Laudator Temporis Acti

Precatio Terrae (tr. J. Wight Duff and Arnold M. Duff):

Goddess revered, O Earth, of all nature Mother, engendering all things and re-engendering them from the same womb, because thou only dost supply each species with living force, thou divine controller of sky and sea and of all things, [5] through thee is nature hushed and lays hold on sleep, and thou likewise renewest the day and dost banish night. Thou coverest Pluto's shades and chaos immeasurable: winds, rains and tempests thou dost detain, and, at thy will, let loose, and so convulse the sea, [10] banishing sunshine, stirring gales to fury, and likewise, when thou wilt, thou speedest forth the joyous day. Thou dost bestow life's nourishment with never-failing faithfulness, and, when our breath has gone, in thee we find our refuge: so, whatsoe'er thou bestowest, all falls back to thee. [15] Deservedly art thou called Mighty Mother of Gods, since in duteous service thou hast surpassed the divinities of heaven, and thou art that true parent of living species and of gods, without which nothing is ripened or can be born. Thou art the Mighty Being and thou art queen of divinities, O Goddess. [20] Thee, divine one, I adore and thy godhead I invoke: graciously vouchsafe me this which I ask of thee: and with due fealty, Goddess, I will repay thee thanks. Give ear to me, I pray, and favour my undertakings: this which I seek of thee, Goddess, vouchsafe to me willingly. [25] All herbs soever which thy majesty engendereth, for health's sake thou bestowest upon every race: entrust to me now this healing virtue of thine: let healing come with thy powers: whate'er I do in consonance therewith, let it have favourable issue: [30] to whomso I give those same powers or whoso shall receive the same from me, all such do thou make whole. Finally now, O Goddess, let thy majesty vouchsafe to me what I ask of thee in prayer.

Dea sancta Tellus, rerum naturae parens,
quae cuncta generas et regeneras indidem,
quod sola praestas gentibus vitalia,
caeli ac maris diva arbitra rerumque omnium,
per quam silet natura et somnos concipit,    5
itemque lucem reparas et noctem fugas:
tu Ditis umbras tegis et immensum chaos
ventosque et imbres tempestatesque attines
et, cum libet, dimittis et misces freta
fugasque soles et procellas concitas,    10
itemque, cum vis, hilarem promittis diem.
tu alimenta vitae tribuis perpetua fide,
et, cum recesserit anima, in te<te> refugimus:
ita, quicquid tribuis, in te cuncta recidunt.
merito vocaris Magna tu Mater deum,    15
pietate quia vicisti divom numina;
tuque illa vera es gentium et divom parens,
sine qua nil maturatur nec nasci potest:
tu es Magna tuque divom regina es, dea.
te, diva, adoro tuumque ego numen invoco,    20
facilisque praestes hoc mihi quod te rogo;
referamque gratis, diva, tibi merita fide.
exaudi <me>, quaeso, et fave coeptis meis;
hoc quod peto a te, diva, mihi praesta volens.
herbas, quascumque generat maiestas tua,    25
salutis causa tribuis cunctis gentibus:
hanc <nunc> mihi permittas medicinam tuam.
veniat medicina cum tuis virtutibus:
quidque ex his fecero, habeat eventum bonum,
cuique easdem dedero quique easdem a me acceperint,    30
sanos eos praestes. denique nunc, diva, hoc mihi
maiestas praestet <tua>, quod te supplex rogo.

2 sidus codd.: indidem Baehrens: in dies Buecheler: sidera Schneider: saecula Goetz
3 tutela codd.: vitalia Baehrens: tutelam omnibus Schneider
5 capit codd.: concipit Baehrens: captitat Schmidt
7 inmensus A: inmensos BCD: inmensum Schneider
8 contines codd.: attines Baehrens
10 solem codd.: soles Baehrens
12 et alimenta codd.: tu alimenta Baehrens
13 te codd.: tete Baehrens
15 nomina codd.: numina Schneider
17 tu A: tum BCD: tuque Baehrens: tu es Schneider
17 vere A: ver et BC: vero D: vera es Baehrens: vera et Schneider
18 nec maturatur quicquam codd.: nil maturatur Baehrens: nec moritur quicquam Schneider
22 gratias ACD: graciam B: gratis Baehrens
22 merito codd.: merita Baehrens
23 me suppl. Baehrens
25 tua maiestas codd.: maiestas tua Schneider
27 nunc suppl. Baehrens
28 veni ad me cum A: veniat me cum BCD: veniat medicina cum Baehrens: veni veni ad me Buecheler
29 quidquid codd.: quidque Baehrens
31 eosdem praestes codd.: eos praestes denique Baehrens
32 tua suppl. Riese

See John I. McEnerney, "Precatio Terrae and Precatio Omnium Herbarum," Rheinisches Museum für Philologie 126 (1983) 175-187, who regards 25-32 as prose and offers his own text.


From the Ara Pacis