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Horace · Epistles I

Horace, Epistles 1.13

Instructions for delivering the poems

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Epist. 1.13.1Ut proficīscentem docuī tē saepe diūque,
Augustō reddēs signāta volūmina, Vīnī,
sī validus, sī laetus erit, sī dēnique poscet;
As I instructed you often and at length when you set out, Vinnius, you will deliver the sealed volumes to Augustus if he is well, if he is in good spirits, if, in short, he asks for them;
Epist. 1.13.4nē studiō nostrī peccēs odiumque libellīs
5sēdulus importēs operā vehemente minister.
lest you go wrong out of zeal for me and, as an officious agent, bring dislike upon my little books by excessive effort.
Epist. 1.13.6Sī tē forte meae gravis ūret sarcina chartae,
abicitō potius, quam quō perferre iubēris
clītellās ferus impingās, Asinaeque paternum
cognōmen vertās in rīsum et fābula fīās.
If perhaps the heavy load of my paper chafes you, throw it away rather than wildly dash down your pack where you are told to deliver it, and turn your father's surname Asina into a joke, and become the talk of the town.
Epist. 1.13.10Vīribus ūteris per dīvōs, flūmina, lāmās.You will use your strength over hills, rivers and bogs.

Epist. 1.13.11Victor prōpositī simul ac pervēneris illūc,
sīc positum servābis onus, nē forte sub alā
fasciculum portēs librōrum ut rūsticus agnum,
ut vīnōsa glomus fūrtīvae Pyrria lānae,
15ut cum pilleolō soleās convīva tribulīs.
As soon as you have achieved your purpose and arrived there, you will carry your burden placed like this: not tucking the bundle of books under your arm, as a rustic does a lamb, as tipsy Pyrria does her ball of stolen wool, as a tribesman invited to dinner his slippers and felt cap.
Epist. 1.13.16Neu volgō narrēs tē sūdāvisse ferendō
carmina, quae possint oculōs aurīsque morārī
Caesaris, ōrātus multā prece, nītere porrō,
vāde;
And do not tell everyone that you have sweated carrying poems that might detain the eyes and ears of Caesar. Though besought with many prayers, press on, go;
Epist. 1.13.19valē;farewell; Epist. 1.13.19cavē nē titubēs mandātaque frangās.take care not to stumble and break your charge.

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Grammar in this passage: indirect statement ×1, gerunds and gerundives ×1

Latin vocabulary for this passage (104 words)
ut, conj.as; when; that; ita ut, as
proficīscor, -ficīscī, -fectus sumset out, depart, march
doceo, -ēre, -uī, -tusteach, explain
tū, tuī, pers. pron.thou, you
saepe, adv.often, frequently
diū, adv.for a long time, a long time or while, long; comp
que, enclitic conj.and
reddō, -dere, -didī, -ditusgive back, return, restore; render
signō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusmark, seal; certify
volūmen, -inis n.roll (of writing), book
sī, conj.if
validus, -a, -umstrong
laetus, -a, -umglad, joyful
sum, esse, fuī, futūrusbe
dēnique, adv.lastly, finally
poscō, poscere, poposcīask, demand
nē, adv.not; nē ... quidem, not ... even; conj., that not, lest
studium, -ī, n.eagerness, zeal; study, pursuit
nōsplur. of ego
peccō, -āre, -āvī, -ātumdo wrong
odium, -ī, n.hatred
libellus, -ī m.little book; written document; libellus repudiī: certificate of divorce
sēdulus, -a, -umbusy, attentive
importō, -āre, -āvī, -ātumbring in, import
opera, -ae, f.effort, work, labor
vehemēns, -entisviolent, forceful, severe
minister, -trī m.servant, attendant, helper
forte, adv.by chance, accidentally
meus, -a, -ummy, mine
gravis, -eheavy; severe, grievous, serious
ūrō, ūrere, ussī, ūstusburn
sarcina, -ae f.pack; (pl.) soldiers' kit
charta, -ae f.sheet of papyrus, paper; (pl.) writings, volumes
abiciō, -icere, -iēcī, -iectusthrow away
potius (adv.)rather
quam, adv.how? as; than; with superl., as ... as possible
quō, adv.to what place? whither? to which place, whither; for which reason, wherefore, therefore; quō ūsque, till when? how long?
perferō, -ferre, -tulī, -lātusbear through, bear, endure; weather
iubeō, iubēre, iussī, iussusbid, order, command
clītellae, -ārum f. pl.pack-saddle (for a donkey or mule)
ferus, -a, -umwild, savage
impingō, -ere, -pēgī, -pāctusdash against, drive into
paternus, -a, -umof a father, a father's
cognōmen, -inis n.surname, added name, nickname
vertō, vertere, vertī, versusturn
in, prep. with acc. and abl.with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on
rīsus, -ūs m.laughter
et, conj.and; et ... et, both ... and
fābula, -ae, f.story
fīō, fierī, factus sumbe done or made, become, happen
vīs, vīs, f.violence, force; virtue, potency, efficacy; plur. vīrēs, -ium, strength; omnibus vīribus, with all one's strength, with might and main
ūtor, ūtī, ūsususe
per, prep, with ace.through, by means of
dīvus, -ī m. (gen. pl. also dīvum, dīvom)god
flūmen, -minis, n.river
lāma, -ae f.bog, slough, muddy pool
victor, -ōris m.conqueror, victor
prōpositum, -ī n.plan, purpose; the point being made, theme
simul, adv.at the same time; simul atque or ac, as soon as
atque, ac (conj.)and; after comparisons: as, than (ac only before consonants)
perveniō, -venīre, -vēnī, -ventuscome through, come, arrive, reach
illūc (adv.)to that place, there
sīc, adv.so, thus
pōnō, pōnere, posuī, positusplace, put; pōnī with in and abl., to be placed in, rest or depend on
servō, -āre, -āvī, -ātussave, preserve
onus, oneris n.load, weight
sub, prep. with acc. and abl.under; sub vesperum, towards evening
ala, -ae, f.wing
fasciculus, -ī m.small bundle, bunch
portō, -āre, -āvī, -ātumcarry
liber, librī m.book; record
rūsticus, -a, -umrural, of the country
agnus, -ī m.lamb
vīnōsus, -a, -umfond of wine, given to drink
glomus, -eris n.ball (of wool or thread)
fūrtīvus, -a, -umstolen; secret, stealthy
lāna, -ae f.wool
cum, prep, with abl.with
pilleolus, -ī m.small felt cap, skullcap
solea, -ae f.sandal, slipper
convīva, -ae m. and f.guest (at a meal)
tribulus, -ī m.thistle, prickly weed
neusee nēve
vulgō (adv.)everywhere, commonly
narrō, -āre, -āvī, -ātustell, relate, narrate
sūdō, -āre, -āvī, -ātussweat, perspire; ooze, exude; toil
ferō, ferre, tulī, lātusbear, bring
carmen, -minis, n.song, charm
quī, quae, quod, rel. pron.who, which
possum, posse, potuībe able, have power, can
oculus, -ī, m.eye
auris, -is, f.ear
moror, -ārī, -ātusdelay, linger, stay
ōrō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusspeak; beg, pray
multus, -a, -ummuch, great; plur., many
prex, precis f. (usu. pl.)prayer, entreaty
nītor, -ī, nīxus sum (+ abl.)rely on
porrō (adv.)further on; moreover
vādō, -erego
valeō, -ēre, -uī, -itūrusbe strong or effectual, have effect, prevail
caveō, cavēre, cāvī, cautusbeware, take care; be on one's guard against, beware of
titubō, -āretotter, stagger
mandātum, -ī n.order, instruction, message
frangō, frangere, frēgī, frāctusbreak; dash to pieces, wreck
Horace, Epistles I. Latin text: H. R. Fairclough, Horace: Satires, Epistles and Ars Poetica (Loeb, 1929), public domain; digital text from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA. Word analysis: drafted by our own tagger (trained on the hand-checked texts on this site), with every doubtful word checked by hand. English translation and section titles: written for this app, each checked against the Latin by a second reader.