by Virgil
As tells the tale, still clinging close ‘neath every leaf-side mirk.
multaque praeterea uariarum monstra ferarum, 285
Withal most wondrous, many-shaped are all the wood-beasts there;
Centauri in foribus stabulant Scyllaeque biformes
The Centaurs stable by the porch, and twi-shaped Scyllas fare,
et centumgeminus Briareus ac belua Lernae
And hundred-folded Briareus, and Lerna’s Worm of dread
horrendum stridens, flammisque armata Chimaera,
Fell hissing; and Chimæra’s length and fire-behelmèd head,
Gorgones Harpyiaeque et forma tricorporis umbrae.
Gorgons and Harpies, and the shape of that three-bodied Shade.
corripit hic subita trepidus formidine ferrum 290
Then smitten by a sudden fear Æneas caught his blade,
Aeneas strictamque aciem uenientibus offert,
And turned the naked point and edge against their drawing nigh;
et ni docta comes tenuis sine corpore uitas
And but for her wise word that these were thin lives flitting by
admoneat uolitare caua sub imagine formae,
All bodiless, and wrapped about in hollow shape and vain,
inruat et frustra ferro diuerberet umbras.
With idle sword had he set on to cleave the ghosts atwain.
Hinc uia Tartarei quae fert Acherontis ad undas. 295
To Acheron of Tartarus from hence the road doth go,
turbidus hic caeno uastaque uoragine gurges
That mire-bemingled, whirling wild, rolls on his desert flow,
aestuat atque omnem Cocyto eructat harenam.
And all amid Cocytus’ flood casteth his world of sand.
portitor has horrendus aquas et flumina seruat
This flood and river’s ferrying doth Charon take in hand,
terribili squalore Charon, cui plurima mento
Dread in his squalor: on his chin untrimmed the hoar hair lies
canities inculta iacet, stant lumina flamma, 300
Most plenteous; and unchanging flame bides in his staring eyes:
sordidus ex umeris nodo dependet amictus.
Down from his shoulders hangs his gear in filthy knot upknit;
ipse ratem conto subigit uelisque ministrat
And he himself poles on his ship, and tends the sails of it,
et ferruginea subuectat corpora cumba,
And crawls with load of bodies lost in bark all iron-grey,
iam senior, sed cruda deo uiridisque senectus.
Grown old by now: but fresh and green is godhead’s latter day.
huc omnis turba ad ripas effusa ruebat, 305
Down thither rushed a mighty crowd, unto the flood-side borne;
matres atque uiri defunctaque corpora uita
Mothers and men, and bodies there with all the life outworn
magnanimum heroum, pueri innuptaeque puellae,
Of great-souled heroes; many a boy and never-wedded maid,
impositique rogis iuuenes ante ora parentum:
And youths before their fathers’ eyes upon the death-bale laid:
quam multa in siluis autumni frigore primo
As many as the leaves fall down in first of autumn cold;
lapsa cadunt folia, aut ad terram gurgite ab alto 310
As many as the gathered fowl press on to field and fold,
quam multae glomerantur aues, ubi frigidus annus
From off the weltering ocean-flood, when the late year and chill
trans pontum fugat et terris immittit apricis.
Hath driven them across the sea the sunny lands to fill.
stabant orantes primi transmittere cursum
There stood the first and prayed him hard to waft their bodies o’er,
tendebantque manus ripae ulterioris amore.
With hands stretched out for utter love of that far-lying shore.
nauita sed tristis nunc hos nunc accipit illos, 315
But that grim sailor now takes these, now those from out the band,
ast alios longe summotos arcet harena.
While all the others far away he thrusteth from the sand.
Aeneas miratus enim motusque tumultu
Æneas wondered at the press, and moved thereby he spoke:
‘dic,’ ait, ‘o uirgo, quid uult concursus ad amnem?
“Say, Maid, what means this river-side, and gathering of the folk?
quidue petunt animae? uel quo discrimine ripas
What seek the souls, and why must some depart the river’s rim,
hae linquunt, illae remis uada liuida uerrunt?’ 320
While others with the sweep of oars the leaden waters skim?”
olli sic breuiter fata est longaeua sacerdos:
Thereon the ancient Maid of Days in few words answered thus:
‘Anchisa generate, deum certissima proles,
“Anchises’ seed, thou very child of Godhead glorious,
Cocyti stagna alta uides Stygiamque paludem,
Thou seest the deep Cocytus’ pools, thou seest the Stygian mere,
di cuius iurare timent et fallere numen.
By whose might Gods will take the oath, and all forswearing fear:
haec omnis, quam cernis, inops inhumataque turba est; 325
But all the wretched crowd thou seest are they that lack a grave,
portitor ille Charon; hi, quos uehit unda, sepulti.
And Charon is the ferryman: those borne across the wave
nec ripas datur horrendas et rauca fluenta
Are buried: none may ever cross the awful roaring road
transportare prius quam sedibus ossa quierunt.
Until their bones are laid at rest within their last abode.
centum errant annos uolitantque haec litora circum;
An hundred years they stray about and wander round the shore,
tum demum admissi stagna exoptata reuisunt.’ 330
Then they at last have grace to gain the pools desired so sore.”
constitit Anchisa satus et uestigia pressit
There tarried then Anchises’ child and stayed awhile his feet,
multa putans sortemque animo miseratus iniquam.
Mid many thoughts, and sore at heart, for such a doom unmeet:
cernit ibi maestos et mortis honore carentis
And there he saw all sorrowful, without the death-dues dead,
Leucaspim et Lyciae ductorem classis Oronten,
Leucaspis, and Orontes, he that Lycian ship-host led;
quos simul a Troia uentosa per aequora uectos 335
Whom, borne from Troy o’er windy plain, the South wind utterly
obruit Auster, aqua inuoluens nauemque uirosque.
O’erwhelming, sank him, ships and men, in swallow of the sea.
Ecce gubernator sese Palinurus agebat,
And lo ye now, where Palinure the helmsman draweth nigh,
qui Libyco nuper cursu, dum sidera seruat,
Who lately on the Libyan sea, noting the starry sky,
exciderat puppi mediis effusus in undis.
Fell from the high poop headlong down mid wavy waters cast.
hunc ubi uix multa maestum cognouit in umbra, 340
His sad face through the plenteous dusk Æneas knew at last,
sic prior adloquitur: ‘quis te, Palinure, deorum
And spake: “What God, O Palinure, did snatch thee so away
eripuit nobis medioque sub aequore mersit?
From us thy friends and drown thee dead amidst the watery way?
dic age. namque mihi, fallax haud ante repertus,
Speak out! for Seer Apollo, found no guileful prophet erst,
hoc uno responso animum delusit Apollo,
By this one answer in my soul a lying hope hath nursed;
qui fore te ponto incolumem finisque canebat 345
Who sang of thee safe from the deep and gaining field and fold
uentur
um Ausonios. en haec promissa fides est?’
Of fair Ausonia: suchwise he his plighted word doth hold!”
ille autem: ‘neque te Phoebi cortina fefellit,
The other spake: “Apollo’s shrine in nowise lied to thee,
dux Anchisiade, nec me deus aequore mersit.
King of Anchises, and no God hath drowned me in the sea:
namque gubernaclum multa ui forte reuulsum,
But while I clung unto the helm, its guard ordained of right,
cui datus haerebam custos cursusque regebam, 350
And steered thee on, I chanced to fall, and so by very might
praecipitans traxi mecum. maria aspera iuro
Seaward I dragged it down with me. By the rough seas I swear
non ullum pro me tantum cepisse timorem,
My heart, for any hap of mine, had no so great a fear
quam tua ne spoliata armis, excussa magistro,
As for thy ship; lest, rudderless, its master from it torn,
deficeret tantis nauis surgentibus undis.
Amid so great o’ertoppling seas it yet might fail forlorn.
tris Notus hibernas immensa per aequora noctes 355
Three nights of storm I drifted on, ‘neath wind and water’s might,
uexit me uiolentus aqua; uix lumine quarto
Over the sea-plain measureless; but with the fourth day’s light
prospexi Italiam summa sublimis ab unda.
There saw I Italy rise up from welter of the wave.
paulatim adnabam terrae; iam tuta tenebam,
Then slow I swam unto the land, that me well-nigh did save,
ni gens crudelis madida cum ueste grauatum
But fell the cruel folk on me, heavy with raiment wet,
prensantemque uncis manibus capita aspera montis 360
And striving with my hookèd hands hold on the rocks to get:
ferro inuasisset praedamque ignara putasset.
The fools, they took me for a prey, and steel against me bore.
nunc me fluctus habet uersantque in litore uenti.
Now the waves have me, and the winds on sea-beach roll me o’er.
quod te per caeli iucundum lumen et auras,
But by the breath of heaven above, by daylight’s joyous ways,
per genitorem oro, per spes surgentis Iuli,
By thine own father, by the hope of young Iulus’ days,
eripe me his, inuicte, malis: aut tu mihi terram 365
Snatch me, O dauntless, from these woes, and o’er me cast the earth!
inice, namque potes, portusque require Velinos;
As well thou may’st when thou once more hast gained the Veline firth.
aut tu, si qua uia est, si quam tibi diua creatrix
Or if a way there be, if way thy Goddess-mother show, —
ostendit (neque enim, credo, sine numine diuum
For not without the will of Gods meseemeth wouldst thou go
flumina tanta paras Stygiamque innare paludem),
O’er so great floods, or have a mind to swim the Stygian mere, —
da dextram misero et tecum me tolle per undas, 370
Then give thine hand, and o’er the wave me woeful with thee bear,
sedibus ut saltem placidis in morte quiescam.’
That I at least in quiet place may rest when I am dead.”
talia fatus erat coepit cum talia uates:
So spake he, but the priestess straight such word unto him said:
‘unde haec, o Palinure, tibi tam dira cupido?
“O Palinure, what godless mind hath gotten hold of thee,
tu Stygias inhumatus aquas amnemque seuerum
That thou the grim Well-willers’ stream and Stygian flood wouldst see
Eumenidum aspicies, ripamue iniussus adibis? 375
Unburied, and unbidden still the brim wilt draw anear?
desine fata deum flecti sperare precando,
Hope not the Fates of very God to change by any prayer.
sed cape dicta memor, duri solacia casus.
But take this memory of my words to soothe thy wretched case:
nam tua finitimi, longe lateque per urbes
Through all their cities far and wide the people of the place,
prodigiis acti caelestibus, ossa piabunt
Driven by mighty signs from heaven, thy bones shall expiate
et statuent tumulum et tumulo sollemnia mittent, 380
And raise thee tomb, and year by year with worship on thee wait;
aeternumque locus Palinuri nomen habebit.’
And there the name of Palinure shall dwell eternally.”
his dictis curae emotae pulsusque parumper
So at that word his trouble lulled, his grief of heart passed by,
corde dolor tristi; gaudet cognomine terra.
A little while he joyed to think of land that bore his name.
Ergo iter inceptum peragunt fluuioque propinquant.
So forth upon their way they went and toward the river came;
nauita quos iam inde ut Stygia prospexit ab unda 385
But when from Stygian wave their path the shipman’s gaze did meet,
per tacitum nemus ire pedemque aduertere ripae,
As through the dead hush of the grove shoreward they turned their feet,
sic prior adgreditur dictis atque increpat ultro:
He fell upon them first with words and unbid chided them:
‘quisquis es, armatus qui nostra ad flumina tendis,
“Whoe’er ye be who come in arms unto our river’s hem,
fare age, quid uenias, iam istinc et comprime gressum.
Say what ye be! yea, speak from thence and stay your steps forthright!
umbrarum hic locus est, somni noctisque soporae: 390
This is the very place of shades, and sleep, and sleepful night;
corpora uiua nefas Stygia uectare carina.
And living bodies am I banned in Stygian keel to bear.
nec uero Alciden me sum laetatus euntem
Nor soothly did I gain a joy, giving Alcides fare,
accepisse lacu, nec Thesea Pirithoumque,
Or ferrying of Pirithoüs and Theseus time agone,
dis quamquam geniti atque inuicti uiribus essent.
Though come of God they were and matched in valiancy of none:
Tartareum ille manu custodem in uincla petiuit 395
He sought the guard of Tartarus chains on his limbs to lay,
ipsius a solio regis traxitque trementem;
And from the King’s own seat he dragged the quaking beast away:
hi dominam Ditis thalamo deducere adorti.’
Those strove to carry off the Queen from great Dis’ very bed.”
quae contra breuiter fata est Amphrysia uates:
The Amphrysian prophet answering, few words unto him said:
‘nullae hic insidiae tales (absiste moueri),
“But here are no such guiles as this, so let thy wrath go by:
nec uim tela ferunt; licet ingens ianitor antro 400
Our weapons bear no war; for us still shall the door-ward lie
aeternum latrans exsanguis terreat umbras,
And bark in den, and fright the ghosts, the bloodless, evermore:
casta licet patrui seruet Proserpina limen.
Nor shall chaste Proserpine for us pass through her kinsman’s door:
Troius Aeneas, pietate insignis et armis,
Trojan Æneas, great in arms and great in godly grace,
ad genitorem imas Erebi descendit ad umbras.
Goes down through dark of Erebus to see his father’s face.
si te nulla mouet tantae pietatis imago, 405
But if such guise of piety may move thine heart no whit,
at ramum hunc’ (aperit ramum qui ueste latebat)
At least this bough “ — (bared from her weed therewith she showeth it) —
‘agnoscas.’ tumida ex ira tum corda residunt;
&
nbsp; “Know ye!” Then in his swelling heart adown the anger sank,
nec plura his. ille admirans uenerabile donum
Nor spake he more; but wondering at that gift a God might thank,
fatalis uirgae longo post tempore uisum
The fateful stem, now seen once more so long a time worn by,
caeruleam aduertit puppim ripaeque propinquat. 410
He turned about his coal-blue keel and drew the bank anigh
inde alias animas, quae per iuga longa sedebant,
The souls upon the long thwarts set therewith he thrusteth out,
deturbat laxatque foros; simul accipit alueo
And clears the gangway, and withal takes in his hollow boat
ingentem Aenean. gemuit sub pondere cumba
The huge Æneas, ‘neath whose weight the seamed boat groans and creaks,
sutilis et multam accepit rimosa paludem.
And plenteous water of the mere lets in at many leaks.
tandem trans fluuium incolumis uatemque uirumque 415
At last the Hero and the Maid safe o’er the watery way
informi limo glaucaque exponit in ulua.
He leaveth on the ugly mire and sedge of sorry grey.
Cerberus haec ingens latratu regna trifauci
The three-mouthed bark of Cerberus here filleth all the place,
personat aduerso recubans immanis in antro.
As huge he lieth in a den that hath them full in face:
cui uates horrere uidens iam colla colubris
But when the adders she beheld upon his crest upborne,
melle soporatam et medicatis frugibus offam 420
A sleepy morsel honey-steeped, and blent of wizards’ corn,
obicit. ille fame rabida tria guttura pandens
She cast him: then his threefold throat, all wild with hunger’s lack,
corripit obiectam, atque immania terga resoluit
He opened wide, and caught at it, and sank his monstrous back,
fusus humi totoque ingens extenditur antro.
And there he lay upon the earth enormous through the cave.
occupat Aeneas aditum custode sepulto
Æneas caught upon the pass the door-ward’s slumber gave,
euaditque celer ripam inremeabilis undae. 425
And fled the bank of that sad stream no man may pass again.
Continuo auditae uoces uagitus et ingens
And many sounds they heard therewith, a wailing vast and vain;
infantumque animae flentes, in limine primo
For weeping souls of speechless babes round the first threshold lay,
quos dulcis uitae exsortis et ab ubere raptos
Whom, without share of life’s delight, snatched from the breast away,
