OVID, A Rustic Festival Flashcards
Termine, sive lapis sive es defossus in agro
stipes, ab antiquis tu quoque numen habes.
Terminus, whether you are a stone or a post fixed in the ground,
from ancient times you too have status of a god.
te duo diversa domini de parte coronant,
binaque serta tibi binaque liba ferunt.
Two landowners, from opposite sides, crown you with a wreath, offering to you a pair of garlands and a pair of sacrificial cakes.
ara fit: huc ignem curto fert rustica testo
sumptum de tepidis ipsa colona focis.
An altar is created: to here, the simple farmer’s wife herself brings fire
in a cracked pot, taken from her warm hearth.
ligna senex minuit concisaque construit arte,
et solida ramos figere pugnat humo;
The old man chops sticks and methodically piles up the cut pieces,
struggling to fix the branches in the hard earth.
tum sicco primas irritat cortice flammas;
stat puer et manibus lata canistra tenet.
Then he kindles the first flames with some dry bark,
while the farmer’s son stands, holding a broad basket in his hands.
inde ubi ter fruges medios immisit in ignes,
porrigit incisos filia parva favos.
Next, when he has thrown the crops into the middle of the fire three times,
the little daughter holds out some cut-up honey-comb.
vina tenent alii: libantur singula flammis;
spectant, et linguis candida turba favet.
Others hold various wines: one by one, these are offered as a libation to the flames;
they watch, and the crowd, dressed in white, show support with their silent tongues.
spargitur et caeso communis Terminus agno,
nec queritur lactans cum sibi porca datur.
Terminus is also sprinkled by both sides with a sacrificed lamb,
and he doesn’t complain when he is given an unweaned piglet.
conveniunt celebrantque dapes vicinia simplex
et cantant laudes, Termine sancte, tuas.
They all come together, this single community, celebrating your feats
and singing your praises, holy Terminus.
