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第3章

the georgics-第3章

小说: the georgics 字数: 每页4000字

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  With driving oars; when launch the fair…rigged fleet;

  Or in ripe hour to fell the forest…pine。

  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。

    Many the tasks that lightlier lend themselves

  In chilly night; or when the sun is young;

  And Dawn bedews the world。 By night 'tis best

  To reap light stubble; and parched fields by night;

  For nights the suppling moisture never fails。

  And one will sit the long late watches out

  By winter fire…light; shaping with keen blade

  The torches to a point; his wife the while;

  Her tedious labour soothing with a song;

  Speeds the shrill comb along the warp; or else

  With Vulcan's aid boils the sweet must…juice down;

  And skims with leaves the quivering cauldron's wave。

    But ruddy Ceres in mid heat is mown;

  And in mid heat the parched ears are bruised

  Upon the floor; to plough strip; strip to sow;

  Winter's the lazy time for husbandmen。

  In the cold season farmers wont to taste

  The increase of their toil; and yield themselves

  To mutual interchange of festal cheer。

  Boon winter bids them; and unbinds their cares;

  As laden keels; when now the port they touch;

  And happy sailors crown the sterns with flowers。

  Nathless then also time it is to strip

  Acorns from oaks; and berries from the bay;

  Olives; and bleeding myrtles; then to set

  Snares for the crane; and meshes for the stag;

  And hunt the long…eared hares; then pierce the doe

  With whirl of hempen…thonged Balearic sling;

  While snow lies deep; and streams are drifting ice。

    What need to tell of autumn's storms and stars;

  And wherefore men must watch; when now the day

  Grows shorter; and more soft the summer's heat?

  When Spring the rain…bringer comes rushing down;

  Or when the beards of harvest on the plain

  Bristle already; and the milky corn

  On its green stalk is swelling? Many a time;

  When now the farmer to his yellow fields

  The reaping…hind came bringing; even in act

  To lop the brittle barley stems; have I

  Seen all the windy legions clash in war

  Together; as to rend up far and wide

  The heavy corn…crop from its lowest roots;

  And toss it skyward: so might winter's flaw;

  Dark…eddying; whirl light stalks and flying straws。

    Oft too comes looming vast along the sky

  A march of waters; mustering from above;

  The clouds roll up the tempest; heaped and grim

  With angry showers: down falls the height of heaven;

  And with a great rain floods the smiling crops;

  The oxen's labour: now the dikes fill fast;

  And the void river…beds swell thunderously;

  And all the panting firths of Ocean boil。

  The Sire himself in midnight of the clouds

  Wields with red hand the levin; through all her bulk

  Earth at the hurly quakes; the beasts are fled;

  And mortal hearts of every kindred sunk

  In cowering terror; he with flaming brand

  Athos; or Rhodope; or Ceraunian crags

  Precipitates: then doubly raves the South

  With shower on blinding shower; and woods and coasts

  Wail fitfully beneath the mighty blast。

  This fearing; mark the months and Signs of heaven;

  Whither retires him Saturn's icy star;

  And through what heavenly cycles wandereth

  The glowing orb Cyllenian。 Before all

  Worship the Gods; and to great Ceres pay

  Her yearly dues upon the happy sward

  With sacrifice; anigh the utmost end

  Of winter; and when Spring begins to smile。

  Then lambs are fat; and wines are mellowest then;

  Then sleep is sweet; and dark the shadows fall

  Upon the mountains。 Let your rustic youth

  To Ceres do obeisance; one and all;

  And for her pleasure thou mix honeycombs

  With milk and the ripe wine…god; thrice for luck

  Around the young corn let the victim go;

  And all the choir; a joyful company;

  Attend it; and with shouts bid Ceres come

  To be their house…mate; and let no man dare

  Put sickle to the ripened ears until;

  With woven oak his temples chapleted;

  He foot the rugged dance and chant the lay。

    Aye; and that these things we might win to know

  By certain tokens; heats; and showers; and winds

  That bring the frost; the Sire of all himself

  Ordained what warnings in her monthly round

  The moon should give; what bodes the south wind's fall;

  What oft…repeated sights the herdsman seeing

  Should keep his cattle closer to their stalls。

  No sooner are the winds at point to rise;

  Than either Ocean's firths begin to toss

  And swell; and a dry crackling sound is heard

  Upon the heights; or one loud ferment booms

  The beach afar; and through the forest goes

  A murmur multitudinous。 By this

  Scarce can the billow spare the curved keels;

  When swift the sea…gulls from the middle main

  Come winging; and their shrieks are shoreward borne;

  When ocean…loving cormorants on dry land

  Besport them; and the hern; her marshy haunts

  Forsaking; mounts above the soaring cloud。

  Oft; too; when wind is toward; the stars thou'lt see

  From heaven shoot headlong; and through murky night

  Long trails of fire white…glistening in their wake;

  Or light chaff flit in air with fallen leaves;

  Or feathers on the wave…top float and play。

  But when from regions of the furious North

  It lightens; and when thunder fills the halls

  Of Eurus and of Zephyr; all the fields

  With brimming dikes are flooded; and at sea

  No mariner but furls his dripping sails。

  Never at unawares did shower annoy:

  Or; as it rises; the high…soaring cranes

  Flee to the vales before it; with face

  Upturned to heaven; the heifer snuffs the gale

  Through gaping nostrils; or about the meres

  Shrill…twittering flits the swallow; and the frogs

  Crouch in the mud and chant their dirge of old。

  Oft; too; the ant from out her inmost cells;

  Fretting the narrow path; her eggs conveys;

  Or the huge bow sucks moisture; or a host

  Of rooks from food returning in long line

  Clamour with jostling wings。 Now mayst thou see

  The various ocean…fowl and those that pry

  Round Asian meads within thy fresher…pools;

  Cayster; as in eager rivalry;

  About their shoulders dash the plenteous spray;

  Now duck their head beneath the wave; now r

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