LIBER IV.-CARMEN III.

AD MELPOMENEN.

QUEM tu, Melpomene, semel
Nascentem placido lumine videris,
Illum non labor Isthmius

Clarabit pugilem, non equus impiger

Curru ducet Achaïco

Victorem; neque res bellica Deliis

Ornatum foliis ducem,

Quod regum tumidas contuderit minas,

Ostendet Capitolio:

Sed quæ Tibur aquæ fertile præfluunt,
Et spissæ nemorum coma
Fingent Æolio carmine nobilem.

Romæ, principis urbium,
Dignatur soboles inter amabiles

BOOK IV.-ODE III.

A PARAPHRASE.

SWEET spirit of the raptured heart!
Thou birthright of each child of song!
For thee he shuns the athlete's art,
The course where eager thousands throng;

The stirring camp is all declined,

No victor's wreath can lure his mind;
The world's wide praises he foregoes,
Nor humbles kings, nor conquers foes;

The crowd round him can throw no spell; The stream-the wood-the silent dell, 'Tis these beget the poet's praise, "Tis these his kindling fancy raise!

Vatum ponere me choros ;

Et jam dente minus mordeor invido:

O testudinis aureæ

Dulcem quæ strepitum, Pieri, temperas ! O mutis quoque piscibus

Donatura cycni, si libeat, sonum!

Totum muneris hoc tui est,

Quod monstror digito prætereuntium
Romanæ fidicen lyræ;

Quod spiro et placeo, si placeo, tuum est.

O who his gentle craft would shame, E'en envy now forgets to blame!

Enchantress of the Golden Lyre!
Who wak'st to life its every tone,
O thou whose more than mortal fire
(Be it thy will its power be known)
Can bid e'en Nature's mutest child
Pour forth his soul in rapture wild!

'Tis thine to raise the lowly name, His country's other word for Fame, And thine to guard each passing day That wider spreads its magic sway.

LIBER III-CARMEN VI.

AD ROMANOS.

DELICTA majorum immeritus lues,
Romane, donec templa refeceris,
Ædesque labentes Deorum, et
Foda nigro simulacra fumo.

Diis te minorem quod geris, imperas.
Hinc omne principium, huc refer exitum.
Dii multa neglecti dederunt
Hesperiæ mala luctuosæ.

Jam bis Monæses, et Pacori manus
Non auspicatos contudit impetus
Nostros, et adjecisse prædam
Torquibus exiguis renidet.