by Virgil
Wilt thou not first behold the place where worn by eld is he,
liqueris Anchisen, superet coniunxne Creusa
Anchises, left? Wilt thou not see if yet thy wife abide
Ascaniusque puer? quos omnis undique Graiae
Creusa, or Ascanius yet? The Greekish bands fare wide
circum errant acies et, ni mea cura resistat,
About them now on every hand, and but my care withstood
iam flammae tulerint inimicus et hauserit ensis. 600
The fire had wafted them away or sword had drunk their blood.
non tibi Tyndaridis facies inuisa Lacaenae
Laconian Helen’s beauty cursed this overthrow ne’er wrought.
culpatusue Paris, diuum inclementia, diuum
Nor guilty Paris; nay, the Gods, the Gods who pity nought,
has euertit opes sternitque a culmine Troiam.
Have overturned your lordship fair, and laid your Troy alow.
aspice (namque omnem, quae nunc obducta tuenti
Behold! I draw aside the cloud that all abroad doth flow,
mortalis hebetat uisus tibi et umida circum 605
Dulling the eyes of mortal men, and darkening dewily
caligat, nubem eripiam; tu ne qua parentis
The world about. And look to it no more afeard to be
iussa time neu praeceptis parere recusa):
Of what I bid, nor evermore thy mother’s word disown.
hic, ubi disiectas moles auulsaque saxis
There where thou seest the great walls cleft, and stone torn off from stone,
saxa uides, mixtoque undantem puluere fumum,
And seest the waves of smoke go by with mingled dust-cloud rolled, —
Neptunus muros magnoque emota tridenti 610
There Neptune shakes the walls and stirs the foundings from their hold
fundamenta quatit totamque a sedibus urbem
With mighty trident, tumbling down the city from its base.
eruit. hic Iuno Scaeas saeuissima portas
There by the Scæan gates again hath bitter Juno place
prima tenet sociumque furens a nauibus agmen
The first of all, and wild and mad, herself begirt with steel,
ferro accincta uocat.
Calls up her fellows from the ships.
iam summas arces Tritonia, respice, Pallas 615
Look back! Tritonian Pallas broods o’er topmost burg on high,
insedit nimbo effulgens et Gorgone saeua.
All flashing bright with Gorgon grim from out her stormy sky;
ipse pater Danais animos uirisque secundas
The very Father hearteneth on, and stays with happy might
sufficit, ipse deos in Dardana suscitat arma.
The Danaans, crying on the Gods against the Dardan fight.
eripe, nate, fugam finemque impone labori;
Snatch flight, O son, whiles yet thou may’st, and let thy toil be o’er,
nusquam abero et tutum patrio te limine sistam.’ 620
I by thy side will bring thee safe unto thy father’s door.’
dixerat et spissis noctis se condidit umbris.
She spake, and hid herself away where thickest darkness poured.
apparent dirae facies inimicaque Troiae
Then dreadful images show forth, great Godheads are abroad,
numina magna deum.
The very haters of our Troy.
Tum uero omne mihi uisum considere in ignis
And then indeed before mine eyes all Ilium sank in flame,
Ilium et ex imo uerti Neptunia Troia: 625
And overturned was Neptune’s Troy from its foundations deep.
ac ueluti summis antiquam in montibus ornum
E’en as betideth with an ash upon the mountain steep,
cum ferro accisam crebrisque bipennibus instant
Round which sore smitten by the steel the acre-biders throng,
eruere agricolae certatim, illa usque minatur
And strive in speeding of the axe: and there it threateneth long,
et tremefacta comam concusso uertice nutat,
And, shaken, trembleth nodding still with heavy head of leaf;
uulneribus donec paulatim euicta supremum 630
Till overcome by many hurts it groans its latest grief,
congemuit traxitque iugis auulsa ruinam.
And torn from out the ridgy hill, drags all its ruin alow.
descendo ac ducente deo flammam inter et hostis
I get me down, and, Goddess-led, speed on ‘twixt fire and foe,
expedior: dant tela locum flammaeque recedunt.
And point and edge give place to me, before me sinks the flame;
Atque ubi iam patriae peruentum ad limina sedis
But when unto my father’s door and ancient house I came,
antiquasque domos, genitor, quem tollere in altos 635
And I was fain of all things first my father forth to bear
optabam primum montis primumque petebam,
Unto the mountain-tops, and first I sought to find him there,
abnegat excisa uitam producere Troia
Still he gainsayed to spin out life now Troy was lost and dead,
exsiliumque pati. ‘uos o, quibus integer aeui
Or suffer exile: ‘Ye whose blood is hale with youth,’ he said,
sanguis,’ ait, ‘solidaeque suo stant robore uires,
‘Ye other ones, whose might and main endureth and is stout,
uos agitate fugam. 640
See ye to flight while yet ye may!
me si caelicolae uoluissent ducere uitam,
Full surely if the heavenly ones my longer life had willed,
has mihi seruassent sedes. satis una superque
They would have kept me this abode: the measure is fulfilled
uidimus excidia et captae superauimus urbi.
In that the murder I have seen, and lived when Troy-town fell.
sic o sic positum adfati discedite corpus.
O ye, depart, when ye have bid my body streaked farewell.
ipse manu mortem inueniam; miserebitur hostis 645
My hand itself shall find out death, or pity of my foes,
exuuiasque petet. facilis iactura sepulcri.
Who seek my spoils: the tomb methinks a little thing to lose.
iam pridem inuisus diuis et inutilis annos
Forsooth I tarry overlong, God-cursed, a useless thing,
demoror, ex quo me diuum pater atque hominum rex
Since when the Father of the Gods, the earth-abiders’ King,
fulminis adflauit uentis et contigit igni.’
Blew on me blast of thunder-wind and touched me with his flame.’
Talia perstabat memorans fixusque manebat. 650
His deed was stubborn as his word, no change upon him came.
nos contra effusi lacrimis coniunxque Creusa
But all we weeping many tears, my wife Creusa there,
Ascaniusque omnisque domus, ne uertere secum
Ascanius, yea and all the house, besought him not to bear
cuncta pater fatoque urgenti incumbere uellet.
All things to wrack with him, nor speed the hastening evil tide.
abnegat inceptoque et sedibus haeret in isdem.
He gainsaith all, and in his will and home will yet abide.
rursus in arma feror mortemque miserrimus opto. 655
So wretchedly I rush to arms with all intent to die;
nam quod consilium aut quae iam fortuna dabatur?
For what availeth wisdom now, what hope in fate may lie?
‘mene efferre pedem, genitor, te posse relicto
‘And didst thou hope, O father, then, that thou being left behind,
sperasti tantumque nefas patrio excidit ore?
My foot would fare? Woe worth the word that in thy mouth I find!
si nihil ex tanta superis placet urbe relinqui,
But if the Gods are lo
th one whit of such a town to save,
et sedet hoc animo perituraeque addere Troiae 660
And thou with constant mind wilt cast on dying Troy-town’s grave
teque tuosque iuuat, patet isti ianua leto,
Both thee and thine, wide is the door to wend adown such ways;
iamque aderit multo Priami de sanguine Pyrrhus,
For Pyrrhus, red with Priam’s blood, is hard at hand, who slays
natum ante ora patris, patrem qui obtruncat ad aras.
The son before the father’s face, the father slays upon
hoc erat, alma parens, quod me per tela, per ignis
The altar. Holy Mother, then, for this thou ledst me on
eripis, ut mediis hostem in penetralibus utque 665
Through fire and sword! — that I might see our house filled with the foe,
Ascanium patremque meum iuxtaque Creusam
My father old, Ascanius, Creusa lying low,
alterum in alterius mactatos sanguine cernam?
All weltering in each other’s blood, and murdered wretchedly.
arma, uiri, ferte arma; uocat lux ultima uictos.
Arms, fellows, arms! the last day’s light on vanquished men doth cry.
reddite me Danais; sinite instaurata reuisam
Ah! give me to the Greeks again, that I may play the play
proelia. numquam omnes hodie moriemur inulti.’ 670
Another while: not unavenged shall all we die today.’
Hinc ferro accingor rursus clipeoque sinistram
So was I girt with sword again, and in my shield would set
insertabam aptans meque extra tecta ferebam.
My left hand now, and was in point from out of doors to get,
ecce autem complexa pedes in limine coniunx
When lo, my wife about my feet e’en in the threshold clung,
haerebat, paruumque patri tendebat Iulum:
Still to his father reaching out Iulus tender-young:
‘si periturus abis, et nos rape in omnia tecum; 675
‘If thou art on thy way to die, then bear us through it all;
sin aliquam expertus sumptis spem ponis in armis,
But if to thee the wise in arms some hope of arms befall,
hanc primum tutare domum. cui paruus Iulus,
Then keep this house first! Unto whom giv’st thou Iulus’ life,
cui pater et coniunx quondam tua dicta relinquor?’
Thy father’s, yea and mine withal, that once was called thy wife?’
Talia uociferans gemitu tectum omne replebat,
So crying out, the house she filled with her exceeding moan,
cum subitum dictuque oritur mirabile monstrum. 680
When sudden, wondrous to be told, a portent was there shown;
namque manus inter maestorumque ora parentum
For as his woeful parents’ hands and lips he hangs between,
ecce leuis summo de uertice uisus Iuli
On topmost of Iulus’ head a thin peaked flame is seen,
fundere lumen apex, tactuque innoxia mollis
That with the harmless touch of fire, whence clearest light is shed,
lambere flamma comas et circum tempora pasci.
Licks his soft locks and pastures round the temples of his head.
nos pauidi trepidare metu crinemque flagrantem 685
Quaking with awe from out his hair we fall the fire to shake,
excutere et sanctos restinguere fontibus ignis.
And bring the water of the well the holy flame to slake.
at pater Anchises oculos ad sidera laetus
But joyous to the stars aloft Anchises raiseth eyes,
extulit et caelo palmas cum uoce tetendit:
And with his hands spread out abroad to very heaven he cries:
‘Iuppiter omnipotens, precibus si flecteris ullis,
‘Almighty Jove, if thou hast will toward any prayers to turn,
aspice nos, hoc tantum, et si pietate meremur, 690
Look down on us this while alone; if aught our goodness earn,
da deinde auxilium, pater, atque haec omina firma.’
Father, give help and strengthen us these omens from the sky!’
Vix ea fatus erat senior, subitoque fragore
Scarce had the elder said the word ere crashing suddenly
intonuit laeuum, et de caelo lapsa per umbras
It thundered on the left, and down across the shades of night
stella facem ducens multa cum luce cucurrit.
Ran forth a great brand-bearing star with most abundant light;
illam summa super labentem culmina tecti 695
And clear above the topmost house we saw it how it slid
cernimus Idaea claram se condere silua
Lightening the ways, and at the last in Ida’s forest hid.
signantemque uias; tum longo limite sulcus
Then through the sky a furrow ran drawn out a mighty space,
dat lucem et late circum loca sulphure fumant.
Giving forth light, and sulphur-fumes rose all about the place.
hic uero uictus genitor se tollit ad auras
My father vanquished therewithal his visage doth upraise,
adfaturque deos et sanctum sidus adorat. 700
And saith a word unto the Gods that holy star to praise:
‘iam iam nulla mora est; sequor et qua ducitis adsum,
‘Now, now, no tarrying is at all, I follow where ye lead;
di patrii; seruate domum, seruate nepotem.
O Father-Gods heed ye our house and this my son’s son heed!
uestrum hoc augurium, uestroque in numine Troia est.
This is your doom; and Troy is held beneath your majesty.
cedo equidem nec, nate, tibi comes ire recuso.’
I yield, O son, nor more gainsay to go my ways with thee.’
dixerat ille, et iam per moenia clarior ignis 705
He spake; and mid the walls meanwhile we hear the fire alive
auditur, propiusque aestus incendia uoluunt.
Still clearer, and the burning place more nigh the heat doth drive.
‘ergo age, care pater, ceruici imponere nostrae;
‘O hasten, father well-beloved, to hang about my neck!
ipse subibo umeris nec me labor iste grauabit;
Lo, here my shoulders will I stoop, nor of the labour reck.
quo res cumque cadent, unum et commune periclum,
And whatsoever may befall, the two of us shall bide
una salus ambobus erit. mihi paruus Iulus 710
One peril and one heal and end: Iulus by my side
sit comes, et longe seruet uestigia coniunx.
Shall wend, and after us my wife shall follow on my feet
uos, famuli, quae dicam animis aduertite uestris.
Ye serving-folk, turn ye your minds these words of mine to meet:
est urbe egressis tumulus templumque uetustum
Scant from the city is a mound and temple of old tide,
desertae Cereris, iuxtaque antiqua cupressus
Of Ceres’ lone, a cypress-tree exceeding old beside.
religione patrum multos seruata per annos; 715
Kept by our fathers’ worshipping through many years agone:
hanc ex diuerso sedem ueniemus in unam.
Thither by divers roads go we to meet at last in one.
tu, genitor, cape sacra manu patriosque penatis;
Now, father, take thy fathers’ Gods and holy things to hold,
me bello e tanto digressum et caede recenti
For me to touch them fresh from fight and murder were o’erbold,
attrectare nefas, donec me flumine uiuo
A misdeed done against the Gods, till in the living flood
abluero.’ 720
I make a shift to wash me clean.’
haec fatus latos umeros subiectaque colla
I stooped my neck and shoulders broad e’en as the word I said,
ueste super fuluique insternor pelle leonis,
A forest lion’s yellow fell for cloth upon them laid,
succedoque oneri; dextrae se paruus Iulus
And took my burden up: my young Iulus by my side,
implicuit sequiturque patrem non passibus aequis;
Holding my hand, goes tripping short unto his father’s stride;
pone subit coniunx. ferimur per opaca locorum, 725
My wife comes after: on we fare amidst a mirky world.
et me, quem dudum non ulla iniecta mouebant
And I, erewhile as nothing moved by storm of weapons hurled,
tela neque aduerso glomerati examine Grai,
I, who the gathering of the Greeks against me nothing feared,
nunc omnes terrent aurae, sonus excitat omnis
Now tremble at each breath of wind, by every sound am stirred,
suspensum et pariter comitique onerique timentem.
Sore troubled for my fellows both, and burden that I bore.
iamque propinquabam portis omnemque uidebar 730
And now we draw anigh the gates, and all the way seemed o’er,
euasisse uiam, subito cum creber ad auris
When sudden sound of falling feet was borne upon our ears,
uisus adesse pedum sonitus, genitorque per umbram
And therewithal my father cries, as through the dusk he peers,
prospiciens ‘nate,’ exclamat, ‘fuge, nate; propinquant.
‘Haste, son, and get thee swift away, for they are on us now;
ardentis clipeos atque aera micantia cerno.’
I see the glittering of the brass and all their shields aglow.’
hic mihi nescio quod trepido male numen amicum 735
What Godhead nought a friend to me amidst my terror there
confusam eripuit mentem. namque auia cursu
Snatched wit away I nothing know: for while I swiftly fare
dum sequor et nota excedo regione uiarum,
By wayless places, wandering wide from out the road I knew,
heu misero coniunx fatone erepta Creusa
Creusa, whether her the Fates from me unhappy drew,
substitit, errauitne uia seu lapsa resedit,
Whether she wandered from the way, or weary lagged aback,
incertum; nec post oculis est reddita nostris. 740
Nought know I, but that her henceforth mine eyes must ever lack.
nec prius amissam respexi animumue reflexi
Nor turned I round to find her lost, nor had it in my thought,
quam tumulum antiquae Cereris sedemque sacratam
Till to that mound and ancient house of Ceres we were brought;
uenimus: hic demum collectis omnibus una
Where, all being come together now, there lacked but her alone,
