Pagina:Ad Alpes.djvu/56

“Canēbat de labōribus^[1] cīvium suōrum, quī domō expulsī Babylōnem in exsilium dēductī sunt. Dulcissimus erat ille cantus, sed etiam maestissimus; cum^[2] autem Anna suā linguā ūterētur, vix intellegere potuī quid esset, dē quō dīceret. Sed paulō post mē omnia docuit;^[3] ac verbōrum sententiam ego nostrīs modīs exprimere sīc cōnātus sum:

‘“Sedēmus amnīs ad^[4] Babylōniōs,

Nostrōrum amārīs^[5] fūnera lacrimīs,

Sīōne victā, conquerentēs^[6]

Exsiliīque gravīs labōrēs.

“Iam victor atrōx increpitāns^[7] iocō,

‘Sīōnis,’ inquit, ‘laetificīs^[8] modīs

Cantāte laudēs. Cūr sedētis

Cōnsimilēs^[9] ovibus^[10] tacentēs?

“Hīc ut canāmus^[11] nōs patrium deum

Maestī exsulantēs, barbaricā^[12] in domō?^[13]

Sīōn,^[14] male hostēs sīc cadant^[15] ut^[16]

Tē cinerēsque tuōs verēbor.’ ”

“Euge,” inquit mercātor, “mihi quidem hī versūs optimī esse videntur. Sī fēlīciter fēceris prōgressum,^[17] aliquandō poēta vērus esse poteris.”

At nunc Drūsilla līberīs: “Fortasse vōbīs Anna quoque

1. labōribus, trials.
2. cum: causal.
3. docuit: with acc. of person and thing.
4. ad, beside.
5. amārus, -a, -um, adj., bitter.
6. conqueror, -querī, -questus sum tr, lament.
7. increpitō, -āre, tr., challenge.
8. laetificus, -a, -um, adj., joyous.
9. consimilis, -e, adj., like.
10. ovibus: dat.
11. ut canāmus, we sing? (rejecting the suggestion).
12. barbaricus, -a, -um, adj., foreign, strange.
13. domō, freely, land.
14. Sīōn: voc.
15. cadant: a wish.
16. ut, as.
17. prōgressus, -is, m., progress.