Arthur Quiller-Couch, ed. (18631944). The Oxford Book of Ballads. 1910.

1. Thomas the Rhymer Stiharul Thomas

I

TRUE Thomas lay on Huntlie bank; pe mal statornicThomas sta/pe mal Thomas cel sincer sta credincios, fidel, loial, neprefacut, statornic A ferlie he spied wi his ee; O minune din ochi pandea And there he saw a ladye bright Si-acolo o frumoasa doamna vedea Come riding down by the Eildon Tree. Pe langa Eildon Tree, pe cal, cum venea
II
5

Her skirt was o the grass-green silk, avea Vestmant verde ca iarba Her mantle o the velvet fyne; Si-o mantie din fina matasa At ilka tett o her horses mane clopotei Cincizeci si noua atarna Hung fifty siller bells and nine. In a calului coama stufoasa
III

True Thomas he pud aff his cap, Iar Thomas isi scoase palaria And louted low down on his knee: Si in tarana-ngenunche Hail to thee, Mary, Queen of Heaven! Ave, Marie, a Cerului Imparateasa For thy peer on earth could never be. Caci pe pamant nu ti-am vazut pereche
IV

1 0

O no, O no, Thomas, she said, Nu Thomas nu spuse ea atunci That name does not belang to me; Nu este-acesta al meu nume Im but the Queen o fair Elfland, Nu sunt decit a elfilor regina That am hither come to visit thee. Care-am venit aici la tine
V

1 5

Harp and carp, Thomas, she said; La harpa sa cantam Thomas, a spus Harp and carp along wi me; Sa canti si sa reciti cu mine And if ye dare to kiss my lips, Iar daca buzele-mi saruti Sure of your bodie I will be. A ta voi fi, voi fi cu tine./Una cu trupul tau voi fi
VI

2 0

Betide me weal, betide me woe, Intampla-se ce s-o-ntampla/de mi-o fi rau, de mi-o fi bine That weird shall never daunten me Soarta nu ma va-nfricosa

Syne he has kissd her rosy lips, Si buzele i-a sarutat/Si-a sale buze rosii a sarutat All underneath the Eildon Tree. Sub Eildon Tree, in umbra sa.
VII
2 5

Now ye maun go wi me, she said, Acum trebuie sa ma urmezi, a spus ea True Thomas, ye maun go wi me; sincere Thomas cu mine Trebuie sa vii And ye maun serve me seven years, Si sa-mi fi paj pe sapte ani Thro weal or woe as may chance to be. La bine si la rau, asa cum soarta imi va fi.
VIII

Shes mounted on her milk-white steed, Pe cal balan ca laptele ea se sui Shes taen true Thomas up behind; pe Thomas pe cal il lua Cu ea And aye, wheneer her bridle rang, Iar fraiele cand zornaiau The steed gaed swifter than the wind. Mai iute ca vantul calul zbura
IX

3 0

O they rade on, and farther on, Si au tot mers si au tot mers The steed gaed swifter than the wind; Mai iute ca vantul calul se-avanta Until they reachd a desert wide, Pance-au ajuns intr-un desert And living land was left behind. Lasand taramul celor vii departe-n urma
X

3 5

Light down, light down now, true Thomas, Sincere Thomas, coboara jos din sa And lean your head upon my knee; Si de genunchiul meu capul sa-ti razemi Abide ye there a little space, Si-asa sa mai ramai o vreme And I will show you ferlies three. Sa-ti arat trei minuni fara de saman
XI

4 0

O see ye not yon narrow road, Nu vezi tu oare acel drum ingust So thick beset wi thorns and briers? Presarat cu spini si maracini That is the Path of Righteousness, Aceea este Calea celor Drepti Though after it but few inquires. Desi acei ce-ntreaba de ea-s putini
XII
4 5

And see ye not yon braid, braid road, Si mai vezi colo, drumul impletit That lies across the lily leven? Cun merge prin pajistea de malini That is the Path of Wickedness, Acea este Calea celor Rai Though some call it the Road to Heaven. Insa Calea catre Cer unii ii mai spun
XIII

And see ye not yon bonny road Si nu vezi drumul acela de oase acoperit That winds about the fernie brae? Ce pe deal incepe a serpui That is the Road to fair Elfland, E Calea catre Tara Elfilor Where thou and I this night maun gae. Spre care noi acuma om porni
XIV

5 0

But, Thomas, ye sall haud your tongue, Dar Thomas, sa nu scoti o vorba Whatever ye may hear or see; Orice-ai auzi sau vedea For speak ye word in Elflyn-land, In Tara Elfilor de vei vorbi Yell neer win back to your ain countrie. Niciodata N-ai sa te-ntorni in tara ta
XV

5 5

O they rade on, and farther on, Si-au mers-apoi si au tot mers And they waded rivers abune the knee; Si rauri pana la genunchi trecand And they saw neither sun nor moon, N-au vazut nici soare si nici luna But they heard the roaring of the sea. Doar marea au auzit mugind
XVI

6 0

It was mirk, mirk night, there was nae starlight, Si noapte ca taciunele, fara de stele-au fost They waded thro red blude to the knee; In sange pana la genunchi si-au croit drumul Si drumul si-au croit prin rau de sange For a the blude thats shed on the earth Caci tot sangele ce se revarsa pe pamant Rins through the springs o that countrie. In apele din asta tara-si varsa raul
XVII
6 5

Syne they came to a garden green, Apoi intr-o gradina verde au ajuns And she pud an apple frae a tree: Iar ea un mar a smuls din pom Take this for thy wages, true Thomas; iti va da Limba sa nu poti minti It will give thee the tongue that can never lee. simbria ta e asta, sincer Tom
XVIII

My tongue is my ain, true Thomas he said; A mea e limba, spus-a sincer Tom A gudely gift ye wad gie to me! Si un dar bun mi-ai daruit I neither dought to buy or sell Nu trebuie sa cumpar sau sa vand At fair or tryst where I might be. La bine sau la rau de-oi fi
XIX

7 0

I dought neither speak to prince or peer, N-am sa vorbesc cu print sau nobil Nor ask of grace from fair ladye! Nici mila de la frumoasa mea doamna n-oi voi

Now haud thy peace, Thomas, she said, Acum ramai in pace Thomas For as I say, so must it be. Caci asa cum spun trebuie a fi
XX

7 5

He has gotten a coat of the even cloth, In vestmant verde, neted si pantofi de catifea And a pair o shoon of the velvet green; pana ce sapte ani nu au trecut And till seven years were gane and past, A stat/slujit el; iar pe pamant True Thomas on earth was never seen. Tom cel sincer n-a mai fost vazut ferlie] marvel. tett] tuft. harp and carp] play and recite (as a minstrel). weird] doom. leven] ? lawn.
GLOSS:

8 0

Come to me in my dreams
Petronius (d. c.A.D. 66)

TE uigilans oculis, animo te nocte requiro, uicta iacent solo cum mea membra toro. uidi ego me tecum falsa sub imagine somni: somnia tu uinces si mihi uera uenis. Watching you with my eyes, with my soul I quiet you down at night They lie defeated alone with my limbs in bed I have seen me and you cheating under pretense of sleep You defeat/conquer dreams if you come to me in truth

Thorns and Roses

Petronius (d. c.A.D. 66)

INVENIAT, quod quisque uelit: non omnibus unum est, quod placet: hic spinas colligit, ille rosas. Let it be known, what everybody wants: one is not everybody What pleases: this picks up thorns, that roses.

Fire and Ice

Petronius (d. c.A.D. 66)

ME niue candenti petiit modo Iulia. rebar igne carere niuem: nix tamen ignis erat. quid niue frigidius? nostrum tamen urere pectus nix potuit manibus, Iulia, missa tuis. quis locus insidiis dabitur mihi tutus amoris, frigore concreta si latet ignis aqua? Iulia sola potes nostras exstinguere flammas: non niue, non glacie, sed potes igne pari.

As the gleaming snow Iulia only desires me. I believed The snow to be absent from the glow of passion: the snow, nevertheless, was fire What snow is cooler? Still our chest could be burnt By the snow of your throwing hands, Iulia. For what treacheries the safe place of love/affection will offer to me In the firm frost if the fire lurks in the water? Only Iulia can extinguish our flames: Not the snow, not the ice, but she can match fire.

Lost: A Heart
Quintus Lutatius Catulus (Cons. 102 B.C.)

AVFVGIT mi animus; credo, ut solet, ad Theotimum deuenit. sic est: perfugium illud habet. quid? quasi non interdixen ne illunc fugitiuom mitteret ad se intro, sed magis eiceret! ibimus quaesitum. uerum ne ipsei teneamur formido. quid ago? da, Venus, consilium. My heart has fled; I believe, even if accustomed, it has gone To Theotim. So it is: it has a refuge. Which one? As if, not forbidden, to that place was put to flight It throws itself inside, but comes out as in a magic Well walk/ride what was sought. We do not hold the very truth, I fear. What do I say? Venus, give your advice.

The Rising sun of Roscius

Quintus Lutatius Catulus (Cons. 102 B.C.)

CONSTITERAM exorientem Auroram forte saluntans, cum subito a laeua Roscius exoritur.

pace mihi liceat, caelestes, dicere uestra: mortalis uisust pulcrior esse deo.

I stopped by chance saluting the Aurore rising Suddenly at the left of Roscius coming out It brings me peace, your gods say: The sight of mortals is more beautiful to god.

Odi et Amo
Caius Valerius Catullus (84? B.C.54? B.C.)

ODI et amo: quare id faciam, fortasse requiris. nescio, sed fieri sentio et excrucior. I hate and I love: why I do that, youre wandering perhaps. I do not know, but I feel it happening and I fret.

To Lesbia, not to count Kisses

Caius Valerius Catullus (84? B.C.54? B.C.)

VIVAMVS, mea Lesbia, atque amemus, rumoresque senum seueriorum omnes unius aestimemus assis. soles occidere et redire possunt: nobis cum semel occidit breuis lux, nox est perpetua una dormienda. da mi basia mille, deinde centum, dein mille altera, dein secunda centum, deinde usque altera mille, deinde centum; dein, cum milia multa fecerimus, conturbabimus illa, ne sciamus, aut ne quis malus inuidere possit, cum tantum sciat esse basiorum. Let us live, my Lesbia, and let us love, Old age and reputation are stern Let us value everything of one while present.

1 0

The suns can fall and return: The short light fails in us occasionally, The one sleeping night is perpetual. Give me a thousand kisses, and then a hundred, Then other thousand kisses, then a second hundred, Thereafter up to another thousand, then a hundred; Then let us bring forth/create many thousands, Let us confuse/upset that, we do not know, Or rather this evil cannot envy, It knows to be with so many kisses.

Womans Words
Caius Valerius Catullus (84? B.C.54? B.C.)

NVLLI se dicit mulier mea nubere malle quam mihi, non si se Iuppiter ipse petat. dicit: sed mulier cupido quod dicit amanti, in uento et rapida scribere oportet aqua. My woman says to no one she prefers to be married