The Odes/Book I

The Odes Book I written by Horace

Book II

Translated by A. S. Kline

1. The Dedication: To Maecenas
2. To Augustus
3. Virgil: Off to Greece
4. Spring
5. Treacherous Girl
6. A Tribute to Agrippa
7. Tibur (the modern Tivoli)
8. To Lydia: Stop Ruining Sybaris!
9. Winter
10. To Mercury
11. Carpe Diem
12. Praising Augustus
13. His Jealousy
14. The Ship of State
15. Nereus’ Prophecy of Troy
16. He Repents
17. The Delights of the Country
18. Wine
19. Glycera’s Beauty
20. To Maecenas
21. Hymn to Diana
22. Singing of Lalage (Integer Vitae)
23. Chloë, Don’t Run.
24. A Lament For Quintilius
25. A Prophecy of Age
26. A Garland For Lamia
27. Entanglement
28. Three Handfuls of Earth
29. Off To The Wars
30. Ode To Venus
31. A Prayer to Apollo
32. To the Lyre
33. Tibullus, Don’t Grieve
34. Fortune’s Changes
35. To Fortune
36. Numida’s Back Again
37. Cleopatra
38. The Simple Myrtle

Index of First Lines

Maecenas, descendant of royal ancestors,6
The Father’s sent enough dread hail7
May the goddess, queen of Cyprus,9
Fierce winter slackens its grip: it’s spring and the west wind’s sweet ……11
What slender boy, Pyrrha, drowned in liquid perfume,12
You should be penned as brave, and a conqueror13
Let others sing in praise of Rhodes, or Mytilene,14
Lydia, by all the gods,16
See how Soracte stands glistening with snowfall,17
Mercury, eloquent grandson of Atlas,18
Leuconoë, don’t ask, we never know, what fate the gods grant us,19
What god, man, or hero do you choose to praise. 20
When you, Lydia, start to praise. 22
O ship the fresh tide carries back to sea again.23
While Paris, the traitorous shepherd, her guest,24
O lovelier child of a lovely mother,26
Swift Faunus, the god, will quite often exchange. 27
Cultivate no plant, my Varus, before the rows of sacred vines,28
Cruel Venus, Cupid’s mother,29
Come and drink with me, rough Sabine in cheap cups,30
O tender virgins sing, in praise of Diana,31
The man who is pure of life, and free of sin,32
You run away from me as a fawn does, Chloë,33
What limit, or restraint, should we show at the loss. 34
Now the young men come less often, violently. 35
Friend of the Muses, I’ll throw sadness and fear36
To fight with wine-cups intended for pleasure. 37
You, my Archytas, philosopher, and measurer of land,38
of the sea, of wide sands, are entombed. 38
Iccius, are you gazing with envy, now,40
O Venus, the queen of Cnidos and Paphos,41
What is the poet’s request to Apollo?. 42
I’m called on. O Lyre, if I’ve ever played. 43
Tibullus, don’t grieve too much, when you remember44
Once I wandered, an expert in crazy wisdom,45
O goddess, who rules our lovely Antium,46
Now’s the time for drinking deep, and now’s the time. 49
My child, how I hate Persian ostentation,51

Metres Used in Book I.

The number of syllables most commonly employed in each standard line of the verse is given. This may vary slightly for effect (two beats substituted for three etc.) in a given line.
 
Alcaic Strophe: 11 (5+6) twice, 9, 10
used in Odes: 9,16,17,26,27,29,31,34,35,37
 
Sapphic and Adonic: 11(5+6) three times, 5
Odes: 2,10,12,20,22,25,30,32,38
 
First Asclepiadean: 12 (6+6) all lines
Ode: 1
 
Second Asclepiadean: 8, 12 (6+6), alternating
Odes: 3,13,19,36
 
Third Asclepiadean: 12 (6+6) three times, 8
Odes: 6,15,24,33
 
Fourth Asclepiadean: 12 (6+6) twice, 7, 8
Odes: 5,14,21,23
 
Fifth Asclepiadean: 16 (6+4+6) all lines
Ode: 11, 18
 
Alcmanic Strophe: 17 (7+10) or less, 11 or less, alternating
Odes: 7,28
 
First Archilochian: 17 (7+10) or less, 7 alternating
Odes: None in Book I
 
Fourth Archilochian Strophe: 18 (7+11) or less, 11 (5+6) alternating
Ode: 4
 
Second Sapphic Strophe: 7, 15 (5+10) alternating
Ode: 8
 
Trochaic Strophe: 7,11 alternating
Odes: None in Book I
 
Ionic a Minore: 16 twice, 8
Odes: None in Book I