Page images
PDF
EPUB

Quis post vina gravem militiam aut pauperiem

crepat?

Quis non te potiùs, Bacche pater, teque, decens

Venus?

At ne quis modici transiliat munera Liberi,
Centaurea monet cum Lapithis rixa super mero
Debellata; monet Sithoniis non levis Evius,

Cum fas atque nefas exiguo fine libidinum
Discernunt avidi.

Non ego te, candide Bassareu,

Invitum quatiam, nec variis obsita frondibus

Sub divum rapiam.

Sæva tene cum Berecynthio

Cornu tympana, quæ subsequitur cæcus Amor sui, Et tollens vacuum plùs nimiò Gloria verticem, Arcanique Fides prodiga, perlucidior vitro.

Who, after wine, of warfare's pains
Or pinching poverty complains?
Who does not rather, Venus sweet,
And thee, O father Bacchus, greet?
But lest any should o'erpass
The gifts of modest Liber's glass,
The Lapitha and Centaurs' brawl,
Fought o'er the wine-cup, warns us all;
Warns us too Evius, in his ire

To the Sithonians most dire,

Who, greedy in their lust, but slight
Distinction make 'twixt wrong and right.
O candid Bassareus, I ne'er
Unwilling thee to shake will dare,
Or drag thy mysteries to light
By varied foliage hid from sight.

Peace to your grating cymbals, peace,-
Your Berecynthian cornets cease,-
Which blind Self-love, and Glory vain
Holding too high her empty brain,
And Faith betraying all she knows,
As glass transparent, follow close.

CARMEN XIX.

AD GLYCERAM.

MATER Sæva Cupidinum,

Thebanæque jubet me Semeles puer,

Et lasciva Licentia,

Finitis animum reddere amoribus.

Urit me Glyceræ nitor,

Splendentis Pario marmore puriùs;

Urit grata protervitas,

Et vultus nimiùm lubricus aspici.

In me tota ruens Venus

Cyprum deseruit; nec patitur Scythas,

Et versis animosum equis

Parthum dicere, nec quæ nihil attinent.

ODE XIX.

TO GLYCERA.

THE Cupids' mother, cruel one,
And Theban Semele's wild son,
And join'd with these
Lascivious Ease,

Bid me give up my mind once more
To loves I thought had long been o'er.

Fires me my Glycera's form of light, Than Parian marble far more bright; Fires me no less

Her wantonness,

So coyly pleasing, and her look
Too dazzling for the eye to brook.

On me all Venus rushing quits
Her Cyprus; nor a strain permits
Of Scythian deeds,

Or fiery Medes,

Who, fighting on their coursers, fly; Or aught to love does not apply.

Hìc vivum mihi cespitem, hìc

Verbenas, pueri, ponite, thuraque,

Bimi cum paterâ meri ;

Mactatâ veniet lenior hostiâ.

CARMEN XX.

AD MECENATEM.

VILE potabis modicis Sabinum

Cantharis, Græcâ quod ego ipse testâ Conditum levi, datus in theatro

Cum tibi plausus,

Care Mæcenas eques; ut paterni
Fluminis ripe, simul et jocosa

Redderet laudes tibi Vaticani

Montis imago.

« PreviousContinue »