by Virgil
quinquaginta atris immanis hiatibus Hydra
More dreadful yet the Water-worm, with black mouth fiftyfold,
saeuior intus habet sedem. tum Tartarus ipse
Hath dwelling in the inner parts. Then Tartarus aright
bis patet in praeceps tantum tenditque sub umbras
Gapes sheer adown; and twice so far it thrusteth under night
quantus ad aetherium caeli suspectus Olympum.
As up unto the roof of heaven Olympus lifteth high:
hic genus antiquum Terrae, Titania pubes, 580
And there the ancient race of Earth, the Titan children, lie,
fulmine deiecti fundo uoluuntur in imo.
Cast down by thunder, wallowing in bottomless abode.
hic et Aloidas geminos immania uidi
There of the twin Aloidæ the monstrous bodies’ load
corpora, qui manibus magnum rescindere caelum
I saw; who fell on mighty heaven to cleave it with their hands,
adgressi superisque Iouem detrudere regnis.
That they might pluck the Father Jove from out his glorious lands;
uidi et crudelis dantem Salmonea poenas, 585
And Salmoneus I saw withal, paying the cruel pain
dum flammas Iouis et sonitus imitatur Olympi.
That fire of Jove and heaven’s own voice on earth he needs must feign:
quattuor hic inuectus equis et lampada quassans
He, drawn by fourfold rush of steeds, and shaking torches’ glare,
per Graium populos mediaeque per Elidis urbem
Amidmost of the Grecian folks, amidst of Elis fair,
ibat ouans, diuumque sibi poscebat honorem,
Went glorying, and the name of God and utter worship sought.
demens, qui nimbos et non imitabile fulmen 590
O fool! the glory of the storm, and lightning like to nought,
aere et cornipedum pulsu simularet equorum.
He feigned with rattling copper things and beat of horny hoof.
at pater omnipotens densa inter nubila telum
Him the Almighty Father smote from cloudy rack aloof,
contorsit, non ille faces nec fumea taedis
But never brand nor pitchy flame of smoky pine-tree cast,
lumina, praecipitemque immani turbine adegit.
As headlong there he drave him down amid the whirling blast.
nec non et Tityon, Terrae omniparentis alumnum, 595
And Tityon, too, the child of Earth, great Mother of all things,
cernere erat, per tota nouem cui iugera corpus
There may ye see: nine acres’ space his mighty frame he flings;
porrigitur, rostroque immanis uultur obunco
His deathless liver still is cropped by that huge vulture’s beak
immortale iecur tondens fecundaque poenis
That evermore his daily meat doth mid his inwards seek,
uiscera rimaturque epulis habitatque sub alto
Fruitful of woe, and hath his home beneath his mighty breast:
pectore, nec fibris requies datur ulla renatis. 600
Whose heart-strings eaten, and new-born shall never know of rest.
quid memorem Lapithas, Ixiona Pirithoumque?
Of Lapithæ, Pirithoüs, Ixion, what a tale!
quos super atra silex iam iam lapsura cadentique
O’er whom the black crag hangs, that slips, and slips, and ne’er shall fail
imminet adsimilis; lucent genialibus altis
To seem to fall. The golden feet of feast beds glitter bright,
aurea fulcra toris, epulaeque ante ora paratae
And there in manner of the kings is glorious banquet dight.
regifico luxu; Furiarum maxima iuxta 605
But lo, the Furies’ eldest-born is crouched beside it there,
accubat et manibus prohibet contingere mensas,
And banneth one and all of them hand on the board to bear,
exsurgitque facem attollens atque intonat ore.
And riseth up with tossing torch, and crieth, thundering loud.
hic, quibus inuisi fratres, dum uita manebat,
Here they that hated brethren sore while yet their life abode,
pulsatusue parens et fraus innexa clienti,
The father-smiters, they that drew the client-catching net,
aut qui diuitiis soli incubuere repertis 610
The brooders over treasure found in earth, who never yet
nec partem posuere suis (quae maxima turba est),
Would share one penny with their friends — and crowded thick these are —
quique ob adulterium caesi, quique arma secuti
Those slain within another’s bed; the followers up of war
impia nec ueriti dominorum fallere dextras,
Unrighteous; they no whit ashamed their masters’ hand to fail,
inclusi poenam exspectant. ne quaere doceri
Here prisoned bide the penalty: seek not to know their tale
quam poenam, aut quae forma uiros fortunaue mersit. 615
Of punishment; what fate it is o’erwhelmeth such a folk.
saxum ingens uoluunt alii, radiisque rotarum
Some roll huge stones; some hang adown, fast bound to tire or spoke
districti pendent; sedet aeternumque sedebit
Of mighty wheels. There sitteth now, and shall sit evermore
infelix Theseus, Phlegyasque miserrimus omnis
Theseus undone: wretch Phlegyas is crying o’er and o’er
admonet et magna testatur uoce per umbras:
His warning, and in mighty voice through dim night testifies:
“discite iustitiam moniti et non temnere diuos.” 620
‘Be warned, and learn of righteousness, nor holy Gods despise.’
uendidit hic auro patriam dominumque potentem
This sold his fatherland for gold; this tyrant on it laid;
imposuit; fixit leges pretio atque refixit;
This for a price made laws for men, for price the laws unmade:
hic thalamum inuasit natae uetitosque hymenaeos:
This broke into his daughter’s bed and wedding-tide accursed:
ausi omnes immane nefas ausoque potiti.
All dared to think of monstrous deed, and did the deed they durst.
non, mihi si linguae centum sint oraque centum, 625
Nor, had I now an hundred mouths, an hundred tongues at need,
ferrea uox, omnis scelerum comprendere formas,
An iron voice, might I tell o’er all guise of evil deed,
omnia poenarum percurrere nomina possim.’
Or run adown the names of woe those evil deeds are worth.”
Haec ubi dicta dedit Phoebi longaeua sacerdos,
So when Apollo’s ancient seer such words had given forth:
‘sed iam age, carpe uiam et susceptum perfice munus;
“Now to the road! fulfil the gift that we so far have brought!
acceleremus’ ait; ‘Cyclopum educta caminis 630
Haste on!” she saith, “I see the walls in Cyclops’ furnace wrought;
moenia conspicio atque aduerso fornice portas,
And now the opening of the gates is lying full in face,
haec ubi nos praecepta iubent deponere dona.’
Where we are bidden lay adown the gift that brings us grace.”
dixerat et pariter gressi per opaca uiarum
She spake, and through the dusk of ways on side by side they wend,
corripiunt spatium medium foribusque propinquant.
And wear the space betwixt, and reach the doorway in the end.
occupat Aeneas aditum corpusque recenti 635
Æneas at the entering in bedews his body o’er
spargit aqua ramumque aduerso in limine figit.
With water fresh, and sets the bough in threshold of the door.
His demum exactis, perfecto munere diuae,
So, all being done, the G
oddess’ gift well paid in manner meet,
deuenere locos laetos et amoena uirecta
They come into a joyous land, and green-sward fair and sweet
fortunatorum nemorum sedesque beatas.
Amid the happiness of groves, the blessèd dwelling-place.
largior hic campos aether et lumine uestit 640
Therein a more abundant heaven clothes all the meadows’ face
purpureo, solemque suum, sua sidera norunt.
With purple light, and their own sun and their own stars they have.
pars in gramineis exercent membra palaestris,
Here some in games upon the grass their bodies breathing gave;
contendunt ludo et fulua luctantur harena;
Or on the yellow face of sand they strive and play the play;
pars pedibus plaudunt choreas et carmina dicunt.
Some beat the earth with dancing foot, and some, the song they say:
nec non Threicius longa cum ueste sacerdos 645
And there withal the Thracian man in flowing raiment sings
obloquitur numeris septem discrimina uocum,
Unto the measure of the dance on seven-folded strings;
iamque eadem digitis, iam pectine pulsat eburno.
And now he smites with finger-touch, and now with ivory reed.
hic genus antiquum Teucri, pulcherrima proles,
And here is Teucer’s race of old, most lovely sons indeed;
magnanimi heroes nati melioribus annis,
High-hearted heroes born on earth in better days of joy:
Ilusque Assaracusque et Troiae Dardanus auctor. 650
Ilus was there, Assaracus, and he who builded Troy,
arma procul currusque uirum miratur inanis;
E’en Dardanus. Far off are seen their empty wains of war
stant terra defixae hastae passimque soluti
And war-weed: stand the spears in earth, unyoked the horses are,
per campum pascuntur equi. quae gratia currum
And graze the meadows all about; for even as they loved
armorumque fuit uiuis, quae cura nitentis
Chariot and weapons, yet alive, and e’en as they were moved
pascere equos, eadem sequitur tellure repostos. 655
To feed sleek horses, under earth doth e’en such joy abide.
conspicit, ecce, alios dextra laeuaque per herbam
Others he saw to right and left about the meadows wide
uescentis laetumque choro paeana canentis
Feasting; or joining merry mouths to sing the battle won
inter odoratum lauris nemus, unde superne
Amidst the scented laurel grove, whence earthward rolleth on
plurimus Eridani per siluam uoluitur amnis.
The full flood that Eridanus athwart the wood doth pour.
hic manus ob patriam pugnando uulnera passi, 660
Lo, they who in their country’s fight sword-wounded bodies bore;
quique sacerdotes casti, dum uita manebat,
Lo, priests of holy life and chaste, while they in life had part;
quique pii uates et Phoebo digna locuti,
Lo, God-loved poets, men who spake things worthy Phoebus’ heart:
inuentas aut qui uitam excoluere per artis
And they who bettered life on earth by new-found mastery;
quique sui memores aliquos fecere merendo:
And they whose good deeds left a tale for men to name them by:
omnibus his niuea cinguntur tempora uitta. 665
And all they had their brows about with snowy fillets bound.
quos circumfusos sic est adfata Sibylla,
Now unto them the Sibyl spake as there they flowed around, —
Musaeum ante omnis (medium nam plurima turba
Unto Musæus first; for him midmost the crowd enfolds
hunc habet atque umeris exstantem suspicit altis):
Higher than all from shoulders up, and reverently beholds:
‘dicite, felices animae tuque optime uates,
“Say, happy souls, and thou, O bard, the best earth ever bare,
quae regio Anchisen, quis habet locus? illius ergo 670
What land, what place Anchises hath? for whose sake came we here,
uenimus et magnos Erebi tranauimus amnis.’
And swam the floods of Erebus and every mighty wave.”
atque huic responsum paucis ita reddidit heros:
Then, lightly answering her again, few words the hero gave:
‘nulli certa domus; lucis habitamus opacis,
“None hath a certain dwelling-place; in shady groves we bide,
riparumque toros et prata recentia riuis
And meadows fresh with running streams, and beds by river-side:
incolimus. sed uos, si fert ita corde uoluntas, 675
But if such longing and so sore the heart within you hath,
hoc superate iugum, et facili iam tramite sistam.’
O’ertop yon ridge and I will set your feet in easy path.”
dixit, et ante tulit gressum camposque nitentis
He spake and footed it afore, and showeth from above
desuper ostentat; dehinc summa cacumina linquunt.
The shining meads; and thence away from hill-top down they move.
At pater Anchises penitus conualle uirenti
But Sire Anchises deep adown in green-grown valley lay,
inclusas animas superumque ad lumen ituras 680
And on the spirits prisoned there, but soon to wend to day,
lustrabat studio recolens, omnemque suorum
Was gazing with a fond desire: of all his coming ones
forte recensebat numerum, carosque nepotes
There was he reckoning up the tale, and well-loved sons of sons:
fataque fortunasque uirum moresque manusque.
Their fate, their haps, their ways of life, their deeds to come to pass.
isque ubi tendentem aduersum per gramina uidit
But when he saw Æneas now draw nigh athwart the grass,
Aenean, alacris palmas utrasque tetendit, 685
He stretched forth either palm to him all eager, and the tears
effusaeque genis lacrimae et uox excidit ore:
Poured o’er his cheeks, and speech withal forth from his mouth there fares:
‘uenisti tandem, tuaque exspectata parenti
“O come at last, and hath the love, thy father hoped for, won
uicit iter durum pietas? datur ora tueri,
O’er the hard way, and may I now look on thy face, O son,
nate, tua et notas audire et reddere uoces?
And give and take with thee in talk, and hear the words I know?
sic equidem ducebam animo rebarque futurum 690
So verily my mind forebode, I deemed ’twas coming so,
tempora dinumerans, nec me mea cura fefellit.
And counted all the days thereto; nor was my longing vain.
quas ego te terras et quanta per aequora uectum
And now I have thee, son, borne o’er what lands, how many a main!
accipio! quantis iactatum, nate, periclis!
How tossed about on every side by every peril still!
quam metui ne quid Libyae tibi regna nocerent!’
Ah, how I feared lest Libyan land should bring thee unto ill!”
ille autem: ‘tua me, genitor, tua tristis imago 695
Then he: “O father, thou it was, thine image sad it was,
saepius occurrens haec limina tendere adegit;
That, coming o’er and o’er again, drave me these doors to pass:
stant sale Tyrrheno classes. da iungere dextram,
My ships lie in the Tyrrhene salt — ah, give the hand I lack!
da, genitor, teque amplexu ne subtrahe nostro.’
Give it, my father; neither thus from my embrace draw back!”
sic memorans largo fletu simul ora rigabat.
His face was
wet with plenteous tears e’en as the word he spake,
ter conatus ibi colo dare bracchia circum; 700
And thrice the neck of him beloved he strove in arms to take;
ter frustra comprensa manus effugit imago,
And thrice away from out his hands the gathered image streams,
par leuibus uentis uolucrique simillima somno.
E’en as the breathing of the wind or wingèd thing of dreams.
Interea uidet Aeneas in ualle reducta
But down amid a hollow dale meanwhile Æneas sees
seclusum nemus et uirgulta sonantia siluae,
A secret grove, a thicket fair, with murmuring of the trees,
Lethaeumque domos placidas qui praenatat amnem. 705
And Lethe’s stream that all along that quiet place doth wend;
hunc circum innumerae gentes populique uolabant:
O’er which there hovered countless folks and peoples without end:
ac ueluti in pratis ubi apes aestate serena
And as when bees amid the fields in summer-tide the bright
floribus insidunt uariis et candida circum
Settle on diverse flowery things, and round the lilies white
lilia funduntur, strepit omnis murmure campus.
Go streaming; so the fields were filled with mighty murmuring.
horrescit uisu subito causasque requirit 710
Unlearned Æneas fell aquake at such a wondrous thing,
inscius Aeneas, quae sint ea flumina porro,
And asketh what it all may mean, what rivers these may be,
quiue uiri tanto complerint agmine ripas.
And who the men that fill the banks with such a company.
tum pater Anchises: ‘animae, quibus altera fato
Then spake Anchises: “These are souls to whom fate oweth now
corpora debentur, Lethaei ad fluminis undam
New bodies: there they drink the draught by Lethe’s quiet flow,
securos latices et longa obliuia potant. 715
The draught that is the death of care, the long forgetfulness.
has equidem memorare tibi atque ostendere coram
And sure to teach thee of these things, and show thee all their press,
iampridem, hanc prolem cupio enumerare meorum,
And of mine offspring tell the tale, for long have I been fain,
quo magis Italia mecum laetere reperta.’
That thou with me mightst more rejoice in thine Italia’s gain.”
‘o pater, anne aliquas ad caelum hinc ire putandum est
“O Father, may we think it then, that souls may get them hence
sublimis animas iterumque ad tarda reuerti 720
To upper air and take once more their bodies’ hinderance?
