Lēntŭs ăb ūrbĕ vĕnīs, Cŏrўdōn; vīcēsĭmă cērtē
nōx fŭĭt, ūt nōstraē cŭpĭūnt tē cērnĕrĕ sīlvaē,
ūt tŭă maērēntēs ēxspēctānt iūbĭlă taūrī.
Ō pĭgĕr, ō dūrō nōn mōllĭŏr āxĕ, Lўcōtā,
quī vĕtĕrēs fāgōs nŏvă quām spēctācŭlă māvīs
cērnĕrĕ, quaē pătŭlā iŭvĕnīs dĕŭs ēdĭt hărēnā.
Mīrābār, quaē tāntă fŏrēt tĭbĭ caūsă mŏrāndī,
cūr tŭă cēssārēt tăcĭtūrnīs fīstŭlă sīlvīs
ēt sōlūs Stĭmĭchōn cănĕrēt pāllēntĕ cŏrŷmbō:
quēm sĭnĕ tē maēstī tĕnĕrō dōnāvĭmŭs haēdō.
nām, dūm lēntŭs ăbēs, lūstrāvĭt ŏvīlĭă Thŷrsīs,
iūssĭt ĕt ārgūtā iŭvĕnēs cērtārĕ cĭcūtā.
Sīt lĭcĕt īnvīctūs Stĭmĭchōn ēt praēmĭă dīvēs
aūfĕrăt, āccēptō nēc sōlūm gaūdĕăt haēdō,
vērūm tōtă fĕrāt quaē lūstrăt ŏvīlĭă Thŷrsīs:
nōn tămĕn aēquābīt mĕă gaūdĭă; nēc mĭhĭ, sī quīs
ōmnĭă Lūcānaē dōnēt pĕcŭārĭă sīlvaē,
grātă măgīs fŭĕrīnt quām quaē spēctāvĭmŭs ūrbĕ.
Dīc ăgĕ dīc, Cŏrўdōn, nēc nōstrās īnvĭdŭs aūrēs
dēspĭcĕ: nōn ălĭtēr cērtē mĭhĭ dūlcĕ lŏquērĕ
quām cāntārĕ sŏlēs, quŏtĭēns ād sācră vŏcātūr
aūt fēcūndă Pălēs aūt pāstōrālĭs Ăpōllŏ.
Vīdĭmŭs īn caēlūm trăbĭbūs spēctācŭlă tēxtīs
sūrgĕrĕ, Tārpēiūm prŏpĕ dēspēctāntĭă cūlmēn;
ēmēnsīquĕ grădūs ēt clīvōs lēnĕ iăcēntēs
vēnĭmŭs ād sēdēs, ŭbĭ pūllā sōrdĭdă vēstĕ
īntēr fēmĭnĕās spēctābāt tūrbă căthēdrās.
nām quaēcūmquĕ pătēnt sŭb ăpērtō lībĕră caēlō,
aūt ĕquĕs aūt nĭvĕī lŏcă dēnsāvērĕ trĭbūnī.
quālĭtĕr haēc pătŭlūm cōncēdīt vāllĭs ĭn ōrbēm
ēt sĭnŭātă lătūs rĕsŭpīnīs ūndĭquĕ sīlvīs
īntēr cōntĭnŭōs cūrvātūr cōncăvă mōntēs:
sīc ĭbĭ plānĭtĭēm cūrvaē sĭnŭs āmbĭt hărēnaē
ēt gĕmĭnīs mĕdĭūm sē mōlĭbŭs āllĭgăt ōvūm.
quīd tĭbĭ nūnc rĕfĕrām, quaē vīx sūffēcĭmŭs īpsī
pēr pārtēs spēctārĕ sŭās? sīc ūndĭquĕ fūlgōr
pērcūssīt. stābām dēfīxŭs ĕt ōrĕ pătēntī
cūnctăquĕ mīrābār nēcdūm bŏnă sīngŭlă nōrām,
cūm mĭhĭ iām sĕnĭōr, lătĕrī quī fōrtĕ sĭnīstrō
iūnctŭs ĕrāt, "quīd tē stŭpĕfāctūm, rūstĭcĕ," dīxīt
"ād tāntās mīrārĭs ŏpēs, quī nēscĭŭs aūrī
sōrdĭdă tēctă, căsās ēt sōlă măpālĭă nōstī?
ēn ĕgŏ iām trĕmŭlūs iām vērtĭcĕ cānŭs ĕt īstā
fāctŭs ĭn ūrbĕ sĕnēx stŭpĕō tămĕn ōmnĭă: cērtē
vīlĭă sūnt nōbīs, quaēcūmquĕ prĭōrĭbŭs ānnīs
vīdĭmŭs, ēt sōrdēt quīcquīd spēctāvĭmŭs ōlīm."
Bāltĕŭs ēn gēmmīs, ēn īllĭtă pōrtĭcŭs aūrō
cērtātīm rădĭānt; nēc nōn, ŭbĭ fīnĭs hărēnaē
prōxĭmă mārmŏrĕō praēbēt spēctācŭlă mūrō,
stērnĭtŭr ādiūnctīs ĕbŭr ādmīrābĭlĕ trūncīs
ēt cŏĭt īn rŏtŭlūm, tĕrĕtī quī lūbrĭcŭs āxĕ
īmpŏsĭtōs sŭbĭtā vērtīgĭnĕ fāllĕrĕt ūnguēs
ēxcŭtĕrētquĕ fĕrās. aūrō quŏquĕ tōrtă rĕfūlgēnt
rētĭă, quaē tōtīs ĭn hărēnām dēntĭbŭs ēxstānt,
dēntĭbŭs aēquātīs; ĕt ĕrāt (mĭhĭ crēdĕ, Lўcōtā,
sī quă fĭdēs) nōstrō dēns lōngĭŏr ōmnĭs ărātrō.
ōrdĭnĕ quīd rĕfĕrām? vīdī gĕnŭs ōmnĕ fĕrārūm,
hīc nĭvĕōs lĕpŏrēs ēt nōn sĭnĕ cōrnĭbŭs āprōs,
hīc rārām sīlvīs ĕtĭām, quĭbŭs ēdĭtŭr, ālcēn.
vīdĭmŭs ēt taūrōs, quĭbŭs aūt cērvīcĕ lĕvātā
dēfōrmīs scăpŭlīs tŏrŭs ēmĭnĕt aūt quĭbŭs hīrtaē
iāctāntūr pēr cōllă iŭbaē, quĭbŭs āspĕră mēntō
bārbă iăcēt trĕmŭlīsquĕ rĭgēnt pălĕārĭă sētīs.
nēc sōlūm nōbīs sīlvēstrĭă cērnĕrĕ mōnstră
cōntĭgĭt: aēquŏrĕōs ĕgŏ cūm cērtāntĭbŭs ūrsīs
spēctāvī vĭtŭlōs ĕt ĕquōrūm nōmĭnĕ dīctūm,
sēd dēfōrmĕ pĕcūs, quŏd ĭn īllō nāscĭtŭr āmnĕ
quī sătă rīpārūm vērnāntĭbŭs īrrĭgăt ūndīs.
ā! trĕpĭdī, quŏtĭēns sŏlă dīscēdēntĭs hărēnaē
vīdĭmŭs īnvērtī, rūptāquĕ vŏrāgĭnĕ tērraē
ēmērsīssĕ fĕrās; ĕt ĭn īsdēm saēpĕ căvērnīs
aūrĕă cūm sŭbĭtō crēvērūnt ārbŭtă nīmbō.
Ō fēlīx Cŏrўdōn, quēm nōn trĕmĕbūndă sĕnēctūs
īmpĕdĭt! ō fēlīx, quŏd ĭn haēc tĭbĭ saēcŭlă prīmōs
īndūlgēntĕ dĕō dēmīttĕrĕ cōntĭgĭt ānnōs!
nūnc, tĭbĭ sī prŏpĭūs vĕnĕrāndūm cērnĕrĕ nūmēn
fōrs dĕdĭt ēt praēsēns vūltūmque hăbĭtūmquĕ nŏtāstī,
dīc ăgĕ dīc, Cŏrўdōn, quaē sīt mĭhĭ fōrmă dĕōrūm.
Ō | ŭtĭnām nōbīs nōn rūstĭcă vēstĭs ĭnēssēt:
vīdīssēm prŏpĭūs mĕă nūmĭnă! sēd mĭhĭ sōrdēs
pūllăquĕ paūpērtās ĕt ădūncō fībŭlă mōrsū
ōbfŭĕrūnt. ūtcūmquĕ tămēn cōnspēxĭmŭs īpsūm
lōngĭŭs; āc, nĭsĭ mē vīsūs dēcēpĭt, ĭn ūnō
ēt Mārtīs vūltūs ĕt Ăpōllĭnĭs ēssĕ pŭtāvī.
Lentus ab urbe uenis, Corydon; uicesima certe
nox fuit, ut nostrae cupiunt te cernere siluae,
ut tua maerentes exspectant iubila tauri.
O piger, o duro non mollior axe, Lycota,
qui ueteres fagos noua quam spectacula mauis
cernere, quae patula iuuenis deus edit harena.
Mirabar, quae tanta foret tibi causa morandi,
cur tua cessaret taciturnis fistula siluis
et solus Stimichon caneret pallente corymbo:
quem sine te maesti tenero donauimus haedo.
nam, dum lentus abes, lustrauit ouilia Thyrsis,
iussit et arguta iuuenes certare cicuta.
Sit licet inuictus Stimichon et praemia diues
auferat, accepto nec solum gaudeat haedo,
uerum tota ferat quae lustrat ouilia Thyrsis:
non tamen aequabit mea gaudia; nec mihi, si quis
omnia Lucanae donet pecuaria siluae,
grata magis fuerint quam quae spectauimus urbe.
Dic age dic, Corydon, nec nostras inuidus aures
despice: non aliter certe mihi dulce loquere
quam cantare soles, quotiens ad sacra uocatur
aut fecunda Pales aut pastoralis Apollo.
Vidimus in caelum trabibus spectacula textis
surgere, Tarpeium prope despectantia culmen;
emensique gradus et cliuos lene iacentes
uenimus ad sedes, ubi pulla sordida ueste
inter femineas spectabat turba cathedras.
nam quaecumque patent sub aperto libera caelo,
aut eques aut niuei loca densauere tribuni.
qualiter haec patulum concedit uallis in orbem
et sinuata latus resupinis undique siluis
inter continuos curuatur concaua montes:
sic ibi planitiem curuae sinus ambit harenae
et geminis medium se molibus alligat ouum.
quid tibi nunc referam, quae uix suffecimus ipsi
per partes spectare suas? sic undique fulgor
percussit. stabam defixus et ore patenti
cunctaque mirabar necdum bona singula noram,
cum mihi iam senior, lateri qui forte sinistro
iunctus erat, "quid te stupefactum, rustice," dixit
"ad tantas miraris opes, qui nescius auri
sordida tecta, casas et sola mapalia nosti?
en ego iam tremulus iam uertice canus et ista
factus in urbe senex stupeo tamen omnia: certe
uilia sunt nobis, quaecumque prioribus annis
uidimus, et sordet quicquid spectauimus olim."
Balteus en gemmis, en illita porticus auro
certatim radiant; nec non, ubi finis harenae
proxima marmoreo praebet spectacula muro,
sternitur adiunctis ebur admirabile truncis
et coit in rotulum, tereti qui lubricus axe
impositos subita uertigine falleret ungues
excuteretque feras. auro quoque torta refulgent
retia, quae totis in harenam dentibus exstant,
dentibus aequatis; et erat (mihi crede, Lycota,
si qua fides) nostro dens longior omnis aratro.
ordine quid referam? uidi genus omne ferarum,
hic niueos lepores et non sine cornibus apros,
hic raram siluis etiam, quibus editur, alcen.
uidimus et tauros, quibus aut ceruice leuata
deformis scapulis torus eminet aut quibus hirtae
iactantur per colla iubae, quibus aspera mento
barba iacet tremulisque rigent palearia setis.
nec solum nobis siluestria cernere monstra
contigit: aequoreos ego cum certantibus ursis
spectaui uitulos et equorum nomine dictum,
sed deforme pecus, quod in illo nascitur amne
qui sata riparum uernantibus irrigat undis.
a! trepidi, quotiens sola discedentis harenae
uidimus inuerti, ruptaque uoragine terrae
emersisse feras; et in isdem saepe cauernis
aurea cum subito creuerunt arbuta nimbo.
O felix Corydon, quem non tremebunda senectus
impedit! o felix, quod in haec tibi saecula primos
indulgente deo demittere contigit annos!
nunc, tibi si propius uenerandum cernere numen
fors dedit et praesens uultumque habitumque notasti,
dic age dic, Corydon, quae sit mihi forma deorum.
O | utinam nobis non rustica uestis inesset:
uidissem propius mea numina! sed mihi sordes
pullaque paupertas et adunco fibula morsu
obfuerunt. utcumque tamen conspeximus ipsum
longius; ac, nisi me uisus decepit, in uno
et Martis uultus et Apollinis esse putaui.