Georgics

Virgil

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

  1. Not thus the tribes
  2. Of Scythia by the far Maeotic wave,
  3. Where turbid Ister whirls his yellow sands,
  4. And Rhodope stretched out beneath the pole
  5. Comes trending backward. There the herds they keep
  6. Close-pent in byres, nor any grass is seen
  7. Upon the plain, nor leaves upon the tree:
  8. But with snow-ridges and deep frost afar
  9. Heaped seven ells high the earth lies featureless:
  10. Still winter? still the north wind's icy breath!
  11. Nay, never sun disparts the shadows pale,
  12. Or as he rides the steep of heaven, or dips
  13. In ocean's fiery bath his plunging car.
  14. Quick ice-crusts curdle on the running stream,
  15. And iron-hooped wheels the water's back now bears,
  16. To broad wains opened, as erewhile to ships;
  17. Brass vessels oft asunder burst, and clothes
  18. Stiffen upon the wearers; juicy wines
  19. They cleave with axes; to one frozen mass
  20. Whole pools are turned; and on their untrimmed beards
  21. Stiff clings the jagged icicle. Meanwhile
  22. All heaven no less is filled with falling snow;
  23. The cattle perish: oxen's mighty frames
  24. Stand island-like amid the frost, and stags
  25. In huddling herds, by that strange weight benumbed,
  26. Scarce top the surface with their antler-points.
  27. These with no hounds they hunt, nor net with toils,
  28. Nor scare with terror of the crimson plume;
  29. But, as in vain they breast the opposing block,
  30. Butcher them, knife in hand, and so dispatch
  31. Loud-bellowing, and with glad shouts hale them home.
  32. Themselves in deep-dug caverns underground
  33. Dwell free and careless; to their hearths they heave
  34. Oak-logs and elm-trees whole, and fire them there,
  35. There play the night out, and in festive glee
  36. With barm and service sour the wine-cup mock.
  37. So 'neath the seven-starred Hyperborean wain
  38. The folk live tameless, buffeted with blasts
  39. Of Eurus from Rhipaean hills, and wrap
  40. Their bodies in the tawny fells of beasts.
  1. If wool delight thee, first, be far removed
  2. All prickly boskage, burrs and caltrops; shun
  3. Luxuriant pastures; at the outset choose
  4. White flocks with downy fleeces. For the ram,
  5. How white soe'er himself, be but the tongue
  6. 'Neath his moist palate black, reject him, lest
  7. He sully with dark spots his offspring's fleece,
  8. And seek some other o'er the teeming plain.
  9. Even with such snowy bribe of wool, if ear
  10. May trust the tale, Pan, God of Arcady,
  11. Snared and beguiled thee, Luna, calling thee
  12. To the deep woods; nor thou didst spurn his call.
  1. But who for milk hath longing, must himself
  2. Carry lucerne and lotus-leaves enow
  3. With salt herbs to the cote, whence more they love
  4. The streams, more stretch their udders, and give back
  5. A subtle taste of saltness in the milk.
  6. Many there be who from their mothers keep
  7. The new-born kids, and straightway bind their mouths
  8. With iron-tipped muzzles. What they milk at dawn,
  9. Or in the daylight hours, at night they press;
  10. What darkling or at sunset, this ere morn
  11. They bear away in baskets—for to town
  12. The shepherd hies him—or with dash of salt
  13. Just sprinkle, and lay by for winter use.