Hello everyone! For this month's blog, we have something a little different! In my Latin class, we translated a simple version of Horace, Ode 2.1. I additionally came up with an interpretive translation of the poem, inspired by the poet Rupi Kaur, and chose to minic her style. Her poetry is minimalistic and modern, often with short stanzas and simple language. I decided to imitate her style of poetry because even though what she writes is quite simple, there is a lot of meaning and significance behind her words. Because of the typical length of her poetry, I wrote three separate parts of my interpretation, all embodying the original message of Horace with varying words.
Horace, Ode 2.1
Licinius, amice, tū dēbēs bonam vītam habēre
sī tū nōn semper vidēs oceanum profundum,
neque sī semper vidēs actam perīculosam,
dum cavēs procellās in oceanō.
Homō quī tenet mediam viam auream,
tutus est: neque solet casam sordidam habēre,
neque habet casam quam invidiosī volunt.
Saepe ab ventīs laurus pulsatur,
et alta aedificia pulsantur ab malā fortunā,
etiam pulsant fulgora alta colla.
Animus praeparatus in horīs malīs sperat,
Et in horīs bonīs, fortunam alteram timet.
Iuppiter nōn solum removēre sed etiam dare brumās malās potest.
Sī nunc vīta est mala, nōn sīc semper.
Apollō saepe cum lyrā cantat et excitat ab somnō Musam,
neque semper fessō populō datur bellum.
In arduō aevō dēbēs speculam tenēre;
sed in aestivō annī ventō, sapienter revōcāre
vela inflata tua dēbēs.
Linicius, friend, you should have a good life
if you don’t always see the deep ocean,
nor if you always see the dangerous beach,
while you avoid storms in the ocean.
The person who holds the middle of the golden road,
is safe: nor he is accustomed to have a dirty home,
nor does the house which the jealous desire.
The bay-tree is often beaten by wind,
and the tall building is beaten by bad fortune,
likewise, lighting strikes lofty mountains.
The prepared mind hopes in bad hours,
and in good hours, he fears another fate.
Bad winters, Jupiter cannot only remove, but also can give.
If now life is bad, it will not be thus always.
Apollo often sings with a lyre and wakes Muse from sleep,
nor war is always given to tired society.
In an arduous time you ought to hold slight hope;
but in the summer wind of the year, you ought to wisely call back
the sails inflated by the wind.
My Interpretation:
Part I
The dangers that we all see in the deep ocean call
me
back
I avoid the draining of bad winters
as to not be drained
“good life”
Part II
She wants the best
in her life
everything that
is not hers
She doesn’t know
the lighting of jealousy that will
strike.
Part III
life will not always be bad
we ought to hold slight hope
in arduous times
we ought to be cautious
to a certain extent
optimistic in moderation
the Golden Road
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