by Virgil
‘Thymbræan, give us house and home, walls to the weary give,
et genus et mansuram urbem; serua altera Troiae
In folk and city to endure: let Pergamus twice live,
Pergama, reliquias Danaum atque immitis Achilli.
In Troy twice built, left of the Greeks, left of Achilles’ wrath!
quem sequimur? quoue ire iubes? ubi ponere sedes?
Ah, whom to follow? where to go? wherein our home set forth?
da, pater, augurium atque animis inlabere nostris.’
O Father, give us augury and sink into our heart!
uix ea fatus eram: tremere omnia uisa repente, 90
Scarce had I said the word, when lo all doors with sudden start
liminaque laurusque dei, totusque moueri
Fell trembling, and the bay of God, and all the mountain side,
mons circum et mugire adytis cortina reclusis.
Was stirred, and in the opened shrine the holy tripod cried:
summissi petimus terram et uox fertur ad auris:
There as a voice fell on our ears we bowed ourselves to earth:
‘Dardanidae duri, quae uos a stirpe parentum
‘O hardy folk of Dardanus, the land that gave you birth
prima tulit tellus, eadem uos ubere laeto 95
From root and stem of fathers old, its very bosom kind,
accipiet reduces. antiquam exquirite matrem.
Shall take you back: go fare ye forth, your ancient mother find:
hic domus Aeneae cunctis dominabitur oris
There shall Æneas’ house be lords o’er every earth and sea,
et nati natorum et qui nascentur ab illis.’
The children of his children’s sons, and those that thence shall be.’
haec Phoebus; mixtoque ingens exorta tumultu
So Phoebus spake, and mighty joy arose with tumult mixed,
laetitia, et cuncti quae sint ea moenia quaerunt, 100
As all fell wondering where might be that seat of city fixed,
quo Phoebus uocet errantis iubeatque reuerti.
Where Phoebus called us wandering folk, bidding us turn again.
tum genitor ueterum uoluens monimenta uirorum
Thereat my father, musing o’er the tales of ancient men,
‘audite, o proceres,’ ait ‘et spes discite uestras.
Saith: ‘Hearken, lords, and this your hope a little learn of me!
Creta Iouis magni medio iacet insula ponto,
There is an isle of mightiest Jove called Crete amid the sea;
mons Idaeus ubi et gentis cunabula nostrae. 105
An hundred cities great it hath, that most abundant place;
centum urbes habitant magnas, uberrima regna,
And there the hill of Ida is, and cradle of our race.
maximus unde pater, si rite audita recordor,
Thence Teucer our first father came, if right the tale they tell,
Teucrus Rhoeteas primum est aduectus in oras,
When borne to those Rhoetean shores he chose a place to dwell
optauitque locum regno. nondum Ilium et arces
A very king: no Ilium was, no Pergamus rose high;
Pergameae steterant; habitabant uallibus imis. 110
He and his folk abode as then in dales that lowly lie:
hinc mater cultrix Cybeli Corybantiaque aera
Thence came Earth-mother Cybele and Corybantian brass,
Idaeumque nemus, hinc fida silentia sacris,
And Ida’s thicket; thence the hush all hallowed came to pass,
et iuncti currum dominae subiere leones.
And thence the lions yoked and tame, the Lady’s chariot drag.
ergo agite et diuum ducunt qua iussa sequamur:
On then! and led by God’s command for nothing let us lag!
placemus uentos et Cnosia regna petamus. 115
Please we the winds, and let our course for Gnosian land be laid;
nec longo distant cursu: modo Iuppiter adsit,
Nor long the way shall be for us: with Jupiter to aid,
tertia lux classem Cretaeis sistet in oris.’
The third-born sun shall stay our ships upon the Cretan shore.’
sic fatus meritos aris mactauit honores,
So saying, all the offerings due he to the altar bore,
taurum Neptuno, taurum tibi, pulcher Apollo,
A bull to Neptune, and a bull to thee, Apollo bright,
nigram Hiemi pecudem, Zephyris felicibus albam. 120
A black ewe to the Storm of sea, to Zephyr kind a white.
Fama uolat pulsum regnis cessisse paternis
Fame went that Duke Idomeneus, thrust from his fathers’ land,
Idomenea ducem, desertaque litora Cretae,
Had gone his ways, and desert now was all the Cretan strand,
hoste uacare domum sedesque astare relictas.
That left all void of foes to us those habitations lie.
linquimus Ortygiae portus pelagoque uolamus
Ortygia’s haven then we leave, and o’er the sea we fly
bacchatamque iugis Naxon uiridemque Donusam, 125
By Naxos of the Bacchus ridge, Donusa’s green-hued steep,
Olearon niueamque Paron sparsasque per aequor
And Olearon, and Paros white, and scattered o’er the deep
Cycladas, et crebris legimus freta concita terris.
All Cyclades; we skim the straits besprent with many a folk;
nauticus exoritur uario certamine clamor:
And diverse clamour mid the ships seafarers striving woke;
hortantur socii Cretam proauosque petamus.
Each eggs his fellow; On for Crete, and sires of time agone!
prosequitur surgens a puppi uentus euntis, 130
And rising up upon our wake a fair wind followed on.
et tandem antiquis Curetum adlabimur oris.
And so at last we glide along the old Curetes’ strand,
ergo auidus muros optatae molior urbis
And straightway eager do I take the city wall in hand,
Pergameamque uoco, et laetam cognomine gentem
And call it Pergamea, and urge my folk that name who love,
hortor amare focos arcemque attollere tectis.
For love of hearth and home to raise a burg their walls above.
Iamque fere sicco subductae litore puppes, 135
And now the more part of the ships are hauled up high and dry,
conubiis aruisque nouis operata iuuentus,
To wedding and to work afield the folk fall presently,
iura domosque dabam, subito cum tabida membris
And I give laws and portion steads; when suddenly there fell
corrupto caeli tractu miserandaque uenit
From poisoned heaven a wasting plague, a wretched thing to tell,
arboribusque satisque lues et letifer annus.
On limbs of men, on trees and fields; and deadly was the year,
linquebant dulcis animas aut aegra trahebant 140
And men must leave dear life and die, or weary sick must bear
corpora; tum sterilis exurere Sirius agros,
Their bodies on: then Sirius fell to burn the acres dry;
arebant herbae et uictum seges aegra negabat.
The grass was parched, the harvest sick all victual did deny.
rursus ad oraclum Ortygiae Phoebumque remenso
Then bids my father back once more o’er the twice-measured main,
hortatur pater ire mari ueniamque precari,
To Phoebus and Ortygia’s strand, some grace of prayer to gain:
quam fessis finem rebus ferat, unde laborum 145
What end to our outworn estate he giveth? whence will he
temptare auxilium iubeat, quo uertere cursus.
That we should seek us aid of toil; where turn to o’er the sea?
Nox erat et terris animalia somnus habebat:
Night falleth, and al
l lives of earth doth sleep on bosom bear,
effigies sacrae diuum Phrygiique penates,
When lo, the holy images, the Phrygian House-gods there,
quos mecum a Troia mediisque ex ignibus urbis
E’en them I bore away from Troy and heart of burning town,
extuleram, uisi ante oculos astare iacentis 150
Were present to the eyes of me in slumber laid adown,
in somnis multo manifesti lumine, qua se
Clear shining in the plenteous light that over all was shed
plena per insertas fundebat luna fenestras;
By the great moon anigh her full through windows fashionèd.
tum sic adfari et curas his demere dictis:
Then thus they fall to speech with me, end of my care to make:
‘quod tibi delato Ortygiam dicturus Apollo est,
‘The thing that in Ortygia erst the seer Apollo spake
hic canit et tua nos en ultro ad limina mittit. 155
Here telleth he, and to thy doors come we of his good will:
nos te Dardania incensa tuaque arma secuti,
Thee and thine arms from Troy aflame fast have we followed still.
nos tumidum sub te permensi classibus aequor,
We ‘neath thy care and in thy keel have climbed the swelling sea,
idem uenturos tollemus in astra nepotes
And we shall bear unto the stars thy sons that are to be,
imperiumque urbi dabimus. tu moenia magnis
And give thy city majesty: make ready mighty wall
magna para longumque fugae ne linque laborem. 160
For mighty men, nor toil of way leave thou, though long it fall.
mutandae sedes. non haec tibi litora suasit
Shift hence abode; the Delian-born Apollo ne’er made sweet
Delius aut Cretae iussit considere Apollo.
These shores for thee, nor bade thee set thy city down in Crete:
est locus, Hesperiam Grai cognomine dicunt,
There is a place, the Westland called of Greeks in days that are,
terra antiqua, potens armis atque ubere glaebae;
An ancient land, a fruitful soil, a mighty land of war;
Oenotri coluere uiri; nunc fama minores 165
Oenotrian folk first tilled the land, whose sons, as rumours run,
Italiam dixisse ducis de nomine gentem.
Now call it nought but Italy, from him who led them on.
hae nobis propriae sedes, hinc Dardanus ortus
This is our very due abode: thence Dardanus outbroke,
Iasiusque pater, genus a quo principe nostrum.
Iasius our father thence, beginner of our folk.
surge age et haec laetus longaeuo dicta parenti
Come rise, and glad these tidings tell unto thy father old,
haud dubitanda refer: Corythum terrasque requirat 170
No doubtful tale: now Corythus, Ausonian field and fold
Ausonias; Dictaea negat tibi Iuppiter arua.’
Let him go seek, for Jupiter banneth Dictæan mead.’
talibus attonitus uisis et uoce deorum
All mazed was I with sight and voice of Gods; because indeed
(nec sopor illud erat, sed coram agnoscere uultus
This was not sleep, but face to face, as one a real thing sees.
uelatasque comas praesentiaque ora uidebar;
I seemed to see their coifèd hair and very visages,
tum gelidus toto manabat corpore sudor) 175
And over all my body too cold sweat of trembling flowed.
corripio e stratis corpus tendoque supinas
I tore my body from the bed, and, crying out aloud,
ad caelum cum uoce manus et munera libo
I stretched my upturned hands to heaven and unstained gifts I spilled
intemerata focis. perfecto laetus honore
Upon the hearth, and joyfully that worship I fulfilled.
Anchisen facio certum remque ordine pando.
Anchises next I do to wit and all the thing unlock;
agnouit prolem ambiguam geminosque parentis, 180
And he, he saw the twi-branched stem, twin fathers of our stock,
seque nouo ueterum deceptum errore locorum.
And how by fault of yesterday through steads of old he strayed.
tum memorat: ‘nate, Iliacis exercite fatis,
‘O son, well learned in all the lore of Ilium’s fate,’ he said,
sola mihi talis casus Cassandra canebat.
‘Cassandra only of such hap would sing; I mind me well
nunc repeto haec generi portendere debita nostro
Of like fate meted to our folk full oft would she foretell;
et saepe Hesperiam, saepe Itala regna uocare. 185
And oft would call to Italy and that Hesperian home.
sed quis ad Hesperiae uenturos litora Teucros
But who believed that Teucrian folk on any day might come
crederet? aut quem tum uates Cassandra moueret?
Unto Hesperia’s shores? or who might trow Cassandra then?
cedamus Phoebo et moniti meliora sequamur.’
Yield we to Phoebus, follow we as better counselled men
sic ait, et cuncti dicto paremus ouantes.
The better part.’ We, full of joy, obey him with one mind;
hanc quoque deserimus sedem paucisque relictis 190
From this seat too we fare away and leave a few behind;
uela damus uastumque caua trabe currimus aequor.
With sail abroad in hollow tree we skim the ocean o’er.
Postquam altum tenuere rates nec iam amplius ullae
But when our keels the deep sea made, nor had we any more
apparent terrae, caelum undique et undique pontus,
The land in sight, but sea around, and sky around was spread,
tum mihi caeruleus supra caput astitit imber
A coal-blue cloud drew up to us that, hanging overhead,
noctem hiememque ferens, et inhorruit unda tenebris. 195
Bore night and storm, and mirky gloom o’er all the waters cast:
continuo uenti uoluunt mare magnaque surgunt
Therewith the winds heap up the waves, the seas are rising fast
aequora, dispersi iactamur gurgite uasto;
And huge; and through the mighty whirl scattered we toss about;
inuoluere diem nimbi et nox umida caelum
The storm-clouds wrap around the day, and wet mirk blotteth out
abstulit, ingeminant abruptis nubibus ignes,
The heavens, and mid the riven clouds the ceaseless lightnings live.
excutimur cursu et caecis erramus in undis. 200
So are we blown from out our course, through might of seas we drive,
ipse diem noctemque negat discernere caelo
Nor e’en might Palinurus self the day from night-tide sift,
nec meminisse uiae media Palinurus in unda.
Nor have a deeming of the road atwixt the watery drift.
tris adeo incertos caeca caligine soles
Still on for three uncertain suns, that blind mists overlay,
erramus pelago, totidem sine sidere noctes.
And e’en so many starless nights, across the sea we stray;
quarto terra die primum se attollere tandem 205
But on the fourth day at the last afar upon us broke
uisa, aperire procul montis ac uoluere fumum.
The mountains of another land, mid curling wreaths of smoke.
uela cadunt, remis insurgimus; haud mora, nautae
Then fall the sails, we rise on oars, no sloth hath any place,
adnixi torquent spumas et caerula uerrunt.
The eager seamen toss the spray and sweep the blue sea’s face;
seruatum ex undis Strophadum me litora primum
And me first saved from whirl of waves the Strophades on strand
excipiunt. Strophades Graio sta
nt nomine dictae 210
Now welcome; named by Greekish name Isles of the Sea, they stand
insulae Ionio in magno, quas dira Celaeno
Amid the great Ionian folk: Celæno holds the shores,
Harpyiaeque colunt aliae, Phineia postquam
And others of the Harpies grim, since shut were Phineus’ doors
clausa domus mensasque metu liquere priores.
Against them, and they had to leave the tables they had won.
tristius haud illis monstrum, nec saeuior ulla
No monster woefuller than they, and crueller is none
pestis et ira deum Stygiis sese extulit undis. 215
Of all God’s plagues and curses dread from Stygian waters sent.
uirginei uolucrum uultus, foedissima uentris
A wingèd thing with maiden face, whose bellies’ excrement
proluuies uncaeque manus et pallida semper
Is utter foul; and hookèd hands, and face for ever pale
ora fame.
With hunger that no feeding stints.
huc ubi delati portus intrauimus, ecce
Borne thither, into haven come, we see how everywhere
laeta boum passim campis armenta uidemus 220
The merry wholesome herds of neat feed down the meadows fair,
caprigenumque pecus nullo custode per herbas.
And all untended goatish flocks amid the herbage bite.
inruimus ferro et diuos ipsumque uocamus
With point and edge we fall on them, and all the Gods invite,
in partem praedamque Iouem; tum litore curuo
Yea very Jove, to share the spoil, and on the curvèd strand
exstruimusque toros dapibusque epulamur opimis.
We strew the beds, and feast upon rich dainties of the land.
at subitae horrifico lapsu de montibus adsunt 225
When lo, with sudden dreadful rush from out the mountains hap
Harpyiae et magnis quatiunt clangoribus alas,
The Harpy folk, and all about their clanging wings they flap,
diripiuntque dapes contactuque omnia foedant
And foul all things with filthy touch as at the food they wrench,
immundo; tum uox taetrum dira inter odorem.
And riseth up their grisly voice amid the evilest stench.
rursum in secessu longo sub rupe cauata
Once more then ‘neath a hollow rock at a long valley’s head,
[arboribus clausam circum atque horrentibus umbris] 230
Where close around the boughs of trees their quavering shadows shed,
instruimus mensas arisque reponimus ignem;
We dight the boards, and once again flame on the altars raise.
rursum ex diuerso caeli caecisque latebris
Again from diverse parts of heaven, from dusky lurking-place,
