Vērum ubi ductōrēs aciē revocāveris ambō,

dēterior quī vīsus, eum, nē prōdigus obsit,

dēde necī; melior vacuā sine rēgnet in aulā.90

Alter erit maculīs aurō squālentibus ārdēns—

nam duo sunt genera: hīc melior, insignis et ōre

et rutilīs clārus squāmīs; ille horridus alter

dēsidiā lātamque trahēns inglōrius alvum.

Ut bīnae rēgum faciēs, ita corpora plēbis:95

namque aliae turpēs horrent, ceu pulvere ab altō

cum venit et siccō terram spuit ōre viātor

āridus; ēlūcent aliae et fulgōre coruscant

ārdentēs aurō et paribus lita corpora guttīs.

Haec potior subolēs, hinc caelī tempore certō100

dulcia mella premēs, nec tantum dulcia quantum

et liquida et dūrum Bacchī domitūra sapōrem.

    vērum: but indeed

    ductor –ōris m.: leader

    ambō ambae ambō: both

    dēterior –ius: worse

    prōdigus –a –um: wasteful, lavish; superfluous

    obsum obesse obfuī: be in the way; hinder, harm

    dēdō dēdere dēdidī dēditus: give up, surrender, hand over90

    nex necis f.: murder, death

    rēgnō rēgnāre rēgnāvī rēgnātus: rule

    aula –ae (–āī) f.: court, palace, hall

    macula –ae f.: spot

    squāleō –ēre –uī: be rough or stiff; be covered with scales (of armor)

    ārdēns –entis: burning, glowing

    īnsīgnis īnsīgne: distinguished

    rutilus –a –um: red-gold

    squāma –ae f.: scales of armor

    horridus –a –um: rough, bristling, shaggy

    dēsidia –ae f.: idleness, laziness

    inglōrius –a –um: without glory, inglorious

    alvus –ī f.: abdomen

    bīnī –ae –a: two, a pair95

    namque: for in fact

    horreō horrēre horruī: to bristle up, look rough or frightful

    ceu: as, just as

    pulvis pulveris m.: dust

    siccus –a –um: dry

    spuō spuere spuī spūtus: spit, spew

    viātor –ōris m.: traveller

    āridus –a –um: dry, parched

    ēlūceō ēlūcēre ēlūxī —: shine out, gleam

    fulgor –ōris m. or fulgur –ūris n.: lightning, flash, brightness

    coruscō coruscāre coruscāvī coruscātus: flash, glitter

    ārdēns –entis: burning, glowing

    linō linere lēvī litus: smear, cover

    gutta guttae f.: drop

    subolēs –is f.: offspring, race100

    hinc: from here

    mel mellis n.: honey

    liquidus –a –um: liquid, clear

    Bacchus –ī m.: Bacchus (god)

    domō domāre domuī domitus: tame, subdue

    sapor –ōris m.: flavor, taste

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