Carmen XI.—AD LEUCONOEM.

Tu ne quæsieris, scire nefas, quem mihi, quem tibi
Finem Dî dederint, Leuconoë, nec Babylonios
Tentaris numeros. Ut melius, quidquid erit, pati!
Seu plures hiemes seu tribuit Jupiter ultimam,
Quæ nunc oppositis debilitat pumicibus mare
Tyrrhenum, sapias, vina liques et spatio brevi
Spem longam reseces. Dum loquimur, fugerit invida
Atas Carpe diem quam minimum credula postero.

Ode XII.-To Augustus.

Clio! What man will you proclaim,
What hero raise to endless fame,

With lyre or shrill pipe's tone?

Whom of the Gods? What name renowned

Shall vocal echo blythely sound

By shady Helicon ?

Or upon Pindus summit bold,

Or on the steeps of Hamus cold,

Whence Orpheus' muse-taught song Delayed the headlong torrent's course, Restrained the swift winged tempest's force, And led charmed oaks along.

What shall I sing before the praise
Of him who rules o'er all the ways

Of men and Gods above,

Who governs earth's extremest bounds,
And guides the seasons in their rounds,
The sire, eternal Jove ?

To him none equal honour gains,
Pallas the nearest rank obtains,

Of all the heavenly race.

I sing of Bacchus bold in strife,
And Dian hostile to the life

Of wild beast in the chase.

Carmen XII.-AD AUGUSTUM.

Quem virum aut heroa lyra vel acri
Tibia sumis celebrare, Clio ?

Quem Deum? Cujus recinet jocosa
Nomen imago

Aut in umbrosis Heliconis oris

Aut super Pindo, gelidove in Hæmo ?
Unde vocalem temere insecute
Orphea silvæ

Arte materna rapidos morantem
Fluminum lapsus celeresque ventos,
Blandum et auritas fidibus canoris

Ducere quercus.

Quid prius dicam solitis parentis
Laudibus, qui res hominum ac Deorum,
Qui mare ac terras variisque mundum
Temperat horis ?

Unde nil majus generatur ipso,

Nec viget quidquam simile aut secundum; Proximos illi tamen occupavit

Pallas honores.

Proliis audax, neque te silebo,
Liber, et sævis inimica Virgo

Belluis, nec te metuende certa
Phoebe sagitta.

Of Hercules I next will sing,

And Phoebus skilled the shaft to wing
Unerring in its flight,

And Leda's twins who honour gained,
A horseman one, the other trained
On foot to win the fight.

Whose pale star when the sailor sees
The winds are hushed in tranquil ease,
The foaming waves descend.

I doubt of Romulus to speak,

Of Tarquin proud, or Numa meek,

Or Cato's noble end.

Of Regulus I next must tell,
The Scauri, and what fate befel

Paulus, that deathless name;

Fabricius, a noble theme,
Camillus too, by want extreme,
With Curius raised to fame.

Marcellus' glory groweth still,
As grows a tree beside a rill

In time's scarce noticed round.
O'er all the Julian star is seen,
As midst night's feebler fires, their queen
The silver moon is found.

Great Cæsar's care the fates award
To thee at once our sire and guard,

O! Thou from Saturn sprung,
Second to thee may Cæsar reign,
Whether a victory he obtain

The Indian troops among,

Dicam et Alciden puerosque Ledæ,
Hunc equis, illum superare pugnis
Nobilem; quorum simul alba nautis
Stella refulsit,

Defluit saxis agitatus humor,
Concidunt venti, fugiuntque nubes,
Et minax- quod sic voluere, ponto
Unda recumbit.

Romulum post hos prius, an quietum
Pompili regnum memorem, an superbos
Tarquinî fasces, dubito, an Catonis
Nobile letum.

Regulum et Scauros animæque magnæ Prodigum Paullum superante Poeno Gratus insigni referam Camena.

Fabriciumque.

Hunc et incomptis Curium capillis
Utilem bello tulit et Camillum

Sæva paupertas et avitus apto

Cum lare fundus.

Crescit occulto velut arbor ævo

Fama Marcelli; micat inter omnes

Julium sidus velut inter ignes

Luna minores.

Gentis humanæ pater atque custos
Orte Saturno, tibi cura magni

Cæsaris fatis data: tu secundo

Cæsare regnes.

Ille, seu Parthos Latio imminentes

Egerit justo domitos triumpho