Page:The Complete Poetical Works of John Milton.djvu/378

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��LATIN POEMS

��Egrediturque frequens ad amoeni gaudia

veris

Virgineos auro cincta puella sinus. no Votum est cuique suum; votum est tamen

omnibus unum,

Ut sibi quern cupiat det Cytherea virum. Nunc quoque septena modulatur arundine

pastor,

Et sua quae jungat carmina Phyllis habet. N;i vi tii nocturno placat sua sidera cantu, Delphinasque leves ad vada summa vo-

cat, Jupiter ipse alto cum conjuge ludit Olympo.

Convocat et famulos ad sua festa Deos. Nunc etiam Satyri, cum sera crepuscula

surgunt,

Pervohtant celeri florea rura choro, 120

Sylvanusque sua cyparissi fronde revinctus,

Semicaperque Deus, semideusque caper.

Quseque sub arboribus Dryades latuere ve-

tustis

Per juga, per solos expatiantur agros. Per sata luxuriat fruticetaque Maenalius

Pan;

Vix Cybele mater, vix sibi tuta Ceres; Atque aliquam cupidus prsedatur Oreada

Faunus, Consulit in trepidos duin sibi nympha

pedes, Jamque latet, latitansque cupit male tecta

videri,

Et fugit, et fugiens pervelit ipsa capi. 130 Dii quoque non dubitant ca?lo prseponere

sylvas,

Et sua quisque sibi numina lucus habet. Et sua quisque diu sibi numina lucus habeto,

Nee vos arborea, dii, precor, ite domo. Te referant, miseris te, Jupiter, aurea ter-

ris

Ssecla ! quid ad nimbos, asperatela,redis?

Tu saltern lente rapidos age, Phcebe, jugales

Quk poles, et sensim tempora veris cant:

Brumaque productas tarc!6 ferat hispida

noctes, Ingruat et nostro serior umbra polo ! 140

��the girls go out with gold-cinctured breasts to take the pleasure of the pleasant spring. Each has a single prayer, and every one the same, that Cytherea may send her the man she loves for husband.

Now, too, the shepherd pipes on his seven reeds, and Phyllis has a song to match. The sailor hymns nightly to the stars; the dol- phins come to the surface of the waves to listen. Jove himself and his spouse make merry in Olympus, and call the subject gods to feast. And now, when the late twilight falls, fleet bands of Satyrs skim over the blossomy fields; and with them Sylvanus, cypress - crowned, half god and half goat. The Dryads who hide amid old trees now roam abroad over the ridges and the lonely fields. Through the sown boskets riots Mtenaliau Pan; mother Cybele and Ceres are scarce safe from him. Wanton Faunus makes prey of the oread. She flies with startled feet. Now she hides, but not too well, lest she might fail to be found; she flees, but even as she flees longs to be caught. The gods desert the sky for the woods of earth; each grove has its deity.

Long may each grove have its deity ! Gods, desert not, I pray, your homes amid the trees. O Jove, bring back to the wretch- ed world its golden age. Why hast thou returned to thy clouds and harsh arrow? of lightning ? At least do thou, Phoebus, curb as much as may be thy rapid team, and let the days of spring pass slowly- Let it be long ere rough winter brings us its tedious nights; let the shades fall lator than their wont about our pole !

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