Horace, Ode 2.10

Rectius vives, Licini, neque altum

semper urgendo neque, dum procellas

cautus horrescis, nimium premendo

litus iniquum.

Auream quisquis mediocritatem

diligit, tutus caret obsoleti

sordibus tecti, caret invidenda

sobrius aula.

Saepius ventis agitatur ingens

pinus et celsae graviore casu

decidunt turres feriuntque summos

fulgura montis.

Sperat infestis, metuit secundis

alteram sortem bene praeparatum

pectus. Informis hiemes reducit

Iuppiter; idem

summovet. Non, si male nunc, et olim

sic erit: quondam cithara tacentem

suscitat Musam neque semper arcum

tendit Apollo.

Rebus angustis animosus atque

fortis appare; sapienter idem

contrahes vento nimium secundo

turgida vela.

You will live better, Licinius, by neither

always pressing the deep nor, while you carefully

dread storms, by excessively pressing

the treacherous shore.

Whoever values a golden mean

is safely free from the squalor

of a worn-out house, is soberly free from

an envious palace.

The vast pine is more often moved

by the wind and the high towers fall

with a more serious fall and the lightening

strikes the highest mountains.

The well-prepared heart hopes for the other fate

in dangerous affairs, and fears the other fate in favorable

affairs. Jupiter brings back ugly

winters; likewise,

he removes them. If it is badly now, once it will

not be so: once Apollo stirs the silent

Muse with his lyre and does not

always stretch his bow.

Appear strong and firm in steep

affairs; likewise, you will wisely

shorten your sails swollen in a

too favorable wind.