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Mūsă, quĭbūs nŭmĕrīs hērōăs ĕt ārmă frĕquēntās,

fābēllām pērmīttĕ mĭhī dētēxĕrĕ paūcīs.

nām tĭbĭ sēcēssī, tēcūm pĕnĕtrālĕ rĕtrāctāns

cōnsĭlĭūm; quārē nĕquĕ cārmĭnĕ cūrrŏ Phălaēcŏ

nēc trĭmĕtrō iāmbō nēc quī pĕdĕ frāctŭs ĕōdēm5

fōrtĭtĕr īrāscī dīscīt dŭcĕ Clāzŏmĕnīō.

cētĕră quīn ĕtĭām, quōt dēnĭquĕ mīlĭă lūsī

prīmăquĕ Rōmānōs dŏcŭī cōntēndĕrĕ Grāiīs

ēt sălĭbūs vărĭārĕ nŏvīs, cōnstāntĕr ŏmīttō

tēquĕ quĭbūs prīncēps ēt fācūndīssĭmă cāllēs10

āggrĕdĭōr: prĕcĭbūs dēscēndĕ clĭēntĭs ĕt aūdī.

Dīc mĭhĭ, Cāllĭŏpē: quīdnām pătĕr īllĕ dĕōrūm

cōgĭtăt? ān tērrās ēt pātrĭă saēcŭlă mūtāt

quāsquĕ dĕdīt quōndām mŏrĭēntĭbŭs ērĭpĭt ārtēs

nōsquĕ iŭbēt tăcĭtōs ēt iām rătĭōnĭs ĕgēnōs15

nōn ălĭtēr, prīmō quām cūm sūrrēxĭmŭs aēvō,

glāndĭbŭs ēt pūraē rūrsūs prōcūmbĕrĕ lŷmphaē?

ān rĕlĭquās tērrās cōnsērvăt ămīcŭs ĕt Ūrbēs,

sēd gĕnŭs Aūsŏnĭūm Rŏmŭlīque ēxtūrbăt ălūmnōs?

quīd? rĕpŭtēmŭs ĕnīm: dŭŏ sūnt quĭbŭs ēxtŭlĭt īngēns20

Rōmă căpūt, vīrtūs bēlli ēt săpĭēntĭă pācīs.

sēd vīrtūs, ăgĭtātă dŏmi ēt sŏcĭālĭbŭs ārmīs,

īn frĕtă Sīcănĭae ēt Cārthāgĭnĭs ēxĭlĭt ārcēs

cētĕrăque īmpĕrĭa ēt tōtūm sĭmŭl ābstŭlĭt ōrbēm.

deīndĕ, vĕlūt stădĭō vīctōr quī sōlŭs Ăchaēō25

lānguĕt ĕt īmmōtā sēcūm vīrtūtĕ fătīscīt,

sīc ĭtĭdēm Rōmānă mănūs, cōntēndĕrĕ pōstquām

dēstĭtĭt ēt pācēm lōngīs frēnāvĭt hăbēnīs,

īpsă dŏmī lēgēs ēt Grāia īnvēntă rĕtrāctāns

ōmnĭă bēllōrūm tērrā quaēsītă mărīquĕ30

praēmĭă cōnsĭlĭo ēt mōllī rătĭōnĕ rĕgēbāt.

stābăt ĭn hīs, nĕque ĕnīm pŏtĕrāt cōnstārĕ sĭne īstīs:

aūt frūstra ūxōrī mēndāxquĕ Dĭēspĭtĕr ōlīm

"īmpĕrĭūm sĭnĕ fīnĕ dĕdī" dīxīssĕ prŏbātūr.

nūnc ĭgĭtūr quī rēx Rōmānōs īmpĕrăt īntēr,35

nōn trăbĕ sēd tērgō prōlāpsŭs ĕt īnglŭvĭe ālbūs,

ēt stŭdĭa ēt săpĭēns hŏmĭnūm nōmēnquĕ gĕnūsquĕ

ōmnĭa ăbīrĕ fŏrās ātque Ūrbe ēxcēdĕrĕ iūssīt.

quīd făcĭmūs? Grăĭōs hŏmĭnūmquĕ rĕlīnquĭmŭs ūrbēs,

ūt Rōmānă fŏrēt măgĭs hīs īnstrūctă măgīstrīs:40

nūnc, Căpĭtōlīnō vĕlŭtī tūrbāntĕ Cămīllō

ēnsĭbŭs ēt trŭtĭnā Gāllī fūgērĕ rĕlīctā,

sīc nōstrī pālārĕ sĕnēs dīcūntŭr ĕt īpsī

ūt fērālĕ sŭōs ŏnŭs ēxpōrtārĕ lĭbēllōs.

ērgŏ Nŭmāntīnūs Lĭbўcūsque ērrāvĭt ĭn īstō45

Scīpĭŏ, quī Rhŏdĭō crēvīt fōrmāntĕ măgīstrō,

cētĕrăque īllă mănūs bēllō fācūndă sĕcūndō?

quōs īntēr prīscī sēntēntĭă dīă Cătōnīs

scīrĕ dĕōs māgnī fēcīssĕt, ŭtrūmnĕ sĕcūndīs

ān măgĭs ādvērsīs stārēt Rōmānă prŏpāgō.50

scīlĭcĕt ādvērsīs: nām, cūm dēfēndĭĕr ārmīs

suādĕt ămōr pătrĭae ēt cāptīvă pĕnātĭbŭs ūxōr,

cōnvĕnĭt, ūt vēspīs, quārūm dŏmŭs ārcĕ mŏvēntĕ,

tūrbă rĭgēns strīctīs pēr lūtĕă cōrpŏră tēlīs;

āst ŭbi ăpēs sēcūră rĕdīt ōblītă făvōrūm55

plēbs pātrēsque ūnā sōmnō mŏrĭūntŭr ŏbēsō.

Rōmŭlĭdārum ĭgĭtūr lōnga ēt grăvĭs ēxĭtĭūm pāx.

Hōc fābēllă mŏdō paūsām făcĭt. ōptĭmă, pōsthāc,

Mūsă, vĕlīm mŏnĕās, sĭnĕ quā mĭhĭ nūllă vŏlūptās

vīvĕre, ŭtī quōndām †zmŷrnālībūsquĕ pĕrībāt†,60

nunc itidem migrare uelis. uel denique quiduis

ūt dĕă quaēre ălĭūd: tāntūm Rōmānă Călēnō

moēnĭă iūcūndēs părĭtērque āvērtĕ Săbīnōs.

haēc ĕgŏ. tūm paūcīs dĕă mē dīgnārĭĕr īnfīt:

"pōnĕ mĕtūs aēquōs, cūltrīx mĕă: sūmmă tўrānnō65

haēc īnstānt ŏdĭa ēt nōstrō pĕrĭtūrŭs hŏnōrēst.

nām laūrētă Nŭmaē fōntīsque hăbĭtāmŭs ĕōsdēm

ēt cŏmĭte Ēgĕrĭā rīdēmŭs ĭnānĭă coēptă.

vīvĕ, vălē. mănĕt hūnc pūlchrūm sŭă fāmă dŏlōrēm:

Mūsārūm spōndēt chŏrŭs ēt Rōmānŭs Ăpōllō".70

Musa, quibus numeris heroas et arma frequentas,

fabellam permitte mihi detexere paucis.

nam tibi secessi, tecum penetrale retractans

consilium; quare neque carmine curro Phalaeco

5nec trimetro iambo nec qui pede fractus eodem

fortiter irasci discit duce Clazomenio.

cetera quin etiam, quot denique milia lusi

primaque Romanos docui contendere Graiis

et salibus variare novis, constanter omitto

10teque quibus princeps et facundissima calles

aggredior: precibus descende clientis et audi.

Dic mihi, Calliope: quidnam pater ille deorum

cogitat? an terras et patria saecula mutat

quasque dedit quondam morientibus eripit artes

15nosque iubet tacitos et iam rationis egenos

non aliter, primo quam cum surreximus aevo,

glandibus et purae rursus procumbere lymphae?

an reliquas terras conservat amicus et Urbes,

sed genus Ausonium Romulique exturbat alumnos?

20quid? reputemus enim: duo sunt quibus extulit ingens

Roma caput, virtus belli et sapientia pacis.

sed virtus, agitata domi et socialibus armis,

in freta Sicaniae et Carthaginis exilit arces

ceteraque imperia et totum simul abstulit orbem.

25deinde, velut stadio victor qui solus Achaeo

languet et immota secum virtute fatiscit,

sic itidem Romana manus, contendere postquam

destitit et pacem longis frenavit habenis,

ipsa domi leges et Graia inventa retractans

30omnia bellorum terra quaesita marique

praemia consilio et molli ratione regebat.

stabat in his, neque enim poterat constare sine istis:

aut frustra uxori mendaxque Diespiter olim

"imperium sine fine dedi" dixisse probatur.

35nunc igitur qui rex Romanos imperat inter,

non trabe sed tergo prolapsus et ingluvie albus,

et studia et sapiens hominum nomenque genusque

omnia abire foras atque Urbe excedere iussit.

quid facimus? Graios hominumque relinquimus urbes,

40ut Romana foret magis his instructa magistris:

nunc, Capitolino veluti turbante Camillo

ensibus et trutina Galli fugere relicta,

sic nostri palare senes dicuntur et ipsi

ut ferale suos onus exportare libellos.

45ergo Numantinus Libycusque erravit in isto

Scipio, qui Rhodio crevit formante magistro,

ceteraque illa manus bello facunda secundo?

quos inter prisci sententia dia Catonis

scire deos magni fecisset, utrumne secundis

50an magis adversis staret Romana propago.

scilicet adversis: nam, cum defendier armis

suadet amor patriae et captiva penatibus uxor,

convenit, ut vespis, quarum domus arce movente,

turba rigens strictis per lutea corpora telis;

55ast ubi apes secura redit oblita favorum

plebs patresque una somno moriuntur obeso.

Romulidarum igitur longa et gravis exitium pax.

Hoc fabella modo pausam facit. optima, posthac,

Musa, velim moneas, sine qua mihi nulla voluptas

60vivere, uti quondam †zmyrnalibusque peribat†,

nunc itidem migrare velis. vel denique quiduis

ut dea quaere aliud: tantum Romana Caleno

moenia iucundes pariterque averte Sabinos.

haec ego. tum paucis dea me dignarier infit:

65"pone metus aequos, cultrix mea: summa tyranno

haec instant odia et nostro periturus honorest.

nam laureta Numae fontisque habitamus eosdem

et comite Egeria ridemus inania coepta.

vive, vale. manet hunc pulchrum sua fama dolorem:

70Musarum spondet chorus et Romanus Apollo".