#horace
#latinpoetry
#latinpronunciation
Horace’s Ode 1.11, his famous “Carpe Diem” poem, was published in 23 BC, early in the reign of Augustus. He addresses this poem to his friend or mistress, Leuconoe, who is obsessed with how long she and Horace will live. He encourages her to abandon such vain pursuits and to live for today. As this is probably a love poem, more than a philosophical treatise, he wants her to focus on action now, and to stop all the talk about the future.
Ne quaesieris: don’t ask, you should not inquire about. Ne + perfect subj = neg. command, like noli + infinitive, but more colloquial and a bit stronger.
Scire nefas: to know (our end is) forbidden, impious, sacriligeous.
Quem finem: what end, what sort of end
Di: dei, the gods
Dederint: have given, perf. subj. in an indirect question.
Leuconoe: a Greek woman, probably Horace’s lover
Nec temptaris: shortened form of temptaveris, perf. subjunctive in a negative command; and don’t try, test, investigate.
Babylonios numeros: Bablyonian astrological tables used to tell the future.
Ut melius (est/sit): how much better it is / would be; ut (how) introduces an exclamatory sentence.
Quicquid = quidquid: whatever
Pati: to suffer, endure, submit to; a deponent verb, pass. infinitive with act. meaning.
Pluris = plures: many (more); -is instead of -es is common in poetry.
Seu = sive: whether
Hiemes: winters
Tribuit: has granted, allowed, assigned; present OR perfect.
Ultimam (hiemem): the last, final
Quae nunc: “which now,” suggests that the present bad weather is preventing Horace and Leuconoe from fulfilling their plans.
Oppositis pumicibus: with its opposing pumice stones, perhaps referring to the dangerous rocky cliffs worn away by the power of the sea. The porous pumice stones may be a reminder of how everything is ephemeral.
Debilitat: weakens, debilitates, handicaps; the current bad weather makes the sea dangerous for travel.
Mare Tyrrhenum: the Tyrrhenian Sea, between the western coast of Italy and the eastern coast of Corsica and Sardinia.
Sapias: you should be sensible, prudent, wise; present subjunctive used for a polite command (jussive or hortatory).
Vina liques: you should strain the wines/wine; perhaps he’s asking her to prepare the wine that they will enjoy together; jussive subjunctive.
Spatio brevi: can be ablative (because of the brief space of time) or dative with reseces (to/in keeping with the brief space of time).
Spem longam: long-term hope, plans…
Reseces: you should cut back, prune back; an agricultural metaphor; jussive subjunctive.
Loquimur: we are speaking, talking; deponent verb.
Fugerit: will have fled, run away; future perfect.
Invida: jealous, envious
Aetas: time, a period of time, a lifetime
Carpe: pick, pluck, enjoy, make use of; normally refers to flowers, grapes, fruit.
Diem: the day, this day, today, as opposed to “postero”.
Quam minimum: as little as possible
Credula: trusting in, putting your faith in, believing in.
Postero: tomorrow; dative after credula.
Translation:
You should not ask, to know is forbidden, what (sort of) end the gods have given to me, what (sort) to you, Leuconoe,
nor should you try Babylonian calculations (consult Babylonian astrological tables).
How much better (it is) to submit to whatever will be,
whether Jupiter has granted us more winters or this one as the last,
which now with its opposing pumice rocks disables the Tyrrhenan Sea:
you should be sensible, strain the wine (wines), and according to the brief space of time cut back far-reaching hope.
While we are talking, envious time will have run away:
pluck / enjoy the fruits of today, as little as possible putting your faith in tomorrow.
Pronunciation:
tū nē quaesierīs, scīre nefās, quem mihi, queN tibi
fīneN dī dederint, leuconoē, nec babylōniōs
temptārīs numerōs. ut melius quicquid erit patī,
seu plūrīs hiemēs seu tRibuit IuPPiter ultima(m),
quae nunc oPPositīs dēbilitat pūmicibus mare
tyRRhēnu(m): sapiās, vīna liquēs et spatiō bRevī
spe(m) longa(m) resecēs. du(m) loquimuR, fūgerit invida
aetās: caRpe die(m), quam minimuNG cRēdula posterō.
Meter: Greater Asclepiad
— — — uu — | — uu — | — uu — u x (spondee, three choriambs, & an iamb). Note how there is usually a pause (diaeresis) after the first and second choriamb.
Tū nē quāesierīs, | scīre nefās, | quēm mihi, quēm tibi
fīnēm dī dederīnt, | Lēuconoē, | nēc Babylōniōs
tēmptārīs numerōs. | Ūt meliūs | quīcquid erīt patī,
sēu plūrīs hiemēs | sēu tribuīt | Iūppiter ūltimam,
quāe nūnc ōppositīs | dēbilitāt | pūmicibūs mare
Tÿrrhēnūm sapiās, | vīna liquēs | ēt spatiō brevī
spēm lōngām resecēs. | Dūm loquimūr, | fūgerit īnvida
āetās: cārpe diēm, | quām minimūm | crēdula pōsterō.
Artwork:
Etching of Horatius Flaccus, 18th century, based on a 4th century bronze medallion in the Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris, artist unknown, from Wikimedia Commons, public domain.
Translation: David Amster, Fez, June 26, 2023
