Eating Little Fish :: Septimi :: II:6

This poem was not all that hard to disentangle, but it took some effort to put the nouns with their adjectives, the subjects with their verbs, and to realize that lasso in line 6 meant 'to tired me.'  I am reminded of the poem Su Dongpo 苏东坡wrote after struggling all night to read a bit of the poet Meng Jiao孟郊:

初如食小鱼

所得不赏劳

At first it's like eating little fish

Not worth all the effort

Then after a bit more of a struggle dealing with really difficult Chinese characters, Su Dongpo gives up, saying:

何苦将两耳

听此寒虫号

不如且置之

饮我玉色醪

What bitterness to my two ears!

Listening to this cold insect's chirp

So I'll put [his poems] aside

And drink my jade-colored wine

translation:

Septimus, come with me to Cadiz,

to the Cantabers who haven't been taught 

to bear our yoke, to barbarous Sidra, 

where ever seethe the Moorish waves.

What if Tibur, founded by a farmer 

from Argos, were my place when I am old

big enough for this soul tired of the sea 

and the roads and the soldiering?

But, if the Fates unfairly block me, I

would seek out the sweet Galaesi River

for the skin-covered sheep and the fields once

ruled by the Spartan Phalanthus.

That corner of the earth does smile to me 

above all others, where the honey is 

not less than that from Hymettus and the 

olives match those of green Venafro.

A long spring time, where Juppiter offers 

warm winters and where Mount Aulon, friend of 

fertile Bacchus, doesn't envy the grapes 

from Falernus, not in the least.

That place and its mountain top so favored

calls to you and me; there you will sprinkle 

the still warm ashes of your poet friend 

with tears natural and fitting.

translation ©2010 by James Rumford

notes:

Cantaber: rebellious tribe of northwestern Spain

Syrtis [Σύρτις]: the Gulf of Sidra [خلیج سرت ].

Tibur: modern Tivoli near Rome

Argive [Ἀργαιός]: of Argos, a Greek.

Parcae: the Fates

Galaesus [Γαλαῖσος]: the Galeso River near Tarento.

skin-covered sheep: apparently they covered the sheep with skins to protect their wool.

Phalant[h]us [Φάλαντος]: a Spartan who founded Tarentum; Phalanthum: Tarento.

Venafrum: modern Venafro, celebrated for its olive oil

Hymettus [Ὑμηττός], a mountain near Athens famed for its thyme honey, even today.

Aulon: a mountain in Calabria where grapes are grown 

Falernus: wine country in Campania.

in prose:

Septimi,

Gadis mecum aditure

et Cantabrum indoctum iuga nostra ferre

et Syrtis barbaras,

ubi unda Maura semper aestuat:

utinam Tibur colono Argeo positum sedes senectae meae sit,

modus lasso maris et viarum militiaeque sit.

unde

si Parcae iniquae prohibent,

dulce flumen Galaesi ovibus pellitis

et petam rura Laconi Phalantho regnata.

ille angulus terrarum mihi praeter omnis ridet,

ubi mella Hymetto non decedunt,

bacaque Venafro viridi certat,

ver longum ubi Iuppiter brumasque tepidas praebet

et Aulon amicus Baccho minimum uvis Falernis invidet;

ille locus te mecum

et arces beatae postulant:

ibi tu favillam calentem vatis amici lacrima debita sparges. 

commentarii: http://www.horatius.ru/index.xps?2.1.206

original:

Septimi, Gadis aditure mecum et
Cantabrum indoctum iuga ferre nostra et
barbaras Syrtis, ubi Maura semper
     aestuat unda,

Tibur Argeo positum colono               5
sit meae sedes utinam senectae,
sit modus lasso maris et uiarum
     militiaeque.

Vnde si Parcae prohibent iniquae,
dulce pellitis ouibus Galaesi               10
flumen et regnata petam Laconi
     rura Phalantho.

Ille terrarum mihi praeter omnis
angulus ridet, ubi non Hymetto
mella decedunt uiridique certat               15
     baca Venafro,

uer ubi longum tepidasque praebet
Iuppiter brumas et amicus Aulon
fertili Baccho minimum Falernis
     inuidet uuis.               20

Ille te mecum locus et beatae
postulant arces; ibi tu calentem
debita sparges lacrima fauillam
     uatis amici.