Book III: Elegy the Fourth: A Dream from Phoebus

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

iambic pentameter · ABAB · 102 lines · from The Elegies

Be kinder, gods! Let not the dreams come trueWhich last night's cruel slumber bade believe!Begone! your vain, delusive spells undo,Nor ask me to receive!

The gods tell truth. With truth the Tuscan seerIn entrails dark a book of fate may find;But dreams are folly and with fruitless fearAddress the trembling mind.

Although mankind, against night's dark surpriseWith sprinkled meal or salt ward off the ill,And often turn deaf ear to prophets wise,While dreams deceive them still;--

May bright Lucina my foreboding mindFrom such vain terrors of the night redeem,For in my soul no deed of guilt I find,Nor do my lips blaspheme.

Now had the Night upon her ebon wainPassed o'er the upper sky, and dipped a wheelIn the blue sea: but Sleep, the friend of pain,Refused my sense to seal.

Sleep stands defeated at the house of care:And only when from purpled orient skiesPeered Phoebus forth, did tardy slumber bearDown on my weary eyes.

Then seemed a youth with holy laurel crownedTo fill my door: a wight so wondrous rareWas not in all the vanished ages found.No marble half so fair!

Adown his neck, with myrtle-buds inwoveAnd Syrian dews, his unshorn tresses flow:White is he as the moon in heaven above,But rose is blent with snow.

Like that soft blush on face of virgin fairLed to her husband; or as maidens twineLilies in amaranth; or Autumn's airTinges the apples fine.

A long, loose mantle to his ankles played,--Such vesture did his lucent shape enfold:His left hand bore the vocal lyre, all madeOf gleaming shell and gold.

He smote its strings with ivory instrument,And words auspicious tuned his heavenly tongue;Then, while his hands and voice concording blent,These sad, sweet words he sung:

"Hail, blest of Heaven! For a poet divinePhoebus and Bacchus and the Muses bless.But Bacchus and the skilful Sisters nineNo prophecies possess.

"But of what Fate ordains for times to beJove gave me vision. Therefore, minstrel dear!Receive what my unerring lips decree!The Cynthian wisdom hear!

"She whom thy love holds dearer than sweet childIs to a mother's breast, or virgin softTo longing lover, she for whom thy wildPrayers vex high Heaven so oft,

"Who worries thee each day, and vainly fillsDark-mantled sleep with visions that beguile,Lovely Neaera, theme of all thy quills,Now elsewhere gives her smile.

"For sighs not thine her fickle passions flame:For thy chaste house Neaera has no care.O cruel tribe! O woman, faithless name!Curse on the false and fair!

"But woo her still! For mutabilityIs woman's soul. Fond vows may yet prevail,Fierce love bears well a woman's cruelty,Nor at the lash will quail.

"That I did feed Admetus' heifers whiteIs no light tale. Upon the lyric stringNor more could I my joyful notes indite,Nor with sweet concord sing.

"On oaten pipe I sued the woodland Muse--I, of Latona and the Thunderer son!Thou knowst not what love is, if thou refuseT'endure a cruel one.

"Go, then, and ply her with persuasive woe!Soft supplications the hard heart subdue.Then, if my oracles the future know,Give her this message true:

"'The God whose seat is Delos' marble isle,Declares this marriage happy and secure.It has Apollo's own auspicious smile.Cast off that rival wooer!'"

He spoke: dull slumber from my body fell.Can I believe such perils round me fold?That such discordant vows thy tongue can tell?Thy heart in guilt so bold?

Thou wert not gendered by the Pontic Sea,Nor where Chimaera's lips fierce flame out-pour,Nor of that dog with tongues and foreheads three,His back all snakes and gore;

Nor out of Scylla's whelp-engirdled womb;Nor wert thou of fell lioness the child;Nor was thy cradle Scythia's forest-gloom,Nor Syrtis' sandy wild.

No, but thy home was human! round its fireSate creatures lovable: of all her kindThy mother was the mildest, and thy sireShowed a most friendly mind.

May Heaven in these bad dreams good omen show,And bid warm south-winds to oblivion blow!

Words in this poem 28

bade: A form of the pat tense of Bid.
fruitless a.: Lacking, or not bearing, fruit; barren; destitute of offspring; as, a fruitless tree or shrub; a fruitless marriage.
blaspheme v. t.: To speak of, or address, with impious irreverence; to revile impiously (anything sacred); as, to blaspheme the Holy Spirit. [OE. blasfem, L. blasphemare, fr. Gr. : cf. F. blasphémer. See Blame, v.]
ebon a.: Consisting of ebony.
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.]
phoebus n.: Apollo; the sun god.
wight n.: A whit; a bit; a jot. [OE. wight, wiht, a wight, a whit, AS. wiht, wuht, a creature, a thing; skin to D. wicht a child, OS. & OHG. wiht a creature, thing, G. wicht a creature, Icel. v]
wondrous adv.: In a wonderful or surprising manner or degree; wonderfully. [OE. wonders, adv. (later also adj.). See Wonder, n., and cf. -wards.]
adown adv.: From a higher to a lower situation; downward; down, to or on the ground. [OE. adun, adoun, adune. AS. of dune off the hill. See Down.]
blent p. p.: Blinded. Also (Chaucer), 3d sing. pres. Blindeth.
amaranth n.: An imaginary flower supposed never to fade.
lucent a.: Shining; bright; resplendent. [L. lucens, p. pr. of lucere to shine, fr. lux, lucis, light.]
enfold v. t.: To infold. See Infold.
jove n.: The chief divinity of the ancient Romans; Jupiter. [L. Jupiter, gen. Jovis, OL. Jovis, nom. & gen. for Djovis; akin to E. Tuesday. See Tuesday, and cf. Jupiter.]
unerring a.: Committing no mistake; incapable or error or failure certain; sure; unfailing; as, the unerring wisdom of God.
mutability n.: The quality of being mutable, or subject to change or alteration, either in form, state, or essential character; susceptibility of change; changeableness; inconstancy; variation. [L. mutabilitas: cf. F. mutabilité.]
indite v. t.: To compose; to write; to be author of; to dictate; to prompt. [OE. enditen to indite, indict, OF. enditer to indicate, show, dictate, write, inform, and endicter to accuse; both fr. LL. indictare to show, to accuse, fr. L. ]
oaten a.: Consisting of an oat straw or stem; as, an oaten pipe.
thunderer n.: One who thunders; -- used especially as a translation of L.
isle v. t.: To cause to become an island, or like an island; to surround or encompass; to island.
wooer n.: One who wooes; one who courts or solicits in love; a suitor. [AS. wogere. See Woo, v. t.]
spoke n.: The radius or ray of a wheel; one of the small bars which are inserted in the hub, or nave, and which serve to support the rim or felly. [OE. spoke, spake, AS, spaca; akin to D. speek, LG. speke, OHG. speihha, G. speiche. sq. root170. Cf. Spike a nail.]
pontic a.: Of or pertaining to the Pontus, Euxine, or Black Sea.
womb n.: The belly; the abdomen. [OE. wombe, wambe, AS. wamb, womb; akin to D. wam belly, OS. & OHG. wamba, G. wamme, wampe, Icel. vömb, Sw. v&mb, Dan. vom, Goth. wamba.]
sate v. t.: To satisfy the desire or appetite of; to satiate; to glut; to surfeit. [Probably shortened fr. satiate: cf. L. satus full. See Satiate.]
lovable a.: Having qualities that excite, or are fitted to excite, love; worthy of love.
sire n.: A lord, master, or other person in authority. See Sir. [F. sire, originally, an older person. See Sir.]
oblivion n.: The act of forgetting, or the state of being forgotten; cessation of remembrance; forgetfulness. [L. oblivio, akin to oblivisci to forget: cf. OF. oblivion.]

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

About this text

Book III: Elegy the Fourth: A Dream from Phoebus 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 III: Elegy the Fourth: A Dream from Phoebus, in The Elegies (1905), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #9610, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/tibullus-elegies/book-iii-elegy-the-fourth-a-dream-from-phoebus.html, id L14433.

Form and metre

Book III: Elegy the Fourth: A Dream from Phoebus is 102 lines in 26 stanzas. The rhyme scheme is ABAB, complete in 25 of its 26 stanzas. The metre is iambic pentameter, measured from the stress the words themselves fix (confidence 90%). 96% of its stressed syllables fall where the metre puts the beat. The lines average 9.1 syllables. 5 lines end on an unstressed syllable, a feminine ending. 29% 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 true^A · believe^B · undo^A · receive^B
2 ABAB seer^A · find^B · fear^A · mind^B
3 ABAB surprise^A · ill^B · wise^A · still^B
4 ABAB mind^A · redeem^B · find^A · blaspheme^B
5 ABAB wain^A · wheel^B · pain^A · seal^B
6 ABAB care^A · skies^B · bear^A · eyes^B
7 ABAB crowned^A · rare^B · found^A · fair^B
8 ABAB inwove^A · flow^B · above^A · snow^B
9 ABAB fair^A · twine^B · air^A · fine^B
10 ABAB played^A · enfold^B · made^A · gold^B
11 ABAB instrument^A · tongue^B · blent^A · sung^B
12 ABAB divine^A · bless^B · nine^A · possess^B
13 ABAB be^A · dear^B · decree^A · hear^B
14 ABAB child^A · soft^B · wild^A · oft^B
15 ABAB fills^A · beguile^B · quills^A · smile^B
16 ABAB flame^A · care^B · name^A · fair^B
17 ABAB mutability^A · prevail^B · cruelty^A · quail^B
18 ABAB white^A · string^B · indite^A · sing^B
19 ABAB muse^A · son^B · refuse^A · one^B
20 ABAB woe^A · subdue^B · know^A · true^B
21 ABAB isle^A · secure^B · smile^A · wooer^B
22 ABAB fell^A · fold^B · tell^A · bold^B
23 ABAB sea^A · pour^B · three^A · gore^B
24 ABAB womb^A · child^B · gloom^A · wild^B
25 ABAB fire^A · kind^B · sire^A · mind^B
26 AA show^A · blow^A

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
Be kinder, gods! Let not the dreams come true	10	·/˘·······
Which last night's cruel slumber bade believe!	10	···/˘/˘·˘/
Begone! your vain, delusive spells undo,	10	˘/··˘/˘·˘/
Nor ask me to receive!	6	····˘/
The gods tell truth. With truth the Tuscan seer	10	·······/˘·
In entrails dark a book of fate may find;	10	·/˘·······
But dreams are folly and with fruitless fear	10	···/˘··/˘·
Address the trembling mind.	7	˘/·/˘˘·
Although mankind, against night's dark surprise	10	··//····˘/
With sprinkled meal or salt ward off the ill,	10	·/˘·······
And often turn deaf ear to prophets wise,	10	·/˘····/˘·
While dreams deceive them still;--	6	··˘/··
May bright Lucina my foreboding mind	10	······˘/˘·
From such vain terrors of the night redeem,	10	···/˘···˘/
For in my soul no deed of guilt I find,	10	··········
Nor do my lips blaspheme.	6	····˘/
Now had the Night upon her ebon wain	10	·······/˘·
Passed o'er the upper sky, and dipped a wheel	10	···/˘·····
In the blue sea: but Sleep, the friend of pain,	10	··········
Refused my sense to seal.	6	˘/····
Sleep stands defeated at the house of care:	10	··˘/˘·····
And only when from purpled orient skies	11	·/˘··/˘/˘··
Peered Phoebus forth, did tardy slumber bear	10	·/˘··/˘/˘·
Down on my weary eyes.	6	···/˘·
Then seemed a youth with holy laurel crowned	10	·····/˘/˘·
To fill my door: a wight so wondrous rare	10	·······/˘·
Was not in all the vanished ages found.	10	·····/˘/˘·
No marble half so fair!	6	·/˘···
Adown his neck, with myrtle-buds inwove	10	˘/···/˘···
And Syrian dews, his unshorn tresses flow:	10	·/˘····/˘·
White is he as the moon in heaven above,	10	·······/··
But rose is blent with snow.	6	······
Like that soft blush on face of virgin fair	10	·······/˘·
Led to her husband; or as maidens twine	10	···/˘··/˘·
Lilies in amaranth; or Autumn's air	10	/˘·/˘··/˘·
Tinges the apples fine.	5	··/˘·
A long, loose mantle to his ankles played,--	10	···/˘··/˘·
Such vesture did his lucent shape enfold:	10	·/˘··/˘·˘/
His left hand bore the vocal lyre, all made	10	·····/˘···
Of gleaming shell and gold.	6	·/˘···
He smote its strings with ivory instrument,	11	·····/˘˘/˘˘
And words auspicious tuned his heavenly tongue;	10	··˘/˘··/˘·
Then, while his hands and voice concording blent,	10	······/·˘·
These sad, sweet words he sung:	6	······
"Hail, blest of Heaven! For a poet divine	10	···/··/˘˘/
Phoebus and Bacchus and the Muses bless.	10	/˘·/˘··/˘·
But Bacchus and the skilful Sisters nine	10	·/˘··/˘/˘·
No prophecies possess.	6	·/˘˘˘/
"But of what Fate ordains for times to be	10	····˘/····
Jove gave me vision. Therefore, minstrel dear!	10	···/˘··/˘·
Receive what my unerring lips decree!	10	˘/··˘/˘·˘/
The Cynthian wisdom hear!	6	···/˘·
"She whom thy love holds dearer than sweet child	10	·····/˘···
Is to a mother's breast, or virgin soft	10	···/˘··/˘·
To longing lover, she for whom thy wild	10	·/˘/˘·····
Prayers vex high Heaven so oft,	7	···/˘··
"Who worries thee each day, and vainly fills	10	·/˘····/˘·
Dark-mantled sleep with visions that beguile,	10	·/˘··/˘·˘/
Lovely Neaera, theme of all thy quills,	10	/˘········
Now elsewhere gives her smile.	6	·/····
"For sighs not thine her fickle passions flame:	10	·····/˘/˘·
For thy chaste house Neaera has no care.	10	··········
O cruel tribe! O woman, faithless name!	10	·/˘··/˘/˘·
Curse on the false and fair!	6	······
"But woo her still! For mutability	10	··········
Is woman's soul. Fond vows may yet prevail,	10	·/˘·····˘/
Fierce love bears well a woman's cruelty,	9	·····/˘/˘
Nor at the lash will quail.	6	······
"That I did feed Admetus' heifers white	10	·······/˘·
Is no light tale. Upon the lyric string	10	·······/˘·
Nor more could I my joyful notes indite,	10	·····/˘·˘/
Nor with sweet concord sing.	6	···/··
"On oaten pipe I sued the woodland Muse--	10	·/˘····/··
I, of Latona and the Thunderer son!	11	··˘/˘··/˘˘·
Thou knowst not what love is, if thou refuse	10	········˘/
T'endure a cruel one.	6	···/˘·
"Go, then, and ply her with persuasive woe!	10	······˘/˘·
Soft supplications the hard heart subdue.	10	········˘/
Then, if my oracles the future know,	10	···/˘˘·/˘·
Give her this message true:	6	···/˘·
"'The God whose seat is Delos' marble isle,	10	·······/˘·
Declares this marriage happy and secure.	10	˘/·/˘/˘·˘/
It has Apollo's own auspicious smile.	10	··˘/˘·˘/˘·
Cast off that rival wooer!'"	7	···/˘/˘
He spoke: dull slumber from my body fell.	10	···/˘··/˘·
Can I believe such perils round me fold?	10	··˘/·/˘···
That such discordant vows thy tongue can tell?	10	··˘/˘·····
Thy heart in guilt so bold?	6	······
Thou wert not gendered by the Pontic Sea,	10	···/˘··/˘·
Nor where Chimaera's lips fierce flame out-pour,	10	··········
Nor of that dog with tongues and foreheads three,	10	·······/··
His back all snakes and gore;	6	······
Nor out of Scylla's whelp-engirdled womb;	10	···/˘···˘·
Nor wert thou of fell lioness the child;	10	·····/˘˘··
Nor was thy cradle Scythia's forest-gloom,	10	···/˘··/˘·
Nor Syrtis' sandy wild.	6	·/˘/˘·
No, but thy home was human! round its fire	11	·····/˘··/˘
Sate creatures lovable: of all her kind	10	·/˘/˘˘····
Thy mother was the mildest, and thy sire	11	·/˘··/˘··/˘
Showed a most friendly mind.	6	···/˘·
May Heaven in these bad dreams good omen show,	10	·/·····/˘·
And bid warm south-winds to oblivion blow!	10	······˘/˘·

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