Ecl. 8.1Pāstōrum Mūsam Damōnis et Alphesiboeī—
immemor herbārum quōs est mīrāta iuvenca
certantīs, quōrum stupefactae carmine lyncēs,
et mūtāta suōs requiērunt flūmina cursūs— Damōnis Mūsam dīcēmus et Alphesiboeī.The pastoral Muse of Damon and Alphesiboeus—at whose contest the heifer marvelled, forgetting her grass, at whose song the lynxes stood spellbound, and the rivers, changed, stayed their courses—the Muse of Damon and Alphesiboeus we will tell. Ecl. 8.6Tū mihi seu magnī superās iam saxa Timāvī,
sīve ōram Illyricī legis aequoris, ēn erit umquam
ille diēs, mihi cum liceat tua dīcere facta?You, whether you are now passing the rocks of great Timavus, or coasting the shore of the Illyrian sea, will that day ever come when I may tell of your deeds? Ecl. 8.9ēn erit ut liceat tōtum mihi ferre per orbem
10sōla Sophoclēō tua carmina digna coturnō?will it ever be that I may carry through all the world your songs, alone worthy of the Sophoclean buskin? Ecl. 8.11Ā tē prīncipium, tibi dēsinam: accipe iussīs
carmina coepta tuīs, atque hanc sine tempora circum
inter victrīcēs hederam tibi serpere laurus.With you was my beginning, with you I shall end: accept these songs begun at your bidding, and let this ivy creep round your temples among the victor's laurels.
Ecl. 8.14Frīgida vix caelō noctis dēcesserat umbra,
15cum rōs in tenerā pecorī grātissimus herbā;Scarcely had night's chill shadow left the sky, at the hour when dew on the tender grass is most welcome to the flock; Ecl. 8.16incumbēns teretī Damōn sīc coepit olīvae.leaning on his smooth olive staff, Damon began thus. Ecl. 8.17Nāscere, praeque diem veniēns age, Lūcifer, almum,
coniugis indignō Nīsae dēceptus amōre
dum queror, et dīvōs, quamquam nīl testibus illīs
20prōfēcī, extrēmā moriēns tamen adloquor hōrā.Rise, Morning Star, and, coming before it, bring on the kindly day, while I, deceived by an unworthy love for my promised bride Nisa, lament, and, though I have gained nothing by having them as witnesses, still, dying, address the gods in my last hour. Ecl. 8.21Incipe Maenaliōs mēcum, mea tībia, versūs.Begin with me, my pipe, the songs of Maenalus. Ecl. 8.22Maenalus argūtumque nemus pīnōsque loquentīs
semper habet;Maenalus always has a tuneful grove and speaking pines; Ecl. 8.23semper pāstōrum ille audit amōrēs,
Pānaque, quī prīmus calamōs nōn passus inertīs.always it hears the loves of shepherds, and Pan, who first would not let the reeds lie idle.
Ecl. 8.25Incipe Maenaliōs mēcum, mea tībia, versūs.Begin with me, my pipe, the songs of Maenalus. Ecl. 8.26Mopsō Nīsa datur: quid nōn spērēmus amantēs?Nisa is given to Mopsus: what may we lovers not hope for? Ecl. 8.27Iungentur iam grȳpes equīs, aevōque sequentī
cum canibus timidī venient ad pōcula dammae.Griffins will now be mated with mares, and in the age to come timid deer will come with hounds to drink. Ecl. 8.29Mopse, novās incīde facēs: tibi dūcitur uxor;Mopsus, cut new torches: a wife is being led home for you; Ecl. 8.30sparge, marīte, nucēs: tibi dēserit Hesperus Oetam.scatter nuts, bridegroom: for you the Evening Star is leaving Oeta. Ecl. 8.31Incipe Maenaliōs mēcum, mea tībia, versūs.Begin with me, my pipe, the songs of Maenalus. Ecl. 8.32Ō dignō coniūncta virō, dum dēspicis omnēs,
dumque tibi est odiō mea fistula, dumque capellae,
hirsūtumque supercilium prōmissaque barba,
35nec cūrāre deum crēdis mortālia quemquam!O you, matched with a worthy husband, while you despise everyone, and while my pipe and my she-goats are hateful to you, and my shaggy brow and long beard, and you do not believe that any god cares for mortal things!
Ecl. 8.36Incipe Maenaliōs mēcum, mea tībia, versūs.Begin with me, my pipe, the songs of Maenalus. Ecl. 8.37Saepibus in nostrīs parvam tē rōscida mala—
dux ego vester eram—vīdī cum mātre legentem.Within our hedges I saw you, a little girl—I was your guide—picking dewy apples with your mother. Ecl. 8.39Alter ab ūndecimō tum mē iam accēperat annus;The year after my eleventh had just then begun for me; Ecl. 8.40iam fragilīs poteram ab terrā contingere rāmōs.already I could reach the fragile branches from the ground. Ecl. 8.41Ut vīdī, ut periī!As I saw, so I was lost! Ecl. 8.41Ut mē malus abstulit error!How a cruel madness carried me away! Ecl. 8.42Incipe Maenaliōs mēcum, mea tībia, versūs.Begin with me, my pipe, the songs of Maenalus. Ecl. 8.43Nunc sciō, quid sit Amor: dūrīs in cōtibus illum
aut Tmaros, aut Rhodopē, aut extrēmī Garamantēs,
45nec generis nostrī puerum nec sanguinis ēdunt.Now I know what Love is: on hard crags Tmaros or Rhodope or the remotest Garamantes bring him forth, a boy not of our race nor of our blood. Ecl. 8.46Incipe Maenaliōs mēcum, mea tībia, versūs.Begin with me, my pipe, the songs of Maenalus. Ecl. 8.47saevus Amor docuit nātōrum sanguine mātrem
commaculāre manūs;cruel Love taught a mother to stain her hands with her children's blood; Ecl. 8.48crūdēlis tū quoque, māter:
crūdēlis māter magis, an puer improbus ille?cruel you were too, mother: was the mother more cruel, or that wicked boy?
Ecl. 8.50improbus ille puer;that boy was wicked; Ecl. 8.50crūdēlis tū quoque, māter.cruel you were too, mother. Ecl. 8.51Incipe Maenaliōs mēcum, mea tībia, versūs.Begin with me, my pipe, the songs of Maenalus. Ecl. 8.52nunc et ovīs ultrō fugiat lupus;now let the wolf even run from the sheep of its own accord; Ecl. 8.52aurea dūrae
mala ferant quercūs;let hard oaks bear golden apples; Ecl. 8.53narcissō flōreat alnus;let the alder bloom with narcissus; Ecl. 8.54pinguia corticibus sūdent ēlectra myrīcae;let tamarisks sweat rich amber from their bark; Ecl. 8.55certent et cycnīs ululae;let owls too vie with swans; Ecl. 8.55sit Tityrus Orpheus,
Orpheus in silvīs, inter delphīnas Arīōn.let Tityrus be Orpheus, Orpheus in the woods, Arion among the dolphins. Ecl. 8.57Incipe Maenaliōs mēcum, mea tībia, versūs.Begin with me, my pipe, the songs of Maenalus. Ecl. 8.58Omnia vel medium fīant mare: vīvite, silvae!Let everything even become mid-ocean: farewell, woods! Ecl. 8.59praeceps āeriī speculā dē montis in undās
60dēferar;headlong from the lookout of a lofty mountain I will throw myself into the waves; Ecl. 8.60extrēmum hoc mūnus morientis habētō.take this as the last gift of a dying man.
Ecl. 8.61dēsine Maenaliōs, iam dēsine, tībia, versūs.Cease, my pipe, cease now the songs of Maenalus. Ecl. 8.62Haec Damōn: vōs, quae responderit Alphesiboeus,
dīcite, Pīeridēs;So sang Damon: what Alphesiboeus answered, tell, Pierian Muses; Ecl. 8.63nōn omnia possumus omnēs.we cannot all do everything. Ecl. 8.64Effer aquam, et mollī cinge haec altāria vittā,
65verbēnāsque adolē pinguīs et mascula tūra,
coniugis ut magicīs sānōs āvertere sacrīs
experiar sēnsūs nihil hīc nisi carmina dēsunt.Bring out water, and wreathe these altars with a soft fillet, and burn rich vervain and male frankincense, so that I may try to turn my lover's sound mind with magic rites; nothing is lacking here but spells. Ecl. 8.68Dūcite ab urbe domum, mea carmina, dūcite Daphnim.Bring Daphnis home from the city, my spells, bring Daphnis home. Ecl. 8.69Carmina vel caelō possunt dēdūcere Lūnam;Spells can even draw the Moon down from the sky; Ecl. 8.70carminibus Circē sociōs mūtāvit Ulixī;by spells Circe changed the comrades of Ulysses; Ecl. 8.71frīgidus in prātīs cantandō rumpitur anguis.the cold snake in the meadows is burst by chanting. Ecl. 8.72Dūcite ab urbe domum, mea carmina, dūcite Daphnim.Bring Daphnis home from the city, my spells, bring Daphnis home.
Ecl. 8.73terna tibi haec prīmum triplicī dīversa colōre
līcia circumdō, terque haec altāria circum
75effigiem dūcō: numerō deus impare gaudet.First I wind round you these three threads, each of a different colour, and three times I lead your image round these altars: the god delights in an odd number. Ecl. 8.76Dūcite ab urbe domum, mea carmina, dūcite Daphnim.Bring Daphnis home from the city, my spells, bring Daphnis home. Ecl. 8.77Necte tribus nōdīs ternōs, Amarylli, colōrēs,
necte, Amarylli, modo, et "Veneris" dīc "vincula nectō."Tie the three colours in three knots, Amaryllis; just tie them, Amaryllis, and say 'I am tying the bonds of Venus.' Ecl. 8.79Dūcite ab urbe domum, mea carmina, dūcite Daphnim.Bring Daphnis home from the city, my spells, bring Daphnis home. Ecl. 8.80Līmus ut hic dūrēscit et haec ut cēra liquēscit
ūnō eōdemque ignī, sīc nostrō Daphnis amōre.As this clay hardens and as this wax melts in one and the same fire, so may Daphnis by my love. Ecl. 8.82Sparge molam, et fragilīs incende bitūmine laurus.Sprinkle the meal, and kindle the brittle laurels with pitch. Ecl. 8.83Daphnis mē malus ūrit, ego hanc in Daphnide laurum.Cruel Daphnis burns me; I burn this laurel against Daphnis.
Ecl. 8.84Dūcite ab urbe domum, mea carmina, dūcite Daphnim.Bring Daphnis home from the city, my spells, bring Daphnis home. Ecl. 8.85Tālis amor Daphnim, quālis cum fessa iuvencum
per nemora atque altōs quaerendō būcula lūcōs
propter aquae rīvum viridī prōcumbit in ulvā,
perdita, nec sērae meminit dēcēdere noctī,
tālis amor teneat, nec sit mihi cūra medērī.Let such love seize Daphnis as when a heifer, weary of seeking her bullock through the woods and deep groves, sinks down by a stream of water on the green sedge, lost to herself, and does not think to give way to the late night—let such love hold him, and let me have no care to heal it. Ecl. 8.90Dūcite ab urbe domum, mea carmina, dūcite Daphnim.Bring Daphnis home from the city, my spells, bring Daphnis home. Ecl. 8.91Hās ōlim exuviās mihi perfidus ille relīquit,
pignora cāra suī, quae nunc ego līmine in ipsō,
terra, tibi mandō;These clothes that faithless man once left me, dear pledges of himself, which now on the very threshold I entrust to you, earth; Ecl. 8.93dēbent haec pignora Daphnim.these pledges owe me Daphnis. Ecl. 8.94Dūcite ab urbe domum, mea carmina, dūcite Daphnim.Bring Daphnis home from the city, my spells, bring Daphnis home.
Ecl. 8.95Hās herbās atque haec Pontō mihi lēcta venēna
ipse dedit Moeris;These herbs and these poisons, gathered in Pontus, Moeris himself gave me; Ecl. 8.96nāscuntur plūrima Pontō.they grow in great abundance in Pontus. Ecl. 8.97Hīs ego saepe lupum fierī et sē condere silvīs
Moerim, saepe animās īmīs excīre sepulcrīs,
atque satās aliō vīdī trādūcere messīs.With these I have often seen Moeris turn into a wolf and hide in the woods, often summon souls from the depths of their tombs, and charm sown crops away to another field. Ecl. 8.100Dūcite ab urbe domum, mea carmina, dūcite Daphnim.Bring Daphnis home from the city, my spells, bring Daphnis home. Ecl. 8.101Fer cinerēs, Amarylli, forās, rīvōque fluentī
trānsque caput iace, nec respexerīs: hīs ego Daphnim
adgrediar, nihil ille deōs, nīl carmina cūrat.Carry the ashes out of doors, Amaryllis, and throw them over your head into the flowing stream, and do not look back: with these I will assail Daphnis; he cares nothing for gods, nothing for spells. Ecl. 8.104Dūcite ab urbe domum, mea carmina, dūcite Daphnim.Bring Daphnis home from the city, my spells, bring Daphnis home.
Ecl. 8.105Aspice, corripuit tremulīs altāria flammīs
sponte suā, dum ferre moror, cinis ipse: bonum sit!Look, while I delay carrying them, the ash itself has of its own accord caught the altar with flickering flames: may it be a good sign! Ecl. 8.107Nesciō quid certē est, et Hylax in līmine lātrat.Something there surely is, and Hylax is barking on the threshold. Ecl. 8.108Crēdimus, an, quī amant, ipsī sibi somnia fingunt?Can we believe it? Or do those who love fashion dreams for themselves? Ecl. 8.109Parcite, ab urbe venit, iam carmina, parcite, Daphnis.Stop, my spells, stop now: Daphnis is coming from the city.