odes xvi

O matre pulchra filia pulchrior, 
quem criminosis cumque voles modum 
     pones iambis, sive flamma 
     sive mari libet Hadriano. 

O daughter more beautiful than a beautiful mother, you will put whatever end you want to my insulting iambics, whether you wish to do so by fire or by the Adriatic sea  

Non Dindymene, non adytis quatit               5 
mentem sacerdotum incola Pythius, 
     non Liber aeque, non acuta 
     sic geminant Corybantes aera, 

Neither the Goddess of Dindymus, nor the resident in Pytho’s shrine, nor the God of Freedom has such a shattering effect on the minds of his priests, nor do the Corybantes, when they clash their earsplitting cymbals

tristes ut irae, quas neque Noricus 
deterret ensis nec mare naufragum               10 
     nec saevus ignis nec tremendo 
     Iuppiter ipse ruens tumultu. 

Equally as sullen anger, which neither the Noricum sword deters nor the shipwrecking sea, nor devouring fire, nor Jupiter himself rushing down with a fearsome din.   

Fertur Prometheus addere principi 
limo coactus particulam undique 
     desectam et insani leonis 
     vim stomacho apposuisse nostro.               15 

They say that Prometheus, driven to add to our primordial clay a small part cut off from all sides, has placed in our belly also the violence of a crazed lion. 

Irae Thyesten exitio gravi 
strauere et altis urbibus ultimae 
     stetere causae, cur perirent 
     funditus inprimeretque muris               20 

Angers laid low Thyestes in grievous destruction and have stood as the cause for why lofty cities ended, for why they destroyed and pressed down the city walls completely

hostile aratrum exercitus insolens. 
Conpesce mentem: me quoque pectoris 
     temptavit in dulci iuventa 
     feruor et in celeres iambos 

an arrogant, hostile army with a plough.   Control your emotions: the blazing of the heart afflicted me too in sweet youth and into swift iambics 

misit furentem. Nunc ego mitibus               25 
mutare quaero tristia, dum mihi 
     fias recantatis amica 
     opprobriis animumque reddas. 

It sent me raging.  Now I am seeking to give up gloom for gentle things, so long as you become friendly to me with my insults taken back and feelings returned.