Odes

Horace

Horace. The Odes and Carmen Saeculare of Horace. Conington, John, translator. London: George Bell and Sons, 1882.

  • Out on niggard-handed boys!
  • Rain showers of roses; let old Lycus hear,
  • Envious churl, our senseless noise,
  • And she, our neighbour, his ill-sorted fere.
  • You with your bright clustering hair,
  • Your beauty, Telephus, like evening's sky,
  • Rhoda loves, as young, as fair;
  • I for my Glycera slowly, slowly die.
  • O born in Manlius' year with me,
  • Whate'er you bring us, plaint or jest,
  • Or passion and wild revelry,
  • Or, like a gentle wine-jar, rest;
  • Howe'er men call your Massic juice,
  • Its broaching claims a festal day;
  • Come then; Corvinus bids produce
  • A mellower wine, and I obey.
  • Though steep'd in all Socratic lore
  • He will not slight you; do not fear.
  • They say old Cato o'er and o'er
  • With wine his honest heart would cheer.