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soul: By snow…bound Tanais and the icy north; Far steppes to frost
Rhipaean forever wed; Alone he wandered; lost Eurydice Lamenting; and
the gifts of Dis ungiven。 Scorned by which tribute the Ciconian dames;
Amid their awful Bacchanalian rites And midnight revellings; tore him
limb from limb; And strewed his fragments over the wide fields。 Then too;
even then; what time the Hebrus stream; Oeagrian Hebrus; down mid…
current rolled; Rent from the marble neck; his drifting head; The death…
chilled tongue found yet a voice to cry 'Eurydice! ah! poor Eurydice!' With
parting breath he called her; and the banks From the broad stream caught
up 'Eurydice!'〃 So Proteus ending plunged into the deep; And; where he
plunged; beneath the eddying whirl Churned into foam the water; and was
gone; But not Cyrene; who unquestioned thus Bespake the trembling
listener: 〃Nay; my son; From that sad bosom thou mayst banish care:
Hence came that plague of sickness; hence the nymphs; With whom in the
tall woods the dance she wove; Wrought on thy bees; alas! this deadly
bane。 Bend thou before the Dell…nymphs; gracious powers: Bring gifts;
and sue for pardon: they will grant Peace to thine asking; and an end of
wrath。 But how to approach them will I first unfold… Four chosen bulls of
peerless form and bulk; That browse to…day the green Lycaean heights;
Pick from thy herds; as many kine to match; Whose necks the yoke
pressed never: then for these Build up four altars by the lofty fanes; And
from their throats let gush the victims' blood; And in the greenwood leave
their bodies lone。 Then; when the ninth dawn hath displayed its beams; To
Orpheus shalt thou send his funeral dues; Poppies of Lethe; and let slay a
sheep Coal…black; then seek the grove again; and soon For pardon found
adore Eurydice With a slain calf for victim。〃
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29BC THE GEORGICS
No delay: The self…same hour he hies him forth to do His mother's bidding:
to the shrine he came; The appointed altars reared; and thither led Four
chosen bulls of peerless form and bulk; With kine to match; that never
yoke had known; Then; when the ninth dawn had led in the day; To
Orpheus sent his funeral dues; and sought The grove once more。 But
sudden; strange to tell A portent they espy: through the oxen's flesh;
Waxed soft in dissolution; hark! there hum Bees from the belly; the rent
ribs overboil In endless clouds they spread them; till at last On yon tree…
top together fused they cling; And drop their cluster from the bending
boughs。 So sang I of the tilth of furrowed fields; Of flocks and trees;
while Caesar's majesty Launched forth the levin…bolts of war by deep
Euphrates; and bare rule o'er willing folk Though vanquished; and essayed
the heights of heaven。 I Virgil then; of sweet Parthenope The nursling;
wooed the flowery walks of peace Inglorious; who erst trilled for
shepherd…wights The wanton ditty; and sang in saucy youth Thee; Tityrus;
'neath the spreading beech tree's shade。
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