Georgics
Virgil
Vergil. The Poems of Vergil. Rhoades, James, translator. London: Oxford University Press, 1921.
- Hence, too, not idly do we watch the stars—
- Their rising and their setting-and the year,
- Four varying seasons to one law conformed.
- If chilly showers e'er shut the farmer's door,
- Much that had soon with sunshine cried for haste,
- He may forestall; the ploughman batters keen
- His blunted share's hard tooth, scoops from a tree
- His troughs, or on the cattle stamps a brand,
- Or numbers on the corn-heaps; some make sharp
- The stakes and two-pronged forks, and willow-bands
- Amerian for the bending vine prepare.
- Now let the pliant basket plaited be
- Of bramble-twigs; now set your corn to parch
- Before the fire; now bruise it with the stone.
- Nay even on holy days some tasks to ply
- Is right and lawful: this no ban forbids,
- To turn the runnel's course, fence corn-fields in,
- Make springes for the birds, burn up the briars,
- And plunge in wholesome stream the bleating flock.
- Oft too with oil or apples plenty-cheap
- The creeping ass's ribs his driver packs,
- And home from town returning brings instead
- A dented mill-stone or black lump of pitch.
- The moon herself in various rank assigns
- The days for labour lucky: fly the fifth;
- Then sprang pale Orcus and the Eumenides;
- Earth then in awful labour brought to light
- Coeus, Iapetus, and Typhoeus fell,
- And those sworn brethren banded to break down
- The gates of heaven; thrice, sooth to say, they strove
- Ossa on Pelion's top to heave and heap,
- Aye, and on Ossa to up-roll amain
- Leafy Olympus; thrice with thunderbolt
- Their mountain-stair the Sire asunder smote.
- Seventh after tenth is lucky both to set
- The vine in earth, and take and tame the steer,
- And fix the leashes to the warp; the ninth
- To runagates is kinder, cross to thieves.