The Mind

Translation of Horace: Book II, Ode IX

by Samuel Johnson 1709–1784

Translated by Samuel Johnson · From Poetical Works of Johnson, Parnell, Gray, and Smollett (1855)

The Mind

Clouds do not always veil the skies,
Nor showers immerse the verdant plain;
Nor do the billows always rise,
Or storms afflict the ruffled main.

Nor, Valgius, on the Armenian shores
Do the chain'd waters always freeze;
Not always furious Boreas roars,
Or bends with violent force the trees.

But you are ever drown'd in tears,
For Mystes dead you ever mourn;
No setting Sol can ease your cares,
But finds you sad at his return.

The wise, experienced Grecian sage
Mourn'd not Antilochus so long;
Nor did King Priam's hoary age
So much lament his slaughter'd son.
Leave off, at length, these woman's sighs,
Augustus' numerous trophies sing;
Repeat that prince's victories,
To whom all nations tribute bring.

Niphates rolls an humbler wave,
At length the undaunted Scythian yields,
Content to live the Romans' slave,
And scarce forsakes his native fields.

MLA

Johnson, Samuel. “Translation of Horace: Book II, Ode IX.” Translated by Samuel Johnson. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/johnson_samuel/36/.

Chicago

Johnson, Samuel. “Translation of Horace: Book II, Ode IX.” Translated by Samuel Johnson. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/johnson_samuel/36/.

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