudes, velut ante, petit: fixisse puellas
Gestit et audaces perdomuisse viros.
Hic iuveni detraxit opes, hic dicere iussit
Limen ad iratae verba pudenda senem :
Hoc duce custodes furtim transgressa iacentes
Ad iuvenem tenebris sola puella venit,

Et pedibus praetentat iter suspensa timore,
Explorat caecas cui manus ante vias.

65

70

75

Ah miseri, quos hic graviter deus urget! at ille
Felix, cui placidus leniter afflat Amor.
Sancte, veni dapibus festis, sed pone sagittas
Et procul ardentes hinc precor abde faces.
Vos celebrem cantate deum pecorique vocate
Voce: palam pecori, clam sibi quisque vocet.
Aut etiam sibi quisque palam: nam turba iocosa
Obstrepit et Phrygio tibia curva sono.

Ludite iam Nox iungit equos, currumque sequuntur
Matris lascivo sidera fulva choro,

Postque venit tacitus furvis circumdatus alis
Somnus et incerto Somnia nigra pede.

65. Atque aliqua] Collectivè, haec et illa. Dissen.-operata, cf. supr. 9.

66. appulso] i. e. by the shuttle. 'The web sounds from the striking of its side.'

67. Ipse quoque, &c.] poiтas δ ̓ ὑπερπόντιος ἔν τ ̓ ἀγρονόμοις avλais. Soph. Antig. 785.

80. afflat] This is a common metaphor in the Latin and Greek poets. Cf. the term orvos in Theocr. Idyl, xii. 13.

·

80

85

90

83. celebrem] Much worshipped." 83, 84. vocate Voce] Call aloud.' 'Patriosque vocavi Voce deos.' Virg. Aen. iv. 680.

85. Aut etiam sibi quisque palam, &c.] For he need not fear being overheard amidst so great a din.

87.] Cf. Et Nox atra polum bigis subvecta tenebat.' Virg. Aen. v. 721.-currumque sequuntur, &c. ἀστέρες, εὐκάλοιο κατ ̓ ἄντυγα νυκτὸς ὀπαδοί. Theocr. ii. 166. 88. lascivo]'Sportive.'

II.

Dicamus bona verba: venit Natalis ad aras:
Quisquis ades, lingua, vir mulierque, fave.
Urantur pia tura focis, urantur odores,

Quos tener e terra divite mittit Arabs.
Ipse suos Genius adsit visurus honores,

Cui decorent sanctas mollia serta comas.
Illius puro destillent tempora nardo,
Atque satur libo sit madeatque mero,
Annuat et, Cornute, tibi, quodcunque rogabis.
En age, quid cessas? annuit ille: roga.
Auguror, uxoris fidos optabis amores:

Iam reor hoc ipsos edidicisse deos.

Nec tibi malueris, totum quaecunque per orbem
Fortis arat valido rusticus arva bove,

Nec tibi, gemmarum quicquid felicibus Indis
Nascitur, Eoi qua maris unda rubet.

5

10

15

Vota cadunt. Utinam strepitantibus advolet alis
Flavaque coniugio vincula portet Amor,

Vincula, quae maneant semper, dum tarda senectus
Inducat rugas inficiatque comas.

Hic veniat Natalis avis prolemque ministret,
Ludat et ante tuos turba novella pedes.

II.-1.] Natalis Genius.-aras, the altars on these occasions were made of turf. Cf. Juv. xii. 1, 'Natali, Corvine, die mihi dulcior haec lux, Qua festus promissa Diis animalia cespes Exspectat.'

3. odores] Such as spikenard, cinnamon, and cassia.

4.] Sive in Hyrcanos Arabasque molles.' Catul. xi. 5.

5. Genius adsit] There is better authority for this reading, though adsit Genius is proposed.

8. libo] See above, i. 7. 54. 9. Cornute] Vulgo, Cerinthe. 12. edidicisse] Have learnt by heart,' i. e. because of your frequent repetition of this prayer.

13. quaecunque öoa, 'all the.' 15, 16.] These gems were supposed to be cast up by the sea, and the

20

great pearl fishery is in the Persian Gulf. The Mare Erythraeum, or Red Sea of the ancients, corresponds to our Indian Ocean.

་

17.] cadunt = eveniunt,' are effectual.' Cf. i. 6. 85, Haec aliis maledicta cadant.'-Utinam: for this, viden' ut has been very happily conjectured. Vossius supposes this to refer to a statue of Love in the house of Cerinthus.

18. Flavaque] Orange yellow was the colour of the flammeus or bridal veil, and was sacred to Hymen. 'Luteum pede soccum.' Catul. lxi. 10.

20. inficiat] Streak,' or simply dye.'

21. Hic-avis] Lachmann. Heinse conjectures hac-avi,' 'with this,' i. e. 'with such an omen.' [If the reading of the text be retained, I

III.

Rura meam, Cornute, tenent villaeque puellam :
Ferreus est, heu heu, quisquis in urbe manet.
Ipsa Venus latos iam nunc migravit in agros,
Verbaque aratoris rustica discit Amor.

O ego, cum aspicerem dominam, quam fortiter illic 5
Versarem valido pingue bidente solum
Agricolaeque modo curvum sectarer aratrum,

Dum subigunt steriles arva serenda boves!
Nec quererer, quod sol graciles exureret artus,
Laederet et teneras pustula rupta manus.
Pavit et Admeti tauros formosus Apollo,

Nec cithara intonsae profueruntve comae, Nec potuit curas sanare salubribus herbis: Quicquid erat medicae vicerat artis amor. Ipse deus solitus stabulis expellere vaccas

*

*

Et miscere novo docuisse coagula lacte,
*Lacteus et mixtus obriguisse liquor.
Tum fiscella levi detexta est vimine iunci,

think we must place a comma after
Natalis, and translate, 'Such let the
birthday Genius come, and supply
an offspring to the ancestors of Cor-
nutus. Compare Psalm xlv. 16,
Instead of thy fathers shall be thy
children, whom thou mayest make
princes in all the land.' A. H. W.]

III.-3. latos] This is preferable to the other reading, laetos, as contrasting with the narrow streets of the city. Dissen explains that in the springtime, especially in April, Venus found delight in the country. Cf. Hor. Od. i. 2. 5.

5. cum aspicerem] 'And ever Sir Palomides cast up his eye unto La Beale Isonde, and when he saw her make such cheer, he fared like a lion, that there might no man withstand him.' Morte d'Arthur.

6. Versarem] For the benefit of the vines.

8. steriles-boves] Oxen.

10

14

15

11. Pavit, &c.] Apollo is here supposed to have done this through love for Admetus.

14-15. expellere] 'To drive out.' Here follows a lacuna which should probably be supplied by three lines, in which to complete the sense the god should give instruction in the art of milking. Three lines introduced by Pontanus are to the purpose. In nemora et pastas inde referre domum, Ipse et spumanti fertur mulctralia succo Implesse expressis primus ab uberibus.' The three lines, Ipse deus-liquor,' are left unnumbered, as being omitted in the older editions of Tibullus.

coagula] 'Rennet,' the gastric juice from the stomach of a calf, kid, or lamb. It is from co-agere, to 'curdle.' Cheese is thus made.

Lacteus et mixtus, &c.] This is a doubtful line. Lachmann proposes Lacteus et mixtu subriguisse liquor.'

·

Raraque per nexus est via facta sero.
O quotiens illo vitulum gestante per agros
Dicitur occurrens erubuisse soror!

O quotiens ausae, caneret dum valle sub alta,
Rumpere mugitu carmina docta boves!
Saepe duces trepidis petiere oracula rebus,
Venit et a templis irrita turba domum:
Saepe horrere sacros doluit Latona capillos,
Quos admirata est ipsa noverca prius.
Quisquis inornatumque caput crinesque solutos
Aspiceret, Phoebi quaereret ille comam.

20

25

Delos ubi nunc, Phoebe, tua est, ubi Delphica Pytho?
Nempe amor in parva te iubet esse casa.
Felices olim, Veneri cum fertur aperte

Servire aeternos non puduisse deos.

Fabula nunc ille est: sed cui sua cura puella est,
Fabula sit mavult quam sine amore deus.

At tu, quisquis is es, cui tristi fronte Cupido
Imperat ut nostra sint tua castra domo,

30

Ferrea non Venerem, sed praedam, saecula laudant: 35
Praeda tamen multis est operata malis.

Praeda feras acies cinxit discordibus armis :
Hinc cruor, hinc caedes mors propiorque venit.
Praeda vago iussit geminare pericula ponto,
Bellica cum dubiis rostra dedit ratibus.

16. sero] For the whey.'

18. occurrens, &c.] When she met him in her hunting excursions.

21. trepidis--rebus] 'In public perils.'

22. irrita] ἄπρακτος.

23. horrere] To be rough.' 24. noverca] Juno.

26. quaereret] Would have looked in vain for,' 'would have asked, where was the hair of Phoebus?'

31. Fabula] A subject of conversation or ridicule.' Cf. Tib. i. 4. 84, Parce, puer, quaeso, ne turpis fabula fiam."

33. tristi fronte] With gloomy

brow.'

40

34. tua castra] i. e. 'your exercises in the warfare of love.'-nostra -domo, i. e. ‘under my instruction.'

imperat ut: the usual emendation is imperitat. In either case there must be a lacuna after domo, for At tu in 1. 33 cannot well stand by itself. 36. est operata] 'Is devoted to.' Cf. supr. ii. 1. 9.

38. mors propior] 'Accelerated death,' i. e. death before the due time of nature.' Cf Hor. Od. i. 3. 33, Leti corripuit gradum.'

39. geminare] 'To make twofold,' dding the dangers of war to those of shipwreck.

40. dubiis] 'Rocking about.' Dissen quotes Ovid. Ars Amat. ii. 514,