ODE VIII Barine's Baleful Charms HAD ever any penalty for violated vows visited thee, Barine; didst thou ever grow uglier by a single blackened tooth or spotted nail, I'd trust thee now. But with thee, no sooner hast thou bound thy perfidious head by promises than thou shinest forth much fairer and art the cynosure of all eyes when thou appearest. 'Tis actually of help to thee to swear falsely by the buried ashes of thy mother, by the silent sentinels of night, with the whole heaven, and by the gods, who are free from chilly death. All this but makes sport for Venus (upon my word, it does!) and for the artless Nymphs, and cruel Cupid, ever whetting his fiery darts on blood-stained stone. Not only this! All our youth are growing up for thee alone, to be a fresh band of slaves, while thy old admirers leave not the roof of their heartless mistress, oft as they have threatened this. Thee mothers fear for their sons, thee frugal sires, thee wretched brides, who but yesterday were maidens, lest thy radiance make their husbands linger. IX Non semper imbres nubibus hispidos manant in agros aut mare Caspium vexant inaequales procellae usque nec Armeniis in oris, amice Valgi, stat glacies iners menses per omnes, aut Aquilonibus querqueta Gargani laborant et foliis viduantur orni: tu semper urges flebilibus modis Mysten ademptum, nec tibi Vespero surgente decedunt amores nec rapidum fugiente solem. at non ter aevo functus amabilem ploravit omnes Antilochum senex annos, nec impubem parentes Troilon aut Phrygiae sorores flevere semper. desine mollium tandem querellarum, et potius nova cantemus Augusti tropaea Caesaris, et rigidum Niphaten Medumque flumen gentibus additum victis minores volvere vertices, intraque praescriptum Gelonos exiguis equitare campis. 10 20 ODE IX A Truce to Sorrow, Vaigius! Not for ever do the showers fall from the clouds on the sodden fields, nor the rough blasts always fret the Caspian waves, nor on Armenian borders, friend Valgius, does the lifeless ice linger through every month, nor are Garganus' oak-groves always lashed by the blasts of the North and the ash-trees reft of their leaves. But thou in tearful strains dwellest ever on the loss of thy Mystes, nor do thy words of love cease either when Vesper comes out at evening, or when he flies before the swiftly coursing sun: Yet the aged hero who had lived three generations did not for ever mourn his loved Antilochus, nor did his Phrygian parents and sisters weep without end for youthful Troilus. Cease at length thy weak laments, and let us rather sing of the new trophies of Augustus Caesar, ice-bound Niphates and the river of the Medes rolling in smaller eddies, now 'tis added to the list of vanquished nations, and the Geloni riding now within bounds prescribed over their narrowed plains. X RECTIVS Vives, Licini, neque altum semper urgendo neque, dum procellas cautus horrescis, nimium premendo litus iniquum. auream quisquis mediocritatem diligit, tutus caret obsoleti sordibus tecti, caret invidenda sobrius aula. saepius ventis agitatur ingens pinus et celsae graviore casu decidunt turres feriuntque summos fulgura montis. sperat infestis, metuit secundis alteram sortem bene praeparatum pectus. informes hiemes reducit Iuppiter; idem summovet. non, si male nunc, et olim sic erit: quondam cithara tacentem suscitat Musam neque semper arcum tendit Apollo. rebus angustis animosus atque fortis appare: sapienter idem contrahes vento nimium secundo turgida vela. 10 20 |