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MARTIAL IX 7

DICERE de Libycis reduci tibi, gentibus, Afer,

continuis uolui quinque diebus 'Haue;'

'Non uacat' aut 'Dormit' dictumst bis terque reuerso. iam satis est; non uis, Afer, hauere. uale.

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PLATO, Anthologia Palatina VII 669 Αστέρας εἰσαθρεῖς Αστὴρ ἐμός· εἴθε γενοίμην οὐρανὸς ὡς πολλοῖς ὄμμασιν εἰς σὲ βλέπω.

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PLATO, Anthologia Palatina VII 670
Αστὴρ πρὶν μὲν ἔλαμπες ἐνὶ ζωοῖσιν Εῷος

νῦν δὲ θανὼν λάμπεις Εσπερος ἐν φθιμένοις.

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Goodbye, Patron!

SINCE home from tribes of Africa, Afer, you've found

your way,

For five successive days I've sought 'Good morrow, friend' to say.

Twice, thrice I hie me back: 'Asleep' or 'Busy' still they cry.

Afer, enough! You will not take 'Good morrow.' So 'Good bye.'

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Stella and the Stars

(i) STAR-GAZING, Stella? Oh, were I yon skies, To look upon thee with a myriad eyes!

(ii) Stellas Stella meus tu suspicis. o, ego caelum fiam utinam, multis ut tuear te oculis.

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Stella Morning and Evening Star

STELLA prius uiuis tu Lucifer, Hesperus idem mortuus infernos fulgis apud populos.

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PROSPECTIVE TRANSLATIONS

SPENSER, Faerie Queene IV xi

FIRST came great Neptune with his threeforkt mace,
That rules the Seas, and makes them rise or fall;
His dewy lockes did drop with brine apace
Under his Diademe imperiall:

And by his side his Queene with Coronall,
Faire Amphitrite, most divinely faire,

Whose yvorie shoulders weren covered all,

As with a robe, with her own silver haire, And deckt with pearles, which th' Indian seas for her prepaire.

These marched farre afore the other crew;

And all the way before them, as they went,
Triton his trompet shrill before them blew,
For goodly triumph and great jollyment,
That made the rocks to roare as they were rent.
And after them the royall issue came,

Which of them sprung by lineall descent :

First, the Sea-gods, which to themselves doe clame

The powere to rule the billowes and the waves to

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tame.

MILTON, Paradise Lost II

'WHENCE, and what art thou, execrable shape, That dar'st, though grim and terrible, advance Thy miscreated front athwart my way

To yonder gates? Through them I mean to pass, That be assured, without leave ask'd of thee:

Retire, or taste thy folly, and learn by proof,

Hell-born, not to contend with spirits of heaven.'

PROSPECTIVE TRANSLATIONS

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PRIMVS ades, Neptune pater, cui uertice crinis imbribus adsiduis et salso rore fluentes

regius ornat apex; tum dextra tricuspide telo instruitur, quo fretus agis per caerula regnum componique iubes positosque resurgere fluctus. ad latus it coniunx, nitida redimita corona, (nec decor est ulli diuinior) Amphitrite, cui coma fusa umeros argentea uestit eburnos et, quos Inda suae cultus dant aequora, gemmae. hi primi, quibus ipse uiae praenuntia Triton signa dat, arguta resonat dum litora concha, laetitiam magnam indicens amplosque triumphos; saxa boant tanto, ceu sint discissa, fragore. hos procul ordo alter sed sanguine cretus eodem insequitur; diuum ante alios genus omne marinum, ius quibus imperitare undis fluctusque domare.

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'VNDE quid es, species te quae taeterrima nobis
obuia fers saeuoque tamen terrore tremenda
obiectas nostro deformia corpora cursu?
tune illas prohibes portas transire? per illas,
crede, ibo, ueniam nec tu posceris eundi.
cede loco, uel disce dolens quae poena furendi
et quid sit superis, Erebo sate, tendere contra.'

To whom the goblin full of wrath replied: 'Art thou that traitor-angel, art thou he,

Who first broke peace in heaven, and faith till then
Unbroken; and in proud rebellious arms

Drew after him the third part of heaven's sons
Conjured against the Highest; for which both thou
And they, outcast from God, are here condemn'd
To waste eternal days in woe and pain?
And reckon'st thou thyself with spirits of heaven,
Hell-doom'd, and breath'st defiance here and scorn,
Where I reign king and, to engage thee more,
Thy king and lord? Back to thy punishment,
False fugitive, and to thy speed add wings,
Lest with a whip of scorpions I pursue
Thy lingering, or with one stroke of this dart
Strange horror seize thee, and pangs unfelt before.'

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MILTON, Paradise Lost IV

So threaten'd he: but Satan to no threats
Gave heed, but, waxing more in rage, replied:
'Then, when I am thy captive, talk of chains,
Proud limitary cherub! but ere then
Far heavier load thyself expect to feel

From my prevailing arm, though heaven's King
Ride on thy wings, and thou with thy compeers,
Used to the yoke, draw'st his triumphant wheels
In progress through the road of heaven star-paved.'
While thus he spake, the angelic squadron bright
Turn'd fiery red, sharp'ning in mooned horns
Their phalanx, and began to hem him round
With ported spears, as thick as when a field
Of Ceres, ripe for harvest, waving bends