Stanza I. 1, 2. Best are those times of life which flourish first, when the veins swell with hotter blood.-3, 4. But years fly away, and former excellence (virtus) does not remain; and a worse and worse period (dies) comes on. Cf. Exercise XXVIII. 6, note. Stanza II. 1, 2. Be therefore complaisant1 (facilis), whilst time may be retrieved (reparabilis). Marry, whilst you may, each of you her swain (juvenis). See Exercise II. Stanza 1. 2.— 3, 4. For as soon as your prime (Veneris matura ætas) has fled away (fut. perf.), the hour will ever be bringing for you fresh delays. EXERCISE LXXXVI. (Sir W. Scott). Why sitt'st thou by that ruin'd hall, "Know'st thou not me?”—the deep Voice cried "So long enjoy'd, so oft misused— “Alternate, in thy fickle pride, "Desired, neglected, and accused?" Stanza 1. 1, 2. Why does it delight thee to sit (Poet. Orn. y) here amid the fallen columns, thou grim old man, remarkable for thy hoary locks P-3, 4. Is it thy pleasure (an-ne placet) to recall the former fame of the mansion ? or dost thou reflect (reputo) in what manner its glory has passed away (sit resolutus)? Stanza II. 1, 2. "I [am] he, if thou know'st it not,”—with awful voice in-turn he said, "whom having often enjoyed thou so often wastest."-3, 4. "Who am-called alternately (alternis) accused, according as (quò) empty pride leads thee, who [am called] an object-of-desire or an-object-of-ridicule.”—“ vocor,” in line 4.-"alternis," i. e. vicibus, understood. 1 Cf. Virg. Ecl. iii. 9, "faciles Nymphæ risere." EXERCISE LXXXVII. (same continued). "Before my breath, like blazing flax, "Redeem mine hours-the space is brief- "When Time and thou shalt part for ever!" Stanza I. 1, 2. When I breathe (abl. abs.) men and men's labours pass-away, just as when (qualis ubi) tow perishes burnt by the flames.-3, 4. Empires wax (augeor), liable-to (obnoxius) varying destinies, or decrease, or stand, or fall, with equal alternation (Aids 111.). Stanza II. 1, 2. Thou must use thy time: a short hour is left (superstes) for thee, whilst the light sand trembles in its glassy prison.-3, 4. Thy lot will be fixed (stabit) for eternity— if only (modo) Time shall pass away (fugerit) :-Whether hours of happiness (læta tempora), or grief, await thee. EXERCISE LXXXVIII. (T. Campbell). His coming to discover: And he look'd up to Ellen's bower, And she look'd on her lover : But, ah! so pale, he knew her not, 5 Though her smile on him was dwelling:- 10 "And am I then forgot-forgot?" It broke the heart of Ellen. In vain he weeps, in vain he sighs; Her cheek is cold as ashes; Nor Love's own kiss shall wake those eyes, 15 1, 2. The chief had seen the maiden languishing with an untimely death; and grief touched the father's (adj.) heart. Poet. Orn. a.- -3, 4. "The boy who once fled an exile from his native shore, him I will bring back," he cries, "and restore as her suitor."-5, 6. The hours pass by; and she quits not her window, to see, if perchance, she, a lover, can descry (si forte cernat) her lover's coming.-7, 8. Again the youth is there: again he looks-up-to the accustomed chamber (pl.), and she looks-down-on her returned (redux) lover.-9, 10. She-looksdown-on-him; but paleness had robbed Ellen of her beauty (deformem fecerat); and the youth knows her not, although she smiles.-11, 12. "Alas, me!" she cries, heart-broken (exanimatus) by her extreme sorrow, "Can he be forgetful, forgetful of me?" 13, 14. Nought avail the youth his tears, nought now his sighs; the maiden's cheeks grew-cold (dirigeo), like ashes.-15, 16. But her tender eyes neither1 loving kisses again shall unseal (solvo), nor shall Love himself open them when closed. With the use of "si," in line 6, compare Virg. Æn. vi. 78, "Bacchatur vates, magnum si pectore possit Excussisse deum." It is like a πws in Greek. Observe the juxtaposition of " amantis amans ;" and the repetition of "despicit," in line 9. EXERCISE LXXXIX. (Psalm cxxxvii.), 1. By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept when we remembered Sion. 2. We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. 3. For there they that carried us away captive re 1 Cf. Ov. Her. xi. 69, "precantia verba" (i. e. precantis): Her. xix. 25; xx. 33: A. A. i. 371; iii. 743. Virgil, Æ. vi. 110. quired of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Sion. 4. How shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land? N.B. In translating passages of this kind considerable freedom is allowed. This Exercise and the six following ones are given as specimens of expansion, or free translation. Exercises CVIII-CXI. Cf. Verse 1. (four lines). We wept, alas! as-we-sat (part.) hard by (subter) the houses of Babylon (adj.), where many a river was flowing (eo) with clear waters. || We wept, when (ut) the image of Sion came into our mind, and the ne'er to-be-beheld fields of our native soil. Verse 2. (two lines). Our lute hung (imperf.) voiceless (mutus) upon (super) the green boughs, and the willows supported our silent lyres. Verse 3. (four lines). For (quippe) he who led us far from our fatherland to his dreary coasts, bids us chant (verba referre) to-the-music-of (ad) our native strains. || Aye, and (nec minus) the spoiler of rich Solyma requires, forsooth (Aids VII. 7), joyful songs in the midst of our misfortunes (malum). Verse 4. (two lines). And shall it be then (ergo erit ut, with subj.) that a stranger (hospita) region [hear] divine songs, or a heathen (profanus) land hear a sacred melody? See Aids vII. 2, and Poet. Orn. e. EXERCISE XC. Day, like our souls, is fiercely dark :— We sleep no more: the cock crows-hark! To arms! away! Come they from Scythian wilds afar, Our blood to spill? Wear they the livery of Czar? They do his will. 5 1, 2. Day like (pariter-pariter) our mind is oppressed (laboro) with darkness: e'en now the dawning, and yet not risen, day (prima, nec tamen orta) is-shining.-3, 4. Haste we (Aids VII. 5) together to arms, sleep being shaken off. Hark how the bird that ushers in the light (lucis auctor. See Propert. El. iv. 3. 32) is-singing.-5, 6. Does that band draw-near leaving the steppes of Scythia (campi Scythici), forsooth, that it may dye the ground with our blood ?-7, 8. Does it wear (gero) both Cæsar's livery (cultus, pl.) and Cæsar's arms ?-Each in his own rank does what he commands. Observe line 2. It is a useful one to remember. EXERCISE XCI. (same continued). No splendour gilds, all sternly met, Our foot and horse: But dark and still we inly glow, Condensed in ire. Strike, Russ, and thou shalt know, 5 1, 2. Splendour [gilds] not our infantry, it gilds not our horsemen,-hearts (pectora) joined by faith that-has-not-beenforsworn (imperjuratus).—3, 4. But still our souls (præcordia) glow with hidden flames; anger and rage together closely bind (vinclis ligo) our hearts.-5, 6. Strike, Russians (Sārmătĭcus); ye shall learn this fact (illud) too late (seriùs); a living (vividus) flame lies-hid beneath a gloomy countenance. Observe the Apposition in line 2. EXERCISE XCII. (Hemans). A wail was heard around the bed, the death-bed of the young: Amidst her tears a funeral chant a mournful mother sung: "Ianthis, dost thou sleep?-thou sleep'st,-but this is not the rest, "The breathing and the rosy calm, I pillow'd on my breast. |