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Meliboeus
Tityre, tu patulae recubans sub tegmine fagi
silvestrem tenui Musam meditaris avena;
nos patriae fines et dulcia linquimus arva.
nos patriam fugimus; tu, Tityre, lentus in umbra
formosam resonare doces Amaryllida silvas.
Tityrus, you lying under the spreading shade of the beech I behold
contemplating woodland music with your reed; we abandoned our
country borders and sweet fields, we fled our fatherland; you Tityrus,
carefree in the shade teach the trees to resonate the beautiful
amaryllis.
Tityrus
O Meliboee, deus nobis haec otia fecit.
namque erit ille mihi semper deus, illius aram
saepe tener nostris ab ovilibus imbuet agnus.
ille meas errare boves, ut cernis, et ipsum
ludere quae vellem calamo permisit agresti.
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Oh Meliboeus, a god made these quiet times for us, for he will always
be a god to us, the soft goatling of our flock will always stain his altar.
You see, he allows me my cows to wander and for myself to play that I
want on the agrarian reed.
Meliboeus
Non equidem invideo, miror magis; undique totis
usque adeo turbatur agris. en ipse capellas
protenus aeger ago; hanc etiam vix, Tityre, duco.
hic inter densas corylos modo namque gemellos,
spem gregis, a, silice in nuda conixa reliquit.
saepe malum hoc nobis, si mens non laeva fuisset,
de caelo tactas memini praedicere quercus.
sed tamen iste deus qui sit da, Tityre,nobis.
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The city which they speak of Rome, Meliboeus, stupid me I thought was
similar to ours, to which place we pastors are used to often sent the
young goats of the sheep, like the puppy to the dog, as the new kids to
goads, thus I compared the the great (city) to the small ones.
Meliboeus
Et quae tanta fuit Romam tibi causa videndi?
And what thing was so great to you for the sake of seeing Rome?
Tityrus
Libertas, quae sera tamen respexit inertem,
candidior postquam tondenti barba cadebat,
respexit tamen et longo post tempore venit,
postquam nos Amaryllis habet, Galatea reliquit.
namque - fatebor enim - dum me Galatea tenebat,
nec spes libertatis erat nec cura peculi.
quamvis multa meis exiret victima saeptis
pinguis et ingratae premeretur caseus urbi,
non umquam gravis aere domum mihi dextra redibat.
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Tityrus
Quid facerem? neque servitio me exire licebat
nec tam praesentis alibi cognoscere divos.
hic illum vidi iuvenem, Meliboee, quot annis
bis senos cui nostra dies altaria fumant,
hic mihi responsum primus dedit ille petenti:
'pascite ut ante boves, pueri, submittite tauros.'
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Tityrus
Ante leves ergo pascentur in aethere cervi
et freta destituent nudos in litore pisces,
ante pererratis amborum finibus exsul
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And some (of us) we will go thirsty to Africa, a part to Scythia, and we
will come to the place where Oaxes throqs up chalk and to Britannus
absolutely divided from the rest of the world. For will I ever after a long
time see my fatherland borders and the thatched roof of my humble
hut, after some years, I wonder me seeing ears of corn?
The wretched soldier will have these fields freshly tilled, the barbarian
will have these crops, look what discord produces for wretched citizens;
we cultivated our lands for these people! Mebliebus now graft your
pears, put your vines in rows. Go my once lucky flock, go my goats.
After this I will not watch you from afar from the green grotto/cave
hanging from the leafy rock ; I will sing no songs; you will not graze,
goats, with me shepherding on flowering clover and bitter willows.
Tityrus
Hic tamen hanc mecum poteras requiescere noctem
fronde super viridi. sunt nobis mitia poma,
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castaneae molles et pressi copia lactis,
et iam summa procul villarum culmina fumant
maioresque cadunt altis de montibus umbrae.
Here however you will be able to rest with me this night on the leafy
green. There are for us soft fruits, mealy chestnuts and fresh pressed
milk, and already the roofs of the huts are smoking and larger shadows
are falling from the tall mountains.
Eclogue 2
Formosum pastor Corydon ardebat Alexin,
delicias domini, nec quid speraret habebat.
tantum inter densas, umbrosa cacumina, fagos
adsidue veniebat. ibi haec incondita solus
montibus et silvis studio iactabat inani;
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The pastor Corydon burned for Alex, the sweetheart of his master, he
did not have anything to hope for. He only came among the dense
grass, covered by shadow,
There he threw out these coarse things with foolish zeal to the
mountains and woods.
'O crudelis Alexi, nihil mea carmina curas?
nil nostri miserere? mori me denique cogis?
nunc etiam pecudes umbras et frigora captant,
nunc virides etiam occultant spineta lacertos,
Thestylis et rapido fessis messoribus aestu
alia serpyllumque herbas contundit olentis.
at mecum raucis, tua dum vestigia lustro,
sole sub ardenti resonant arbusta cicadis.
nonne fuit satius tristis Amaryllidos iras
atque superba pati fastidia? nonne Menalcan,
quamvis ille niger, quamvis tu candidus esses?
o formose puer, nimium ne crede colori;
alba ligustra cadunt, vaccinia nigra leguntur.
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O cruel alex, do you care not for my songs? Do you not pity me? Do
you want me to in the end die??? Now even the cows seek shadows
and the cool, now green lizards hide in the hedges, thestylis and
collectors exhausted with head/vigor pick/crush garlic, thyme and
other savoury herbs.
And with me, as long as I follow your footsteps, are only the shrill
cicadas calling under the bushes/treeds.
Was it not better to suffer the rage and scorns of proud stubborn
amaryllis? Was it not better to suffer Menalca, although he is black,
and although you were white?
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I am scored, Alex, you do not ask who I am, how rich in cattle, how
abundant in snow white milk. A thousand of my sheep roam on the
Sicilian mountains; milk is not lacking to me in summer, nor in winter. I
sing as usually, if when Amphion Dircaeus is calling his flock home in
Actean Aracynthus. On top of this I am not unsightly; recently I saw
myself in the shore, when the sea stood placated by the winds. I will
not fear Daphnis with you as judge, if the mirror never lies.
O tantum libeat mecum tibi sordida rura
atque humilis habitare casas et figere cervos
haedorumque gregem viridi compellere hibisco!
mecum una in silvis imitabere Pana canendo.
Pan primum calamos cera coniungere pluris
instituit, Pan curat ovis oviumque magistros;
nec te paeniteat calamo trivisse labellum.
haec eadem ut sciret, quid non faciebat Amyntas?
est mihi disparibus septem compacta cicutis
fistula, Damoetas dono mihi quam dedit olim
et dixit moriens: 'te nunc habet ista secundum';
dixit Damoetas, invidit stultus Amyntas.
praeterea duonec tuta mihi valle reperti
capreoli sparsis etiam nunc pellibus albo,
bina die siccant ovis ubera; quos tibi servo.
iam pridem a me illos abducere Thestylis orat;
et faciet, quoniam sordent tibi munera nostra.
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What do you flee, idiot? Even the gods have lived in the woods and
Dardinia Paris. Let pallas live in the arches which she herself build; let
the woods please me before all. The wild lioness follows the wolf, the
wolf itself the she goat, the wanton shegoat follows the flowering
clover, corydon follows you, o alex; their own desire trags along each
person.
Aspice, aratra iugo referunt suspensa iuvenci
et sol crescentis decedens duplicat umbras.
me tamen urit amor; quis enim modus adsit amori?
a, Corydon, Corydon, quae te dementia cepit!
semiputata tibi frondosa vitis in ulmo.
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quin tu aliquid saltem potius, quorum indiget usus,
viminibus mollique paras detexere iunco?
invenies alium, si te hic fastidit, Alexin.'
Look, the oxen carry home the plow hanging by the yolk and the
descending sun doubles the growing shadows. Love however burns
me; for what limit is to love?
Oh corydon, corydon, what craziness captures you! Your vine is half
pruned on the leafy elm. Why do you not rather prepare to weave
something with vines and soft reed of which use requires? You will
find another Alexis, if this one scorns you.