Ars Poetica, The works of Horace translated literally into English prose. Horace, creator; Smart, Christopher, 1722-1771, editor
Made available under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
XML: Passage Full Text
accessit numerisque modisque licentia maior.
indoctus quid enim saperet liberque laborum
rusticus urbano confusus, turpis honesto?
sic priscae motumque et luxuriem addidit arti
215
tibicen traxitque vagus per pulpita vestem;
sic etiam fidibus voces crevere severis,
et tulit eloquium insolitum facundia praeceps
utiliumque sagax rerum et divina futuri
sortilegis non discrepuit sententia Delphis.
220
carmine qui tragico vilem certavit ob hircum,
mox etiam agrestis Satyros nudavit et asper
incolumi gravitate iocum temptavit eo quod
inlecebris erat et grata novitate morandus
spectator functusque sacris et potus et exlex.
225
verum ita risores, ita commendare dicacis
conveniet Satyros, ita vertere seria ludo,
ne, quicumque Deus, quicumque adhibebitur heros,
regali conspectus in auro nuper et ostro,
migret in obscuras humili sermone tabernas
230
aut, dum vitat humum, nubis et inania captet.
effutire levis indigna tragoedia versus,
ut festis matrona moveri iussa diebus,
intererit Satyris paulum pudibunda protervis.
non ego inornata et dominantia nomina solum
235
verbaque, Pisones, Satyrorum scriptor amabo
nec sic enitar tragico differre colori,
ut nihil intersit, Davusne loquatur et audax
Pythias, emuncto lucrata Simone talentum,
an custos famulusque Dei Silenus alumni.
240
ex noto fictum carmen sequar, ut sibi quivis
Alpheios needs funds to keep these texts and tools freely available. Make a tax-deductible donation by December 31, 2024 to keep reading.
Alpheios needs funds to keep these texts and tools freely available. Make a tax-deductible donation by December 31, 2024 to keep reading.