Ut modo de utilitate [204] huiusmodi sive cantus, sive cucu<r>ritus, quam hominibus praestat, dicamus, scire licet, veteres[1] in primis gnomonibus horariis nondum repertis noctis deliquium, et accessum diei eo metitos esse: etenim initium a prima mediae noctis inclinatione ordiebantur, proximumque tempus Gallicinium vocabant, quod eo tempore lucem multo ante praesentiens incipiat canere. Tertium conticinium, cum et avis conticescat, et homines una conquiescant. Quartum diluculum mane, cum clarus iam dies esset ab exorto Sole. Itaque secundus Galli cantus multo Solis exortum antevenit, uti Iuvenalis[2] quoque meminit inquiens:

Quod tamen ad Galli cantum facit ille secundi

P<r>oximus ante diem Caupo sciet

et Horatius[3]

Sub Galli cantum consultor ubi ostia pulsat.

Now, for speaking of the utility that this kind of song or crowing offers to mankind, first of all we must know that when gnomon sundials had not yet been invented, the ancients thanks to it measured the fading of night and the approaching of day: and in fact they started to speak of beginning from the first turning of midnight, and they called the following period gallicinium - cockcrow, dawn - because in that moment the cock begins to sing since he is feeling the light much in advance. They called the third period conticinium - the moment of silence - when also the bird keeps silent and at the same time men are resting. They call fourth period the morning twilight, when the day is already bright because of the risen sun. Thus the second cockcrow comes much before the sunrise, as Juvenal also mentions when he says:

Nevertheless, what he does at the crowing of the second cock

the next innkeeper will know before day

and Horace:

When the client knocks at door at cock crow.

Ab hac veterum consuetudine, quod scilicet noctis deliquium, et accessum diei Galli cantu iudicarent, sumptum est hoc vulgatum proverbium: Priusquam Gallus iterum cantet, id est, admodum mane, et antelucano. Videtur autem desumptum ex Aristophane[4]:

πόθεν;
οὐδ’εἰ μὰ Δία τοτ’ἦλθες, ὅτε τὸ δεύτερον

Ἀλεκτρυών ἐφθέγγετο

id est: {minime gentium}

Ne si quidem te illo appulisses tempore,

Cum Gallus iterum caneret.

From this custom of the ancients, that is, to set the fading of the night and the approaching of the day according to the cock crow, this common proverb has been derived: Before the cock crows a second time, that is, early in the morning and at daybreak. On other hand it seems that it has been gathered from Aristophanes:

póthen?

oud’ei mà Día tot’êlthes, hóte tò déuteron

Alextryøn ephthéngeto

that is: {not at all}

Not even if - by Zeus - you had arrived in that moment

when the cock was crowing the second time.

Quia vero ita diem adventantem hominibus inclamet, ἡμερόφωνος[5] Graecis vocari meruit, quasi diem canens. Qua in re equidem maximam mortalibus utilitatem praestat: quod tunc sibi reliquendum lectum sciant, cum eos Gallus a profundo saepe somno excitat, unde ἀλέκτορα, et ἀλεκτρυόνα dictum esse ante[6] etiam diximus.

Undoubtedly, because he announces to mankind the approaching of the day with such a loud voice, he deserved from Greeks to be called hëmeróphønos - day-announcing, since he announces the day. Undoubtedly in this connection he performs a very great service to the mortals: because in that moment they learn that must leave the bed, since the rooster is awakening them from an often sound sleep, whence already before I said that he has been called aléktora and alektryóna.

Hinc apud Theocritum[7] duodecim puellae Thebanae Helenae pollicentur se mane reversuras et novum epithalamion, seu carmen nuptiale cantaturas, ubi πρᾶτος ἀοιδός, id est primus cantor, nimirum Gallus Gallinaceus e cubili suo insonuerit.

Νεύμεθα κἄμμες ἐς ὄρθρον, ἐπείκα πρᾶτος ἀοιδός

Ἐξ εὐνᾶς κελαδήση, ἀνασχὼν εὔτριχα δειρήν

Redibimus et nos mane, ubi primus cantor

E cubili suo insonuerit sustollens pulchre pennatam cervicem.

Hence in Theocritus twelve Theban girls promise Helen they would have returned next morning and would have sung a new epithalamium, or wedding song, when prâtos aoidós, that is the first singer, just the rooster, would have sung from his nest.

Neúmetha kámmes es órthron, epeíka prâtos aoidós

Ex eunâs keladësë, anaschøn eútricha deirën

We also shall return tomorrow morning, when the first singer

Will have sung from his nest lifting the wonderfully feathered neck.

Ovidius[8] eleganter ab eiusmodi officio, nempe quod nos e {summo} <somno> excitet, Gallum lucis praenuncium appellat, inquiens.

Iam {dederit} <dederat> cantus lucis praenuncius ales.

From this kind of task, and precisely because he wakes up us from slumber, clearly and correctly Ovid calls the cock messenger of light, saying:

The light’s messenger bird had already uttered his songs.

Sed hoc alibi[9] clarius indicat, dum ait.

Iamque {pruinosos} <pruinosus> molitur {lucifer} <Lucifer> axes,

Inque suum miseros excitat ales opus.

But elsewhere he is pointing this more clearly, when he says:

Now the cold Lucifer sets in motion the skies,

and the bird calls the wretched men to their work.

Et Martialis[10] pueros, qui frugi essent, eo tempore olim surrexisse innuere videtur, dum alios qui tardius solito adhuc in lecto desidiose recubabant, sic hortatur.

{Surgite, nam pueri vendit ientacula pictor}

<Surgite: iam vendit pueris ientacula pistor>

Cristataeque sonant undique lucis aves.

And it seems that Martial want to signify that once decent youths rose up in that moment, whereas he was urging as follows the other ones who were idly still stretched out in bed later than usual:

Get up: the baker already sells the fancy cakes to the little boys for breakfast

And everywhere the combed birds of light are singing.

Eodem modo {somniculosum} <somniculosam> Pseca<de>m e somno excitans Aelius Iulius Crottus, inquit:

Exurgit alma de rutilo mari dies,

Et nox gelatis cedit irrepens {equis} <aquis,>

Cristata cecinit pluries Psecas avis,

Sustolle tandem somno oculos pigro graves.

In the same manner Elio Giulio Crotti says, when he stirs the drowsy Psecas from sleep:

The vitalizing  day rises from the red sea,

And the night vanishes creeping  into the chilly waters,

O Psecas, the combed bird has often sung,

Lift up at last your eyes grown heavy with sluggish sleep.

Huc spectat Galli encomium, quod nobis Plinius[11] his verbis exaratum reliquit: Proxime gloriam sentiunt et hi nostri vigiles nocturni, quos excitandis in opera mortalibus, rumpendoque somno natura genuit. Norunt sidera, et ternas distinguunt horas interdiu cantu; cum sole eunt cubitum, quartaque castrensi vigilia ad curas laboremque revocant, nec solis ortum incautis patiuntur obrepere, diemque venientem {nunciant} <nuntiant> cantu, ipsum vero cantum plausu laterum. Quae sane omnia cantui eius potius, quam ingenio accepta referre debet humanum genus.

Here is fitting the praise of the rooster which Pliny left written to us by these words: Nearly likewise - the peacocks - are longing for glory also these our nightly guardians Nature created for arousing mortals to their labor and for breaking their slumber. They are acquainted with the stars and distinguish every three-hour period during the day with their crowing. They go to bed with the sun, and at the fourth camp watch they recall us to our cares and labor. And they do not permit the sunrise to creep upon us unnoticed and announce the coming day with song, and the song itself is announced by flapping the wings. Undoubtedly the mankind must attribute all these things as due more to its song than to its intelligence.

Amant hunc cantorem milites, quia in castris illo[12] vice pariter horarii gnomonici utuntur. Nam cum statis <noctis> horis vigilias mutare coguntur hoc indice noctis intervalla discriminant: <Crepusculo cubitum eunt, tribus ante noctis statum (id est ante mediam noctem) horis cantant. medio eiusdem spatio vocem iterant. tribus itidem ab intempesta nocte horis, iterum cantil{l}ant: quod tempus ob id gallicinium appellatur.> quare bellicis curribus aliquando singulis singulos Gallos alligant.[13] Prisci itaque excubiarum, et vigiliarum signum indicaturi Gallum potius, quam ullum aliud animal depingeba<n>t.

Soldiers enjoy this singer because in their camps they use him instead and alike a gnomon sundial. In fact, when at night’s appointed time they must change watches, they split up the night’s intervals by this signal: <They go to roost at twilight, they sing three hours before night's beginning (that is, before midnight). At half of this nighttime interval they reiterate the song. And so also again they hum three hours from the beginning of night's heart: and, because of this, this moment is said gallicinium - the dawn.> therefore sometimes they fasten a rooster to each of their war chariots. Thus the ancients, when they had to indicate the signal of duties and watches, they represented the rooster rather than any other animal.

Disputant multi, cur non multum ante solis ortum cantum illum suum repetat: sunt qui causam eius ad avis naturam referant, sunt qui ad sympathiam eius cum illo sidere.

Many dispute the reason why he is repeating his song not too much before sunrise: there are some ascribing the cause of this to the bird's nature, others ascribe it to his sympathy with that star.