Liber II (MMXXIII-MMXXIV)

​Carmina Instagraminea

Capitula
II.I Felem Felis
II.II Feles et Femina
II.III Votis Inanibus
II.IV Dictamnum
II.V Cata Laete
II.VI Mechanicae Pecudes

A brown cat plays hide and seek with a gray and white cat, who is hiding behind a framed poster of an eagle, until the gray and white cat runs away and the brown cat chases her.

II.I Felem Felis

1.  Quem tu, felis, uti vallis in altera
2.  visum parte canem graminis immemor,
3. novisti, fugies, dulcis amiculus
4. ludos pollicitus iocis.


Translation:
 
He, a sweet little buddy, whom you will flee, forgetful of your field, oh cat, as if you recognized a dog, seen in another part of the valley, promises games with jokes.

 
Scansion:

  1. [Quēm tū, fē][lĭs, ŭtī] || [vāllĭs ĭn] [āltĕrā]

  2. [vīsūm pār][tĕ cănēm] || [grāmĭnĭs] [īmmĕmōr,]

  3. [nōvīstī,] [fŭgĭēs,] || [dūlcĭs ă][mīcŭlŭs]

  4. [lūdōs] [pōllĭcĭtūs] [iŏcīs.]

This cento uses Horace Carmina/Odes 1.15 lines 29-32.

Original (from thelatinlibrary.com):

quem tu, cervus uti vallis in altera
visum parte lupum graminis inmemor,
sublimi fugies mollis anhelitu,
     non hoc pollicitus tuae.

My translation of the original Latin:
​
You will flee him, as a deer, forgetful of grass, when a wolf was seen in another part of the valley, weak with exalted panting, not in this way did you make a promise your woman.

II.II Feles et Femina

  1. Feles prosiliens prensus ab strato leve

  2. cum fugere vellet, “Parce quaeso” inquit “mihi

  3. femina micantes graminosos mellea

  4. mandavit illa capere emittens musculos!”


Translation

A leaping cat, caught by a light blanket,
since he wanted to flee, said, “Please spare me;
that honey-sweet woman has mandated that I
seize the flashing little catnip-filled mice she is throwing!” 

Scansion

  1. [Fēlēs] [prōsĭ][lĭēns] [prēnsŭs] [āb strā][tō lĕvĕ]

  2. [cūm fŭgĕ][rĕ vēl][lēt, “Pār][cĕ quāē][so” īnquīt] [“mĭhĭ]

  3. [fēmĭnă] [mĭcān][tēs grā][mĭnō][sōs mēl]lĕă]

  4. [māndā][vĭt īl][lă căpĕ][re ēmīt][tēns mūs][cŭlōs!”]

This cento uses Phaedrus Fables 1.22 "Mustela et Homo", lines 1-4.

​Original (from thelatinlibrary.com):
​
Mustela ab homine prensa, cum instantem necem
effugere vellet, 'Parce, quaeso', inquit 'mihi,
quae tibi molestis muribus purgo domum'.
Respondit ille 'Faceres si causa mea,

My translation of the original Latin:
​
A weasel having been caught by a man, when he was wanting to escape imminent death, said, “please spare me, who cleans the house of annoying mice for you.”  The man replied, “If you were doing it for my sake…”

II.III Votis Inanibus

  1. Dumque peti vidit pueros tot ab hostibus absens

  2. palluit et rogitare deos sine sanguine coepit;

  3. reddita inanibus per se cogitat omina votis;

  4. grana inarata manu non culta ut gramina dixit.


Translation
And while the absent one watched the children be attacked by such enemies, they paled and began to keep asking the gods without blood; with empty vows they consider the omens delivered, by their own account; they spoke of seeds planted by hand, not cultivated, as if they were lush grass. 

Scansion

  1. [Dūmquĕ pĕt][ī vī][dīt pŭĕ][rōs tŏt ăb] [hōstĭbŭs] [ābsēns]

  2. [pāllŭĭt] [ēt rŏgĭt][ārĕ dĕ][ōs sĭnĕ] [sānguĭnĕ] [cōēpīt;]

  3. [rēddĭta ĭn][ānĭbŭs] [pēr sē] [cōgĭtăt] [ōmĭnă] [vōtīs;]

  4. [grāna ĭnă][rātă mă][nū nōn] [cūlta ūt] [grāmĭnă] [dīxīt.]


This cento uses Ovid’s Metamorphoses Book 7 lines 135-8.

​Original (from thelatinlibrary.com):
​
utque peti vidit iuvenem tot ab hostibus unum,                135
palluit et subito sine sanguine frigida sedit,
neve parum valeant a se data gramina, carmen
auxiliare canit secretasque advocat artes.

My translation of the original Latin:
​
And as she saw the one youth be attacked by such enemies, she paled, and, all at once, frozen, without blood, she sank.  So that the plants given by her would be not a little strong, she sings a song to help and calls forward secret skills.

II.IV Dictamnum

  1. O Venus, indigno proles defende dolore.

  2. Dictamnum genetrix ut nati carpat adoro.

  3. Quae pueros mater pavidos non sentit adoptans?

  4. Prolibus educ omnibus intutis quasi vestris

  5. gramina capris cognita cum curis generosis.


​Translation
Oh Venus, defend the youth from cruel pain.  I beseech that the mother of a child pluck the dittany.  What mother does not sense fearful children, adopting them?  Lead out the plants known to the goats, for all unsafe youth, as if they were your own, with noble-minded care.

Scansion

  1. [Ō Vĕnŭs,] [īndīg][nō prō][lēs dē][fēndĕ dŏ][lōrĕ.]

  2. [Dīctām][nūm gĕnĕt][rīx ūt] [nātī] [cārpăt] [ădōrō.]

  3. [Quāē pŭĕ][rōs mā][tēr păvĭ][dōs nōn] [sēntĭt ăd][ōptāns?]

  4. [Prōlĭbŭs] [ēdūc] [ōmnĭbŭs] [īntū][tīs quăsĭ] [vēstrīs]

  5. [grāmĭnă] [cāprīs] [cōgnĭtă] [cūm cū][rīs gĕnĕ][rōsīs.]


This cento uses Vergil’s Aeneid Book 12 lines 411-5

​Original (from thelatinlibrary.com):
​
Hic Venus indigno nati concussa dolore
dictamnum genetrix Cretaea carpit ab Ida,
puberibus caulem foliis et flore comantem
purpureo; non illa feris incognita capris
gramina, cum tergo volucres haesere sagittae.               415

My translation of the original Latin:
​
Here, mother Venus, shaken by her child’s cruel pain, plucked dittany from Cretan Ida, a stalk with adult leaves and crowned with a purple flower; that plant not unknown by goats, when flying arrows stick in their backside.

II.V Cata Laete

  1. Sic laudamus acumina versus atque poetae

  2. fervet et exultat quae versutos numerosos

  3. carmina centonesque colit de gramine varo;

  4. clara fuga ante alios et prima ruit cata laete.


Translation
Thus do we praise the tricks and verses of a poet
who excites and exults clever measured
centos and who cultivates songs from a varied field;
her flight is clearly ahead of the others and, a cunning first, she rushes happily.

Scansion

  1. [Sīc lāū][dāmŭs ă][cūmĭnă] [vērsūs] [ātquĕ pŏ][ētāē]

  2. [fērvĕt ĕt] [ēxūl][tāt quāē] [vērsū][tōs nŭmĕ][rōsōs]

  3. [cārmĭnă] [cēntō][nēsquĕ cŏ][līt dē] [grāmĭnĕ] [vārō;]

  4. [clāră fŭ][ga ānte ălĭ][ōs ēt] [prīmă rŭ][īt cătă] [lāētē.]


This cento uses ​Juvenal’s Satires 8.56-63

Original (from thelatinlibrary.com):

sic laudamus equum, facili cui plurima palma
feruet et exultat rauco uictoria circo;
nobilis hic, quocumque uenit de gramine, cuius               60
clara fuga ante alios et primus in aequore puluis.

My translation of the original Latin:
​
Thus do we praise a horse for whom, because of an easy first-place palm, many a victory excites and exults in a screaming racetrack; this is the noble one, from whichever grassy field he may come, his flight is clearly ahead of the others, and he is first on the field of dust.

Shoutouts to Horace and Ovid:

  • acumina: cf. acumina Horace Epistles 1.17 line 55

  • versutos: cf. versuta Ovid Amores 2.19 line 9

  • varo and ruit: cf. Horace Satires 2.3 lines 56 and 57

  • cata laete: cf. catellam Horace Epistles 1.17 line 55 (this one is a bit loose, but the sound of “cata laete” is reminiscent of the sound of “catellam”); cf. laedat Ovid Amores 2.19 line 8 (again, a bit loose, but the sound of “laete” is reminiscent of the sound of “laedat”); cf. catus Horace Odes 3.12 line 10

II.VI Mechanicae Pecudes

  1. Saepe itaque ex uno tractantes gramina capso

  2. mechanicae pecudes et acutae quadraque proles

  3. buceriae gregis assimulantis sub manufacto

  4. caelo tesserulis stant balantesque bovantes.


Translation
Often thus, yanking grass from one enclosure,
the mechanical and pointy and ox-horned herds
and the square offspring of a counterfeit flock
stand under a sky handmade with little squares, bleating and bellowing.

Scansion

  1. [Sāēpe ĭtă][que ēx ū][nō trāc][tāntēs] [grāmĭnă] [cāpsō]

  2. [mēchănĭ][cāē pĕcŭ][dēs ĕt ă][cūtāē] [quādrăquĕ] [prōlēs]

  3. [būcĕrĭ][āē grĕgĭs] [āssĭmŭ][lāntīs] [sūb mănŭ][fāctō]

  4. [cāēlō] [tēssĕrŭ][līs stānt] [bālān][tēsquĕ bŏ][vāntēs.]

This cento uses Lucretius' De Rerum Naturae Book 2 lines 660-3 .

​Original (from thelatinlibrary.com):
​
Saepe itaque ex uno tondentes gramina campo               660
lanigerae pecudes et equorum duellica proles
buceriaeque greges eodem sub tegmine caeli
ex unoque sitim sedantes flumine aquai

​My translation of the original Latin:
​
Often thus are woolly herds clipping grass from one field alongside the warlike offspring of horses and ox-horned flocks, under the same covering of the sky, sating their thirst for water from one river…