Ecl. 3.1Dīc mihi, Damoeta, cūium pecus, an Meliboeī?Tell me, Damoetas, whose flock is this? Meliboeus'? Ecl. 3.2Nōn, vērum Aegōnis;No, it is Aegon's; Ecl. 3.2nūper mihi trādidit Aegōn.Aegon handed it over to me lately. Ecl. 3.3Īnfēlīx ō semper, ovis, pecus, ipse Neaeram
dum fovet, ac nē mē sibi praeferat illa verētur,
5hic aliēnus ovīs custōs bis mulget in hōrā,
et sūcus pecorī et lāc subdūcitur agnīs.O sheep, ever an unlucky flock! While he himself fondles Neaera, and fears she may prefer me to him, this hired keeper milks the ewes twice in an hour, and the strength is drained from the flock and the milk from the lambs. Ecl. 3.7Parcius ista virīs tamen obicienda mementō:
nōvimus et quī tē, trānsversa tuentibus hircīs,
et quō—sed facilēs Nymphae rīsēre—sacellō.Still, remember that such taunts should be thrown at men more sparingly: we know who had you, while the he-goats looked askance, and in what shrine—but the Nymphs were easygoing and laughed. Ecl. 3.10Tum, crēdō, cum mē arbustum vīdēre Micōnis
atque malā vītīs incidere falce novellās.Then, I suppose, when they saw me slashing at Micon's orchard and young vines with a spiteful pruning-knife.
Ecl. 3.12Aut hīc ad veterēs fāgōs cum Daphnidis arcum
frēgistī et calamōs quae tū, perverse Menalca,
et cum vīdistī puerō dōnāta, dolēbās,
15et sī nōn aliquā nocuissēs, mortuus essēs.Or here by the old beeches, when you broke Daphnis' bow and reeds, perverse Menalcas; you were aggrieved when you saw them given to the boy, and had you not done him some harm, you would have died. Ecl. 3.16Quid dominī faciant, audent cum tālia fūrēs!What can masters do, when thieves dare such things! Ecl. 3.17nōn ego tē vīdī Damōnis, pessime, caprum
excipere īnsidiīs, multum lātrante Lyciscā?Did I not see you, you scoundrel, catching Damon's goat in an ambush, while Lycisca barked loudly? Ecl. 3.19et cum clāmārem: "Quō nunc sē prōripit ille?and when I shouted, 'Where is he rushing off to now? Ecl. 3.20Tityre, cōge pecus," tū post cārecta latēbās.Tityrus, gather the flock,' you were hiding behind the sedges. Ecl. 3.21An mihi cantandō victus nōn redderet ille
quem mea carminibus meruisset fistula caprum?Was he not to give me, beaten in singing, the goat my pipe had won by its songs? Ecl. 3.23Sī nescīs, meus ille caper fuit;In case you do not know, that goat was mine; Ecl. 3.23et mihi Damōn
ipse fatēbātur, sed reddere posse negābat.and Damon himself admitted it to me, but said he could not give it up.
Ecl. 3.25Cantandō tū illum, aut umquam tibi fistula cērā
iūncta fuit?You beat him in singing? Or did you ever own a pipe joined with wax? Ecl. 3.26Nōn tū in triviīs, indocte, solēbās
strīdentī miserum stipulā disperdere carmen?Were you not the one, you dunce, who used to murder a wretched tune on a screeching straw at the crossroads? Ecl. 3.28Vīs ergō inter nōs quid possit uterque vicissim
experiāmur?Do you want us, then, to test between us in turn what each can do? Ecl. 3.29Ego hanc vitulam—nē forte recūsēs,
30bis venit ad mulctram, bīnōs alit ūbere fētūs—
dēpōnō: tū dīc, mēcum quō pignore certēs.I stake this heifer—in case you should refuse, she comes twice a day to the milking-pail and feeds two calves at her udder—: you say what stake you will match against me. Ecl. 3.32Dē grege nōn ausim quicquam dēpōnere tēcum.I would not dare to stake anything from the flock against you. Ecl. 3.33Est mihi namque domī pater, est iniūsta noverca;For I have a father at home, and an unjust stepmother; Ecl. 3.34bisque diē numerant ambō pecus, alter et haedōs.and twice a day they both count the flock, and one of them the kids as well.
Ecl. 3.35Vērum, id quod multō tūte ipse fatēbere maius,
īnsānīre libet quoniam tibi, pōcula pōnam
fāgina, caelātum dīvīnī opus Alcimedontis;But, something you yourself will admit is far greater, since you are set on playing the madman, I will stake beechwood cups, the carved work of divine Alcimedon; Ecl. 3.38lenta quibus tornō facilī superaddita vītis
diffūsōs hederā vestit pallente corymbōs:
40in mediō duo signa, Conōn, et—quis fuit alter,
dēscrīpsit radiō tōtum quī gentibus orbem,
tempora quae messor, quae curvus arātor habēret?on them a pliant vine, added by a deft lathe, clothes clusters of berries spread with pale ivy: in the middle are two figures, Conon, and—who was the other, who marked out with his rod the whole heavens for the nations, what seasons the reaper, what seasons the bent ploughman should keep? Ecl. 3.43Necdum illīs labra admōvī, sed condita servō.I have not yet put my lips to them, but keep them stored away. Ecl. 3.44Et nōbīs īdem Alcimedōn duo pōcula fēcit,
45et mollī circum est ānsās amplexus acanthō,
Orpheaque in mediō posuit silvāsque sequentīs.For me too the same Alcimedon made two cups, and wreathed the handles round with soft acanthus, and set Orpheus in the middle and the woods following him.
Ecl. 3.47Necdum illīs labra admōvī, sed condita servō:
sī ad vitulam spectās, nihil est quod pōcula laudēs.I have not yet put my lips to them, but keep them stored away: if you look at the heifer, there is nothing to praise in the cups. Ecl. 3.49Nunquam hodiē effugiēs;You will never escape today; Ecl. 3.49veniam, quōcumque vocārī
50audiat haec tantum—vel quī venit ecce Palaemōn
efficiam posthāc nē quemquam vōce lacessās.I will come wherever you call me; only let him hear this—even he who is coming, look, Palaemon—I will make sure you never challenge anyone with your voice again. Ecl. 3.52Quīn age, sī quid habēs, in mē mora nōn erit ūlla,
nec quemquam fugiō: tantum, vīcīne Palaemōn,
sēnsibus haec īmīs, rēs est nōn parva, repōnās.Come on, then, if you have anything; there will be no delay on my part, nor do I flee from anyone: only, neighbour Palaemon, lay this deep in your mind—it is no small matter. Ecl. 3.55Dīcite, quandōquidem in mollī cōnsēdimus herbā:
et nunc omnis ager, nunc omnis parturit arbōs,
nunc frondent silvae, nunc fōrmōsissimus annus.Sing, since we have sat down on the soft grass: and now every field, now every tree is bearing, now the woods are in leaf, now the year is at its loveliest.
Ecl. 3.58Incipe, Damoeta;Begin, Damoetas; Ecl. 3.58tū deinde Sequere Menalca:
alternīs dīcētis;you then follow, Menalcas: you will sing in turn; Ecl. 3.59amant alterna Camēnae.the Camenae love alternate song. Ecl. 3.60Ab Iove prīncipium, Mūsae;From Jupiter is the beginning, Muses; Ecl. 3.60Iovis omnia plēna:
ille colit terrās, illī mea carmina cūrae.all things are full of Jupiter: he tends the earth, my songs are his concern. Ecl. 3.62Et mē Phoebus amat;And Phoebus loves me; Ecl. 3.62Phoebō sua semper apud mē
mūnera sunt, laurī et suāve rubēns hyacinthus.Phoebus' own gifts are always with me, laurels and the sweetly blushing hyacinth. Ecl. 3.64Mālō mē Galatēa petit, lascīva puella,
65et fugit ad salicēs, et sē cupit ante vidērī.Galatea pelts me with an apple, a playful girl, and runs off to the willows, and wants to be seen first. Ecl. 3.66At mihi sēsē offert ultrō, meus ignis, Amyntās,
notior ut iam sit canibus nōn Dēlia nostrīs.But my flame Amyntas offers himself to me unasked, so that now even Delia is no better known to my dogs. Ecl. 3.68Parta meae Venerī sunt mūnera: namque notāvī
ipse locum, āëriae quō congessēre palumbēs.I have gifts ready for my Venus: for I have marked myself the place where the airy wood-pigeons have built.
Ecl. 3.70Quod potuī, puerō silvestrī ex arbore lēcta
aurea māla decem mīsī;What I could, I have sent the boy: ten golden apples picked from a woodland tree; Ecl. 3.71crās altera mittam.tomorrow I will send ten more. Ecl. 3.72Ō quotiēns et quae nōbīs Galatēa locūta est!O how often, and what words, Galatea has spoken to me! Ecl. 3.73partem aliquam, ventī, dīvom referātis ad aurīs!Some part of them, winds, carry to the ears of the gods! Ecl. 3.74Quid prōdest, quod mē ipse animō nōn spernis, Amynta.What good is it, Amyntas, that you yourself do not spurn me in your heart. Ecl. 3.75sī, dum tū sectāris aprōs, ego rētia servō?if, while you hunt the boars, I am left to watch the nets? Ecl. 3.76Phyllida mitte mihi: meus est nātālis, Iolla;Send me Phyllis: it is my birthday, Iollas; Ecl. 3.77cum faciam vitulā prō frūgibus, ipse venītō.when I sacrifice a heifer for the crops, come yourself. Ecl. 3.78Phyllida amō ante aliās;I love Phyllis above all others; Ecl. 3.78nam mē discēdere flēvit,
et longum "fōrmōse, valē, valē," inquit, "Iolla."for she wept when I left, and said a long 'Farewell, farewell, lovely Iollas.' Ecl. 3.80Trīste lupus stabulīs, mātūrīs frūgibus imbrēs.The wolf is a grim thing to the folds, rain to the ripe crops.
Ecl. 3.81arboribus ventī, nōbīs Amaryllidis īrae.winds to the trees, to me the anger of Amaryllis. Ecl. 3.82Dulce satis ūmor, dēpulsīs arbutus haedīs,
lenta salix fētō pecorī, mihi sōlus Amyntās.Moisture is sweet to the sown corn, the arbutus to the weaned kids, the pliant willow to the breeding flock, to me Amyntas alone. Ecl. 3.84Polliō amat nostram, quamvīs est rūstica, Mūsam:
85Pīeridēs vitulam lēctōrī pāscite vestrō.Pollio loves our Muse, though she is rustic: Pierian Muses, fatten a heifer for your reader. Ecl. 3.86Polliō et ipse facit nova carmina: pāscite taurum,
iam cornū petat et pedibus quī spargat arēnam.Pollio himself too makes new songs: fatten a bull that already butts with its horn and scatters the sand with its hooves. Ecl. 3.88Quī tē, Polliō, amat, veniat quō tē quoque gaudet:
mella fluant illī, ferat et rubus asper amōmum.May he who loves you, Pollio, come where he may rejoice that you too have come: may honey flow for him, and the rough bramble bear spice. Ecl. 3.90Quī Bavium nōn ōdit, amet tua carmina, Maevī,
atque īdem iungat vulpēs et mulgeat hircōs.Let him who does not hate Bavius love your songs, Maevius, and let him also yoke foxes and milk he-goats.
Ecl. 3.92Quī legitis flōrēs et humī nāscentia frāga,
frīgidus, Ō puerī, fugite hinc, latet anguis in herbā.You who gather flowers and strawberries growing low on the ground, flee from here, O boys: a chill snake lurks in the grass. Ecl. 3.94Parcite, ovēs, nimium prōcēdere;Sheep, do not go too far forward; Ecl. 3.94nōn bene rīpae
95crēditur;the bank is not safely trusted; Ecl. 3.95ipse ariēs etiam nunc vellera siccat.the ram himself is even now drying his fleece. Ecl. 3.96Tityre, pāscentēs ā flūmine rēice capellās:
ipse ubi tempus erit, omnīs in fonte lavābō.Tityrus, drive the grazing she-goats back from the river: when it is time, I myself will wash them all in the spring. Ecl. 3.98Cōgite ovīs, puerī;Gather the sheep, boys; Ecl. 3.98sī lāc praecēperit aestus,
ut nūper, frūstrā pressābimus ūbera palmīs.if the heat dries up the milk first, as it did lately, we shall squeeze the udders with our palms in vain. Ecl. 3.100Heu, heu, quam pinguī macer est mihi taurus in ervō!Alas, alas, how lean my bull is amid the rich vetch! Ecl. 3.101Īdem amor exitium est pecorī pecorisque magistrō.The same love is ruin to the herd and to the herd's master.
Ecl. 3.102Hīs certē neque amor causa est;With these, surely, it is not even love that is the cause; Ecl. 3.102vix ossibus haerent.they scarcely cling to their bones. Ecl. 3.103nesciō quis tenerōs oculus mihi fascinat agnōs.Some evil eye or other bewitches my tender lambs. Ecl. 3.104Dīc, quibus in terrīs—et eris mihi magnus Apollo—
105trīs pateat caelī spatium nōn amplius ulnās.Tell me in what lands—and you will be great Apollo to me—the expanse of the sky lies open no more than three ells wide. Ecl. 3.106Dīc, quibus in terrīs īnscrīptī nōmina rēgum
nāscantur flōrēs, et Phyllida sōlus habētō.Tell me in what lands flowers grow inscribed with the names of kings, and have Phyllis for yourself alone. Ecl. 3.108Nōn nostrum inter vōs tantās compōnere lītēs.It is not for me to settle so great a dispute between you. Ecl. 3.109Et vitulā tū dignus, et hic, et quisquis amōrēs
110aut metuet dulcēs, aut experiētur amārōs.You deserve the heifer, and so does he, and so does whoever will either fear the sweetness of love or taste its bitterness. Ecl. 3.111Claudite iam rīvōs, puerī, sat prāta bibērunt.Close the channels now, boys; the meadows have drunk enough.