1.1 Annō in the year quō in which hoc this carmen poem dē about sīderibus the stars scrībere to write coeperam I had begun fāma a report Rōmam to Rome pervēnit came through trēs three legiōnēs legions cum with Vārō Varus in in Germāniā Germany periisse to have perished
1.2 Prīmō at first nēmō no one crēdēbat was believing deinde then cum when aliī some post after aliōs others nūntiī messengers advenīrent were arriving tōta the whole urbs city lūctū with grief complēbātur was being filled
1.3 Nārrābant they were relating Augustum Augustus barbam beard capillumque and hair summīsisse to have let grow et and caput head interdum at times foribus against the doors illīsisse to have struck clāmantem shouting ut that Vārus Varus legiōnēs the legions redderet should give back
1.4 Ego I autem however per through eōs those ipsōs very diēs days caelī of the sky ōrdinem the order versibus in verses explicābam was unfolding et and intellegēbam I was understanding mē me dē about ōrdine order scrībere to write eō at that ipsō very tempore time quō at which in on terrīs the lands omnia all things turbārī to be thrown into confusion vidērentur seemed
1.5 Mīrābantur were wondering amīcī friends quod that nōn not cessārem I was stopping ego I respondēbam was answering sīdera the stars quoque also nōn not cessāre to stop
1.6 Quīn etiam indeed even eam that clādem disaster posteā afterwards in in prīmō the first librō book commemorāvī I recorded ubi where dē about comētīs comets dīcō I speak quī which magna great mala evils portendunt foretell
2.1 Paucīs a few post after diēbus days mulier a woman quaedam certain ad to forēs the doors meās my vēnit came lībertīna a freedwoman nōmine by name Hilara Hilara quae who in in vīcō the street proximō nearest vestīmenta clothes lavābat used to wash
2.2 Manūs the hands eius of her aquā from water frīgidā cold rubēbant were red nōn not flēbat she was weeping nam for flēre to weep ut as posteā afterwards intellēxī I understood iam already dēsierat she had ceased
2.3 Audierat she had heard ā from vīcīnō a neighbour quōdam certain mē me caelī of the sky perītum skilled esse to be et and hominum of men genitūrās the nativities īnspicere to examine
2.4 Fīlium a son ūnicum only habēbat she had Quīntum Quintus quī who in in legiōne the legion duodēvīcēsimā eighteenth mīlitābat was serving dē about eō him nēmō no one quicquam anything nūntiāverat had reported
2.5 Rogāvī I asked num whether marītus her husband vīveret was living Iam prīdem long since mortuus est he has died inquit she said Quīntus Quintus mihi to me sōlus alone restat remains
2.6 Tabellam a tablet mihi to me porrēxit she held out in on quā which scrīptum erat had been written quō on what diē day et and quā at what hōrā hour puer the boy nātus esset had been born
2.7 Dīc tell mihi me inquit she said vīvitne does he live fīlius son meus my an or periit has he perished Stellās the stars enim for omnia all things scīre to know aiunt they say
2.8 Cūr why negārem should I deny Ipse I myself in in carmine poem meō my docueram had taught fāta the fates regere to rule orbem the world et and certā by fixed lēge law stāre to stand omnia all things
3.1 Tabellam the tablet igitur therefore accēpī I took et and ratiōnem the reckoning dīligenter carefully subdūxī I worked out
3.2 Calculōs counters in on mēnsā the table posuī I placed duodecim in twelve locīs places dispositōs arranged et and diū for long eōs them mōvī I moved
3.3 Diēs the day certus certain erat was puer the boy Iūliō July mēnse the month ineunte beginning nātus erat had been born cum when sōl the sun in in Cancrō Cancer versārētur was dwelling
3.4 Hōra the hour autem however nōn not erat was certa certain in on tabellā the tablet enim for nihil nothing aliud other scrīptum erat had been written quam than circiter about prīmam the first hōram hour noctis of the night
3.5 Atquī and yet tōta whole ars art mea my ex from hōrā the hour pendet hangs
3.6 Signum the sign enim for quod which eō at that mōmentō moment ab from ortū the rising surgit rises tōtam the whole genitūram nativity regit rules et and ab from eō it cētera the other caelī of the sky loca places dīnumerantur are counted out
3.7 Prīmā at the first noctis of the night hōrā hour surgēbat was rising fortasse perhaps Capricornus Capricorn fortasse perhaps Aquārius Aquarius quod what autem however paucīs by a few mōmentīs moments differt differs id that tōtam the whole vītam life mūtat changes
3.8 Docet teaches ars art mea my sī if Capricornus Capricorn surgat should rise fabrum a smith nāscī to be born quī who igne with fire et and metallīs with metals labōret may labour sī if Aquārius Aquarius hominem a man quī who aquās waters quaerat may seek et and fontēs springs aperiat may open
3.9 Neuter neither mīlitem a soldier prōmittit promises et and tamen yet Quīntus Quintus mīles a soldier erat was
3.10 Rīsissem I would have laughed nisi if not māter the mother adstitisset had been standing by
4.1 Quid what eī to her respondērem was I to answer Neque neither fīlium the son vīvere to live dīcere to say poteram was I able neque nor eum him periisse to have perished
4.2 Dīxī I said igitur therefore id that quod which vērum true erat was mē me litterās the letters fātī of fate nōsse to know nōn not omnia all verba words legere to read posse to be able quae which ex from eīs them scrīberentur were written
4.3 Explicāvī I explained puerōs boys prīmum first litterās letters discere to learn deinde then syllabās syllables tum then verba words eōdem in the same modō way mē me caelī of the sky signa the signs didicisse to have learned
4.4 Sed but in on tabellā tablet tuā your inquam I say ūna one littera letter deest is missing hōra the hour ipsa itself et and sine without eā it verbum the word legī to be read nōn not potest can
4.5 Illa she diū for long tacuit was silent deinde then rogāvit asked num whether deus god quoque also hōram the hour nescīret did not know
4.6 Minimē by no means respondī I answered deus god enim for quī who mundum the universe tacitā by silent ratiōne reason gubernat governs nihil nothing ignōrat is ignorant of Quod what tū you nescīs do not know nōn not idcircō for that reason nōn not scrīptum est has been written
4.7 Parvum small hoc this sōlācium comfort vidēbātur seemed neque nor tamen however falsum false erat was
4.8 Tabellam the tablet recēpit she took back et and abiit went away nec nor eam her umquam ever posteā afterwards vīdī did I see
4.9 Audīvī I heard tamen nevertheless eam her cotīdiē daily ad to lavandum washing rediisse to have returned ut as anteā before
5.1 Eā on that nocte night in onto tēctum the roof ascendī I climbed et and caelum the sky diū for long spectāvī I watched
5.2 Surgēbant were rising signa the signs eōdem in the same ōrdine order quō in which semper always surrēxerant they had risen post after Arietem the Ram Taurus the Bull post after Taurum the Bull Geminī the Twins
5.3 Trēs three legiōnēs legions perierant had perished nec nor ūllum any sīdus star locō from the place suō its own cesserat had withdrawn
5.4 Arbitrābar I was supposing Hilaram Hilara eōdem at the same tempore time fortasse perhaps in in vīcō street suō her own vigilāre to be awake et and idem the same caelum sky spectāre to watch
5.5 Hoc this aliī others crūdēle cruel putant think mihi to me contrā on the contrary sōlācium comfort maximum greatest vidēbātur seemed
5.6 Quod what enim for semper always redit returns id that cāsū by chance nōn not regitur is ruled quod what autem moreover cāsū by chance nōn not regitur is ruled id that mente by mind regitur is ruled
5.7 Sī if fors chance nōbīs to us mundum the universe dedisset had given fors chance etiam also Quīntum Quintus abstulisset would have taken away nunc now vērō however sciēbam I knew eum him ubicumque wherever esset he was in in ōrdine order esse to be
5.8 Rēs affairs hūmānae human hūc hither illūc thither iactantur are tossed caelum the sky nōn not iactātur is tossed
5.9 Prīmus first ego I Latīnīs in Latin versibus verses fāta the fates sīderum of the stars cecinī sang nec nor eā on that nocte night mē me huius of this operis work paenituit did it repent
6.1 Nunc now tamen however post after tot so many saecula ages renātus reborn aliud another thing quoque also fatērī to confess dēbeō I ought
6.2 Genitūram the nativity meam my ipse myself saepe often īnspexeram I had examined et and crēdēbam I was believing carmen poem meum my per through omnia all saecula ages lēctum īrī to be about to be read
6.3 Errāvī I erred Nēmō no one veterum of the ancients nōmen name meum my memorāvit mentioned nēmō no one versūs verses meōs my in in librīs books suīs his own posuit set vix barely ūnō by one exemplārī copy servātum preserved carmen the poem ad to posterōs later generations pervēnit came through
6.4 Hōra the hour igitur therefore mea my quoque also incerta uncertain erat was nec nor eam it ipse I myself lēgī did read
6.5 Scrīpseram I had written enim for nāscentēs being born morimur we die fīnisque and the end ab from orīgine the beginning pendet hangs
6.6 Hoc this vērum true est is sed but quid what ab from orīgine the beginning pendeat hangs id that hominēs men nōn not semper always legunt read
6.7 Hilarae to Hilara igitur therefore nihil nothing aliud other dare to give potuī I was able quam than id that quod which nunc now mihi to me ipse myself dō I give ōrdinem the order certum certain esse to be lēctiōnem the reading incertam uncertain
6.8 Quīntus Quintus fortasse perhaps in in silvīs the forests Germāniae of Germany cecidit fell fortasse perhaps posteā afterwards in in aliquā some prōvinciā province aquās waters dūxit led ego I nesciō do not know
6.9 Caelum the sky scit knows et and caelum the sky nōn not mentītur lies hoc this mihi for me satis enough est is et and Hilarae for Hilara ut as spērō I hope satis enough fuit was