ELEGAIC COUPLETS

ATOP ERYX
Aediculis minime desertis culmine montis
   passeribus sacris pervigilabat Amor.

In shrines not at all deserted atop the mountain,
   Love kept vigil with the sacred sparrows.

REARVIEW
Clunes miraris caelestis marmoreosque.
   Virginis aut satyri, membra venusta tibi.

At buttocks you marvel, heavenly and marble.
   Girl’s or satyr’s, the limbs delight you.

TWO THE RESCUE
Soter means “savior” in Greek; our chef Salvatore went by the nick-name “Salvo”

Discipulos salvat dum mentibus optima Soter,
   Salsus Salvator ventribus arte coqui.

While most excellent Soter saves the students’ minds,
   Salty Salvatore [saves their] bellies with the art of a cook!

 

METRICAL HAIKU

MIMESIS
One afternoon, the painting of a hawk outside the lecture hall was twirling in the wind.

Circumvolabat
accipiter celeris
depicta vento.

‘Twas flying circles
the swift peregrine
painted in the wind.

SYMPHONY
Remota noctu
musica percipitur
Caniculosa

Nightly, distant
music is heard
Doggerel

MIST-ICAL
Turret amoris
Aediculae Veneris
Caliga turris

Towers of love
A Shrine of Venus
A fog of incense

WARNING FROM MY SICILIAN FRIEND
For a former student, Sicilian-Latina. A single mother, she would load trucks at UPS 2:00-9:00 am, then come to Latin class. Carries a smile on her face and knives in her purse.

Periculosae
hae Siculae puerae
sicis Amoris

Dangerous
these Sicilian chicas
with daggers of Love.

 

GOLDEN LINE

DEADLY DAEDALUS
With catapults, Agathocles flung the men of Segesta into the quarry below.

Daedalium victam delevit crimen Acestam.
Daedalian crime annihilated conquered Segesta.

 

EPIGRAM

ANTICA PASTICCERIA DEL CONVENTO
Trinacriae scopulis superatis nos peregrini
   oremus tristes invalidique fame:
“Intuita effigies matris dulcissima sanctae
   e fanis Ericis crustula nostra bea!”

CHAPEL BAKERY
Having scaled the crags of Sicily, we wayfarers
   gloomy and weakened with hunger, let us pray:
“Most sweet protecting statue of our Holy Mother,
   from your sacred precincts of Eryx, bless our pastries!”

 

COMPLETE THE COUPLET

Respondit Publio subridens caupo tabernae
   (Si pulli nolunt ulla vorare, bibant!)

The barkeep, laughing, replied to Publius
   (If the chickens won’t eat, let them drink!)

VARIA

SICILIAN SUNSET (Iambic Trimeter)
Circum paludem Punici vecti salis
Sole occidente Graeca vina sugimus.

After sailing around the marsh of Punic salt,
As the sun sets, we slurp Greek wines.

STRANGE TANGO (Dactylic Hexameter)
Cum satyro saltat confracti pes elephantis.
With the satyr it dances, the foot of a shattered elephant.

BEDROOM VISTA (Dactylic Hexameter)
Nocte ruunt tenebrae, conscendunt lumina montem.
At night shadows fall, lights scale the mountain.

MORNING RITUAL (Dactylic Hexameter)
Mane canes, Laribus vigilatis, somniculosi
agnoscunt comitem nitidam caudis lutulentis.

At dawn the dogs, after guarding the Lares, sleepily
greet the gleaming countess with tails full of mud.

NOT ECLOGUE BUT TRAGEDY (Dactylic Hexameter)
Inspired by a bucolic scene of flocks around a ruined tower, I thought of Sophocles’ Ajax and his slaughter of sheep instead of soldiers.

Ruderibus regum cinctis capris ovibusque,
Olim turritis, Ajacem percipietis.

By the ruins of kings surrounded by goats and sheep,
Turreted once, you will understand Ajax.