Complete Works of Virgil

by Virgil

  But utter wrath of heart and soul, and wildering lust of death

  egit in aduersos.

  Drave him afire amidst the foe.

  principio Phalerim et succiso poplite Gygen

  Then Phaleris he catcheth up, and ham-strung Gyges then,

  excipit, hinc raptas fugientibus ingerit hastas

  Whose spears, snatched up, he hurleth on against the backs of men;

  in tergus, Iuno uiris animumque ministrat.

  For Juno finds him might enough and heart wherewith to do,

  addit Halyn comitem et confixa Phegea parma, 765

  Halys he sendeth down with these, Phegeus with targe smit through;

  ignaros deinde in muris Martemque cientis

  Then, as they roused the war on wall, nor wotted aught of this,

  Alcandrumque Haliumque Noemonaque Prytanimque.

  Alcander stark, and Halius stout, Noëmon, Prytanis.

  Lyncea tendentem contra sociosque uocantem

  Then Lynceus, as he ran to aid and cheered his folk withal,

  uibranti gladio conixus ab aggere dexter

  He reacheth at with sweeping sword from right hand of the wall

  occupat, huic uno deiectum comminus ictu 770

  And smiteth; and his helm and head, struck off with that one blow,

  cum galea longe iacuit caput. inde ferarum

  Lie far away: Amycus then, the wood-deer’s wasting foe,

  uastatorem Amycum, quo non felicior alter

  He slayeth: happier hand had none in smearing of the shaft

  unguere tela manu ferrumque armare ueneno,

  And arming of the iron head the poison-wound to waft.

  et Clytium Aeoliden et amicum Crethea Musis,

  Then Clytius, son of Æolus, and Cretheus Muse-beloved, —

  Crethea Musarum comitem, cui carmina semper 775

  Cretheus the Muses’ fellow-friend, whose heart was ever moved

  et citharae cordi numerosque intendere neruis,

  By song and harp, and measured sound along the strainèd string;

  semper equos atque arma uirum pugnasque canebat.

  Who still of steeds, and arms, and men, and battle-tide would sing.

  Tandem ductores audita caede suorum

  At last the Trojan dukes of men, Mnestheus, Serestus fierce,

  conueniunt Teucri, Mnestheus acerque Serestus,

  Draw to a head when all this death is borne unto their ears,

  palantisque uident socios hostemque receptum. 780

  And see their folk all scattering wide, the foe amidst them see.

  et Mnestheus: ‘quo deinde fugam, quo tenditis?’ inquit.

  Then Mnestheus cries: “And whither now, and whither will ye flee?

  ‘quos alios muros, quaeue ultra moenia habetis?

  What other walls, what other town have ye a hope to find?

  unus homo et uestris, o ciues, undique saeptus

  Hath one man, O my town-fellows, whom your own ramparts bind,

  aggeribus tantas strages impune per urbem

  Wrought such a death and unavenged amid your very town,

  ediderit? iuuenum primos tot miserit Orco? 785

  And sent so many lords of war by Orcus’ road adown?

  non infelicis patriae ueterumque deorum

  O dastards, your unhappy land, your Gods of ancient days,

  et magni Aeneae, segnes, miseretque pudetque?’

  Your great Æneas — what! no shame, no pity do they raise?”

  talibus accensi firmantur et agmine denso

  Fired by such words, they gather heart and stand in close array,

  consistunt. Turnus paulatim excedere pugna

  Till step by step ‘gins Turnus now to yield him from the play,

  et fluuium petere ac partem quae cingitur unda. 790

  And seek the river and the side the wet wave girds about.

  acrius hoc Teucri clamore incumbere magno

  Then fiercer fall the Teucrians on, and raise a mighty shout,

  et glomerare manum, ceu saeuum turba leonem

  And lock their ranks: as when a crowd of men-folk and of spears

  cum telis premit infensis; at territus ille,

  Falls on a lion hard of heart, and he, beset by fears,

  asper, acerba tuens, retro redit et neque terga

  But fierce and grim-eyed, yieldeth way, though anger and his worth

  ira dare aut uirtus patitur, nec tendere contra 795

  Forbid him turn his back about: no less to fare right forth

  ille quidem hoc cupiens potis est per tela uirosque.

  Through spears and men avails him not, though ne’er so fain he be.

  haud aliter retro dubius uestigia Turnus

  Not otherwise unhasty feet drew Turnus doubtfully

  improperata refert et mens exaestuat ira.

  Abackward, all his heart a-boil with anger’s overflow.

  quin etiam bis tum medios inuaserat hostis,

  Yea, twice, indeed, he falls again amidmost of the foe,

  bis confusa fuga per muros agmina uertit; 800

  And twice more turns to huddled flight their folk along the walls;

  sed manus e castris propere coit omnis in unum

  But, gathered from the camp about, the whole host on him falls,

  nec contra uiris audet Saturnia Iuno

  Nor durst Saturnian Juno now his might against them stay;

  sufficere; aeriam caelo nam Iuppiter Irim

  For Jupiter from heaven hath sent Iris of airy way,

  demisit germanae haud mollia iussa ferentem,

  No soft commands of his high doom bearing his sister down,

  ni Turnus cedat Teucrorum moenibus altis. 805

  If Turnus get him not away from Troy’s high-builded town.

  ergo nec clipeo iuuenis subsistere tantum

  So now the warrior’s shielded left the play endureth not,

  nec dextra ualet, iniectis sic undique telis

  Nought skills his right hand; wrapped around in drift of weapon shot

  obruitur. strepit adsiduo caua tempora circum

  About his temples’ hollow rings his helm with ceaseless clink;

  tinnitu galea et saxis solida aera fatiscunt

  The starkly-fashioned brazen plates amid the stone-cast chink;

  discussaeque iubae, capiti nec sufficit umbo 810

  The crest is battered from his head; nor may the shield-boss hold

  ictibus; ingeminant hastis et Troes et ipse

  Against the strokes: the Trojans speed the spear-storm manifold,

  fulmineus Mnestheus. tum toto corpore sudor

  And lightening Mnestheus thickeneth it: then over all his limbs

  liquitur et piceum (nec respirare potestas)

  The sweat bursts out, and all adown a pitchy river swims:

  flumen agit, fessos quatit aeger anhelitus artus.

  Hard grows his breath, and panting sharp shaketh his body spent.

  tum demum praeceps saltu sese omnibus armis 815

  Until at last, all clad in arms, he leapt adown, and sent

  in fluuium dedit. ille suo cum gurgite flauo

  His body to the river fair, who in his yellow flood

  accepit uenientem ac mollibus extulit undis

  Caught him, and bore him forth away on ripple soft and good,

  et laetum sociis abluta caede remisit.

  And gave him merry to his men, washed from the battle’s blood.

  LIBER X

  BOOK X.

  Panditur interea domus omnipotentis Olympi

  Meanwhile is opened wide the door of dread Olympus’ walls,

  conciliumque uocat diuum pater atque hominum rex

  And there the Sire of Gods and Men unto the council calls,

  sideream in sedem, terras unde arduus omnis

  Amid the starry place, wherefrom, high-throned, he looks adown

  castraque Dardanidum aspectat populosque Latinos.

  Upon the folk
of Latin land and that beleaguered town.

  considunt tectis bipatentibus, incipit ipse: 5

  There in the open house they sit, and he himself begins:

  ‘caelicolae magni, quianam sententia uobis

  “O Dwellers in the House of Heaven, why backward thuswise wins

  uersa retro tantumque animis certatis iniquis?

  Your purpose? Why, with hearts unruled, raise ye the strife so sore?

  abnueram bello Italiam concurrere Teucris.

  I clean forbade that Italy should clash with Troy in war.

  quae contra uetitum discordia? quis metus aut hos

  Now why the war that I forbade? who egged on these or those

  aut hos arma sequi ferrumque lacessere suasit? 10

  To fear or fight, or drave them on with edge of sword to close?

  adueniet iustum pugnae (ne arcessite) tempus,

  Be not o’ereager in your haste: the hour of fight shall come,

  cum fera Karthago Romanis arcibus olim

  When dreadful Carthage on a day against the walls of Rome,

  exitium magnum atque Alpis immittet apertas:

  Betwixt the opened doors of Alps, a mighty wrack shall send;

  tum certare odiis, tum res rapuisse licebit.

  Then may ye battle, hate to hate, and reach and grasp and rend:

  nunc sinite et placitum laeti componite foedus.’ 15

  But now forbear, and joyfully knit fast the plighted peace.”

  Iuppiter haec paucis; at non Venus aurea contra

  Few words spake Jove; but not a few in answer unto these

  pauca refert:

  Gave golden Venus back again:

  ‘o pater, o hominum rerumque aeterna potestas

  “O Father, O eternal might of men and deeds of earth —

  (namque aliud quid sit quod iam implorare queamus?),

  For what else may be left to me whereto to turn my prayers? —

  cernis ut insultent Rutuli, Turnusque feratur 20

  Thou seest the Rutuli in pride, and Turnus, how he fares?

  per medios insignis equis tumidusque secundo

  Amidst them, borne aloft by steeds, and, swelling, war-way sweeps

  Marte ruat? non clausa tegunt iam moenia Teucros;

  With Mars to aid: the fencèd place no more the Teucrians keeps,

  quin intra portas atque ipsis proelia miscent

  For now within the very gates and mound-heaped battlement

  aggeribus murorum et inundant sanguine fossae.

  They blend in fight, and flood of gore adown the ditch is sent,

  Aeneas ignarus abest. numquamne leuari 25

  Unware Æneas is away. — Must they be never free

  obsidione sines? muris iterum imminet hostis

  From bond of leaguer? lo, again the threatening enemy

  nascentis Troiae nec non exercitus alter,

  Hangs over Troy new-born! Behold new host arrayed again

  atque iterum in Teucros Aetolis surgit ab Arpis

  From Arpi, the Ætolian-built; against the Teucrian men

  Tydides. equidem credo, mea uulnera restant

  Tydides riseth. So for me belike new wounds in store,

  et tua progenies mortalia demoror arma. 30

  And I, thy child, must feel the edge of arms of mortal war.

  si sine pace tua atque inuito numine Troes

  Now if without thy peace, without thy Godhead’s will to speed,

  Italiam petiere, luant peccata neque illos

  The Trojans sought for Italy, let ill-hap pay ill deed,

  iuueris auxilio; sin tot responsa secuti

  Nor stay them with thine help: but if they followed many a word

  quae superi manesque dabant, cur nunc tua quisquam

  Given forth by Gods of Heaven and Hell, by whom canst thou be stirred

  uertere iussa potest aut cur noua condere fata? 35

  To turn thy doom, or who to forge new fate may e’er avail?

  quid repetam exustas Erycino in litore classis,

  Of ship-host burnt on Eryx shore why should I tell the tale?

  quid tempestatum regem uentosque furentis

  Or of the king of wind and storm, or wild and windy crowd

  Aeolia excitos aut actam nubibus Irim?

  Æolia bred, or Iris sent adown the space of cloud?

  nunc etiam manis (haec intemptata manebat

  But now withal the Gods of Hell, a world untried before,

  sors rerum) mouet et superis immissa repente 40

  She stirreth, and Alecto sent up to the earthly shore

  Allecto medias Italum bacchata per urbes.

  In sudden hurry raves about towns of Italian men.

  nil super imperio moueor. sperauimus ista,

  No whit for lordship do I yearn: I hoped such glories then

  dum fortuna fuit. uincant, quos uincere mauis.

  While Fortune was: let them be lords whom thou wilt doom for lords!

  si nulla est regio Teucris quam det tua coniunx

  But if no land thy hard-heart wife to Teucrian men awards,

  dura, per euersae, genitor, fumantia Troiae 45

  Yet, Father, by the smoking wrack of overwhelmèd Troy

  excidia obtestor: liceat dimittere ab armis

  I pray thee from the weapon-dint safe let me send a boy,

  incolumem Ascanium, liceat superesse nepotem.

  Yea, e’en Ascanius: let me keep my grandson safe for me!

  Aeneas sane ignotis iactetur in undis

  Yea, let Æneas toss about on many an unknown sea,

  et quacumque uiam dederit Fortuna sequatur:

  And let him follow wheresoe’er his fortune shall have led:

  hunc tegere et dirae ualeam subducere pugnae. 50

  But this one let me shield, and take safe from the battle’s dread.

  est Amathus, est celsa mihi Paphus atque Cythera

  Paphus, Cythera, Amathus, are mine, and I abide

  Idaliaeque domus: positis inglorius armis

  Within Idalia’s house: let him lay weed of war aside,

  exigat hic aeuum. magna dicione iubeto

  And wear his life inglorious there: then shalt thou bid the hand

  Karthago premat Ausoniam; nihil urbibus inde

  Of Carthage weigh Ausonia down, and nothing shall withstand

  obstabit Tyriis. quid pestem euadere belli 55

  The towns of Tyre. — Ah, what availed to ‘scape the bane of war?

  iuuit et Argolicos medium fugisse per ignis

  Ah, what availed that through the midst of Argive flames they bore

  totque maris uastaeque exhausta pericula terrae,

  To wear down perils of wide lands, and perils of the main,

  dum Latium Teucri recidiuaque Pergama quaerunt?

  While Teucrian men sought Latin land and Troy new-born again?

  non satius cineres patriae insedisse supremos

  Ah, better had it been for them by Troy’s cold ash to stay,

  atque solum quo Troia fuit? Xanthum et Simoenta 60

  To dwell on earth where Troy hath been. Father, give back, I pray,

  redde, oro, miseris iterumque reuoluere casus

  Their Xanthus and their Simoïs unto that wretched folk,

  da, pater, Iliacos Teucris.’ tum regia Iuno

  And let them toil and faint once more ‘neath Ilium’s woeful yoke!”

  acta furore graui: ‘quid me alta silentia cogis

  Then spake Queen Juno, heavy wroth: “Why driv’st thou me to part

  rumpere et obductum uerbis uulgare dolorem?

  My deep-set silence, and lay bare with words my grief of heart?

  Aenean hominum quisquam diuumque subegit 65

  What one of all the Gods or men Æneas drave to go

  bella sequi aut hostem regi se inferre Latino?

  On warring ways, or bear himself as King Latinus’ foe?

  Italiam petiit fatis auctoribus (esto)

  Fate-bidden
he sought Italy? — Yea, soothly, or maybe

  Cassandrae impulsus furiis: num linquere castra

  Spurned by Cassandra’s wilderment — and how then counselled we

  hortati sumus aut uitam committere uentis?

  To leave his camp and give his life to make the winds a toy?

  num puero summam belli, num credere muros, 70

  To trust his walls and utmost point of war unto a boy?

  Tyrrhenamque fidem aut gentis agitare quietas?

  To trust the Tuscan faith, and stir the peaceful folk to fight?

  quis deus in fraudem, quae dura potentia nostra

  What God hath driven him to lie, what hardness of my might?

  egit? ubi hic Iuno demissaue nubibus Iris?

  Works Juno here, or Iris sent adown the cloudy way?

  indignum est Italos Troiam circumdare flammis

  ’Tis wrong for Italy, forsooth, the ring of fire to lay

  nascentem et patria Turnum consistere terra, 75

  Round Troy new-born; for Turnus still to hold his fathers’ earth! —

  cui Pilumnus auus, cui diua Venilia mater:

  Though him, Pilumnus’ own son’s son, Venilia brought to birth —

  quid face Troianos atra uim ferre Latinis,

  But what if Trojans fall with flame upon the Latin folk,

  arua aliena iugo premere atque auertere praedas?

  And drive the prey from off their fields oppressed by outland yoke?

  quid soceros legere et gremiis abducere pactas,

  Or choose them sons-in-law, or brides from mothers’ bosoms tear?

  pacem orare manu, praefigere puppibus arma? 80

  Or, holding peace within their hands, lade ships with weapon-gear?

  tu potes Aenean manibus subducere Graium

  Thou erst hadst might from Greekish hands Æneas’ self to draw,

  proque uiro nebulam et uentos obtendere inanis,

  To thrust a cloud and empty wind in stead of man of war,

  et potes in totidem classem conuertere nymphas:

  And unto sea-nymphs ship by ship the ship-host mayst thou change.

  nos aliquid Rutulos contra iuuisse nefandum est?

  But we to help the Rutuli, ’tis horrible and strange!

  “Aeneas ignarus abest”: ignarus et absit. 85

  — Unware Æneas is away? — let him abide unware!

  est Paphus Idaliumque tibi, sunt alta Cythera:

  Paphus thou hast, Idalium, and high Cythera fair,

  quid grauidam bellis urbem et corda aspera temptas?

  Then why with cities big with war and hearts of warriors deal?

  nosne tibi fluxas Phrygiae res uertere fundo

  What! we it was who strove to wrack the fainting Trojan weal?