Odes

Horace

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

Hurl'd on the monstrous shapes she bred,

Earth groans, and mourns her children thrust

To Orcus; Aetna's weight of lead

Keeps down the fire that breaks its crust;

Still sits the bird on Tityos' breast,

The warder of Unlawful love;

Still suffers lewd Pirithous, prest

By massive chains no hand may move.

Jove rules in heaven, his thunder shows;

Henceforth Augustus earth shall own

Her present god, now Briton foes

And Persians bow before his throne.

Has Crassus' soldier ta'en to wife

A base barbarian, and grown grey

(Woe, for a nation's tainted life!)

Earning his foemen-kinsmen's pay,