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Vergil · Georgics

Georgics 4.51–66

Swarming and settling the bees

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Georg. 4.51Quod superest, ubi pulsam hiemem sōl aureus ēgit
sub terrās caelumque aestīvā lūce reclūsit,
illae continuō saltūs silvāsque peragrant
purpureōsque metunt flōrēs et flūmina lībant
55summa levēs.
For the rest, when the golden sun has driven winter beneath the earth in rout and opened up the sky with summer light, at once they roam the glades and woods, harvest the bright flowers and lightly sip the surface of the streams.
Georg. 4.55Hinc nesciō quā dulcēdine laetae
prōgeniem nīdōsque fovent, hinc arte recentēs
excūdunt cērās et mella tenācia fingunt.
From this, glad with some sweetness I know not what, they cherish their offspring and nests; from this they skilfully forge fresh wax and mould clinging honey.
Georg. 4.58Hinc ubi iam ēmissum caveīs ad sīdera caelī
nāre per aestātem liquidam suspexeris agmen
60obscūramque trahī ventō mīrābere nūbem,
Contemplātor: aquās dulcēs et frondea semper
tēcta petunt.
From this, when you look up and see the swarm, released from the hives, floating towards the stars of heaven through the clear summer air, and marvel at the dark cloud trailing on the wind, watch closely: they always seek sweet waters and leafy shelters.

Georg. 4.62Hūc tū iussōs adsperge sapōrēs,
trīta melisphylla et cerinthae ignōbile grāmen,
tinnītūsque ciē et Mātris quate cymbala circum.
Here sprinkle the prescribed flavours, bruised balm and the humble herb of honeywort, and raise a tinkling and shake the cymbals of the Mother around.
Georg. 4.65ipsae cōnsīdent medicātīs sēdibus, ipsae
intima mōre suō sēsē in cūnābula condent.
of themselves they will settle in the scented resting place, of themselves they will hide away in the innermost cradle, as is their custom.

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Grammar in this passage: indirect statement ×2, ablative absolute ×1

Latin vocabulary for this passage (92 words)
quī, quae, quod, rel. pron.who, which
supersum, -esse, -fuībe over or left, remain
ubi, adv.where; conj., when
pellō, pellere, pepulī, pulsusdrive, drive away, beat, rout
hiems, hiemis f.winter
sōl, sōlis, m.sun
aureus, -a, -umof gold, golden
agō, agere, ēgī, āctusdrive; do; pass, lead; grātiās agere, see grātia
sub, prep. with acc. and abl.under; sub vesperum, towards evening
terra, -ae, f.land, earth
caelum, -ī, n.heaven, sky
que, enclitic conj.and
aestīvus, -a, -umof summer, summer-
lūx, lūcis, f.light
reclūdō, -ere, -clūsī, -clūsumopen up, disclose; uncover
ille, illa, illud, dem. pron.that; he, she, it, they; ille ... hīc, see hīc
continuō (adv.)at once, immediately
saltus, -ūs m.wooded pass, forest glade, woodland
silva, -ae, f.wood, forest
peragrō, -āre, -āvī, -ātustravel through, roam over
purpureus, -a, -umpurple, dyed purple
metō, -ere, messuī, messusreap, harvest
flōs, flōris m.flower
et, conj.and; et ... et, both ... and
flūmen, -minis, n.river
summus, -a, -umuppermost, highest, greatest
levis, -elight, slight
hinc, adv.from this place, hence
nesciō, -scīre, -scīvīnot know, be ignorant; nesciō quis, I know not who, some one or other (nesciō is thus used with other interrogative words also)
quī, quae, quod, interrog. pron. adj.what?
dulcēdō, -inis, f.sweetness
laetus, -a, -umglad, joyful
prōgeniēs, -ēī f.offspring, descendants
nīdus, -ī m.nest
foveō, -ēre, fōvī, fōtuskeep warm; cherish, favour
ars, artis, f.art
recēns, -entisrecent, fresh
excūdō, -ere, -cūdī, -cūsusstrike out, hammer out
cēra, -ae f.wax; a wax-covered writing tablet
mel, mellis n.honey
tenāx, -ācisholding fast, clinging (+ gen.)
fingō, fingere, finxī, fictusinvent, make up
iam, adv.now, already
ēmittō, -mittere, -mīsī, -missussend out or forth
cavea, -ae f.seating area of a theatre; the spectators; cage, enclosure
ad, prep. with acc.to, toward; at, near; for
sīdus, -eris n.star, constellation
nō, nāre, nāvīswim
per, prep, with ace.through, by means of
aestās, -tātis, f.summer
liquidus, -a, -umliquid, flowing; clear
suspiciō, -ere, -spexī, -spectuslook up (at); admire
agmen, -minis, n.band, column
obscūrus, -a, -umdark
trahō, trahere, trāxī, trāctusdraw, drag
ventus, -ī, m.wind
mīror, -ārī, -ātuswonder, wonder at
nūbēs, -is, f.cloud
contemplor, -ārī, -ātus sumlook at closely, gaze at, contemplate
aqua, -ae, f.water
dulcis, -esweet
frondeus, -a, -umleafy
semper, adv.always
tēctum, -ī n.roof; house
petō, -ere, -īvī or -iī, -ītusseek, ask; attack
hūc, adv.to this place, hither
tū, tuī, pers. pron.thou, you
iubeō, iubēre, iussī, iussusbid, order, command
aspergō (adspergō), -ere, -spersī, -spersussprinkle, spatter, splash
sapor, -ōris m.taste, flavour
terō, -ere, trīvī, trītusrub, wear away; tempus terere: waste time
melisphyllum, -ī n.balm, a herb liked by bees
cērinthē, -ēs f.honeywort, a plant liked by bees
ignōbilis, -eunknown, obscure; of low birth
grāmen, -inis n.grass, turf
tinnītus, -ūs m.ringing, jingling, clanging
cieō, ciēre, cīvī, citusset in motion, stir up; pugnam ciēre: start the fight
māter, mātris, f.mother
quatiō, -ere, —, quassusshake, beat
cymbalum, -ī n.cymbal
circum, prep. with acc.around
ipse, ipsa, ipsum, intensive pron.self, himself, herself, itself, themselves; often to be rendered by very
cōnsīdō, -sīdere, -sēdī, -sessussit down
medicō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusdrug, steep in medicine
sēdēs, -is, f.seat, abode
intimus, -a, -uminnermost; most intimate; as noun: close friend
mōs, mōris, m.way, manner, habit, custom
suus, -a, -umhis, her, its, or their own; his, her, its, their
suī, sibi, sē or sēsē, reflexive pron.himself, herself, itself, themselves
in, prep. with acc. and abl.with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on
cūnābulum, -ī n.(usu. pl.) a cradle; birthplace; (of bees) the cells
condō, -dere, -didī, -ditusput together, found; store away
Vergil, Georgics. Latin text: J. B. Greenough, The Bucolics, Aeneid, and Georgics of Virgil (Boston, 1881), 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.