Pharsalia: Lines 53-66
I’ve started in earnest a translation of the Pharsalia and an accompanying set of Latin readers. As I finish sections, I will post them for the benefit of others. If you enjoy this sort of thing, please consider sponsoring my work by becoming a paid subscriber. If you enjoy this sort of epic poetry, you might check out this version of John Brown’s Body, an epic poem about the American Civil War, which I edited and released some time ago. If the rigor of the Latin is a bit too much, you might check out the this set of Latin readers for the Aeneid which I’ve published.
sed neque in Arctoo sedem tibi legeris orbe
nec polus auersi calidus qua uergitur Austri,
unde tuam uideas obliquo sidere Romam. 55
aetheris inmensi partem si presseris unam,
sentiet axis onus. librati pondera caeli
orbe tene medio; pars aetheris illa sereni
tota uacet nullaeque obstent a Caesare nubes.
tum genus humanum positis sibi consulat armis 60
inque uicem gens omnis amet; pax missa per orbem
ferrea belligeri conpescat limina Iani.
sed mihi iam numen; nec, si te pectore uates
accipio, Cirrhaea uelim secreta mouentem
sollicitare deum Bacchumque auertere Nysa: 65
tu satis ad uires Romana in carmina dandas.
Accipiō, ere, accēpī, acceptus- to receive, accept
Aethēr, aetheris, m.- upper air, sky
Amō, āre, āvī, ātus- to love
Arctōus, a, um- northern, Arctic
Arma, armōrum, n. pl.- arms, weapons
Auster, Austrī, m.- south wind, south
Avertō, ere, avertī, aversus- to turn away, divert
Axis, axis, m.- axis, sky, heavens
Caesar, Caesaris, m.- Caesar
Carmen, carminis, n.- song, poem
Cirrhaeus, a, um- of Cirrha (Delphic, Apollo)
Cōnsulō, ere, cōnsuluī, cōnsultus- to consult, consider
Dō, dāre, dēdī, dātus- to give
Ferreus, a, um- iron, cruel, unyielding
Gēns, gentis, f.- nation, race
Genus, generis, n.- race, kind, family
Hūmānus, a, um- human
Iānus, ī, m.- Janus (god); gate
Immēnsus, a, um- immense, boundless
Librātus, a, um- balanced
Līmen, līminis, n.- threshold, doorway
Medius, a, um- middle, central
Mittō, ere, mīsī, missus- to send
Mōveō, ēre, mōvī, mōtus- to move
Nūbēs, nūbis, f.- cloud
Nūmen, nūminis, n.- divine power, deity
Nȳsa, ae, f.- Nysa (mythical place of Bacchus)
Obstō, āre, stetī, status- to obstruct, stand in the way
Onus, oneris, n.- burden, weight
Orbis, orbis, m.- world, circle
Pāx, pācis, f.- peace
Polus, -ī, m.- pole, sky
Pondus, ponderis, n.- weight, burden
Premō, ere, pressī, pressus- to press, burden
Rōma, -ae, f.- Rome
Rōmānus, a, um- Roman
Satis (indecl.)- enough, sufficiently
Sēcrētum, ī, n.- secret place, retreat
Sēdēs, sēdis, f.- seat, region
Sērēnus, a, um- clear, calm
Sīdus, sīderis, n.- star, constellation
Sollīcitō, āre, āvī, ātus- to disturb, agitate
Teneō, ēre, tenuī, tentus- to hold, keep
Vacō, āre, āvī, ātus- to be empty, free from
Vātēs, vātis, c.- prophet, poet
Vīcis, is, f.- turn, succession, change
Vīs, vīs, f.- strength, power
Translation
But you will select for yourself a seat neither in the Artic circle nor where the hot pole of the hostile south wind lies, but one from which you will see your Rome from your slanting star. If you press hard one part of the immense heavens, the sky will feel the weight. Hold the weights of the balanced heaven in the middle of the world; let that whole part of calm heaven be empty and no clouds stand before Caesar. Then the human race will consult itself after its arms have been laid down and each race will love each in turn; let peace, sent through the world, shut the cruel doors of bellicose Janus. But to me you already are a god; and if I a poet receive you in my breast, I do not want to consult the god Bacchus, who moves the secret things of Cirrha, and disturb Nysa: you are enough to provide power in Roman songs.