These poems are startlingly alive and startlingly relevant . . . . for all of us who care for truth and beauty, here is a hoard of riches to ponder over and to treasure; it will last a lifetime." —Rumer Godden On facing pages in Latin and English, most of the poems in this anthology were written between the first century A.D. and the thirteenth century. They were chosen by the translator during the dark days of World War II, and many reflect ageless themes, affirming the values of civilization, values that have endured through war and tumult in centuries past. Each poet’s work is prefaced by an editorial note, followed by a passage from Helen Waddell’s own published writings.