To an Old Mare
O equa, canitia tenuis quae fessa laboras
Noctes atque dies quereris de pondere numquam
Nec fatum superis dictum altis vertere quaeris.
Invida magnopere famae sic esne priorum?
Ligneus alter avus stravit (vae!) moenia Troiae
occultans utero atque tenebris callidum Ulixen.
Alterque est factus puero a demente senator
atque foro dein dicere et est hinire coactus.
Alter Alexandri Magni virtute reuebat
nomine Bucephalae, praceps cito Persicum in agmen.
Tete posse, scio, nec fatum vertere dirum
nec Romanis dicere nec ruere in legiones.
Hic eris in campis his mecum laetior illis!
Translation
O mare, frail with old age who works tirelessly
Through night and day you never complain about your burden.
Neither do you seek to change the fate dictated by the high gods.
Are you jealous of the fame of you ancestors?
For instance, your wooden grandfather who (alas!) detroyed the walls of Troy
Hiding tricky Odysseus in his dark belly.
Or your other ancestor who was made a senator by a crazy young emperor
and forced to neigh and speak in the forum.
Or the other, named Bucepahlus, because of the great virtue of Alexander the Great
rushed quickly headlong into the Persian battle lines.
I know that you are not able to turn aside you fate
nor to speak to Romans nor to rush into battle (like those guys)
you will be much happier than your ancestors here with me in these fields.
To My Wife
Ut calor aestatis cito sic Proserpina migrat.
Semper stant tacitum vacuus campusque pecusque.
Propter reginae defectum nubila gignunt
et diros imbres atros et fulmina magna.
Frigidus ac sedeo iam pro fornace colonus.
Nunc hodie, mea amans, remane mecum et requiesce.
Cras penitus me confoveas et confoveam te.
Esto Persephone mea meque reliquere noli.
Translation
Just as the heat of summer departs, so does Persephone
Always now the fields stand empty and the cattle quiet.
Because of her departure the clouds give birth to
dire black rain and great flashes of lightning
I now, a mere farmer, sit cold in front of the fireplace
Today, my love, remain with me and rest
Tomorrow, may you keep me warm inside and may I keep you warm
Be my Persephone, and abandon me not.
To My Body
Addressing a handless statue at the U of M Museum of Art
Quid, quaeris, fugi tua aperte bracchia pulchra
Simpliciter vidi bracchia pulchra alia.
Translation
Why, you ask, did I flee openly from your beautiful arms?
Well, simply because I found more beautiful arms elsewhere!