| from "SATIRE 10" | from "THE VANITY OF HUMAN WISHES" |
| Juvenal (Decimus Junius Juvenalis) | trans. Robert Lowell |
|
Omnibus in terris, quae sunt a Gadibus usque Auroram et Gangen, pauci dinoscere possunt uera bona atque illis multum diuersa, remota erroris nebula. quid enim ratione timemus aut cupimus? quid tam dextro pede concipis ut te conatus non paeniteat uotique peracti? euertere domos totas optantibus ipsis di faciles. nocitura toga, nocitura petuntur militia; torrens dicendi copia multis et sua mortifera est facundia; uiribus ille confisus periit admirandisque lacertis; sed pluris nimia congesta pecunia cura strangulat et cuncta exuperans patrimonia census quanto delphinis ballaena Britannica maior. temporibus diris igitur iussuque Neronis Longinum et magnos Senecae praediuitis hortos clausit et egregias Lateranorum obsidet aedes tota cohors: rarus uenit in cenacula miles. pauca licet portes argenti uascula puri nocte iter ingressus, gladium contumque timebis et mota ad lunam trepidabis harundinis umbra: cantabit uacuus coram latrone uiator. ........... ........... Quosdam praecipitat subiecta potentia magnae inuidiae, mergit longa atque insignis honorum pagina. descendunt statuae restemque sequuntur, ipsas deinde rotas bigarum impacta securis caedit et inmeritis franguntur crura caballis. iam strident ignes, iam follibus atque caminis ardet adoratum populo caput et crepat ingens Seianus, deinde ex facie toto orbe secunda fiunt urceoli, pelues, sartago, matellae. pone domi laurus, duc in Capitolia magnum cretatumque bouem: Seianus ducitur unco spectandus, gaudent omnes. 'quae labra, quis illi uultus erat! numquam, si quid mihi credis, amaui hunc hominem. sed quo cecidit sub crimine? quisnam delator? quibus indicibus, quo teste probauit?' 'nil horum; uerbosa et grandis epistula uenit a Capreis.' 'bene habet, nil plus interrogo.' sed quid turba Remi? sequitur fortunam, ut semper, et odit damnatos. idem populus, si Nortia Tusco fauisset, si oppressa foret secura senectus principis, hac ipsa Seianum diceret hora Augustum. iam pridem, ex quo suffragia nulli uendimus, effudit curas; nam qui dabat olim imperium, fasces, legiones, omnia, nunc se continet atque duas tantum res anxius optat, panem et circenses. 'perituros audio multos.' ........... ........... |
In every land as far as man can go, from Spain to the Aurora or the poles, few know, and even fewer choose what's true. What do we fear with reason, or desire? Is a step made without regret? The gods ruin whole households for a foolish prayer. Devoured by peace, we seek devouring war, the orator is drowned by his torrential speech, the gladiator's murdered by his skill at murder. Wealth is worse; how many pile fortune on fortune - like the Atlantic whale, they bulk above the lesser fish and die. For this in the dark years and at the word of Nero, Seneca's high gardens fell; Longinus died; a cohort of praetorians besieged the Laterani. No soldiers purge a garret. If you take a walk at night, carrying a little silver, be prepared to think each shadow hides a knife or spear. You'll fear each wavering of the moonlit reed, while beggars whistle in the robber's face. How many men are killed by Power, by Power and Power's companion, Envy! Your long list of honors breaks your neck. Statues follow the rope and crash, the axe cuts down the two- wheeled chariot's wheels and snaps the horse's legs. Fierce hiss the fires, the bellows roar, the head, all-popular and adored by all once, burns - Sejanus crackles, and his crude bronze face, the second in the world, melts down to jars, frying pans, basins, platters, chamber pots. Hang out your streamers, lead the great chalked bull to the high altar at the Capitol - men lead Sejanus on a hook, and all rejoice. 'What flannel lips he has! No man, I tell you, ever loved this man!' 'But tell us, what was his crime, friend? Who were the informers? What witness swore away his life?' 'No witness! A wordy long epistle came from Capri.' 'Tiberius spoke, enough, I'll hear no more.' But what about the Roman mob? Their rule is always follow fortune and despise the fallen. One thing's certain, if the gods had spared Sejanus, if some accident had choked Tiberius in his green old age, the mob would hail Sejanus Caesar now. ........... ........... |
Trans. Copyright © Heirs of Robert Lowell - publ. Penguin Classics