Book II: Elegy the First: A Rustic Holiday

Tibullus (55 BC–19 BC), translated by Theodore Chickering Williams · 1905

iambic pentameter · ABAB · 96 lines · from The Elegies

Give us good omen, friends! To-day we blessWith hallowed rites this dear, ancestral seat.Let Bacchus his twin horns with clusters dress,And Ceres clasp her brows with bursting wheat!

To-day no furrows! Both for field and manBe sacred rest from delving toil and care!With necks yoke-free, at mangers full of bran,The tranquil steers shall nought but garlands bear.

Our tasks to-day are heaven's. No maid shall dareUpon a distaff her deft hands employ.Let none, too rash, our simple worship share,Who wrought last eve at Venus' fleeting joy!

The gods claim chastity. Come clad in white,And lave your palms at some clear fountain's brim!Then watch the mild lamb at the altar bright,Yon olive-cinctured choir close-following him!

"Ye Guardian Powers, who bless our native soil,Far from these acres keep ill luck away!No withered ears the reaper's task to spoil!Nor swift wolf on our laggard lambs to prey!"

So shall the master of this happy housePile the huge logs upon his blazing floor;While with kind mirth and neighborly carouse,His bondsmen build their huts beside his door.

The bliss I pray for has been granted me!With reverent art observing things divine,I have explored the omens,--and I seeThe Guardian Powers are good to me and mine.

Bring old Falernian from the shadows gray,And burst my Chian seal! He is disgraced,Who gets home sober from this festive day,Or finds his door without a step retraced.

Health to Messala now from all our band!Drink to each letter of his noble name!Messala! laurelled from the Gallic land,Of his grim-bearded sires the last, best fame!

Be with me, thou! inspire a song for meTo sing those gods of woodland, hill and glade,Without whose arts man's hunger still would beOnly on mast and gathered acorns stayed.

They taught us rough-hewn rafters to prepare,And clothe low cabins with a roof of green;They bade fierce bulls the servile yoke to bear;And wheels to move a wain were theirs, I ween.

Our wild fruit was forgot, when apple-boughsBore grafts, and thirsty orchards (art divine!)Were freshed by ditching; while with sweet carouseThe wine-press flowed, and water wed with wine.

Our fields bore harvests, when the dog-star flameBade Summer of her tawny tress be shorn;From fields of Spring the bees, with busy game,Stored well their frugal combs the live-long morn.

'Twas some field-tiller from his plough at rest,First hummed his homely words to numbers true,Or trilled his pipe of straw in songs addressedTo his blithe woodland gods, with worship due.

Some rustic ruddied with vermilion clayFirst led, O Bacchus, thy swift choric throng,And won for record of thy festal daySome fold's chief goat, fit meed of frolic song!

It was our rustic boys whose virgin bandNew coronals of Spring's sweet flowrets madeFor offering to the gods who bless our land,Which on the Lares' hallowed heads were laid.

Our country-lasses find a pleasing careIn soft, warm wool their snowy flocks have bred;The distaff, skein and spindle they prepare,And reel, with firm-set thumb, the faultless thread.

Then following Minerva's heavenly art,They weave with patient toil some fabric proud;While at her loom the lass with cheerful heartSings songs the sounding shuttle answers loud.

Cupid himself with flocks and herds did passHis boyhood, and on sheep and horses drewHis erring infant bow; but now, alas!He is an archer far too swift and true.

Not now dull beasts, but luckless maids engageHis enmity; brave men are brave no more;Youth's strength he wastes, and drives fond, foolish ageTo blush and sigh at scornful beauty's door.

Love-lured, the virgin, guarded and discreet,Slips by the night-watch at her lover's call,Feels the dark path-way with her trembling feet,And gropes with out-spread hands along the wall.

Oh! wretched are the wights this god would harm!But blest as gods whom Love with smiles will sway!Come, boy divine! and these dear revels charm--But fling thy burning brands, far, far away!

Sing to this god, sweet shepherds! Ask aloudYour flocks' good health; then each, discreetly mute,His love's!--Nay, scream her name! Yon madcap crowdScreams louder, to its wry-necked Phrygian flute.

On with the sport! Night's chariot appears:The stars, her children, follow through the sky:Dark Sleep comes soon, on wings no mortal hears,With strange, dim dreams that know not where they fly.

Words in this poem 32

ceres n.: The daughter of Saturn and Ops or Rhea, the goddess of corn and tillage. [L., Ceres, also corn, grain, akin to E. create.]
shall v. i.: To owe; to be under obligation for. [OE. shal, schal, imp. sholde, scholde, AS. scal, sceal, I am obliged, imp. scolde, sceolde, inf. sculan; akin to OS. skulan, pres. skal, imp. skolda, D. zullen,]
distaff n.: The staff for holding a bunch of flax, tow, or wool, from which the thread is drawn in spinning by hand. [OE. distaf, dysestafe, AS. distaef; cf. LG. diesse the bunch of flax on a distaff, and E. dizen. See Staff.]
deft a.: Apt; fit; dexterous; clever; handy; spruce; neat. [OE. daft, deft, becoming, mild, gentle, stupid (cf. OE. daffe, deffe, fool, coward), AS. dæft (in derivatives only) mild, gentle, fitting, seasonable; akin to d]
clad v.: To clothe. Holland.
lave v. t.: To lade, dip, or pour out. [OE. laven. See Lavish.]
laggard a.: Slow; sluggish; backward. [Lag + -ard.]
neighborly a.: Apropriate to the relation of neighbors; having frequent or familiar intercourse; kind; civil; social; friendly. [Also written neighbourly.]
falernian a.: Of or pertaining to Mount Falernus, in Italy; as, Falernianwine.
chian a.: Of or pertaining to Chios, an island in the Ægean Sea. Chian earth, a dense, compact kind of earth, from Chios, used anciently as an astringent and a cosmetic.
glade n.: An open passage through a wood; a grassy open or cleared space in a forest. [Prob. of Scand. origin, and akin to glad, a.; cf. also W. golead, goleuad, a lighting, illumination, fr. goleu light, clear, bright, goleu fwlch glade, lit., a ]
stayed a.: Staid; fixed; settled; sober; -- now written staid. See Staid.
bade: A form of the pat tense of Bid.
wain n.: A four-wheeled vehicle for the transportation of goods, produce, etc.; a wagon. [OE. wain, AS. wægn; akin to D. & G. wagen, OHG. wagan, Icel. & Sw. vagn, Dan. vogn, and E. way. Way, Weigh, and cf. Wagon.]
ween v. i.: To think; to imagine; to fancy. [OE. wenen, AS. w, fr. w hope, expectation, opinion; akin to D. waan, OFries. w, OS. & OHG. wan, G. wahn delusion, Icel. van hope, expectation, Goth. w, and D. w]
tress n.: A braid, knot, or curl, of hair; a ringlet. [OE. tresse, OF. trece, F. tresse, LL. tricia, fr. Gr. tri`cha threefold, because a tress is usually formed by interlacing three pieces; akin to trei^s three. Se]
morn n.: The first part of the day; the morning; -- used chiefly in poetry. [OE. morwen, morgen, AS. morgen; akin to D. morgen, OS. morgan, G. morgen, Icel. morginn, morgunn, Sw. morgon, Dan. morgen, Goth. maúrgins. Cf. Morrow, Morning.]
homely a.: Belonging to, or having the characteristics of, home; domestic; familiar; intimate. [From Home, n.]
blithe a.: Gay; merry; sprightly; joyous; glad; cheerful; as, a blithe spirit. [AS. bli blithe, kind; akin to Goth. blei kind, Icel. bli mild, gentle, Dan. & Sw. blid gentle, D. blijd blithe, OHG. blidi kind, blithe.]
ruddied a.: Made ruddy or red.
choric a.: Of or pertaining to a chorus.
festal a.: Of or pertaining to a holiday or a feast; joyous; festive. [L. festum holiday, feast. See feast.]
meed v. t.: To reward; to repay. Waytt.
snowy a.: White like snow.
faultless a.: Without fault; not defective or imperfect; free from blemish; free from incorrectness, vice, or offense; perfect; as, a faultless poem.
lass n.: A youth woman; a girl; a sweetheart. [OE. lasse; prob. of Celtic origin; cf. W. llodes girl, fem. of llawd lad. (Lad a youth.]
cupid: The god of love, son of Venus; usually represented as a naked, winged boy with bow and arrow. [L.Cupido, fr. cupido desire, desire of love, fr. cupidus. See Cupidity.]
boyhood n.: The state of being a boy; the time during which one is a boy. [Boy + -hood.]
luckless a.: Being without luck; unpropitious; unfortunate; unlucky; meeting with ill success or bad fortune; as, a luckless gamester; a luckless maid.
discreet a.: Possessed of discernment, especially in avoiding error or evil, and in the adaptation of means to ends; prudent; sagacious; judicious; not rash or heedless; cautious. [F. discret, L. discretus separated (whence the meaning reserved, prudent), p. p. of discernere. See Discern, and cf. Discrete.]
aloud adv.: With a loud voice, or great noise; loudly; audibly. [Pref. a- + loud.]
madcap a.: Inclined to wild sports; delighting in rash, absurd, or dangerous amusements.

Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.

About this text

Book II: Elegy the First: A Rustic Holiday is in the public domain. This text is taken from The Elegies, Project Gutenberg ebook #9610, the Theodore Chickering Williams translation; the transcription's header, footer and licence were removed and nothing else was changed. You may copy, print and reuse it freely.

Cite as: Tibullus, Book II: Elegy the First: A Rustic Holiday, in The Elegies (1905), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #9610, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/tibullus-elegies/book-ii-elegy-the-first-a-rustic-holiday.html, id L14424.

Form and metre

Book II: Elegy the First: A Rustic Holiday is 96 lines in 24 stanzas of 4 lines each. The rhyme scheme is ABAB, complete in 23 of its 24 stanzas. The metre is iambic pentameter, measured from the stress the words themselves fix (confidence 89%). 94% of its stressed syllables fall where the metre puts the beat. The lines average 10.0 syllables. 24% of the lines run on without a stop at the line end.

See other poems in iambic pentameter.

Measured by Laurel's pipeline, not copied from a handbook: how stress and metre are counted, how rhyme is lettered, how a drifted rhyme is found. Where the dictionary cannot confirm a rhyme the letter is withheld, not guessed.

Rhyme words, stanza by stanza

The word that ends each line, lettered by the rhyme it makes; a dash is a line whose rhyme the dictionary could not confirm.

1 ABAB bless^A · seat^B · dress^A · wheat^B
2 ABAB man^A · care^B · bran^A · bear^B
3 ABAB dare^A · employ^B · share^A · joy^B
4 ABAB white^A · brim^B · bright^A · him^B
5 ABAB soil^A · away^B · spoil^A · prey^B
6 -A-A house · floor^A · carouse · door^A
7 ABAB me^A · divine^B · see^A · mine^B
8 ABAB gray^A · disgraced^B · day^A · retraced^B
9 ABAB band^A · name^B · land^A · fame^B
10 ABAB me^A · glade^B · be^A · stayed^B
11 ABAB prepare^A · green^B · bear^A · ween^B
12 ABAB boughs^A · divine^B · carouse^A · wine^B
13 ABAB flame^A · shorn^B · game^A · morn^B
14 ABAB rest^A · true^B · addressed^A · due^B
15 ABAB clay^A · throng^B · day^A · song^B
16 ABAB band^A · made^B · land^A · laid^B
17 ABAB care^A · bred^B · prepare^A · thread^B
18 ABAB art^A · proud^B · heart^A · loud^B
19 ABAB pass^A · drew^B · alas^A · true^B
20 ABAB engage^A · more^B · age^A · door^B
21 ABAB discreet^A · call^B · feet^A · wall^B
22 ABAB harm^A · sway^B · charm^A · away^B
23 ABAB aloud^A · mute^B · crowd^A · flute^B
24 ABAB appears^A · sky^B · hears^A · fly^B

Scansion, line by line

Each line with its syllable count and the stresses the words themselves fix: / stressed, ˘ unstressed, · a syllable the word leaves free and the metre decides. Read against iambic pentameter. How this is done.

Line	Syl.	Stress
Give us good omen, friends! To-day we bless	10	···/˘·····
With hallowed rites this dear, ancestral seat.	10	·/˘···˘/˘·
Let Bacchus his twin horns with clusters dress,	10	·/˘····/˘·
And Ceres clasp her brows with bursting wheat!	10	·/˘····/˘·
To-day no furrows! Both for field and man	10	···/˘·····
Be sacred rest from delving toil and care!	10	·/˘··/˘···
With necks yoke-free, at mangers full of bran,	10	·····/˘···
The tranquil steers shall nought but garlands bear.	10	·/˘····/˘·
Our tasks to-day are heaven's. No maid shall dare	11	/····/˘····
Upon a distaff her deft hands employ.	10	···/˘···˘/
Let none, too rash, our simple worship share,	10	····//˘/˘·
Who wrought last eve at Venus' fleeting joy!	10	·····/˘/˘·
The gods claim chastity. Come clad in white,	10	···/˘˘····
And lave your palms at some clear fountain's brim!	10	·······/˘·
Then watch the mild lamb at the altar bright,	10	·······/˘·
Yon olive-cinctured choir close-following him!	10	·/˘/˘/·/˘·
"Ye Guardian Powers, who bless our native soil,	10	·/˘/··//˘·
Far from these acres keep ill luck away!	10	···/˘···˘/
No withered ears the reaper's task to spoil!	10	·/˘··/˘···
Nor swift wolf on our laggard lambs to prey!"	10	····//˘···
So shall the master of this happy house	10	···/˘··/˘·
Pile the huge logs upon his blazing floor;	10	·······/˘·
While with kind mirth and neighborly carouse,	10	·····/˘˘˘/
His bondsmen build their huts beside his door.	10	······˘/··
The bliss I pray for has been granted me!	10	·······/˘·
With reverent art observing things divine,	10	·/˘·˘/˘·˘/
I have explored the omens,--and I see	10	··˘/·/˘···
The Guardian Powers are good to me and mine.	10	·/˘/······
Bring old Falernian from the shadows gray,	11	··˘/˘˘··/··
And burst my Chian seal! He is disgraced,	10	···/˘···˘/
Who gets home sober from this festive day,	10	···/˘··/˘·
Or finds his door without a step retraced.	10	········˘/
Health to Messala now from all our band!	10	········/·
Drink to each letter of his noble name!	10	···/˘··/˘·
Messala! laurelled from the Gallic land,	10	···/˘··/˘·
Of his grim-bearded sires the last, best fame!	10	···/˘·····
Be with me, thou! inspire a song for me	10	····˘/····
To sing those gods of woodland, hill and glade,	10	·····/····
Without whose arts man's hunger still would be	10	·····/˘···
Only on mast and gathered acorns stayed.	10	/˘···/˘/˘·
They taught us rough-hewn rafters to prepare,	10	·····/˘·˘/
And clothe low cabins with a roof of green;	10	···/˘·····
They bade fierce bulls the servile yoke to bear;	10	·····/˘···
And wheels to move a wain were theirs, I ween.	10	··········
Our wild fruit was forgot, when apple-boughs	10	/···˘/·/˘·
Bore grafts, and thirsty orchards (art divine!)	10	···/˘/˘·˘/
Were freshed by ditching; while with sweet carouse	10	···/˘···˘/
The wine-press flowed, and water wed with wine.	10	·····/˘···
Our fields bore harvests, when the dog-star flame	10	/··/˘·····
Bade Summer of her tawny tress be shorn;	10	·/˘··/˘···
From fields of Spring the bees, with busy game,	10	·······/˘·
Stored well their frugal combs the live-long morn.	10	···/˘·····
'Twas some field-tiller from his plough at rest,	10	···/˘·····
First hummed his homely words to numbers true,	10	···/˘··/˘·
Or trilled his pipe of straw in songs addressed	10	········˘/
To his blithe woodland gods, with worship due.	10	···/···/˘·
Some rustic ruddied with vermilion clay	10	·/˘/˘·˘/˘·
First led, O Bacchus, thy swift choric throng,	10	···/˘··/˘·
And won for record of thy festal day	10	···/˘··/˘·
Some fold's chief goat, fit meed of frolic song!	10	·······/˘·
It was our rustic boys whose virgin band	10	··//˘··/˘·
New coronals of Spring's sweet flowrets made	10	··········
For offering to the gods who bless our land,	10	·/˘·····/·
Which on the Lares' hallowed heads were laid.	10	···/˘/˘···
Our country-lasses find a pleasing care	10	//˘/˘··/˘·
In soft, warm wool their snowy flocks have bred;	10	·····/˘···
The distaff, skein and spindle they prepare,	10	·/˘··/˘·˘/
And reel, with firm-set thumb, the faultless thread.	10	·······/˘·
Then following Minerva's heavenly art,	10	·/˘˘/˘/˘˘·
They weave with patient toil some fabric proud;	10	···/˘··/˘·
While at her loom the lass with cheerful heart	10	·······/˘·
Sings songs the sounding shuttle answers loud.	10	···/˘/˘/˘·
Cupid himself with flocks and herds did pass	10	/˘˘/······
His boyhood, and on sheep and horses drew	10	·/·····/˘·
His erring infant bow; but now, alas!	10	·/˘/˘···˘/
He is an archer far too swift and true.	10	···/˘·····
Not now dull beasts, but luckless maids engage	10	·····/˘·˘/
His enmity; brave men are brave no more;	10	·/˘˘······
Youth's strength he wastes, and drives fond, foolish age	10	·······/˘·
To blush and sigh at scornful beauty's door.	10	·····/˘/˘·
Love-lured, the virgin, guarded and discreet,	10	···/˘/˘·˘/
Slips by the night-watch at her lover's call,	10	·······/˘·
Feels the dark path-way with her trembling feet,	10	·······/˘·
And gropes with out-spread hands along the wall.	10	······˘/··
Oh! wretched are the wights this god would harm!	10	·/˘·······
But blest as gods whom Love with smiles will sway!	10	··········
Come, boy divine! and these dear revels charm--	10	··˘/···/˘·
But fling thy burning brands, far, far away!	10	···/˘···˘/
Sing to this god, sweet shepherds! Ask aloud	10	·····/˘·˘/
Your flocks' good health; then each, discreetly mute,	10	······˘/˘·
His love's!--Nay, scream her name! Yon madcap crowd	10	·······/··
Screams louder, to its wry-necked Phrygian flute.	10	·/····/˘˘·
On with the sport! Night's chariot appears:	10	·····/˘˘˘/
The stars, her children, follow through the sky:	10	···/˘/˘···
Dark Sleep comes soon, on wings no mortal hears,	10	·······/˘·
With strange, dim dreams that know not where they fly.	10	··········

The reader shows the same poem with its rhymes coloured and a stress row above each line, the notes beside their stanzas, and any word's definition on a tap; the analysis page takes the whole book apart. How every part of this site was made.

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