Eclogues

Virgil

Vergil. The Poems of Vergil. Rhoades, James, translator. London: Oxford University Press, 1921.

  1. of cold Lycaeus. The sheep too stood around—
  2. of us they feel no shame, poet divine;
  3. nor of the flock be thou ashamed: even fair
  4. Adonis by the rivers fed his sheep—
  5. came shepherd too, and swine-herd footing slow,
  6. and, from the winter-acorns dripping-wet
  7. Menalcas. All with one accord exclaim:
  8. “From whence this love of thine?” Apollo came;
  9. “Gallus, art mad?” he cried, “thy bosom's care
  10. another love is following.” Therewithal
  11. Silvanus came, with rural honours crowned;
  12. the flowering fennels and tall lilies shook
  13. before him. Yea, and our own eyes beheld
  14. pan, god of Arcady, with blood-red juice
  15. of the elder-berry, and with vermilion, dyed.
  16. “Wilt ever make an end?” quoth he, “behold
  17. love recks not aught of it: his heart no more
  18. with tears is sated than with streams the grass,
  19. bees with the cytisus, or goats with leaves.”
  20. “Yet will ye sing, Arcadians, of my woes