Book III.1 of The Odes and Carmen Saeculare of Horace
Translated into English verse by John Conington, M.A. Corpus Professor of Latin in the University of Oxford. Third Edition.
The Latin text comes from The Latin Library.
Horace > Satires and Epistles | Odes > Odes Book III
The Odes of Horace Book III.1
I. I bid the unhallow'd crowd avaunt! Keep holy silence; strains unknown Till now, the Muses' hierophant, I sing to youths and maids alone. Kings o'er their flocks the sceptre wield; E'en kings beneath Jove's sceptre bow: Victor in giant battle-field, He moves all nature with his brow. This man his planted walks extends Beyond his peers; an older name One to the people's choice commends; One boasts a more unsullied fame; One plumes him on a larger crowd Of clients. What are great or small? Death takes the mean man with the proud; The fatal urn has room for all. When guilty Pomp the drawn sword sees Hung o'er her, richest feasts in vain Strain their sweet juice her taste to please; No lutes, no singing birds again Will bring her sleep. Sleep knows no pride; It scorns not cots of village hinds, Nor shadow-trembling river-side, Nor Tempe, stirr'd by western winds. Who, having competence, has all, The tumult of the sea defies, Nor fears Arcturus' angry fall, Nor fears the Kid-star's sullen rise, Though hail-storms on the vineyard beat, Though crops deceive, though trees complain. One while of showers, one while of heat, One while of winter's barbarous reign. Fish feel the narrowing of the main From sunken piles, while on the strand Contractors with their busy train Let down huge stones, and lords of land Affect the sea: but fierce Alarm Can clamber to the master's side: Black Cares can up the galley swarm, And close behind the horseman ride. If Phrygian marbles soothe not pain, Nor star-bright purple's costliest wear, Nor vines of true Falernian strain, Nor Achaemenian spices rare, Why with rich gate and pillar'd range Upbuild new mansions, twice as high, Or why my Sabine vale exchange For more laborious luxury? | Odi Profanum. Odi profanum uolgus et arceo. Fauete linguis: carmina non prius audita Musarum sacerdos uirginibus puerisque canto. Regum timendorum in proprios greges, 5 reges in ipsos imperium est Iouis, clari Giganteo triumpho, cuncta supercilio mouentis. Est ut uiro uir latius ordinet arbusta sulcis, hic generosior 10 descendat in campum petitor, moribus hic meliorque fama contendat, illi turba clientium sit maior: aequa lege Necessitas sortitur insignis et imos, omne capax mouet urna nomen. 15 Destrictus ensis cui super impia ceruice pendet, non Siculae dapes dulcem elaboratum saporem, non auium citharaequecantus 20 Somnum reducent: somnus agrestium lenis uirorum non humilis domos fastidit umbrosamque ripam, non Zephyris agitata tempe. Desiderantem quod satis est neque 25 tumultuosum sollicitat mare, nec saeuus Arcturi cadentis impetus aut orientis Haedi, non uerberatae grandine uineae fundusque mendax, arbore nunc aquas 30 culpante, nunc torrentia agros sidera, nunc hiemes iniquas. Contracta pisces aequora sentiunt iactis in altum molibus: huc frequens caementa demittit redemptor cum famulis dominusque terrae 35 fastidiosus: sed Timor et Minae scandunt eodem quo dominus, neque decedit aerata triremi et post equitem sedet atra Cura. 40 Quod si dolentem nec Phrygius lapis nec purpurarum sidere clarior delenit usus nec Falerna uitis Achaemeniumque costum, cur inuidendis postibus et nouo 45 sublime ritu moliar atrium? Cur ualle permutem Sabina diuitias operosiores? |
Odes Introduction | Odes Book I | Odes Book II | Odes Book III | Odes Book IV | |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30
Book III. Notes
Source...