Ipsa autem, seu corticibus tibi sūta cavātīs
seu lentō fuerint alvāria vīmine texta,
angustōs habeant aditūs; nam frīgore mella35
cōgit hiems, eademque calor liquefacta remittit.
Utraque vīs apibus pariter metuenda; neque illae
nēquīquam in tectīs certātim tenuia cērā
spīrāmenta linunt, fūcōque et flōribus ōrās
explent, collēctumque haec ipsa ad mūnera glūten40
et viscō et Phrygiae servant pice lentius Īdae.
Saepe etiam effossīs, sī vēra est fāma, latebrīs
sub terrā fōvēre larem, penitusque repertae
pūmicibusque cavīs exēsaeque arboris antrō.
Tū tamen et lēvī rīmōsa cubīlia līmō45
ungue fovēns circum, et rārās superinice frondēs.
Neu propius tectīs taxum sine, nēve rubentēs
ūre focō cancrōs, altae neu crēde palūdī,
aut ubi odor caenī gravis aut ubi concava pulsū
saxa sonant vōcisque offensa resultat imāgō.50
vocabulary
cortex –icis m.: bark, cork
suō suere suī sūtus: sew
cavō cavāre cavāvī cavātus: hollow, scoop out
lentus –a –um: pliant, flexible
alvārium –ī n.: beehive
vīmen –inis n.: flexible twig
texō –ere –texuī –textus: weave
angustus –a –um: narrow35
aditus aditūs m.: approach, entryway
frīgus frīgoris n.: cold
mel mellis n.: honey
calor –ōris m.: warmth, heat
liquefaciō –ere –fēcī –factus: dissolve, melt
remittō remittere remīsī remissus: cause to return, restore
apis apis f.: bee
pariter: alike
nēquīquam: in vain
certātim: eagerly; with striving or contention
tenuis tenue: thin
cēra –ae f.: wax
spīrāmentum –ī n.: gaps, chinks (in the hive)
linō linere lēvī litus: smear
fūcus –ī m.: bee glue, propolis
ōra –ae f.: edge, border
expleō explēre explēvī explētus: fill up40
glūten –inis n.: glue
vīscum -ī n.: birdlime, mistletoe
Phrygius –a –um: Phrygia (place)
pix picis f.: pitch, tar
lentus –a –um: sticky, pliant, flexible
Īda –ae or Īdē –ēs f.: Mt. Ida (place)
effodiō –ere –fōdī –fossus: dig out
latebra –ae f.: hiding place, retreat, cavity
foveō fovēre fōvī fōtus: warm, maintain
Lār Laris m.: household god
penitus or penitē: far within, deeply
pūmex pūmicis m.: pumice stone
cavus –a –um: hollow
exedō –ere –ēdī –ēsus: eat out, hollow out
antrum –ī n.: cave
lēvis –e: smooth, slippery45
rīmōsus –a –um: full of cracks, leaky
cubīle -is n.: lair, nest
līmus –ī m.: mud, slime
unguō –ere (ungō –ere) –ūnxī –ūnctus: smear, annoint
foveō fovēre fōvī fōtus: warm, to maintain, keep warm, rub
circum or circa: around (adv.)
superiniciō –iniciere –iniciēcī –iniectus: throw on or above, scatter upon
frōns frondis f.: leaf, foliage
neu or neve: or not, and not, nor
taxus –ī f.: yew tree
neu or neve: or not, and not, nor
rubeō rubēre rubuī: be red, grow red
ūrō ūrere ussī ustus: burn
focus –ī m.: fireplace, hearth
cancer cancrī m.: crab
neu or neve: or not, and not, nor
palūs –ūdis f.: marsh, swamp
odor –ōris m.: scent
caenum –ī n.: slime, scum
concavus –a –um: concave, hollow
pulsus –ūs m.: striking, beating
offendō offendere offendī offēnsus: strike, to knock against50
resultō resultāre ––– resultātus: leap back or again