AD ERYCINAM (Iambic Trimeter)
Venus latebat nubium sub agmine,
Longe relicta, sacra adhuc tandem petens.

TO THE GODDESS OF ERICE
Venus lay beneath the ranks of clouds,
Long abandoned, but in the end, even now seeking her sacred places.

METRICAL HAIKU

IN MEMORIAM GALLI
Quid gallus amens
Transgreditur viam eam?
Ut trans viam sit.

A CHICKEN, IN MEMORIAM
“Why did the mad chicken
cross the road?” . . .

GOLDEN LINE

AD LACUNAM SUPER OLEUM
Dott.ssa. Burgarella took us on a tour of the olive oil facility, pointing out the cooling pond built over the underground oil storage tank. In it was growing a clump of papyrus from the Egyptian strain growing in Syracuse.

O viridis, veteri nunc cresce, lacuna, papyro!
Oh pool, now grow green with ancient papyrus!

EPIGRAM

AD VIATORES A NATIS COMITATOS
Aëria in navi, cum me vix somnus habebat,
   Voces horribiles edidit iste puer.
Είς κόρακας adeant omnes quicumque molestis
   (Hercule!) cum natis aëre nave volent!

TO THOSE TRAVELING WITH CHILDREN
“On the airplane, when sleep was only just beginning to take me,
   That damn kid let out terrible screams.
To the crows with all who would fly through the air
   (by Hercules!) with noxious children in a plane!”

VARIA

AD NUNTIUM NAVIS (Elegiac Couplet)
(The excursion boat around Motya came equipped with a soundtrack)

Insulam ad antiquam verti conamur at, eheu!
   Eloquio frustra vocis eunte rate.

TALKING BOAT
We try to pay attention to the ancient island, but, alas,
   In vain, due to the fluency of the narration, with the boat going on.