Vita rustica et vita urbana

The sights, sounds and seasons of the countryside

Ovid tries to distract a smitten lover with the delights of the countryside.

aspice curvatos pomorum pondere ramos,

ut sua, quod peperit, vix ferat arbor onus;

aspice labentes iucundo murmure rivos;

aspice tondentes fertile gramen oves.

ecce, petunt rupes praeruptaque saxa capellae: 5

iam referent haedis ubera plena suis;

pastor inaequali modulatur harundine carmen,

nec desunt comites, sedula turba, canes;

parte sonant alia silvae mugitibus altae,

et queritur vitulum mater abesse suum. 10

poma dat autumnus: formosa est messibus aestas:

ver praebet flores: igne levatur hiems.

temporibus certis maturam rusticus uvam

deligit, et nudo sub pede musta fluunt;

Ovid, remedia amoris, 175-85, 187-90

1

Translation

See the branches bowed with the weight of apples,so the tree hardly bears the weight it carries.See the flowing streams with happy murmurs:see the sheep grazing on the fertile grass.Behold, the goats seek the rocks and steep boulders:soon they’ll bring back full udders for their kids:The shepherd blows a melody on his reed pipes,no lack of dogs for company, a watchful crowd.Lowing sounds from another part of the high wood,and a mother complains the loss of her calf.Autumn gives its apples: summer is lovely with harvest:spring offers flowers: winter’s eased with fire.The farmer picks ripe grapes at the right time,and the juice flows under his bare feet.

2

A country spring

Horace immortalises a beautiful spring on his estate

O fons Bandusiae splendidior vitro,

dulci digne mero non sine floribus,

cras donaberis haedo,

cui frons turgida cornibus

primis et venerem et proelia destinat;

frustra: nam gelidos inficiet tibi

rubro sanguine rivos

lascivi suboles gregis.

te flagrantis atrox hora Caniculae

nescit tangere, tu frigus amabile 10

fessis vomere tauris

praebes et pecori vago.

fies nobilium tu quoque fontium

me dicente cavis inpositam ilicem

saxis, unde loquaces

lymphae desiliunt tuae.

Horace, Odes III.13

Translation

O Bandusian spring, brighter than glass,

worthy of sweet wine, and not without flowers,

tomorrow you will be honoured

with a kid, whose brow, budding

3

with his first horns, destins him for love and battles.

All in vain: since this child of the playful herd will

Stain your ice-cool waters,

with his crimson blood.

The fierce hour of the blazing dog-star

knows no way to touch you; you offer your lovely

coolness to bulls worn-out by ploughing,

and to the wandering flock.

And you too will become one of the famous fountains,

now that I write of the holm oak placed above your hollow

rocks. From where your

babbling waters leap down.

4

The town mouse and the country mouse

A cautionary tale against the extravagance of town life

The town mouse tries to entertain his fussy guest

'olim 80

rusticus urbanum murem mus paupere fertur

accepisse cavo, veterem vetus hospes amicum,

asper et attentus quaesitis, ut tamen artum

solveret hospitiis animum. quid multa? neque ille

sepositi ciceris nec longae invidit avenae, 85

aridum et ore ferens acinum semesaque lardi

frusta dedit, cupiens varia fastidia cena

vincere tangentis male singula dente superbo,

cum pater ipse domus palea porrectus in horna

esset ador loliumque, dapis meliora relinquens. 90

5

But his guest has another suggestion

tandem urbanus ad hunc "quid te iuvat" inquit, "amice,

praerupti nemoris patientem vivere dorso?

vis tu homines urbemque feris praeponere silvis?

carpe viam, mihi crede, comes, terrestria quando

mortalis animas vivunt sortita neque ulla est 95

aut magno aut parvo leti fuga: quo, bone, circa,

dum licet, in rebus iucundis vive beatus,

vive memor, quam sis aevi brevis." haec ubi dicta

agrestem pepulere, domo levis exsilit; inde

ambo propositum peragunt iter, urbis aventes 100

moenia nocturni subrepere.

City life is good...

iamque tenebat

nox medium caeli spatium, cum ponit uterque

in locuplete domo vestigia, rubro ubi cocco

tincta super lectos canderet vestis eburnos

multaque de magna superessent fercula cena, 105

quae procul exstructis inerant hesterna canistris.

ergo ubi purpurea porrectum in veste locavit

agrestem, veluti succinctus cursitat hospes

continuatque dapes nec non verniliter ipsis

fungitur officiis, praelambens omne quod adfert. 110

6

...Until...

ille cubans gaudet mutata sorte bonisque

rebus agit laetum convivam, cum subito ingens

valvarum strepitus lectis excussit utrumque.

currere per totum pavidi conclave magisque

exanimes trepidare, simul domus alta Molossis 115

personuit canibus. tum rusticus: "haud mihi vita

est opus hac" ait et "valeas: me silva cavusque

tutus ab insidiis tenui solabitur ervo."'

Horace Satires II.6 79-117

7

Translation

It is said that once a country mouse welcomed a town mouseTo his humble hole, an old host and his the guest and the host were old friends:He lived frugally, and was careful, but his spiritWas still open to the art of being hospitable.In short, he never grudged vetch or oats from his store,And he’d bring raisins or pieces of nibbled baconIn his mouth, eager by varying the fare to pleaseHis guest, whose fastidious tooth barely sampled it.At last the town mouse asks: ‘Where’s the pleasure, my friend,In barely surviving, in this glade on a steep ridge?Wouldn’t you prefer the crowded city to these wild woods?Come with me, I mean it. Since all terrestrial creaturesAre mortal, and there’s no escape from death for greatOr small, then live happily, good friend, while you maySurrounded by joyful things: mindful while you liveHow brief existence is.’ His words stirred the country mouse,Who scrambled lightly from his house: then the twoTook their way together as proposed, eager to scurryBeneath the city walls in darkness. And now nightOccupied the zenith, as the pair of them made tracksThrough a wealthy house, where covers dyed scarletGlowed on ivory couches, and baskets piled nearbyHeld the remains of all the courses of a magnificentFeast, that had been celebrated the previous evening.Once the town mouse had seated the country mouseAmongst the purple, he rushed about like a waiter,The host serving course after course, performing the roleHimself, and not unlike a slave first tasting what he served.The country-mouse at ease enjoyed the change of style,Playing the contented guest amongst all the good things,When suddenly a great crashing of doors, shakes themFrom their places. They run through the hall in fear, strickenBy greater panic when the high hall rings to the barkingOf Molossian hounds. Then says the country-mouse: ‘ThisLife’s no use to me: and so, farewell: my woodland hole,And simple vetch, safe from such scares, they’ll do for me.’

8

Recipe for Happiness

vitam quae faciant beatiorem,

iucundissime Martialis, haec sunt:

res non parta labore, sed relicta;

non ingratus ager, focus perennis; 5

lis numquam, toga rara, mens quieta;

vires ingenuae, salubre corpus;

prudens simplicitas, pares amici;

convictus facilis, sine arte mensa;

nox non ebria, sed soluta curis; 10

non tristis torus, et tamen pudicus;

somnus, qui faciat breves tenebras:

quod sis, esse velis nihilque malis;

summum nec metuas diem nec optes.

Martial epigrams 10.47

9

Translation

Here are the essentials of a more blessed life,

dearest friend of Martial:

money not worked for, but inherited;

some land not unproductive; a hearth fire always going;

law suits never; the toga rarely worn; a calm mind;

a gentleman’s strong and healthy body;

circumspect candor, friends who are your equals;

relaxed dinner parties, a simple table,

nights not drunken, but free from anxieties;

a marriage bed not sad, and yet modest;

plenty of sleep to make the dark hours short.

Wish to be what you are, and prefer nothing more.

Don’t fear your last day, or hope for it either.

10

Spring and thoughts of mortality

Spring is beautiful, but in the cycle of the seasons winter will

return

Diffugere nives, redeunt iam gramina campis

arboribusque comae;

mutat terra vices et decrescentia ripas

flumina praetereunt;

Gratia cum Nymphis geminisque sororibus audet

ducere nuda choros:

inmortalia ne speres, monet annus et almum

quae rapit hora diem.

frigora mitescunt Zephyris, ver proterit aestas

interitura, simul

pomifer autumnus fruges effuderit, et mox

bruma recurrit iners.

11

But for mortals there is only one life

damna tamen celeres reparant caelestia lunae:

nos ubi decidimus

quo pius Aeneas, quo dives Tullus et Ancus,

pulvis et umbra sumus.

quis scit an adiciant hodiernae crastina summae

tempora di superi?

cuncta manus avidas fugient heredis amico

quae dederis animo.

cum semel occideris et de te, splendida, Minos

fecerit arbitria,

non, Torquate, genus, non te facundia, non te

restituet pietas;

infernis neque enim tenebris Diana pudicum

liberat Hippolytum

nec Lethaea valet Theseus abrumpere caro

vincula Pirithoo.

Horace Odes 4.7

12

Translation

Fallen away the snows; to the fields now grass returns And leaves to the trees;The earth goes through its changes, and to within its banks withdrawing The once-swollen river flows past;

Daring Grace, with the Nymphs and her twin sisters, shuns clothes To lead a choral dance.Do not hope for immortality warns the passing year and the hour Which hounds and hastens the fresh-born day.

Chill winter’s becalmed; spring will be trampled by summer And summer itself to be pummelled prepares As fruit-bearing autumn pours forth, and soon Winter stands back inert.

Yet how quickly new moons repair waning heavens! We, when we sink down To where dutiful Aeneas, to where rich Tullus and Ancus are Dust and shadows are we.

Who knows whether the gods above will add time tomorrowTo our sum today?Only those things you give to your own kind soul, Torquatus, Will escape the hands of a greedy heir.

For when once you are dead and Minos his judgementAbout you has givenNot you your family, not you your eloquence, nor you yourPiety they will restore;

Not even Diana from the underworld darkChaste Hippolytus frees,Nor can strong Theseus from dearest Pirithous breakThe Lethean chains.

13