Complete Works of Virgil

by Virgil

  conamur? nos? an miseros qui Troas Achiuis

  We! — or the one who thwart the Greeks the wretched Trojans dashed?

  obiecit? quae causa fuit consurgere in arma 90

  Yea, and what brought it all about that thus in arms they clashed,

  Europamque Asiamque et foedera soluere furto?

  Europe and Asia? that men brake the plighted peace by theft?

  me duce Dardanius Spartam expugnauit adulter,

  Did I the Dardan lecher lead, who Sparta’s jewel reft?

  aut ego tela dedi fouiue Cupidine bella?

  Did I set weapons in his hand, breed lust to breed debate?

  tum decuit metuisse tuis: nunc sera querelis

  Then had thy care for thine been meet, but now indeed o’erlate

  haud iustis adsurgis et inrita iurgia iactas.’ 95

  With wrongful plaint thou risest up, and bickerest emptily.”

  Talibus orabat Iuno, cunctique fremebant

  So pleaded Juno, and all they, the heavenly folk anigh,

  caelicolae adsensu uario, ceu flamina prima

  Murmured their doom in diverse wise; as when the first of wind

  cum deprensa fremunt siluis et caeca uolutant

  Caught in the woods is murmuring on, and rolleth moanings blind,

  murmura uenturos nautis prodentia uentos.

  Betraying to the mariners the onset of the gale.

  tum pater omnipotens, rerum cui prima potestas, 100

  Then spake the Almighty Sire, in whom is all the world’s avail,

  infit (eo dicente deum domus alta silescit

  And as he spake the high-built house of God was quieted,

  et tremefacta solo tellus, silet arduus aether,

  And earth from her foundations shook, and heaven was hushed o’erhead,

  tum Zephyri posuere, premit placida aequora pontus):

  The winds fell down, the face of sea was laid in quiet fair:

  ‘accipite ergo animis atque haec mea figite dicta.

  “Take ye these matters to your hearts, and set my sayings there;

  quandoquidem Ausonios coniungi foedere Teucris 105

  Since nowise the Ausonian folk the plighted troth may blend

  haud licitum, nec uestra capit discordia finem,

  With Teucrians, and your contest seems a strife without an end;

  quae cuique est fortuna hodie, quam quisque secat spem,

  What fortune each may have today, what hope each one shears out,

  Tros Rutulusne fuat, nullo discrimine habebo,

  Trojan or Rutulan, will I hold all in balanced doubt,

  seu fatis Italum castra obsidione tenentur

  Whether the camp be so beset by fate of Italy,

  siue errore malo Troiae monitisque sinistris. 110

  Or hapless wanderings of Troy, and warnings dealt awry.

  nec Rutulos soluo. sua cuique exorsa laborem

  Nor loose I Rutulans the more; let each one’s way-faring

  fortunamque ferent. rex Iuppiter omnibus idem.

  Bear its own hap and toil, for Jove to all alike is king;

  fata uiam inuenient.’ Stygii per flumina fratris,

  The Fates will find a way to wend.” He nodded oath withal

  per pice torrentis atraque uoragine ripas

  By his own Stygian brother’s stream, the pitchy waters’ fall,

  adnuit et totum nutu tremefecit Olympum. 115

  And blazing banks, and with his nod shook all Olympus’ land.

  hic finis fandi. solio tum Iuppiter aureo

  Then fell the talk; from golden throne did Jupiter upstand,

  surgit, caelicolae medium quem ad limina ducunt.

  The heaven-abiders girt him round and brought him to the door.

  Interea Rutuli portis circum omnibus instant

  The Rutuli amid all this are pressing on in war,

  sternere caede uiros et moenia cingere flammis.

  Round all the gates to slay the men, the walls with fire to ring,

  at legio Aeneadum uallis obsessa tenetur 120

  And all Æneas’ host is pent with fenced beleaguering.

  nec spes ulla fugae. miseri stant turribus altis

  Nor is there any hope of flight; upon the towers tall

  nequiquam et rara muros cinxere corona

  They stand, the hapless men in vain, thin garland for the wall;

  Asius Imbrasides Hicetaoniusque Thymoetes

  Asius, the son of Imbrasus, Thymoetes, and the two

  Assaracique duo et senior cum Castore Thymbris,

  Assaraci, and Thymbris old, with Castor, deeds they do

  prima acies; hos germani Sarpedonis ambo 125

  In the forefront; Sarpedon’s sons, twin brethren, with them bide,

  et Clarus et Thaemon Lycia comitantur ab alta.

  Clarus and Themon, born erewhile in lofty Lycia’s side.

  fert ingens toto conixus corpore saxum,

  And now Lyrnessian Acmon huge with strain of limbs strives hard,

  haud partem exiguam montis, Lyrnesius Acmon,

  And raises up a mighty stone, no little mountain shard;

  nec Clytio genitore minor nec fratre Menestheo.

  As great as father Clytius he, or brother Mnestheus’ might:

  hi iaculis, illi certant defendere saxis 130

  So some with stones, with spear-cast some, they ward the walls in fight,

  molirique ignem neruoque aptare sagittas.

  They deal with fire or notch the shaft upon the strainèd string.

  ipse inter medios, Veneris iustissima cura,

  But lo amidst, most meetly wrought for Venus cherishing,

  Dardanius caput, ecce, puer detectus honestum,

  His goodly head the Dardan boy unhooded there doth hold,

  qualis gemma micat fuluum quae diuidit aurum,

  As shineth out some stone of price, cleaving the yellow gold,

  aut collo decus aut capiti, uel quale per artem 135

  Fair for the bosom or the head; or as the ivory shines,

  inclusum buxo aut Oricia terebintho

  That with Orician terebinth the art of man entwines,

  lucet ebur; fusos ceruix cui lactea crinis

  Or mid the boxwood; down along his milk-white neck they lie

  accipit et molli subnectens circulus auro.

  The streams of hair, which golden wire doth catch about and tie.

  te quoque magnanimae uiderunt, Ismare, gentes

  The mighty nations, Ismarus, there saw thee deft to speed

  uulnera derigere et calamos armare ueneno, 140

  The bane of men, envenoming the deadly flying reed;

  Maeonia generose domo, ubi pinguia culta

  Thou lord-born of Moeonian house, whereby the tiller tills

  exercentque uiri Pactolusque inrigat auro.

  Rich acres, where Pactolus’ flood gold overflowing spills.

  adfuit et Mnestheus, quem pulsi pristina Turni

  There, too, was Mnestheus, whom his deed late done of thrusting forth

  aggere murorum sublimem gloria tollit,

  King Turnus from the battlements hath raised to heavenly worth,

  et Capys: hinc nomen Campanae ducitur urbi. 145

  And Capys, he whose name is set upon Campania’s town.

  Illi inter sese duri certamina belli

  But while the bitter play of war went bickering up and down,

  contulerant: media Aeneas freta nocte secabat.

  Æneas clave the seas with keel amidst the dead of night:

  namque ut ab Euandro castris ingressus Etruscis

  For when Evander he had left and reached the Tuscan might,

  regem adit et regi memorat nomenque genusque

  He met their king and told his name, and whence his race of old,

  quidue petat quidue ipse ferat, Mezentius arma 150

  And what he would and how he wrought: and of the host he told,

  quae sibi conciliet, uiolentaque pe
ctora Turni

  Mezentius now had gotten him, and Turnus’ wrothful heart;

  edocet, humanis quae sit fiducia rebus

  He warned him in affairs of men to trust not Fortune’s part;

  admonet immiscetque preces, haud fit mora, Tarchon

  And therewithal he mingleth prayers: Tarchon no while doth wait,

  iungit opes foedusque ferit; tum libera fati

  But joineth hosts and plighteth troth; and so, set free by Fate,

  classem conscendit iussis gens Lydia diuum 155

  A-shipboard go the Lydian folk by God’s command and grace,

  externo commissa duci. Aeneia puppis

  Yet ‘neath the hand of outland duke: Æneas’ ship hath place

  prima tenet rostro Phrygios subiuncta leones,

  In forefront: Phrygian lions hang above its armèd tyne

  imminet Ida super, profugis gratissima Teucris.

  O’ertopped by Ida, unto those Troy’s outcasts happy sign:

  hic magnus sedet Aeneas secumque uolutat

  There great Æneas sits, and sends his mind a-wandering wide

  euentus belli uarios, Pallasque sinistro 160

  Through all the shifting chance of war; and by his left-hand side

  adfixus lateri iam quaerit sidera, opacae

  Is Pallas asking of the stars and night-tide’s journey dim,

  noctis iter, iam quae passus terraque marique.

  Or whiles of haps by land or sea that fortuned unto him.

  Pandite nunc Helicona, deae, cantusque mouete,

  Ye Goddesses, ope Helicon, and raise the song to say

  quae manus interea Tuscis comitetur ab oris

  What host from out the Tuscan land Æneas led away,

  Aenean armetque rates pelagoque uehatur. 165

  And how they dight their ships, and how across the sea they drave.

  Massicus aerata princeps secat aequora Tigri,

  In brazen Tiger Massicus first man the sea-plain clave;

  sub quo mille manus iuuenum, qui moenia Clusi

  A thousand youths beneath him are that Clusium’s walls have left

  quique urbem liquere Cosas, quis tela sagittae

  And Cosæ’s city: these in war with arrow-shot are deft,

  gorytique leues umeris et letifer arcus.

  And bear light quivers of the bark, and bear the deadly bow.

  una toruus Abas: huic totum insignibus armis 170

  Then comes grim Abas, all his host with glorious arms aglow,

  agmen et aurato fulgebat Apolline puppis.

  And on his stern Apollo gleams, well wrought in utter gold.

  sescentos illi dederat Populonia mater

  But Populonia’s mother-land had given him there to hold

  expertos belli iuuenes, ast Ilua trecentos

  Six hundred of the battle-craft; three hundred Ilva sent,

  insula inexhaustis Chalybum generosa metallis.

  Rich isle, whose wealth of Chalyb ore wastes never nor is spent.

  tertius ille hominum diuumque interpres Asilas, 175

  The third is he, who carrieth men the words God hath to say,

  cui pecudum fibrae, caeli cui sidera parent

  Asylas, whom the hearts of beasts and stars of heaven obey,

  et linguae uolucrum et praesagi fulminis ignes,

  And tongues of birds, and thunder-fire that coming tidings bears.

  mille rapit densos acie atque horrentibus hastis.

  A thousand men he hurrieth on with bristling of the spears;

  hos parere iubent Alpheae ab origine Pisae,

  Pisa, the town Alpheüs built amid the Tuscan land,

  urbs Etrusca solo. sequitur pulcherrimus Astyr, 180

  Bids them obey. Came Astur next, goodliest of all the band;

  Astyr equo fidens et uersicoloribus armis.

  Astur, who trusteth in his horse and shifty-coloured weed;

  ter centum adiciunt (mens omnibus una sequendi)

  Three hundred hath he, of one heart to wend as he shall lead:

  qui Caerete domo, qui sunt Minionis in aruis,

  And these are they in Cæres’ home and Minios’ lea that bide,

  et Pyrgi ueteres intempestaeque Grauiscae.

  The Pyrgi old, and they that feel Gravisca’s heavy tide.

  Non ego te, Ligurum ductor fortissime bello, 185

  Nor thee, best war-duke, Cinyras, of that Ligurian crew,

  transierim, Cunare, et paucis comitate Cupauo,

  Leave I unsung: nor thee the more, Cupavo lord of few,

  cuius olorinae surgunt de uertice pennae

  Up from the cresting of whose helm the feathery swan-wings rise.

  (crimen, Amor, uestrum) formaeque insigne paternae.

  Love was thy guilt; thy battle-sign was thine own father’s guise.

  namque ferunt luctu Cycnum Phaethontis amati,

  For Cycnus, say they, while for love of Phaëthon he grieves.

  populeas inter frondes umbramque sororum 190

  And sings beneath his sisters’ shade, beneath the poplar-leaves;

  dum canit et maestum Musa solatur amorem,

  While with the Muse some solace sweet for woeful love he won,

  canentem molli pluma duxisse senectam

  A hoary eld of feathers soft about him doth he on,

  linquentem terras et sidera uoce sequentem.

  Leaving the earth and following the stars with tuneful wails;

  filius aequalis comitatus classe cateruas

  And now his son amid his peers with Tuscan ship-host sails,

  ingentem remis Centaurum promouet: ille 195

  Driving with oars the Centaur huge, who o’er the waters’ face

  instat aquae saxumque undis immane minatur

  Hangs, threatening ocean with a rock, huge from his lofty place,

  arduus, et longa sulcat maria alta carina.

  And ever with his length of keel the deep sea furrows o’er.

  Ille etiam patriis agmen ciet Ocnus ab oris,

  Then he, e’en Ocnus, stirreth up folk from his father’s shore,

  fatidicae Mantus et Tusci filius amnis,

  Who from the love of Tuscan flood and fate-wise Manto came,

  qui muros matrisque dedit tibi, Mantua, nomen, 200

  And gave, O Mantua, walls to thee, and gave his mother’s name:

  Mantua diues auis, sed non genus omnibus unum:

  Mantua, the rich in father-folk, though not one-stemmed her home.

  gens illi triplex, populi sub gente quaterni,

  Three stems are there, from each whereof four peoples forth are come,

  ipsa caput populis, Tusco de sanguine uires.

  While she herself, the head of all, from Tuscan blood hath might.

  hinc quoque quingentos in se Mezentius armat,

  Five hundred thence Mezentius arms against himself in fight,

  quos patre Benaco uelatus harundine glauca 205

  Whom Mincius’ flood, Benacus’ son, veiled in the sedges grey,

  Mincius infesta ducebat in aequora pinu.

  Was leading in the fir of fight across the watery way.

  it grauis Aulestes centenaque arbore fluctum

  Then heavy-huge Aulestes goes; the oar-wood hundred-fold

  uerberat adsurgens, spumant uada marmore uerso.

  Rises for beating of the flood, as foam the seas uprolled.

  hunc uehit immanis Triton et caerula concha

  Huge Triton ferries him, whose shell the deep blue sea doth fright:

  exterrens freta, cui laterum tenus hispida nanti 210

  Up from the shaggy naked waist manlike is he to sight

  frons hominem praefert, in pristim desinit aluus,

  As there he swims, but underneath whale-bellied is he grown;

  spumea semifero sub pectore murmurat unda.

  Beneath the half-beast breast of him the foaming waters moan.

  Tot lecti proceres ter denis nauibus ibant

  So ma
ny chosen dukes of men in thrice ten keels they sail,

  subsidio Troiae et campos salis aere secabant.

  And cut with brass the meads of brine for Troy and its avail.

  Iamque dies caelo concesserat almaque curru 215

  And now had day-tide failed the sky, and Phoebe, sweet and fair,

  noctiuago Phoebe medium pulsabat Olympum:

  Amid her nightly-straying wain did mid Olympus wear.

  Aeneas (neque enim membris dat cura quietem)

  Æneas, who might give his limbs no whit of peacefulness,

  ipse sedens clauumque regit uelisque ministrat.

  Was sitting with the helm in hand, heeding the sail-gear’s stress,

  atque illi medio in spatio chorus, ecce, suarum

  When lo a company of friends his midmost course do meet:

  occurrit comitum: nymphae, quas alma Cybebe 220

  The Nymphs to wit, who Cybele, the goddess holy-sweet,

  numen habere maris nymphasque e nauibus esse

  Bade turn from ships to very nymphs, and ocean’s godhead have.

  iusserat, innabant pariter fluctusque secabant,

  So evenly they swam the sea, and sundered wave and wave,

  quot prius aeratae steterant ad litora prorae.

  As many as the brazen beaks once by the sea-side lay;

  agnoscunt longe regem lustrantque choreis;

  Afar they know their king, and round in dancing-wise they play;

  quarum quae fandi doctissima Cymodocea 225

  But one of them, Cymodocea, who speech-lore knew the best,

  pone sequens dextra puppim tenet ipsaque dorso

  Drew nigh astern and laid thereon her right hand, with her breast

  eminet ac laeua tacitis subremigat undis.

  Above the flood, the while her left through quiet waves rowed on,

  tum sic ignarum adloquitur: ‘uigilasne, deum gens,

  And thus bespoke him all unware: “Wak’st thou, O Godhead’s son!

  Aenea? uigila et uelis immitte rudentis.

  Æneas, wake! and loose the sheets and let all canvas fill!

  nos sumus, Idaeae sacro de uertice pinus, 230

  We were the pine-trees on a time of Ida’s holy hill,

  nunc pelagi nymphae, classis tua. perfidus ut nos

  Thy ship-host once, but sea-nymphs now: when that Rutulian lord

  praecipitis ferro Rutulus flammaque premebat,

  Fell faithless, headlong, on our lives with firebrand and the sword,

  rupimus inuitae tua uincula teque per aequor

  Unwillingly we brake our bonds and sought thee o’er the main.

  quaerimus. hanc genetrix faciem miserata refecit

  The Mother in her pity thus hath wrought our shape again,

  et dedit esse deas aeuumque agitare sub undis. 235