Decimus Magnus Ausonius→Axius Paulus|c. 390 AD|Decimus Magnus Ausonius|From Saintes|To Bordeaux|AI-assisted
For your sake, my friend, I have left the sea-bound Garonne; for your sake I dwell among the fields of the Santones [the people around Saintes, in southwestern Gaul]. So seek out a meeting with us. If you care for me as I care for you, you will soon possess the sight of me. But hurry only as much as your body and your years allow; provided I see you safe, I see you soon enough. If, after those unlucky reins, your vigor has been restored and your old nimbleness has returned to your limbs; if you cultivate again well-watered Pimpla [the Pierian spring of the Muses] with the glad Muses, a poet once more and not a whip-bearing Automedon [Achilles' charioteer, here a jab at reckless driving] — then drive off the dotage and the cloud of drowsy old age, and seize the road that lies between us with brisk energy. But cautiously mount a light gig or a sluggish post-horse: let there be in you no love of the carriage, none of the spirited horse. I warn you, avoid the four-wheeled wagons notorious for their geldings; do not yourself drive swift mules and play Metiscus [Turnus's charioteer in the Aeneid]. So may the Muses be kind to you, your thinking ready and retentive, and the honey of clear eloquence flow for you; so may Crebennus, who through so long an age has been for sale and finds no buyer, be yours for the price [a joking reference, the sense of the worthless slave or piece of property]. Yet, that you may come more quickly and travel more lightly, leave history, mimes, and lyric poems at home. There is a heavy burden in the Muses: so many ages stored away in pages, which scarcely endure their own times, weigh ours down. With us you will find [originally in Greek] the many-shaped craft of verse, and the weavings of the grammarians, and the heroic dactyl, and, with the revel of the songsters of Thalia [the Muse of comedy], the trailing trains of song; the Sotadean and the lewd kinaedic measure, the Ionic; the well-ordered measure of Pindaric rhythms; the limping, dragging-footed scazon and the unlimping line; eight books of Thucydides, nine [of Herodotus]; a marvel of the orators, the famed glory of the wise — everything you could wish, and more, if only [you wish it]. This greeting [originally in Greek] I offer you from our books. Farewell; and if you would have me fare well, come now.
FOR thee I left the flood of the Garonne, for thee I dwell amid the plains of Saintes; our meeting, therefore, be thy aim! If thou art eager as I, full soon wilt thou enjoy the sight of me. But make
such haste as thy strength and years permit; so that Ι see thee safe, I see thee soon enough. If after that unlucky drive thy powers are restored, and if thy limbs have now regained their wonted pliancy, if to the Muses' joy thou dost again frequent well-watered Pimpla,1 a bard once more and no scorching Automedon,2 banish the clouds of eld which haunt a drowsy greybeard, briskly devour the intervening road. But be heedful, mounting some chaise or slow post-horse: let no dog-cart 3 tempt thee, no high-mettled steed. I counsel thee avoid four-wheeled cars 4 with their notorious geldings, drive no swift mules thyself to play Metiscus.5 So be the Muses gracious to thee, thy conception ready, thy memory sound, and free thy flow of melting honey: so may Crebennus, so long for sale without a purchaser, be thine for a reward.
But that thou mayest come more quickly, travelling the lighter, leave histories, mimes, and lyrics all at home. Muses make heavy baggage: those books stored with so many centuries, which scarce endure their own ages, are crushed by ours. With me thou wilt find a motley throng of epics, grammarians' subtilties and niceties of speech, the heroic dactyl and the lyrist's choriambus, Thaleia's comedy beside Terpsichore's tragic train, Sotades' 6 wanton verse, the Ionic of both kinds.7 the ordered sweetness of
Pindaric rhythms, the shambling scazon 1 and the unlimping trimeter, eight books of Thucydides, nine of Herodotus, a goodly show of orators, and the philosophers in glorious tribes—all that thou wouldst, and still more shouldst thou wish.
This word of greeting I send thee from my hooks. Farewell; if thou wouldst have me fare well, fare hither now.
Aequoream liqui te propter, amice, Garumnam.
te propter campos incolo Santonicos;
congressus igitur nostros pete. si tibi cura.
quae mihi, conspectu iam potiere meo.
sed tantum adpropera, quantum pote corpore et aevo;
ut salvum videam, sat cito te video.
si post infaustas vigor integratus habenas
et rediit membris iam sua mobilitas,
si riguam laetis recolis Pipleida Musis.
iam vates et non flagrifer Automedon.
pelle soporiferi senium nubemque veterni
atque alacri mediam carpe vigore viam.
sed cisium aut pigrum cautus conscende veraedum:
non tibi sit raedae, non amor acris equi.
cantheris moneo male nota petorrita vites.
ne celeres mulas ipse Metiscus agas.
sic tibi sint Musae faciles, meditatio prompta
et memor, et liquidi mel fluat eloquii:
sic, qui venalis tam longa aetate Crebennus
non habet emptorem, sit tibi pro pretio
Attamen ut citius venias leviusque vehare.
historiam, mimos, carmina linque domi.
grande onus in musis: tot saecula condita chartis.
quae sua vix tolerant tempora, nostra gravant.
nobiscum invenies ἐπέων πολυμορφέα,
γραμματικῶν τε πλοκὰσ καὶ,
δάκτυλον ἡρῷον καὶ ἀοιδοπόλων,
σὺν Θαλίησ κώμῳ σύρματα.
σωταδικόν τε κίναιδον, ἰωνικὸν.
Ῥυθμῶν Πινδαρικῶν ἔννομον.
εὶλιπόδην σκάζοντα καὶ οὐ σκάζοντα.
Ὀκτὼ Θουκυδίδου, ἐννέα.
Ῥητορικῶν θάημα, σοφῶν ἐρικυδέα,
πάντα μάλ' ὅσσ' ἐθέλεις, καὶ πλέον, εἴ κε.
Hoc tibi de nostris ἀσπαστικὸν
offero libris.
vale; valere si voles me, iam veni.
◆
For your sake, my friend, I have left the sea-bound Garonne; for your sake I dwell among the fields of the Santones [the people around Saintes, in southwestern Gaul]. So seek out a meeting with us. If you care for me as I care for you, you will soon possess the sight of me. But hurry only as much as your body and your years allow; provided I see you safe, I see you soon enough. If, after those unlucky reins, your vigor has been restored and your old nimbleness has returned to your limbs; if you cultivate again well-watered Pimpla [the Pierian spring of the Muses] with the glad Muses, a poet once more and not a whip-bearing Automedon [Achilles' charioteer, here a jab at reckless driving] — then drive off the dotage and the cloud of drowsy old age, and seize the road that lies between us with brisk energy. But cautiously mount a light gig or a sluggish post-horse: let there be in you no love of the carriage, none of the spirited horse. I warn you, avoid the four-wheeled wagons notorious for their geldings; do not yourself drive swift mules and play Metiscus [Turnus's charioteer in the Aeneid]. So may the Muses be kind to you, your thinking ready and retentive, and the honey of clear eloquence flow for you; so may Crebennus, who through so long an age has been for sale and finds no buyer, be yours for the price [a joking reference, the sense of the worthless slave or piece of property]. Yet, that you may come more quickly and travel more lightly, leave history, mimes, and lyric poems at home. There is a heavy burden in the Muses: so many ages stored away in pages, which scarcely endure their own times, weigh ours down. With us you will find [originally in Greek] the many-shaped craft of verse, and the weavings of the grammarians, and the heroic dactyl, and, with the revel of the songsters of Thalia [the Muse of comedy], the trailing trains of song; the Sotadean and the lewd kinaedic measure, the Ionic; the well-ordered measure of Pindaric rhythms; the limping, dragging-footed scazon and the unlimping line; eight books of Thucydides, nine [of Herodotus]; a marvel of the orators, the famed glory of the wise — everything you could wish, and more, if only [you wish it]. This greeting [originally in Greek] I offer you from our books. Farewell; and if you would have me fare well, come now.
AI-assisted translation - This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek below for scholarly use.
Latin / Greek Original
Aequoream liqui te propter, amice, Garumnam. te propter campos incolo Santonicos; congressus igitur nostros pete. si tibi cura. quae mihi, conspectu iam potiere meo. sed tantum adpropera, quantum pote corpore et aevo; ut salvum videam, sat cito te video. si post infaustas vigor integratus habenas et rediit membris iam sua mobilitas, si riguam laetis recolis Pipleida Musis. iam vates et non flagrifer Automedon. pelle soporiferi senium nubemque veterni atque alacri mediam carpe vigore viam. sed cisium aut pigrum cautus conscende veraedum: non tibi sit raedae, non amor acris equi. cantheris moneo male nota petorrita vites. ne celeres mulas ipse Metiscus agas. sic tibi sint Musae faciles, meditatio prompta et memor, et liquidi mel fluat eloquii: sic, qui venalis tam longa aetate Crebennus non habet emptorem, sit tibi pro pretio Attamen ut citius venias leviusque vehare. historiam, mimos, carmina linque domi. grande onus in musis: tot saecula condita chartis. quae sua vix tolerant tempora, nostra gravant. nobiscum invenies ἐπέων πολυμορφέα, γραμματικῶν τε πλοκὰσ καὶ, δάκτυλον ἡρῷον καὶ ἀοιδοπόλων, σὺν Θαλίησ κώμῳ σύρματα. σωταδικόν τε κίναιδον, ἰωνικὸν. Ῥυθμῶν Πινδαρικῶν ἔννομον. εὶλιπόδην σκάζοντα καὶ οὐ σκάζοντα. Ὀκτὼ Θουκυδίδου, ἐννέα. Ῥητορικῶν θάημα, σοφῶν ἐρικυδέα, πάντα μάλ' ὅσσ' ἐθέλεις, καὶ πλέον, εἴ κε. Hoc tibi de nostris ἀσπαστικὸν offero libris. vale; valere si voles me, iam veni.