Carmina non possunt (fragment)

"Carmina non possunt; non addit cantus acervis
aurum," talia grex nescius iste putet
Maestorum qui non...

"Songs can do nothing; songs cannot
to piles of gold coin add." Such let th'ignorant
throng of sorrowful...

To Catullus (in progress)

Languebant digiti, stilus et squalore latebat,
Pauper eram, volui vivere nequitiis.
Otium idem quod tum proceres temptabat et urbes
me quoque tum tempat: vera, Catulle, mihi
(heu!) tua carmina sunt. Fuerat tibi Lesbia causa
nequitiae, sed erat Nequitia ipsa mihi!
At victus quarendus erat, fama alta petenda
Tum interior Vox ait, "tolle, poeta, lyram
aut elegos tu scribe canoros: Dulcia possunt
Laetitias maestis carmina ferre animis."

My fingers lay in disuse,
my pen in squalor skulked
I wished a feckless life to live!

Ease, that kings and cities
ruled, ruled me and proved
Catullus' lauded fifty true!

O, Catullus, Lesbia proved
to be your idleness' cause.
But mine was Idleness herself!

But a man must earn his bread
and high fame must be sought.
and an Inner voice now said, "poet

lift your lyre, or else
write tuneful elegies.
Sweet song a mournful heart can soothe."

Astronaut's Love Song (Version 1)

Me tetigit caeli in celsis Amor ipse sagitta
terrarum quamvis orbe procul fugerem!
Non inter sparsas valui iam nare planetas
nauta nec intrepidus caeco habitare polo!
Has demum terras, haec tandem litora adeptus
quis via fulgebat tum facibus posui
miram sidereos galeam vestemque calores
amitto arcentes; nudus et orbus amo!

Love has struck me, while amidst heaven's heights
with his arrow, Love himself,
though I ran far from the inhabited world.
No longer could I swim amongst the scattered planets
Nor, bold astronaut though I was, live in the blind heights of heaven.
Finally touched down on this earth, finally on these shores,
I put aside the torches by which my way was then lit,
I put away my miraculous helm and garb,
the ones which fended off the star's bright heat,
And, nude and destitute, I am in love.

Astronaut's Love Song
(componenda membra - fragments having-to-be-put-together)

Me tetigit caeli in celsis Amor ipse sagitta
terrarum quamvis orbe procul fugerem!
Et cecidi, nondum cupiebam nare planetas
nauta inter sparsas

***

has demum terras, haec tandem litora adeptus
quis via fulgebat tum facibus posui,
miram sidereos vestem galeamque calores
amitto arcentes, et mihi ridet Amor!*

*tibicen (temporary support)

Love has struck me, amidst the heights of heaven
with his arrow, yes, Love himself,
though I was fleeing far from earth.
And I fell, no longer did I want to swim
amidst the planets, an astronaut,

***
having at last touched down on this land, these shores
I put aside the torches with which my way was lit
I put aside my miraculous helmet and garments
the ones which warded off the star's bright heat.

O Virides Montes (elegiac couplet)

O Virides Montes (Heliconia cedite lustra
(1)
Musis sacra novem); vos, iuga mira, cano!
(2)
Musis sacra novem); vos, nemora alta, cano!

Vermont! (give way, Heliconian haunts
sacred to the Muses nine), your marvels
groves are the subject of my song!

Gyrantem amplexu (elegiac couplet)

Gyrantem amplexu plena saltantium in aula

gyrans iam tenui; me tenet ipsa oculis.

I held her now in embrace
as both of us spin in place
But it's me she really holds
with her glances.

tene iterum tenso (work in progress!)

Tene iterum tenso sensi subrepere nervo?
Tune, O, rursus Amor, disticha clauda doces?


Was it you I caught, creeping surreptitiously,
your bow-string tensed?
It is you, Love, who again teach me
halting distichs??

Flesne etiam? (elegiac couplet)


Flesne etiam? Num tu lacrimas in carmina vertes?
Altera dum veniat maeste poeta, cane!


Still crying, are you? Why won't you turn your tears into song?
'til another comes, sad poet, sing!!

Iam Discessit Amor (elegiac couplets)

(A)

Iam discessit Amor, quas fixerat ante nitentes
corde faces removet; nunc gemitus remanent

Love's now left. The brands he'd planted
there before, gleaming, he removes.
Now laments remain.

(B)

Iam discessit Amor, secum fert corde remotas
taedas, nunc mixti carmine sunt gemitus

Love has left now, with him he brings
the brands, removed from my heart;
now plaints with songs are mingled.

(C)

Iam discessit Amor, secum sua corde remota
aufert tela meo; sit mea Musa dolor!

Love has left now, with him he carries off
his arrows, removed from my heart.
Let grief be now my Muse!

(D)

Iam discessit Amor; quas fixerat ante, removit
(1) corde faces tenero quod lacrimis medicor!
(2) corde faces, cordi nunc medeor lacrimis!

Love's now left. The brands he'd fixed there

(1) he's removed from my tender heart
which I now try to heal with tears.

(2) he's removed from my heart
and it's my heart I now try to heal
with tears.