ODES I, 3 by QUINTUS HORATIUS FLACCUS

So may th' auspicious Queen of Love,
And the Twin Stars, (the Seed of @3Jove@1,)
And he who rules the rageing wind,
To thee, O sacred Ship, be kind;
And gentle Breezes fill thy Sails,
Supplying soft @3Etesian@1 Gales:
As thou, to whom the Muse commends
The best of Poets and of Friends,
Dost thy committed Pledge restore,
And land him safely on the shore;
And save the better part of me,
From perishing with him at Sea.
Sure he, who first the passage try'd,
In harden'd Oak his heart did hide,
And ribs of Iron arm'd his side;
Or his at least, in hollow wood
Who tempted first the briny Floud:
Nor fear'd the winds contending roar,
Nor billows beating on the Shoar;
Nor @3Hyades@1 portending Rain;
Nor all the Tyrants of the Main.
What form of death cou'd him affright,
Who unconcern'd, with steadfast sight,
Cou'd veiw the Surges mounting steep,
And monsters rolling in the deep!
Cou'd thro' the ranks of ruin go,
With Storms above, and Rocks below!
In vain did Natures wise command
Divide the Waters from the Land,
If daring Ships, and Men prophane,
Invade th' inviolable Main;
Th' eternal Fences overleap,
And pass at will the boundless deep.
No toyl, no hardship can restrain
Ambitious Man, inur'd to pain;
The more confin'd, the more he tries,
And at forbidden quarry flies.
Thus bold @3Prometheus@1 did aspire,
And stole from heav'n the seed of Fire:
A train of Ills, a ghastly crew,
The Robber's blazing track persue;
Fierce Famine, with her Meagre face,
And Feavours of the fiery Race,
In swarms th' offending Wretch surround
All brooding on the blasted ground:
And limping Death, lash'd on by Fate
Comes up to shorten half our date.
This made not @3Dedalus@1 beware,
With borrow'd wings to sail in Air:
To Hell @3Alcides@1 forc'd his way,
Plung'd thro' the Lake, and snatch'd the Prey.
Nay scarce the Gods, or heav'nly Climes,
Are safe from our audacious Crimes;
We reach at @3Jove's@1 Imperial Crown,
And pull th' unwilling thunder down.

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