Horace, Odes 3.9

Carm. 3.9.1"Dōnec grātus eram tibi
nec quisquam potior bracchia candidae
cervīcī iuvenis dabat,
Persārum viguī rēge beātior."

"As long as I was dear to you and no more favoured young man put his arms around your white neck, I flourished happier than the king of the Persians."

Note. Metre: Second Asclepiadean. A dialogue in alternating stanzas between a man and his former lover Lydia; each answers and caps the other. Dōnec, 'as long as'. potior ... iuvenis, 'a more favoured young man'; bracchia candidae cervīcī dabat, 'put his arms around your white neck'. Persārum rēge beātior, 'happier than the king of the Persians' (proverbially the happiest of men).

Carm. 3.9.5"Dōnec nōn aliā magis
ārsistī neque erat Lȳdia post Chloēn,
multī Lȳdia nōminis,
Rōmāna viguī clārior Īlia."

"As long as you burned for no other woman more and Lydia did not come after Chloe, I, Lydia, of great renown, flourished more famous than Roman Ilia."

Note. Lydia replies. nōn aliā magis arsistī, 'you burned for no other woman more'; post Chloēn, 'second to Chloe'. multī Lȳdia nōminis, 'Lydia of great name'. Rōmānā ... clārior Īliā, 'more famous than Roman Ilia', mother of Romulus.

Carm. 3.9.9"Mē nunc Thressa Chloē regit,
10dulcīs docta modōs et citharae sciēns,
prō quā nōn metuam morī,
sī parcent animae fāta superstitī"
"mē torret face mūtuā
Thūrīnī Calais fīlius Ornytī,
15prō quō bis patiar morī,
sī parcent puerō fāta superstitī."

"Now Thracian Chloe rules me, skilled in sweet measures and knowing the lyre, for whom I will not fear to die, if the fates spare her and let her live on." "Calais, son of Ornytus of Thurii, burns me with a torch we share, for whom I will endure to die twice, if the fates spare the boy and let him live on."

Note. He now loves Chloe, she Calais: each stanza tops the other. Thressa Chloē, 'Thracian Chloe'; dulcīs docta modōs, 'skilled in sweet measures' (accusative of respect); citharae sciēns, 'knowing the lyre'. sī parcent animae fāta superstitī, 'if the fates spare her soul and let it survive (me)'. Lydia answers: mē torret face mūtuā, 'burns me with a torch we share' (he loves her back); bis patiar morī, 'I will endure to die twice'.

Carm. 3.9.17"Quid sī prīsca redit Venus
dīductōsque iugō cōgit aēneō?

"What if the old love returns and joins the parted pair under a yoke of bronze?

Note. He offers reconciliation: Quid sī ... redit, 'what if the old love returns'. prīsca Venus, 'our former love'; dīductōs, 'those who have parted'; iugō cōgit aēneō, 'drives (them) together under a bronze yoke'.

Carm. 3.9.19Sī flāva excutitur Chloē
20rēiectaeque patet iānua Lȳdiae?"

What if golden-haired Chloe is shaken off and the door lies open to rejected Lydia?"

Note. flāva excutitur Chloē, 'golden Chloe is shaken off'; reiectaeque patet iānua Lȳdiae, 'and the door lies open for rejected Lydia' (Lydiae is dative).

Carm. 3.9.21"Quamquam sīdere pulchrior
ille est, tū levior cortice et inprobō
īrācundior Hadriā:
tēcum vīvere amem, tēcum obeam lubēns."

"Though he is more beautiful than a star, and you are lighter than cork and more short-tempered than the stormy Adriatic, with you I would love to live, with you I would gladly die."

Note. Lydia's last word: she insults him and accepts. Quamquam ... ille est (pulchrior), 'though he (Calais) is more beautiful than a star'; tū levior cortice, 'you lighter (more fickle) than cork'; improbō īrācundior Hadriā, 'more hot-tempered than the stormy Adriatic'. tēcum vīvere amem, tēcum obeam libēns, 'with you I would love to live, with you I would gladly die'.