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And to the month's end those that spring from it；
Rainless and windless be； while safe ashore
Shall sailors pay their vows to Panope；
Glaucus； and Melicertes； Ino's child。
The sun too； both at rising； and when soon
He dives beneath the waves； shall yield thee signs；
For signs； none trustier； travel with the sun；
Both those which in their course with dawn he brings；
And those at star…rise。 When his springing orb
With spots he pranketh； muffled in a cloud；
And shrinks mid…circle； then of showers beware；
For then the South comes driving from the deep；
To trees and crops and cattle bringing bane。
Or when at day…break through dark clouds his rays
Burst and are scattered； or when rising pale
Aurora quits Tithonus' saffron bed；
But sorry shelter then； alack I will yield
Vine…leaf to ripening grapes； so thick a hail
In spiky showers spins rattling on the roof。
And this yet more 'twill boot thee bear in mind；
When now； his course upon Olympus run；
He draws to his decline： for oft we see
Upon the sun's own face strange colours stray；
Dark tells of rain； of east winds fiery…red；
If spots with ruddy fire begin to mix；
Then all the heavens convulsed in wrath thou'lt see…
Storm…clouds and wind together。 Me that night
Let no man bid fare forth upon the deep；
Nor rend the rope from shore。 But if； when both
He brings again and hides the day's return；
Clear…orbed he shineth；idly wilt thou dread
The storm…clouds； and beneath the lustral North
See the woods waving。 What late eve in fine
Bears in her bosom； whence the wind that brings
Fair…weather…clouds； or what the rain South
Is meditating； tokens of all these
The sun will give thee。 Who dare charge the sun
With leasing？ He it is who warneth oft
Of hidden broils at hand and treachery；
And secret swelling of the waves of war。
He too it was； when Caesar's light was quenched；
For Rome had pity； when his bright head he veiled
In iron…hued darkness； till a godless age
Trembled for night eternal； at that time
Howbeit earth also； and the ocean…plains；
And dogs obscene； and birds of evil bode
Gave tokens。 Yea； how often have we seen
Etna； her furnace…walls asunder riven；
In billowy floods boil o'er the Cyclops' fields；
And roll down globes of fire and molten rocks！
A clash of arms through all the heaven was heard
By Germany； strange heavings shook the Alps。
Yea； and by many through the breathless groves
A voice was heard with power； and wondrous…pale
Phantoms were seen upon the dusk of night；
And cattle spake； portentous！ streams stand still；
And the earth yawns asunder； ivory weeps
For sorrow in the shrines； and bronzes sweat。
Up…twirling forests with his eddying tide；
Madly he bears them down； that lord of floods；
Eridanus； till through all the plain are swept
Beasts and their stalls together。 At that time
In gloomy entrails ceased not to appear
Dark…threatening fibres； springs to trickle blood；
And high…built cities night…long to resound
With the wolves' howling。 Never more than then
From skies all cloudless fell the thunderbolts；
Nor blazed so oft the comet's fire of bale。
Therefore a second time Philippi saw
The Roman hosts with kindred weapons rush
To battle； nor did the high gods deem it hard
That twice Emathia and the wide champaign
Of Haemus should be fattening with our blood。
Ay； and the time will come when there anigh；
Heaving the earth up with his curved plough；
Some swain will light on javelins by foul rust
Corroded； or with ponderous harrow strike
On empty helmets； while he gapes to see
Bones as of giants from the trench untombed。
Gods of my country； heroes of the soil；
And Romulus； and Mother Vesta； thou
Who Tuscan Tiber and Rome's Palatine
Preservest； this new champion at the least
Our fallen generation to repair
Forbid not。 To the full and long ago
Our blood thy Trojan perjuries hath paid；
Laomedon。 Long since the courts of heaven
Begrudge us thee； our Caesar； and complain
That thou regard'st the triumphs of mankind；
Here where the wrong is right； the right is wrong；
Where wars abound so many； and myriad…faced
Is crime； where no meet honour hath the plough；
The fields； their husbandmen led far away；
Rot in neglect； and curved pruning…hooks
Into the sword's stiff blade are fused and forged。
Euphrates here； here Germany new strife
Is stirring； neighbouring cities are in arms；
The laws that bound them snapped； and godless war
Rages through all the universe； as when
The four…horse chariots from the barriers poured
Still quicken o'er the course； and； idly now
Grasping the reins； the driver by his team
Is onward borne； nor heeds the car his curb。
GEORGIC II
Thus far the tilth of fields and stars of heaven；
Now will I sing thee； Bacchus； and； with thee；
The forest's young plantations and the fruit
Of slow…maturing olive。 Hither haste；
O Father of the wine…press； all things here
Teem with the bounties of thy hand； for thee
With viny autumn laden blooms the field；
And foams the vintage high with brimming vats；
Hither； O Father of the wine…press； come；
And stripped of buskin stain thy bared limbs
In the new must with me。
First； nature's law
For generating trees is manifold；
For some of their own force spontaneous spring；
No hand of man compelling； and possess
The plains and river…windings far and wide；
As pliant osier and the bending broom；
Poplar； and willows in wan companies
With green leaf glimmering gray； and some there be
From chance…dropped seed that rear them； as the tall
Chestnuts； and； mightiest of the branching wood；
Jove's Aesculus； and oaks； oracular
Deemed by the Greeks of old。 With some sprouts forth
A forest of dense suckers from the root；
As elms and cherries； so； too； a pigmy plant；
Beneath its mother's mighty shade upshoots
The bay…tree of Parnassus。 Such the modes
Nature imparted first； hence all the race
Of forest…trees and shrubs and sacred groves
Springs into verdure。
Other means there are；
Which use by method for itself acquired。
One； sliving suckers from the tender frame
Of the tree…mother； plants them in the trench；
One buries the bare stumps within his field；
Truncheons cleft four…wise； or sharp…pointed stakes；
Some forest…trees the layer's bent arch await；
And slips yet quick within the parent…soil；
No root need others； nor doth the pruner's hand
Shrink to restore the topmost shoot to earth
That gave it being。 Nay； marvellous to tell；
Lopped of its limbs； the olive； a mere stock；
Still thrusts its root out from the sapless wood；
And oft the branches of one kind we see
Change to another's with no loss to rue；
Pear…tree transformed the ingrafted apple yield；
And stony cornels on the plum…tree blush。
Come then； and learn what tilth to each belongs
According to their kinds； ye husbandmen；
And tame with culture the wild fruits； lest earth
Lie idle。 O blithe to make all Ismarus
One forest of the wine…god； and to clothe
With olives huge Tabernus！ And be thou
At hand； and with me ply the voyage of toil
I am bound on； O my glory； O thou that art
Justly the chiefest portion of my fame；
Maecenas； and on this wide ocean launched
Spread sail like wings to waft thee。 Not that I
With my poor verse would comprehend the whole；
Nay； though a hundred tongues； a hundred mouths
Were mine； a voice of iron； be thou at hand；
Skirt but the nearer coast…line； see the shore
Is in our grasp； not now with feigned song
Through winding bouts and tedious preludings
Shall I detain thee。
Those that lift their head
Into the realms of light spontaneously；
Fruitless indeed； but blithe and strenuous spring；
Since Nature lurks within the soil。 And yet
Even these； should one engraft them； or transplant
To well…drilled trenches； will anon put of
Their woodland temper； and； by frequent tilth；
To whatso craft thou summon them； make speed
To follow。 So likewise will the barren shaft
That from the stock…root issueth； if it be
Set out with clear space amid open fields：
Now the tree…mother's towering leaves and boughs
Darken； despoil of increase as it grows；
And blast it in the bearing。 Lastly； that
Which from shed seed ariseth； upward wins
But slowly； yielding promise of its shade
To late…born generations； apples wane
Forgetful of their former juice； the grape
Bears sorry clusters； for the birds a prey。
Soothly on all must toil be spent； and all
Trained to the trench and at great cost subdued。
But reared from trun