Exercise 59

Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard, Gray
The curfew tolls the knell of parting day,
The lowing herd winds slowly o'er the lea,
The ploughman homeward plods his weary way,
And leaves the world to darkness and to me.

Now fades the glimmering landscape on the sight,
And all the air a solemn stillness holds,

Save where the beetle wheels his droning flight,
And drowsy tinklings lull the distant folds.

HINTS. 1. The knell (naenia) of dying (future part.) day has slowly sounded,

2. The long pastures reëcho with the lowing of the kine, 3. With weary feet (sing.) the ploughman drags himself with difficulty to his home (limen, pl.),

4. I am left alone with the silent evening.

5. Now fades upon the sight (fallere oculos) the glimmering (evanidus) appearance of objects,

6. And a deep rest holds the heavens around (passim).

7. Except (ni) where the beetle with shining wings wheels his flight (rotare gyros),

8. And drowsy (piger) tinklings (sing.) lull (sopio) the sheep along the heights.

Exercise 60

Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard, Continued

Save that from yonder ivy-mantled tower,
The moping owl does to the moon complain,

Of such as, wand'ring near her secret bower,

Molest her ancient solitary reign.

Beneath those rugged elms, that yew tree's shade,
Where heaves the turf in many a mouldering heap,

Each in his narrow cell forever laid,

The rude forefathers of the hamlet sleep.

HINTS. 1. Unless from the top of the neighboring tower, girded with ivy,

2. The owl with many a groan (i.e. groaning much) complains to the moon,

3. If any one wandering perchance by her sylvan bower (cubile),

4. Violates the ancient (vetustus) rights of her secret place. 5. Beneath the rugged (nodosus) elms and shady (comans)

yew,

6. Where heaves the mouldering earth in heaped-up mounds (cespes, sing.),

7. In his narrow prison sleeps for all time,

8. Each sire of the humble village laid to rest (one word, contumulatus).

Exercise 61

Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard, Continued
The breezy call of incense-breathing morn,
The swallow twittering from the straw-built shed,
The cock's shrill clarion, or the echoing horn,
No more shall rouse them from their lowly bed.

For them no more the blazing hearth shall burn,
Or busy housewife ply her evening care;

No children run to lisp their sire's return,

Or climb his knee, the envied kiss to share.

HINTS. 1. The breath of the west wind breathing incense (and) summoning (nom.) (them) in the morning,

2. The swallow that twitters (garrio) from the straw-built (stramineus) home,

3. The cock crowing (sono) with clear voice and the echoing (resultans) horn,

4. Shall dissipate no dreams of their humble couch.

5. For them no more (haud iterum) the hearth shall be reënkindled with fire,

6. Or shall the busy wife do (that) which is her (proprius) part (gen.);

7. The child with prattling (balbus) lips (os, sing.) will not greet his sire,

8. (And) run (fut.) to his embrace (pl.) or seize first (prae in composition with verb) his knee.

Exercise G2

Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard, Continued

Oft did the harvest to their sickle yield,

Their furrow oft the stubborn glebe has broke;
How jocund did they drive their team afield!
How bowed the woods beneath their sturdy stroke!

Let not ambition mock their useful toil,
Their homely joys and destiny secure;
Nor grandeur hear with a disdainful smile,
The short and simple annals of the poor.

The boast of heraldry, the pomp of power,
And all that beauty, all that wealth e'er gave,
Await alike the inevitable hour,

The paths of glory lead but to the grave.

HINTS. 1. How often did they reap the harvest (arva), applying the sickle (abl. absol.),

2. How often was the soil (gleba) turned by the heavy share!

3. How joyful did they drive their teams (gemini iugales) through the fields,

4. With what a stroke (ferrum) the trees (trabes) fell in the woods!

5. Let not ambition mock their honorable toil (i.e. cares), 6. And the ease (pl.) not foreign to their lowly (ignotus) hearths,

7. Nor disdainful (contractus) pride receive with scornful (torvus) smile,

8. The history of the poor home, though (si) it (ille) (be) brief.

9. The long titles of our sires, and the power of great fame, 10. Whatsoever beauty can add, whatsoever wealth,

11. Await alike the inevitable time,

12. The way of honor, forsooth, leads to the grave.

Exercise 63

Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard, Continued

Nor you, ye proud, impute to these the fault,
If memory o'er their tomb no trophies raise,
Where through the long-drawn aisle and fretted vault,
The pealing anthem swells the note of praise.

Can storied urn or animated bust

Back to its mansion call the fleeting breath?
Can honor's voice provoke the silent dust,

Or flattery soothe the dull cold ear of death?

HINTS. 1. Nor you, ye proud (proceres), impute (verto) this as a fault (dat.),

2. Because memory (pietas) raises (loco) for these no trophies,

3. Where through the fretted (Daedalus) vaults of the magnificent temple,

4. The sounding (pulsus) organ (pl.) rolls forth the pealing (grandisonus) anthem.

5. What will titles, what will sculptured marbles avail the body (membra)?

6. Would (an) the soul through art again (redux) reënter (se insinuo)?

7. Would honor with its voice revivify the now silent ashes? 8. Would (num) soft words touch the Stygian god?

Exercise 64

Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard, Continued

Perhaps in this neglected spot is laid,

Some heart once pregnant with celestial fire,

Hands that the rod of empire might have swayed,
Or waked to ecstasy the living lyre.

But knowledge to their eyes her ample page,
Rich with the spoils of time, did ne'er unroll;
Chill penury repressed their noble rage,

And froze the genial current of the soul.

HINTS. 1. Perhaps (forsitan etiam); is laid (quiesco, pl.). 2. Hearts which had been filled (fetus) with celestial fire (caelum suum),

3. A right hand which might have ruled unavenged a mighty throne,

4. Or could have waked (sollicito) the living lyre.

5, 6. But never has it been given (present) to these to unroll (perf.) the records of events, nor the ample spoils of time. 7. Repressed (expello); rage (ignis).

8. Froze (gelu primere); genial current (gaudia blanda).

Exercise 65

Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard, Continued

Full many a gem of purest ray serene,

The dark unfathomed caves of ocean bear;
Full many a flower is born to blush unseen,
And waste its sweetness on the desert air.

Some village Hampden that with dauntless breast
The little tyrant of his fields withstood,
Some mute inglorious Milton here may rest,

Some Cromwell guiltless of his country's blood.

HINTS. 1, 2. Many a gem which shines with rare splendor, buried beneath the lowest founts of ocean, lies concealed,

3, 4. Many a little flower is born in vain (nequicquam) in desert fields and fills the empty wood with its odor.

5, 6. Here another Brutus, scorning (indignatus) to bend (dare) the neck to the tyrant of his field may sleep in an obscure grave (humus),