Asmenius on the delight of a garden.

In the book `Fifty Latin Lyrics’ by H.W. Franklin I found this poem by a certain Asmenius. He lived at the end of the 4^th century, but a research on internet gave no further information: Asmenius is the first Roman writer I have encountered who has no lemma on Wikipedia…

It is a charming poem about the delights of a garden. As for me, I love to sit in my front garden in summer – when you can call 5 m2 a garden – but I rather like to drink rosé with my neighbour or to bbq with friends, than to cultivate flowers. I have paved it and so now and then I cut the hedge; so far for my gardening. I more enjoy picking flowers from anthologies than picking them from my garden.

In 1596 Jacobus Handi published a setting for 8 voices, but I have been unable to find a recording on internet.

Meter: iambic trimester x - u - x - u - x - u -

Adeste Musae, maximi proles Iovis,

laudem feracis praedicemus hortuli.

Hortus salubris  corpori preabet cibos

variosque fructus saepe cultori refert,

holus suave, multiplex herbae genus,

uvas nitentis atque fetus arborum.

Non defit hortis voluptas maxima

multisque mixta commodis iucunditas,

aquae strepentis vitreus lambit liquor

sulcoque ductus irrigat rivus sata.

Flores nitescunt discolore germine

pinguntque terram gemmeis honoribus.

Apes sussuro murmurant gratae levi,

cum summae florum vel novos rores legunt.

Fecunda vitis coniuges ulmos gravat

textasve  inumbrat pampinis harundines.

Opaca praebent arbores umbracula

prohibentque densis fervidum solem comis.

Aves canorae  garrulous fundunt sonos

et semper auris cantibus mulcent suis.

Oblectat hortus, avocat pascit tenet

animoque maesto demit angores gravis;

membris vigorem reddit at visus capit,

refert labori pleniorem gratiam,

tribuit colenti multiforme gaudium.

proles, is (f): offspring

ferax, acis: fruitful, rich

praedico ( -are): proclaim

saluber  bris bre: healthy (with cibos: salubris = salubres)

cibus: food

praebeo: to provide

cultor, is (m): cultivator

holus, oris (n): kitchen or garden herbs

uva: grape

niteo: to shine (nitentis  = nitentes)

fetus, us (m): produce

defit: a rare form for deficitur, but in this context deficit (lacks) seems more appropriate.

iucunditas, atis (f): delight

commodum: useful thing

strepo ui: to murmur

vitreus: clear

lambo, bi, bitum: to lick, of water: to flow by

sulcus: furrow (sulco: abl. `by means of a furrow’)

sata satorum: crops

rivus: stream

nitesco: inchoative of niteo `to start to shine’, but in practise there is often no difference in meaning between an inchoative verb and the verb it is derived from.

discolour, oris: of various colours

germen, inis (n): bud

pingo pinxi pictum: to paint

gemmeus: like precious stones

honor, oris (m): here: ornament

apis, apis (f): bee

susurrus: whispering

ros, roris (m): dew

lego legi lectum: to choose

Fecunda vitis coniuges ulmos gravat: abundant vine makes heavy its husband elms.

pampinus (f and m): vine-leave

textas harundines intertwined reed (harundo, inis (f): reed)

inumbro: overshadow

opacus: shady, dark

umbraculum: shady place

coma: foliage

canorus: melodious, singing

fundo fudi fusum: to pour

auris = aures

mulceo: to soothe, delight

Oblectat hortus, avocat pascit tenet a garden delights, diverts, satisfies enthrals`’ (H.W. Franklin)

demo dempsi demptum: to take away

angor, oris (m): anguish, trouble

gravis = graves

visus capit `takes the eye’

multiformis: manifold

colo colui cultum: to cultivate

Wall painting of a garden scene with fountain and birds, from Oplontis, first century AD. (VRoma: Barbara McManus)