Eclogue Ten

Arethusa, concede to me this final labor:

A little song is sung for my Gallus, which Lycoris herself may read;

who should refuse songs for Gallus?

Thus, when for you to flow under Sicilian tides,

bitter Doris should not intermix her waves, begin: 5

We should sing the agitated loves of Gallus,

While the snub-nose goats shear the tender thickets.

We sing not to the deaf, all the forests respond.

What groves or glades did you inhabit, Naiad girls,

when Gallus was passing away with indignant love? 10

For neither the summits of Parnassus nor of Pindus,

nor Aonian Aganippe made delay for you.

For even the laurels, even the tamarisks wept for him,

even piney Maenalus and the rocks of cold Lycaeus wept

for him as he lay alone beneath a cliff. 15

The sheep stand around; neither do we cause them to be ashamed,

neither should you be ashamed of sheep, divine poet:

and beautiful Adonis grazed sheep by the stream.

Then came the shepherd, and the tardy swine-herds,

then Menalcas came, wet from soaking the winter acorns. 20

All asked, "Whence this love for you?" Apollo came:

"Gallus, what insanity?" he asked. "Your care, Lycoris,

follows another through the snows and through the rough camps."

Silvanus came with rustic honors on his head,

his ferule flowers and great lilies shaking. 25

Pan the god of Arcadia came, whom we ourselves saw

red with crimson and vermillion elderberries.

"Will there be any limit?" he asked. "Love cares not for the like.,

Neither is Love satiated with cruel tears, nor the grass with rivers,

nor bees with clover, nor the goats with leaves." 30

Sad, he said to him, "Nevertheless you will sing, Arcadians,

this song on your hills. Only Arcadians are skilled to sing.

O, how gently would my bones rest for me,

if at some time your pipe should sing of my loves!

And if only I were one of you and yours, 35

a guardian of the flock or a vine-dresser of mature grapes!

Certainly whether Phyllis or Amyntas were for me my passion,

or whoever (what then, if Amyntas is dark?

The violets and the blueberries are dark),

She would lie with me among the long willows under the vine; 40

Phyllis would pluck garlands for me; Amyntas would sing.