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