Vergilius Maro, Publius; Maillol, Aristide: The eclogues of Vergil: in the original Latin with an English prose translation (London, 1927)

MENALCAS
You shall not get away to-day; I will meet every
challenge you make. Let him who comes this way
judge our songs. Lookt ids Palaemon — let him be
umpire. I will see to it that you make no more brag-
gart challenges to sing.
DAMOETAS
I am ready, and fear no rival competitor. Only listen
with all your ears to our songst neighbour Palaemon,
for the contest is no trivial bout.
PALAEMON
Begin your songs, for now we have taken our seats
on the soft turf. And now every field and every tree
is bursting with fruitfulness,, now the woods are in
full leaf, now is the loveliest time of the year. Begin
Damoetas; then you, m your turn, Menalcas. Sing
alternate verses; Italian poets love alternate verses.
DAMOETAS
Spirit of song, begin from ] ove, the world is filled with
Jove. He makes the fruitful earth, he cares for the
shepherd's song.
MENALCAS
And me Phoebus loves; ever I give to Phoebus the
gifts he loves, laurel and sweet-blushing hyacinth.
DAMOETAS
Galatea aims an apple at me, saucy girl, and runs to
hide among the willows, but wants to be seen first.
MENALCAS
But to me of his own accord, my desire, Amyntas,
comes; so now he is better known to our watch-dogs
than Delia.

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