Containing His Complaint and Miseries

I that with youthful heat did verses write,Must now my woes in doleful tunes indite.My work is framed by Muses torn and rude,And my sad cheeks are with true tears bedewed:For these alone no terror could affrayFrom being partners of my weary way.The art that was my young life's joy and gloryBecomes my solace now I'm old and sorry;Sorrow has filched my youth from me, the thief!My days are numbered not by time but Grief.Untimely hoary hairs cover my head,And my loose skin quakes on my flesh half dead.O happy death, that spareth sweetest years,And comes in sorrow often called with tears.Alas, how deaf is he to wretch's cries;And loath he is to close up weeping eyes;While trustless chance me with vain favours crowned,That saddest hour my life had almost drowned:Now she hath clouded her deceitful face,My spiteful days prolong their weary race.My friends, why did you count me fortunate?He that is fallen, ne'er stood in settled state.

Literally "For Old Age, unlooked for, sped by evils, has come, andGrief has bidden her years lie on me."

Heu quam praecipiti mersa profundoMens hebet et propria luce relictaTendit in externas ire tenebras,Terrenis quotiens flatibus auctaCrescit in inmensum noxia cura.Hic quondam caelo liber apertoSuetus in aetherios ire meatusCernebat rosei lumina solis,Visebat gelidae sidera lunaeEt quaecumque uagos stella recursusExercet uarios flexa per orbes,Comprensam numeris uictor habebat.Quin etiam causas unde sonoraFlamina sollicitent aequora ponti,Quis uoluat stabilem spiritus orbemVel cur hesperias sidus in undasCasurum rutilo surgat ab ortu,Quid ueris placidas temperet horas,Vt terram roseis floribus ornet,Quis dedit ut pleno fertilis annoAutumnus grauidis influat uuisRimari solitus atque latentisNaturae uarias reddere causas,Nunc iacet effeto lumine mentisEt pressus grauibus colla catenisDecliuemque gerens pondere uultumCogitur, heu, stolidam cernere terram.

Alas, how thy dull mind is headlong castIn depths of woe, where, all her light once lost,She doth to walk in utter darkness haste,While cares grow great with earthly tempests tost.He that through the opened heavens did freely run,And used to travel the celestial ways,Marking the rosy splendour of the sun,And noting Cynthia's cold and watery rays;He that did bravely comprehend in verseThe different spheres and wandering course of stars,He that was wont the causes to rehearseWhy sounding winds do with the seas make wars,What spirit moves the world's well-settled frame,And why the sun, whom forth the east doth bring,In western waves doth hide his falling flame,Searching what power tempers the pleasing SpringWhich makes the earth her rosy flowers to bear,Whose gift it is that Autumn's fruitful seasonShould with full grapes flow in a plenteous year,Telling of secret Nature every reason,Now having lost the beauty of his mindLies with his neck compassed in ponderous chains;His countenance with heavy weight declined,Him to behold the sullen earth constrains.

Tunc me discussa liquerunt nocte tenebraeLuminibusque prior rediit uigor,Vt, cum praecipiti glomerantur sidera CoroNimbosisque polus stetit imbribus,Sol latet ac nondum caelo uenientibus astris,Desuper in terram nox funditur;Hanc si Threicio Boreas emissus ab antroVerberet et clausam reseret diem,Emicat ac subito uibratus lumine PhoebusMirantes oculos radiis ferit.

Then fled the night and darkness did me leave.Mine eyes their wonted strength receive,As when swift Corus spreads the stars with cloudsAnd the clear sky a veil of tempest shroudsThe sun doth lurk, the earth receiveth night.Lacking the boon of starry light;But if fierce Boreas, sent from Thrace, make wayFor the restoring of the day,Phoebus with fresh and sudden beams doth rise,Striking with light our wondering eyes.

Quisquis composito serenus aeuoFatum sub pedibus egit superbumFortunamque tuens utramque rectusInuictum potuit tenere uultum,Non illum rabies minaeque pontiVersum funditus exagitantis aestumNec ruptis quotiens uagus caminisTorquet fumificos Vesaeuus ignesAut celsas soliti ferire turresArdentis uia fulminis mouebit.Quid tantum miseri saeuos tyrannosMirantur sine uiribus furentes?Nec speres aliquid nec extimescas,Exarmaueris impotentis iram.At quisquis trepidus pauet uel optat,Quod non sit stabilis suique iuris,Abiecit clipeum locoque motusNectit qua ualeat trahi catenam.

Who mildly can his age dispose,And at his feet proud destiny throws:Who stoutly doth each chance behold,Keeping his countenance uncontrolled:Not him the ocean's rage and threat,Stirring the waves with angry heat,Nor hot Vesuvius when he castsFrom broken hills enflaméd blasts,Nor fiery thunder can dismay,Which takes the tops of towers away.Why do fierce tyrants us affright,Whose rage is far beyond their might?For nothing hope, nor fear thou harm,So their weak wrath thou shalt disarm.But he whom hope or terror takes,Being a slave, his shield forsakes,And leaves his place, and doth provideA chain wherewith his hands are tied.

O stelliferi conditor orbisQui perpetuo nixus solioRapido caelum turbine uersasLegemque pati sidera cogis,Vt nunc pleno lucida cornuTotis fratris obuia flammisCondat stellas luna minores,Nunc obscuro pallida cornuPhoebo propior lumina perdat,Et qui primae tempore noctisAgit algentes Hesperos ortus,Solitas iterum mutet habenasPhoebi pallens Lucifer ortu.Tu frondifluae frigore brumaeStringis lucem breuiore mora:Tu, cum feruida uenerit aestas,Agiles nocti diuidis horas.Tua uis uarium temperat annumVt quas Boreae spiritus aufertReuehat mites Zephyrus frondesQuaeque Arcturus semina uiditSirius altas urat segetes.Nihil antiqua lege solutumLinquit propriae stationis opus.Omnia certo fine gubernansHominum solos respuis actusMerito rector cohibere modo.Nam cur tantas lubrica uersatFortuna uices? Premit insontesDebita sceleri noxia poena,At peruersi resident celsoMores solio sanctaque calcantIniusta uice colla nocentes.Latet obscuris condita uirtusClara tenebris iustusque tulitCrimen iniqui.Nil periuria, nil nocet ipsisFraus mendaci compta colore.Sed cum libuit uiribus uti,Quos innumeri metuunt populiSummos gaudent subdere reges.O iam miseras respice terrasQuisquis rerum foedera nectis.Operis tanti pars non uilisHomines quatimur fortunae salo.Rapidos rector comprime fluctusEt quo caelum regis immensumFirma stabiles foedere terras."

Creator of the Sky,Who sittest on Thine eternal throne on high,Who dost quick motions causeIn all the heavens, and givest stars their laws,That the pale Queen of Night,Sometimes receiving all her brother's light,Should shine in her full pride,And with her beams the lesser stars should hide;Sometimes she wants her grace,When the sun's rays are in less distant place;And Hesperus that flies,Driving the cold, before the night doth rise,And oft with sudden changeBefore the sun as Lucifer doth range.Thou short the days dost make,When Winter from the trees the leaves doth take;Thou, when the fiery sunDoth Summer cause, makest the nights swiftly run.Thy might doth rule the year,As northern winds the leaves away do bear,So Zephyrus from westThe plants in all their freshness doth revest;And Syrius burns that cornWith which Arcturus did the earth adorn.None from Thy laws are free,Nor can forsake their place ordained by Thee.Thou to that certain endGovernest all things; deniest Thou to intendThe acts of men alone,Directing them in measure from Thy throne?For why should slippery chanceRule all things with such doubtful governance?Or why should punishments,Due to the guilty, light on innocents?But now the highest placeGiveth to naughty manners greatest grace,And wicked people vexGood men, and tread unjustly on their necks;Virtue in darkness lurks,And righteous souls are charged with impious works,Deceits nor perjuriesDisgrace not those who colour them with lies,For, when it doth them pleaseTo show their force, they to their will with easeThe hearts of kings can steer,To whom so many crouch with trembling fear.O Thou that joinest with loveAll worldly things, look from Thy seat aboveOn the earth's wretched state;We men, not the least work thou didst create,With fortune's blasts do shake;Thou careful ruler, these fierce tempests slake,And for the earth provideThose laws by which Thou heaven in peace dost guide."

Cum Phoebi radiis graueCancri sidus inaestuat,Tum qui larga negantibusSulcis semina credidit,Elusus Cereris fideQuernas pergat ad arbores.Numquam purpureum nemusLecturus uiolas petasCum saeuis aquilonibusStridens campus inhorruit,Nec quaeras auida manuVernos stringere palmites,Vuis si libeat frui;Autumno potius suaBacchus munera contulit.Signat tempora propriisAptans officiis deusNec quas ipse coercuitMisceri patitur uices.Sic quod praecipiti uiaCertum deserit ordinemLaetos non habet exitus.

When hot with Phoebus' beamsThe Crab casts fiery gleams,He that doth then with seedTh'unwilling furrows feed,Deceivéd of his breadMust be with acorns fed.Seek not the flowery woodsFor violets' sweet buds,When fields are overcastWith the fierce northern blast,Nor hope thou home to bringVine-clusters in the SpringIf thou in grapes delight:In autumn Bacchus' mightWith them doth deck our clime.God every several timeWith proper grace hath crownedNor will those laws confoundWhich He once settled hath.He that with headlong pathThis certain order leaves,An hapless end receives.

Nubibus atrisCondita nullumFundere possuntSidera lumen.Si mare uoluensTurbidus AusterMisceat aestum,Vitrea dudumParque serenisVnda diebusMox resolutoSordida caenoVisibus obstat.Quique uagaturMontibus altisDefluus amnis,Saepe resistitRupe solutiObice saxi.Tu quoque si uisLumine claroCernere uerum,Tramite rectoCarpere callem,Gaudia pelle,Pelle timoremSpemque fugatoNec dolor adsit.Nubila mens estVinctaque frenis,Haec ubi regnant."

When stars are shroudedWith dusky night,They yield no lightBeing so clouded.When the wind movethAnd churneth the sea,The flood, clear as day,Foul and dark proveth.And rivers creepingDown a high hillStand often still,Rocks them back keeping.If thou wouldst brightlySee Truth's clear rays,Or walk those waysWhich lead most rightly,All joy forsakingFear must thou fly,And hopes defy,No sorrow taking.For where these terrorsReign in the mind,They it do bindIn cloudy errors."