Nec vērō ā stabulīs pluviā impendente recēdunt

longius, aut crēdunt caelō adventantibus Eurīs,

sed circum tūtae sub moenibus urbis aquantur

excursūsque brevēs temptant, et saepe lapillōs,

ut cumbae īnstabilēs flūctū iactante saburram,195

tollunt, hīs sēsē per inānia nūbila lībrant.

    Honeybees do not like to leave the hive in bad weather. 

    They prefer to remain safe inside, but if the bees must exit, they only go out for a short trip, and carry small pebbles to weigh down and balance themselves.

    191  vērō: “in truth,” adverb. 

    191  pluviā impendente: ablative absolute (AG 420).

    192  longius: “too far.” 

    192  crēdunt:crēdo takes a dative object, here caelō

    192  adventantibus Eurīs: ablative absolute (AG 420); Eurus is the east wind, which brings rain. It is often thought to be unlucky. 

    193  circum: “all around,” adverb.

    194  brevēs: accusative plural masculine, modifying excursūs

    194-196  saepe lapillōs…tollunt: honeybees do not actually carry ballast to weigh themselves down, though they will carry certain things (for example, corpses) out of the hive. Other bees, such as mason bees, do occasionally carry materials. Vergil seems to have taken this idea from previous writers, probably originating with Aristotle (HA 9.40).

    195  ut…saburram:simile, comparing the bees to small boats. 

    195  flūctū iactante: ablative absolute (AG 420).

    196  tollunt: take as the verb with both the implied bees in line 194 and cumbae in 195. 

    196  hīs: supply lapillīs; ablative of means (AG 409).

    stabulum –ī n.: stable, dwelling, hive

    pluvia –ae (sc. aqua) f.: rain

    impendeō impendēre: hang over

    adventō adventāre adventāvī adventātus: approach rapidly, come rapidly nearer

    Eurus –ī m.: Eurus, the east wind

    circum: around (adv.)

    aquor aquārī aquātus est: fetch water

    excursus excursūs m.: excursion, sally

    tentō tentāre tentāvī tentātus: try

    lapillus –ī m.: pebble

    cumba or cymba –ae f.: small boat, rowboat195

    īnstabilis –e: unsteady

    iactō iactāre iactāvī iactātus: throw, scatter

    saburra –ae f.: sand, ballast

    inānis inānis ināne: empty, void

    nūbilum –ī n.: clouds

    lībrō librāre librāvī librātus: balance

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