The Works of Virgil

THE GEORGICS

BOOK III

And the chirping of the complaining cicadas original: "cicadae"; insects famous in classical literature for their loud, rhythmic buzzing during the height of summer heat. shall burst the thickets,
order the flocks to the wells or to the deep pools,
to drink the water running in troughs of holm-oak.
But in the midday heat, seek out a shady valley,
wherever Jupiter’s great oak of ancient strength
spreads its massive branches, or wherever a grove,
dark with thick holm-oaks, rests in sacred shadow.
Then again offer them thin, running waters and feed them once more
towards the setting of the sun, when the cool evening star
tempers the air, and the now-dewy moon refreshes the glades,
and the shores ring with the kingfisher original: "alcyonem"; a bird that, according to myth, nested on the sea during a period of supernatural calm. and the thickets with the goldfinch.
Why should I follow in verse the shepherds of Libya, why their pastures,
and the huts inhabited with scattered roofs? original: "mapalia"; the portable, dome-shaped dwellings used by the nomadic Numidian tribes of North Africa.
Often for day and night and a whole month in order
the herd grazes and the flock goes into the long deserts
without any shelters—so much of the plain lies open.
The African herdsman carries everything with him:?
his roof and his home,? original: "tectumque laremque"; referring to both the physical shelter and the 'Lares,' or household gods that represent the heart of a home.
his arms, his Amyclaean dog,? original: "Amyclaeum canem"; a famous breed of hunting dog from Amyclae in Sparta. and his Cretan quiver.?
Not otherwise than the fierce Roman in his ancestral arms,?
when he takes his way under a heavy burden,? original: "iniusto sub fasce"; literally an 'unjust' or 'excessive' load, referring to the 60-plus pounds of gear a Roman legionary carried on the march.
and stands in battle array with his camp already pitched before the enemy expects him.?