MACENAS, 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 condicionibus
Nunquam dimoveas, ut trabe Cypria
Myrtoum pavidus nauta secet mare.
Luctantem Icariis fluctibus Africum
Mercator metuens, otium et oppidi
MECENAS, offspring of a noble race,—
Thou guardian of my fortunes, and the friend
Whose fost'ring care lends honour to my name;
There are, whose sole delight it is to trace
Th' Olympic course, and skilfully to guide
The dust-enveloped chariot in its flight,
With glowing wheel to lightly graze the goal,
Lords of the world! yet victory's added wreath,
Exalting to the skies, uplifts their soul.
Rome's giddy people, urging with their voice
The triple honours of the state, inflame
The breast of one: another loves to store
His spacious garners, loaded with the grain
From distant Libya's fertile plains conveyed;
Whom rustic cares and daily toil have taught:
Not e'en the wealth of Attalus could tempt
With Cyprian bark to plough th' Ægean Sea.
Laudat rura sui; mox reficit rates
Quassas, indocilis pauperiem pati.
Est qui nec veteris pocula Massici
Nec partem solido demere de die
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.
His costly cargo on the treacherous deep,
The anxious merchant dreads the stormy gale;
Which swift from Afric's shore in dangerous squalls
Th' Icarian waves in boisterous contest meets.
The calm and tranquil scenes of equal peace
He now delights to praise; impatient soon
Of humble thrifty care and narrow means,
His storm-tossed vessel he again equips.
The bowl, o'erflowing with strong Massic wine,
Its solace yields to some, as quick they steal
Some joyous hours from each returning day,
Or in the laurel's welcome shade, or soft
On some sweet fountain's mossy bank reclined:
The camp's all-stirring scenes, the startling note
Of trumpets, and the mingled clarion's call,
And war's exciting course and proud array,
By timid matrons dreaded, have their charms.
The hunter leaves the pleasing joys of home,
And, of his tender wife forgetful, braves
The wintry storm; while eager in the chase,
He cheers his staunch-bred hounds in swift
To take the fleeing stag; or bay the boar,
Which fierce from Marsian woods, with threat'ning
Has rent his nets, entangling in their toils.
Me doctarum hederæ præmia frontium Dis miscent superis, me gelidum nemus Nympharumque leves cum Satyris chori Secernunt populo, si neque tibias
Euterpe cohibet nec Polyhymnia Lesboum refugit tendere barbiton. Quodsi me lyricis vatibus inseris, Sublimi feriam sidera vertice.
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