The harper Arion.

Quod mare non novit, quae nescit Ariona tellus?
Carmine currentes ille tenebat aquas.

10

Saepe sequens agnam lupus est hac voce retentus;
Saepe avidum fugiens restitit agna lupum :
Saepe canes leporesque1 umbra cubuere sub una; 5
Et stetit infestae proxima cerva leae ;
Et sine lite, loquax, cum Palladis alite, cornix
Sedit; et accipitri juncta columba fuit :
Cynthia saepe tuis fertur, vocalis Arion,
Tanquam fraternis obstupuisse modis.
Nomen Arionium Siculas impleverat urbes,
Captaque erat lyricis Ausonis 2 ora sonis.
Inde domum repetens puppim conscendit Arion,
Atque ita quaesitas arte ferebat opes.
Forsitan, infelix, ventos undasque timebas;
At tibi nave tua tutius aequor erat.
Namque gubernator destricto constitit ense,
Ceteraque armata conscia turba manu.

15

Quid tibi cum gladio? dubiam rege, navita, pinum;
Non haec sunt digitis arma tenenda tuis.

Ille metu vacuus, mortem non deprecor, inquit ;
Sed liceat sumpta pauca referre lyra.

20

Dant veniam, ridentque moram; capit ille coronam,
Quae possit crines, Phoebe, decere tuos.
Induerat Tyrio bis tinctam murice pallam;
Reddidit icta suos pollice chorda sonos:

1 Canes leporesque. This seems a kind of realization of the prophetical day: "The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid" (Isaiah xi. 6). Below,

25

"Cynthia" is Diana, the sister of Apollo.

2 Ausonis. A feminine adjective, "Ausonian." Below, "tempora" is a Greek accusative of respect after "trajectus."

Flebilibus numeris veluti, canentia dura
Trajectus penna tempora, cantat olor.
Protinus in medias ornatus desilit undas,
Spargitur impulsa caerula puppis aqua.
Inde (fide majus) tergo delphina recurvo
Se memorant oneri supposuisse novo:

30

Ille sedens citharamque tenet, pretiumque1 vehendi
Cantat, et aequoreas carmine mulcet aquas.

Dî pia facta vident, astris Delphina recepit
Juppiter, et stellas jussit habere novem.

Juno's festival.

Cum mihi pomiferis conjunx foret orta Faliscis ;
Moenia contigimus victa,2 Camille, tibi.
Casta sacerdotes Junoni festa parabant,

3

35

Et celebres ludos, indigenamque bovem.
Grande morae pretium, ritus cognoscere: quamvis 5
Difficilis clivis huc via praebet iter.

Stat vetus et densa praenubilus arbore lucus,
Aspice; concedas numen inesse loco.
Accipit ara preces, votivaque thura piorum;
Ara per antiquas facta sine arte manus.
Hinc ubi praesonuit sollenni tibia cantu ;
It per velatas annua pompa vias.
Ducuntur niveae populo plaudente juvencae,
Quas aluit campis herba Falisca suis;

1 Pretium. The nominative case: "And sings, as payment for his passage."

2 Victa. Falerii, whose people were called Falisci, although here the town itself is so called, was taken by Camillus, B.C. 394. Below, "indigenam" is "bred on the spot."

10

3 Grande, etc. "To learn the rites (followed) is a high recompense for the delay (caused by doing so)." Below, "velatas is either "covered with awnings," or only means that the windows along the street were hung with tapestry, etc.

r

Et vituli nondum metuenda fronte minaces;
Et minor ex humili victima porcus hara:
Duxque gregis cornu per tempora dura recurvo,
Invisa est dominae sola capella Deae.
Illius indicio 1 silvis inventa sub altis
Dicitur inceptam destituisse fugam.
Nunc quoque per pueros jaculis incessitur index;
Et pretium auctori vulneris ipsa datur.

Qua ventura Dea est, juvenes timidaeque puellae
Praeverrunt latas veste jacente vias.
Virginei crines auro gemmaque premuntur :
Et tegit auratos palla superba pedes.
More patrum Graio velatae vestibus albis
Tradita supposito vertice sacra 2 ferunt.
Ore favent populus tunc, cum venit aurea pompa;
Ipsa sacerdotes subsequiturque suas.
Argiva est pompae facies. Agamemnone caeso
Et scelus et patrias fugit Halesus opes:
Jamque pererratis profugus terraque fretoque
Moenia felici condidit alta manu.
Ille suos docuit Junonia sacra Faliscos,
Sint mihi, sint populo semper amica suo.

1 Indicio. It is not known what the exact allusion is. Juno was betrayed in her lurking-place by a goat, and her retreat cut off. Perhaps she was endeavouring to elude Jupiter. By way of punishment, a goat was fixed as mark for boys to throw darts at, and the successful marksman carried off the animal as a prize. Below, "veste jacente" is "with (ground) sweeping dress."

in white, and carried the sacred implement required in the sacrifice on their heads, in baskets. Below, "Ore favent" means that the spectators took care to avoid uttering ill-omened words.

a 3 Ipsa.

2 Sacra. The women engaged in the rites were dressed

Juno's image was carried behind the priestesses. Halesus was a son of Agamemnon, and after his father's murder by Clytemnestra, fled from Mycenae and settled in Etruria, giving his name to the ager Faliscus (or Phaliscus).

He desires not riches, but a happy return to Neaera. Quid prodest caelum votis implêsse, Neaera? Blandaque cum multa thura dedisse prece? Non ut marmorei prodirem e limine tecti

Insignis clara, conspicuusque domo;
Aut ut multa mei renovarent jugera tauri,

Et magnas messes terra benigna daret;
Sed tecum ut longae sociarem gaudia vitae:
Inque tuo caderet nostra senecta sinu;
Tunc, cum permenso defunctus tempore lucis
Nudus Lethaea1 cogerer ire rate.

Nam grave quid prodest pondus mihi divitis auri?
Arvaque si findant pinguia mille boves?

Quidve domus prodest Phrygiis innixa columnis,
Taenare sive tuis, sive Caryste tuis?

Et nemora in domibus sacros imitantia lucos ? 2
Aurataeque trabes, marmoreumque solum ?
Quidve, in Erythraeo legitur quae litore, concha,
Tinctaque Sidonio murice lana juvat ?
Et quae praeterea populus miratur? in illis
Invidia est; falso plurima vulgus amat.
Non opibus mentes hominum, curaeque levantur:
Nam fortuna sua tempora lege regit.

Sit mihi paupertas tecum, jucunda Neaera,
At sine te3 regum munera nulla volo.

1 Lethaea. Compelled to enter Charon's boat to cross the rivers of Hades. Cf. Horat. Carm. ii. 14: "Cocytus errans scilicet omnibus Enaviganda." Below, there are mentioned, as eminently excellent, the marbles of Phrygia, in the north-west of Asia Minor; Taenarus (now Matapan, the southernmost pro

5

10

15

20

montory of the Peloponnesus); and Carystus, a town on the southern coast of Euboea.

2 Nemora-lucos. These words differ in this respect, that "lucus" is a sacred grove, whereas "nemus" is merely a cultivated plantation ("silva" being a natural wood).

3 At sine te. Cf. Moore:

O niveam, quae te poterit mihi reddere, lucem! 25
O mihi felicem terque quaterque diem!
At si, pro dulci reditu quaecunque voventur,
Audiat aversa non meus1aure Deus;

Nec me regna juvant, nec Lydius aurifer amnis,
Nec quas terrarum sustinet orbis opes;
Haec alii cupiant; liceat mihi paupere cultu
Securo cara conjuge posse frui.

2

Adsis, et timidis faveas, Saturnia, votis,

Et faveas, concha Cypria vecta tua.
Aut, si fata negant reditum, tristesque sorores,
Stamina quae ducunt, quaeque futura canunt;
Me vocet in vastos amnes, nigramque paludem,
Dives in ignava luridus Orcus aqua.

Tib.

30

30

35

The Quinquatria.

Una dies media est; et fiunt sacra Minervae;
Nominaque a junctis quinque diebus habent.

"But oh! the choice what heart can propitious.

doubt

'Twixt tents with love, and thrones

without?"

1 Non meus. "Not favourable to me." Below, the "Lydius amnis is the Pactolus. Cf. Propert. i. 6, 32: "Lydia Pactoli tingit arata liquor."

2 Securo. The dative agreeing with "mihi." Tibullus was content "to waste in careless ease the joyous hours." Cf. Horat. Carm. i. 26, 5: "Quid Tiridaten terreat unice Securus." Below, he calls on the daughter of Saturn (Juno) and the goddess of Cyprus (Venus) to be

up

3 Dives. "Rich," I suppose, because Death swallows everything. But it is a curious epithet. Or does it mean 66 enriched by the presence Neaera?"

of

+ Quinque diebus. The festival was the "Quinquatria.” Quinquatrus really means the fifth day after the Ides; originally one day only having been observed probably. Below, "strata arena" refers to the fact that the amphitheatre was strewn with sand for the gladiatorial shows.