Aeneid

Arms, and the man I sing, who, forc'd by fate,

Arma virumque cano, Troiae qui primus ab oris

And haughty Juno's unrelenting hate,

Italiam, fato profugus, Laviniaque venit

Expell'd and exil'd, left the Trojan shore.

litora, multum ille et terris iactatus et alto

Long labors, both by sea and land, he bore,

vi superum saevae memorem Iunonis ob iram;

And in the doubtful war, before he won

multa quoque et bello passus, dum conderet urbem,

The Latian realm, and built the destin'd town;

inferretque deos Latio, genus unde Latinum,

His banish'd gods restor'd to rites divine,

Albanique patres, atque altae moenia Romae.

And settled sure succession in his line,

Musa, mihi causas memora, quo numine laeso,

From whence the race of Alban fathers come,

quidve dolens, regina deum tot volvere casus

And the long glories of majestic Rome.

insignem pietate virum, tot adire labores

O Muse! the causes and the crimes relate;

impulerit. Tantaene animis caelestibus irae?

What goddess was provok'd, and whence her hate;

Urbs antiqua fuit, Tyrii tenuere coloni,

For what offense the Queen of Heav'n began

Karthago, Italiam contra Tiberinaque longe

To persecute so brave, so just a man;

ostia, dives opum studiisque asperrima belli;

Involv'd his anxious life in endless cares,

quam Iuno fertur terris magis omnibus unam

Expos'd to wants, and hurried into wars!

posthabita coluisse Samo; hic illius arma,

Can heav'nly minds such high resentment show,

hic currus fuit; hoc regnum dea gentibus esse,

Or exercise their spite in human woe?

si qua fata sinant, iam tum tenditque fovetque.

Against the Tiber's mouth, but far away,

Progeniem sed enim Troiano a sanguine duci

An ancient town was seated on the sea;

audierat, Tyrias olim quae verteret arces;

A Tyrian colony; the people made

hinc populum late regem belloque superbum

Stout for the war, and studious of their trade:

venturum excidio Libyae: sic volvere Parcas.

Carthage the name; belov'd by Juno more

Id metuens, veterisque memor Saturnia belli,

Than her own Argos, or the Samian shore.

prima quod ad Troiam pro caris gesserat Argis—

Here stood her chariot; here, if Heav'n were kind,

necdum etiam causae irarum saevique dolores

The seat of awful empire she design'd.

exciderant animo: manet alta mente repostum

Yet she had heard an ancient rumor fly,

iudicium Paridis spretaeque iniuria formae,

(Long cited by the people of the sky,)

et genus invisum, et rapti Ganymedis honores.

That times to come should see the Trojan race

His accensa super, iactatos aequore toto

Her Carthage ruin, and her tow'rs deface;

Troas, reliquias Danaum atque immitis Achilli,

Nor thus confin'd, the yoke of sov'reign sway

arcebat longe Latio, multosque per annos

Should on the necks of all the nations lay.

errabant, acti fatis, maria omnia circum.

She ponder'd this, and fear'd it was in fate;

Tantae molis erat Romanam condere gentem!

Nor could forget the war she wag'd of late

Vix e conspectu Siculae telluris in altum

For conqu'ring Greece against the Trojan state.

vela dabant laeti, et spumas salis aere ruebant,

Besides, long causes working in her mind,

cum Iuno, aeternum servans sub pectore volnus,

And secret seeds of envy, lay behind;

haec secum: Mene incepto desistere victam,

Deep graven in her heart the doom remain'd

nec posse Italia Teucrorum avertere regem?

Of partial Paris, and her form disdain'd;

Quippe vetor fatis. Pallasne exurere classem

The grace bestow'd on ravish'd Ganymed,

Argivum atque ipsos potuit submergere ponto,

Electra's glories, and her injur'd bed.

unius ob noxam et furias Aiacis Oilei?

Each was a cause alone; and all combin'd

Ipsa, Iovis rapidum iaculata e nubibus ignem,

To kindle vengeance in her haughty mind.

disiecitque rates evertitque aequora ventis,

For this, far distant from the Latian coast

illum expirantem transfixo pectore flammas

She drove the remnants of the Trojan host;

turbine corripuit scopuloque infixit acuto.

And sev'n long years th' unhappy wand'ring train

Ast ego, quae divom incedo regina, Iovisque

Were toss'd by storms, and scatter'd thro' the main.

et soror et coniunx, una cum gente tot annos

Such time, such toil, requir'd the Roman name,

bella gero! Et quisquam numen Iunonis adoret

Such length of labor for so vast a frame.

praeterea, aut supplex aris imponet honorem?

Now scarce the Trojan fleet, with sails and oars,

Talia flammato secum dea corde volutans

Had left behind the fair Sicilian shores,

nimborum in patriam, loca feta furentibus austris,

Ent'ring with cheerful shouts the wat'ry reign,

Aeoliam venit. Hic vasto rex Aeolus antro

And plowing frothy furrows in the main;

luctantes ventos tempestatesque sonoras

When, lab'ring still with endless discontent,

imperio premit ac vinclis et carcere frenat.

The Queen of Heav'n did thus her fury vent:

Illi indignantes magno cum murmure montis

"Then am I vanquish'd? must I yield?" said she,

circum claustra fremunt; celsa sedet Aeolus arce

"And must the Trojans reign in Italy?

sceptra tenens, mollitque animos et temperat iras.

So Fate will have it, and Jove adds his force;

Ni faciat, maria ac terras caelumque profundum

Nor can my pow'r divert their happy course.

quippe ferant rapidi secum verrantque per auras.

Could angry Pallas, with revengeful spleen,

Sed pater omnipotens speluncis abdidit atris,

The Grecian navy burn, and drown the men?

hoc metuens, molemque et montis insuper altos

She, for the fault of one offending foe,

imposuit, regemque dedit, qui foedere certo

The bolts of Jove himself presum'd to throw:

et premere et laxas sciret dare iussus habenas.

With whirlwinds from beneath she toss'd the ship,

Ad quem tum Iuno supplex his vocibus usa est:

And bare expos'd the bosom of the deep;

Aeole, namque tibi divom pater atque hominum rex

Then, as an eagle gripes the trembling game,

et mulcere dedit fluctus et tollere vento ,

The wretch, yet hissing with her father's flame,

gens inimica mihi Tyrrhenum navigat aequor,

She strongly seiz'd, and with a burning wound

Ilium in Italiam portans victosque Penates:

Transfix'd, and naked, on a rock she bound.

incute vim ventis submersasque obrue puppes,

But I, who walk in awful state above,

aut age diversos et disiice corpora ponto.

The majesty of heav'n, the sister wife of Jove,

Sunt mihi bis septem praestanti corpore nymphae,

For length of years my fruitless force employ

quarum quae forma pulcherrima Deiopea,

Against the thin remains of ruin'd Troy!

conubio iungam stabili propriamque dicabo,

What nations now to Juno's pow'r will pray,

omnis ut tecum meritis pro talibus annos

Or off'rings on my slighted altars lay?"

exigat, et pulchra faciat te prole parentem.

Thus rag'd the goddess; and, with fury fraught.

The restless regions of the storms she sought,

Where, in a spacious cave of living stone,

The tyrant Aeolus, from his airy throne,

With pow'r imperial curbs the struggling winds,

And sounding tempests in dark prisons binds.

This way and that th' impatient captives tend,

And, pressing for release, the mountains rend.

High in his hall th' undaunted monarch stands,

And shakes his scepter, and their rage commands;

Which did he not, their unresisted sway

Would sweep the world before them in their way;

Earth, air, and seas thro' empty space would roll,

And heav'n would fly before the driving soul.

In fear of this, the Father of the Gods

Confin'd their fury to those dark abodes,

And lock'd 'em safe within, oppress'd with mountain loads;

Impos'd a king, with arbitrary sway,

To loose their fetters, or their force allay.

To whom the suppliant queen her pray'rs address'd,

And thus the tenor of her suit express'd:

"O Aeolus! for to thee the King of Heav'n

The pow'r of tempests and of winds has giv'n;

Thy force alone their fury can restrain,

And smooth the waves, or swell the troubled main-

A race of wand'ring slaves, abhorr'd by me,

With prosp'rous passage cut the Tuscan sea;

To fruitful Italy their course they steer,

And for their vanquish'd gods design new temples there.

Raise all thy winds; with night involve the skies;

Sink or disperse my fatal enemies.

Twice sev'n, the charming daughters of the main,

Aeolus haec contra: Tuus, O regina, quid optes

Around my person wait, and bear my train:

explorare labor; mihi iussa capessere fas est.

Succeed my wish, and second my design;

Tu mihi, quodcumque hoc regni, tu sceptra Iovemque

The fairest, Deiopeia, shall be thine,

concilias, tu das epulis accumbere divom,

And make thee father of a happy line."

nimborumque facis tempestatumque potentem.

To this the god: "'T is yours, O queen, to will

Haec ubi dicta, cavum conversa cuspide montem

The work which duty binds me to fulfil.

impulit in latus: ac venti, velut agmine facto,

These airy kingdoms, and this wide command,

qua data porta, ruunt et terras turbine perflant.

Are all the presents of your bounteous hand:

Incubuere mari, totumque a sedibus imis

Yours is my sov'reign's grace; and, as your guest,

una Eurusque Notusque ruunt creberque procellis

I sit with gods at their celestial feast;

Africus, et vastos volvunt ad litora fluctus.

Raise tempests at your pleasure, or subdue;

Insequitur clamorque virum stridorque rudentum.

Dispose of empire, which I hold from you."

Eripiunt subito nubes caelumque diemque

He said, and hurl'd against the mountain side

Teucrorum ex oculis; ponto nox incubat atra.

His quiv'ring spear, and all the god applied.

Intonuere poli, et crebris micat ignibus aether,

The raging winds rush thro' the hollow wound,

praesentemque viris intentant omnia mortem.

And dance aloft in air, and skim along the ground;

Extemplo Aeneae solvuntur frigore membra:

Then, settling on the sea, the surges sweep,

ingemit, et duplicis tendens ad sidera palmas

Raise liquid mountains, and disclose the deep.

talia voce refert: O terque quaterque beati,

South, East, and West with mix'd confusion roar,

quis ante ora patrum Troiae sub moenibus altis

And roll the foaming billows to the shore.

contigit oppetere! O Danaum fortissime gentis

The cables crack; the sailors' fearful cries

Tydide! Mene Iliacis occumbere campis

Ascend; and sable night involves the skies;

non potuisse, tuaque animam hanc effundere dextra,

And heav'n itself is ravish'd from their eyes.

saevus ubi Aeacidae telo iacet Hector, ubi ingens

Loud peals of thunder from the poles ensue;

Sarpedon, ubi tot Simois correpta sub undis

Then flashing fires the transient light renew;

scuta virum galeasque et fortia corpora volvit?

The face of things a frightful image bears,

Talia iactanti stridens Aquilone procella

And present death in various forms appears.

velum adversa ferit, fluctusque ad sidera tollit.

Struck with unusual fright, the Trojan chief,

Franguntur remi; tum prora avertit, et undis

With lifted hands and eyes, invokes relief;

dat latus; insequitur cumulo praeruptus aquae mons.

And, "Thrice and four times happy those," he cried,

Hi summo in fluctu pendent; his unda dehiscens

"That under Ilian walls before their parents died!

terram inter fluctus aperit; furit aestus harenis.

Tydides, bravest of the Grecian train!

Tris Notus abreptas in saxa latentia torquet—

Why could not I by that strong arm be slain,

saxa vocant Itali mediis quae in fluctibus aras—

And lie by noble Hector on the plain,

dorsum immane mari summo; tris Eurus ab alto

Or great Sarpedon, in those bloody fields

in brevia et Syrtis urguet, miserabile visu,

Where Simois rolls the bodies and the shields

inliditque vadis atque aggere cingit harenae.

Of heroes, whose dismember'd hands yet bear

Unam, quae Lycios fidumque vehebat Oronten,

The dart aloft, and clench the pointed spear!"

ipsius ante oculos ingens a vertice pontus

Thus while the pious prince his fate bewails,

in puppim ferit: excutitur pronusque magister

Fierce Boreas drove against his flying sails,

volvitur in caput; ast illam ter fluctus ibidem

And rent the sheets; the raging billows rise,

torquet agens circum, et rapidus vorat aequore vortex.

And mount the tossing vessels to the skies:

Adparent rari nantes in gurgite vasto,

Nor can the shiv'ring oars sustain the blow;

arma virum, tabulaeque, et Troia gaza per undas.

The galley gives her side, and turns her prow;

Iam validam Ilionei navem, iam fortis Achati,

While those astern, descending down the steep,

et qua vectus Abas, et qua grandaevus Aletes,

Thro' gaping waves behold the boiling deep.

vicit hiems; laxis laterum compagibus omnes

Three ships were hurried by the southern blast,

accipiunt inimicum imbrem, rimisque fatiscunt.

And on the secret shelves with fury cast.

Interea magno misceri murmure pontum,

Those hidden rocks th' Ausonian sailors knew:

emissamque hiemem sensit Neptunus, et imis

They call'd them Altars, when they rose in view,

stagna refusa vadis, graviter commotus; et alto

And show'd their spacious backs above the flood.

prospiciens, summa placidum caput extulit unda.

Three more fierce Eurus, in his angry mood,

Disiectam Aeneae, toto videt aequore classem,

Dash'd on the shallows of the moving sand,

fluctibus oppressos Troas caelique ruina,

And in mid ocean left them moor'd aland.

nec latuere doli fratrem Iunonis et irae.

Orontes' bark, that bore the Lycian crew,

Eurum ad se Zephyrumque vocat, dehinc talia fatur:

(A horrid sight!) ev'n in the hero's view,

Tantane vos generis tenuit fiducia vestri?

From stem to stern by waves was overborne:

Iam caelum terramque meo sine numine, venti,

The trembling pilot, from his rudder torn,

miscere, et tantas audetis tollere moles?

Was headlong hurl'd; thrice round the ship was toss'd,

Quos ego—sed motos praestat componere fluctus.

Then bulg'd at once, and in the deep was lost;

Post mihi non simili poena commissa luetis.

And here and there above the waves were seen

Maturate fugam, regique haec dicite vestro:

Arms, pictures, precious goods, and floating men.

non illi imperium pelagi saevumque tridentem,

The stoutest vessel to the storm gave way,

sed mihi sorte datum. Tenet ille immania saxa,

And suck'd thro' loosen'd planks the rushing sea.

vestras, Eure, domos; illa se iactet in aula

Ilioneus was her chief: Alethes old,

Aeolus, et clauso ventorum carcere regnet.

Achates faithful, Abas young and bold,

Sic ait, et dicto citius tumida aequora placat,

Endur'd not less; their ships, with gaping seams,

collectasque fugat nubes, solemque reducit.

Admit the deluge of the briny streams.

Cymothoe simul et Triton adnixus acuto

Meantime imperial Neptune heard the sound

detrudunt navis scopulo; levat ipse tridenti;

Of raging billows breaking on the ground.

et vastas aperit syrtis, et temperat aequor,

Displeas'd, and fearing for his wat'ry reign,

atque rotis summas levibus perlabitur undas.

He rear'd his awful head above the main,

Ac veluti magno in populo cum saepe coorta est

Serene in majesty; then roll'd his eyes

seditio, saevitque animis ignobile volgus,

Around the space of earth, and seas, and skies.

iamque faces et saxa volant—furor arma ministrat;

He saw the Trojan fleet dispers'd, distress'd,

tum, pietate gravem ac meritis si forte virum quem

By stormy winds and wintry heav'n oppress'd.

Full well the god his sister's envy knew,

And what her aims and what her arts pursue.

He summon'd Eurus and the western blast,

And first an angry glance on both he cast;

Then thus rebuk'd: "Audacious winds! from whence

This bold attempt, this rebel insolence?

Is it for you to ravage seas and land,

Unauthoriz'd by my supreme command?

To raise such mountains on the troubled main?

Whom I- but first 't is fit the billows to restrain;

And then you shall be taught obedience to my reign.

Hence! to your lord my royal mandate bear-

The realms of ocean and the fields of air

Are mine, not his. By fatal lot to me

The liquid empire fell, and trident of the sea.

His pow'r to hollow caverns is confin'd:

There let him reign, the jailer of the wind,

With hoarse commands his breathing subjects call,

And boast and bluster in his empty hall."

He spoke; and, while he spoke, he smooth'd the sea,

Dispell'd the darkness, and restor'd the day.

Cymothoe, Triton, and the sea-green train

Of beauteous nymphs, the daughters of the main,

Clear from the rocks the vessels with their hands:

The god himself with ready trident stands,

And opes the deep, and spreads the moving sands;

Then heaves them off the shoals. Where'er he guides

His finny coursers and in triumph rides,

The waves unruffle and the sea subsides.

As, when in tumults rise th' ignoble crowd,

Mad are their motions, and their tongues are loud;

conspexere, silent, arrectisque auribus adstant;

And stones and brands in rattling volleys fly,

ille regit dictis animos, et pectora mulcet,—

And all the rustic arms that fury can supply:

sic cunctus pelagi cecidit fragor, aequora postquam

If then some grave and pious man appear,

prospiciens genitor caeloque invectus aperto

They hush their noise, and lend a list'ning ear;

flectit equos, curruque volans dat lora secundo.

He soothes with sober words their angry mood,

Defessi Aeneadae, quae proxima litora, cursu

And quenches their innate desire of blood:

contendunt petere, et Libyae vertuntur ad oras.

So, when the Father of the Flood appears,

Est in secessu longo locus: insula portum

And o'er the seas his sov'reign trident rears,

efficit obiectu laterum, quibus omnis ab alto

Their fury falls: he skims the liquid plains,

frangitur inque sinus scindit sese unda reductos.

High on his chariot, and, with loosen'd reins,

Hinc atque hinc vastae rupes geminique minantur

Majestic moves along, and awful peace maintains.

in caelum scopuli, quorum sub vertice late

The weary Trojans ply their shatter'd oars

aequora tuta silent; tum silvis scaena coruscis

To nearest land, and make the Libyan shores.

desuper horrentique atrum nemus imminet umbra.

Within a long recess there lies a bay:

Fronte sub adversa scopulis pendentibus antrum,

An island shades it from the rolling sea,

intus aquae dulces vivoque sedilia saxo,

And forms a port secure for ships to ride;

nympharum domus: hic fessas non vincula navis

Broke by the jutting land, on either side,

ulla tenent, unco non alligat ancora morsu.

In double streams the briny waters glide.

Huc septem Aeneas collectis navibus omni

Betwixt two rows of rocks a sylvan scene

ex numero subit; ac magno telluris amore

Appears above, and groves for ever green:

egressi optata potiuntur Troes harena,

A grot is form'd beneath, with mossy seats,

et sale tabentis artus in litore ponunt.

To rest the Nereids, and exclude the heats.

Ac primum silici scintillam excudit Achates,

Down thro' the crannies of the living walls

succepitque ignem foliis, atque arida circum

The crystal streams descend in murm'ring falls:

nutrimenta dedit, rapuitque in fomite flammam.

No haulsers need to bind the vessels here,

Tum Cererem corruptam undis Cerealiaque arma

Nor bearded anchors; for no storms they fear.

expediunt fessi rerum, frugesque receptas

Sev'n ships within this happy harbor meet,

et torrere parant flammis et frangere saxo.

The thin remainders of the scatter'd fleet.

Aeneas scopulum interea conscendit, et omnem

The Trojans, worn with toils, and spent with woes,

prospectum late pelago petit, Anthea si quem

Leap on the welcome land, and seek their wish'd repose.

iactatum vento videat Phrygiasque biremis,

First, good Achates, with repeated strokes

aut Capyn, aut celsis in puppibus arma Caici.

Of clashing flints, their hidden fire provokes:

Navem in conspectu nullam, tris litore cervos

Short flame succeeds; a bed of wither'd leaves

prospicit errantis; hos tota armenta sequuntur

The dying sparkles in their fall receives:

a tergo, et longum per vallis pascitur agmen.

Caught into life, in fiery fumes they rise,

Constitit hic, arcumque manu celerisque sagittas

And, fed with stronger food, invade the skies.

corripuit, fidus quae tela gerebat Achates;

The Trojans, dropping wet, or stand around

ductoresque ipsos primum, capita alta ferentis

The cheerful blaze, or lie along the ground:

cornibus arboreis, sternit, tum volgus, et omnem

Some dry their corn, infected with the brine,

miscet agens telis nemora inter frondea turbam;

Then grind with marbles, and prepare to dine.

nec prius absistit, quam septem ingentia victor

Aeneas climbs the mountain's airy brow,

corpora fundat humi, et numerum cum navibus aequet.

And takes a prospect of the seas below,

Hinc portum petit, et socios partitur in omnes.

If Capys thence, or Antheus he could spy,

Vina bonus quae deinde cadis onerarat Acestes

Or see the streamers of Caicus fly.

litore Trinacrio dederatque abeuntibus heros,

No vessels were in view; but, on the plain,

dividit, et dictis maerentia pectora mulcet:

Three beamy stags command a lordly train

O socii—neque enim ignari sumus ante malorum—

Of branching heads: the more ignoble throng

O passi graviora, dabit deus his quoque finem.

Attend their stately steps, and slowly graze along.

Vos et Scyllaeam rabiem penitusque sonantis

He stood; and, while secure they fed below,

accestis scopulos, vos et Cyclopea saxa

He took the quiver and the trusty bow

experti: revocate animos, maestumque timorem

Achates us'd to bear: the leaders first

mittite: forsan et haec olim meminisse iuvabit.

He laid along, and then the vulgar pierc'd;

Per varios casus, per tot discrimina rerum

Nor ceas'd his arrows, till the shady plain

tendimus in Latium; sedes ubi fata quietas

Sev'n mighty bodies with their blood distain.

ostendunt; illic fas regna resurgere Troiae.

For the sev'n ships he made an equal share,

Durate, et vosmet rebus servate secundis.

And to the port return'd, triumphant from the war.

Talia voce refert, curisque ingentibus aeger

The jars of gen'rous wine (Acestes' gift,

spem voltu simulat, premit altum corde dolorem.

When his Trinacrian shores the navy left)

Illi se praedae accingunt, dapibusque futuris;

He set abroach, and for the feast prepar'd,

tergora deripiunt costis et viscera nudant;

In equal portions with the ven'son shar'd.

pars in frusta secant veribusque trementia figunt;

Thus while he dealt it round, the pious chief

litore aena locant alii, flammasque ministrant.

With cheerful words allay'd the common grief:

Tum victu revocant vires, fusique per herbam

"Endure, and conquer! Jove will soon dispose

implentur veteris Bacchi pinguisque ferinae.

To future good our past and present woes.

Postquam exempta fames epulis mensaeque remotae,

With me, the rocks of Scylla you have tried;

amissos longo socios sermone requirunt,

Th' inhuman Cyclops and his den defied.

spemque metumque inter dubii, seu vivere credant,

What greater ills hereafter can you bear?

sive extrema pati nec iam exaudire vocatos.

Resume your courage and dismiss your care,

Praecipue pius Aeneas nunc acris Oronti,

An hour will come, with pleasure to relate

nunc Amyci casum gemit et crudelia secum

Your sorrows past, as benefits of Fate.

fata Lyci, fortemque Gyan, fortemque Cloanthum.

Thro' various hazards and events, we move

Et iam finis erat, cum Iuppiter aethere summo

To Latium and the realms foredoom'd by Jove.

despiciens mare velivolum terrasque iacentis

Call'd to the seat (the promise of the skies)

litoraque et latos populos, sic vertice caeli

Where Trojan kingdoms once again may rise,

constitit, et Libyae defixit lumina regnis.

Endure the hardships of your present state;

Live, and reserve yourselves for better fate."

These words he spoke, but spoke not from his heart;

His outward smiles conceal'd his inward smart.

The jolly crew, unmindful of the past,

The quarry share, their plenteous dinner haste.

Some strip the skin; some portion out the spoil;

The limbs, yet trembling, in the caldrons boil;

Some on the fire the reeking entrails broil.

Stretch'd on the grassy turf, at ease they dine,

Restore their strength with meat, and cheer their souls with wine.

Their hunger thus appeas'd, their care attends

The doubtful fortune of their absent friends:

Alternate hopes and fears their minds possess,

Whether to deem 'em dead, or in distress.

Above the rest, Aeneas mourns the fate

Of brave Orontes, and th' uncertain state

Of Gyas, Lycus, and of Amycus.

The day, but not their sorrows, ended thus.

When, from aloft, almighty Jove surveys

Earth, air, and shores, and navigable seas,

At length on Libyan realms he fix'd his eyes-

Whom, pond'ring thus on human miseries,

When Venus saw, she with a lowly look,

Not free from tears, her heav'nly sire bespoke:

"O King of Gods and Men! whose awful hand

Disperses thunder on the seas and land,

Disposing all with absolute command;

How could my pious son thy pow'r incense?

Or what, alas! is vanish'd Troy's offense?

Our hope of Italy not only lost,

On various seas by various tempests toss'd,

Atque illum talis iactantem pectore curas

But shut from ev'ry shore, and barr'd from ev'ry coast.

tristior et lacrimis oculos suffusa nitentis

You promis'd once, a progeny divine

adloquitur Venus: O qui res hominumque deumque

Of Romans, rising from the Trojan line,

aeternis regis imperiis, et fulmine terres,

In after times should hold the world in awe,

quid meus Aeneas in te committere tantum,

And to the land and ocean give the law.

quid Troes potuere, quibus, tot funera passis,

How is your doom revers'd, which eas'd my care

cunctus ob Italiam terrarum clauditur orbis?

When Troy was ruin'd in that cruel war?

Certe hinc Romanos olim, volventibus annis,

Then fates to fates I could oppose; but now,

hinc fore ductores, revocato a sanguine Teucri,

When Fortune still pursues her former blow,

qui mare, qui terras omni dicione tenerent,

What can I hope? What worse can still succeed?

pollicitus, quae te, genitor, sententia vertit?

What end of labors has your will decreed?

Hoc equidem occasum Troiae tristisque ruinas

Antenor, from the midst of Grecian hosts,

solabar, fatis contraria fata rependens;

Could pass secure, and pierce th' Illyrian coasts,

nunc eadem fortuna viros tot casibus actos

Where, rolling down the steep, Timavus raves

insequitur. Quem das finem, rex magne, laborum?

And thro' nine channels disembogues his waves.

Antenor potuit, mediis elapsus Achivis,

At length he founded Padua's happy seat,

Illyricos penetrare sinus, atque intima tutus

And gave his Trojans a secure retreat;

regna Liburnorum, et fontem superare Timavi,

There fix'd their arms, and there renew'd their name,

unde per ora novem vasto cum murmure montis

And there in quiet rules, and crown'd with fame.

it mare proruptum et pelago premit arva sonanti.

But we, descended from your sacred line,

Hic tamen ille urbem Patavi sedesque locavit

Entitled to your heav'n and rites divine,

Teucrorum, et genti nomen dedit, armaque fixit

Are banish'd earth; and, for the wrath of one,

Troia; nunc placida compostus pace quiescit:

Remov'd from Latium and the promis'd throne.

nos, tua progenies, caeli quibus adnuis arcem,

Are these our scepters? these our due rewards?

navibus (infandum!) amissis, unius ob iram

And is it thus that Jove his plighted faith regards?"

prodimur atque Italis longe disiungimur oris.

To whom the Father of th' immortal race,

Hic pietatis honos? Sic nos in sceptra reponis?

Smiling with that serene indulgent face,

Olli subridens hominum sator atque deorum,

With which he drives the clouds and clears the skies,

voltu, quo caelum tempestatesque serenat,

First gave a holy kiss; then thus replies:

oscula libavit natae, dehinc talia fatur:

"Daughter, dismiss thy fears; to thy desire

Parce metu, Cytherea: manent immota tuorum

The fates of thine are fix'd, and stand entire.

fata tibi; cernes urbem et promissa Lavini

Thou shalt behold thy wish'd Lavinian walls;

moenia, sublimemque feres ad sidera caeli

And, ripe for heav'n, when fate Aeneas calls,

magnanimum Aenean; neque me sententia vertit.

Then shalt thou bear him up, sublime, to me:

Hic tibi (fabor enim, quando haec te cura remordet,

No councils have revers'd my firm decree.

longius et volvens fatorum arcana movebo)

And, lest new fears disturb thy happy state,

bellum ingens geret Italia, populosque feroces

Know, I have search'd the mystic rolls of Fate:

contundet, moresque viris et moenia ponet,

Thy son (nor is th' appointed season far)

tertia dum Latio regnantem viderit aestas,

In Italy shall wage successful war,

ternaque transierint Rutulis hiberna subactis.

Shall tame fierce nations in the bloody field,

At puer Ascanius, cui nunc cognomen Iulo

And sov'reign laws impose, and cities build,

additur,—Ilus erat, dum res stetit Ilia regno,—

Till, after ev'ry foe subdued, the sun

triginta magnos volvendis mensibus orbis

Thrice thro' the signs his annual race shall run:

imperio explebit, regnumque ab sede Lavini

This is his time prefix'd. Ascanius then,

transferet, et longam multa vi muniet Albam.

Now call'd Iulus, shall begin his reign.

Hic iam ter centum totos regnabitur annos

He thirty rolling years the crown shall wear,

gente sub Hectorea, donec regina sacerdos,

Then from Lavinium shall the seat transfer,

Marte gravis, geminam partu dabit Ilia prolem.

And, with hard labor, Alba Longa build.

Inde lupae fulvo nutricis tegmine laetus

The throne with his succession shall be fill'd

Romulus excipiet gentem, et Mavortia condet

Three hundred circuits more: then shall be seen

moenia, Romanosque suo de nomine dicet.

Ilia the fair, a priestess and a queen,

His ego nec metas rerum nec tempora pono;

Who, full of Mars, in time, with kindly throes,

imperium sine fine dedi. Quin aspera Iuno,

Shall at a birth two goodly boys disclose.

quae mare nunc terrasque metu caelumque fatigat,

The royal babes a tawny wolf shall drain:

consilia in melius referet, mecumque fovebit

Then Romulus his grandsire's throne shall gain,

Romanos rerum dominos gentemque togatam:

Of martial tow'rs the founder shall become,

sic placitum. Veniet lustris labentibus aetas,

The people Romans call, the city Rome.

cum domus Assaraci Phthiam clarasque Mycenas

To them no bounds of empire I assign,

servitio premet, ac victis dominabitur Argis.

Nor term of years to their immortal line.

Nascetur pulchra Troianus origine Caesar,

Ev'n haughty Juno, who, with endless broils,

imperium oceano, famam qui terminet astris,—

Earth, seas, and heav'n, and Jove himself turmoils;

Iulius, a magno demissum nomen Iulo.

At length aton'd, her friendly pow'r shall join,

Hunc tu olim caelo, spoliis Orientis onustum,

To cherish and advance the Trojan line.

accipies secura; vocabitur hic quoque votis.

The subject world shall Rome's dominion own,

Aspera tum positis mitescent saecula bellis;

And, prostrate, shall adore the nation of the gown.

cana Fides, et Vesta, Remo cum fratre Quirinus,

An age is ripening in revolving fate

iura dabunt; dirae ferro et compagibus artis

When Troy shall overturn the Grecian state,

claudentur Belli portae; Furor impius intus,

And sweet revenge her conqu'ring sons shall call,

saeva sedens super arma, et centum vinctus aenis

To crush the people that conspir'd her fall.

post tergum nodis, fremet horridus ore cruento.

Then Caesar from the Julian stock shall rise,

Haec ait, et Maia genitum demittit ab alto,

Whose empire ocean, and whose fame the skies

ut terrae, utque novae pateant Karthaginis arces

Alone shall bound; whom, fraught with eastern spoils,

hospitio Teucris, ne fati nescia Dido

Our heav'n, the just reward of human toils,

finibus arceret: volat ille per aera magnum

Securely shall repay with rites divine;

remigio alarum, ac Libyae citus adstitit oris.

And incense shall ascend before his sacred shrine.

Et iam iussa facit, ponuntque ferocia Poeni

Then dire debate and impious war shall cease,

And the stern age be soften'd into peace:

Then banish'd Faith shall once again return,

And Vestal fires in hallow'd temples burn;

And Remus with Quirinus shall sustain

The righteous laws, and fraud and force restrain.

Janus himself before his fane shall wait,

And keep the dreadful issues of his gate,

With bolts and iron bars: within remains

Imprison'd Fury, bound in brazen chains;

High on a trophy rais'd, of useless arms,

He sits, and threats the world with vain alarms."

He said, and sent Cyllenius with command

To free the ports, and ope the Punic land

To Trojan guests; lest, ignorant of fate,

The queen might force them from her town and state.

Down from the steep of heav'n Cyllenius flies,

And cleaves with all his wings the yielding skies.

Soon on the Libyan shore descends the god,

Performs his message, and displays his rod:

The surly murmurs of the people cease;

And, as the fates requir'd, they give the peace:

The queen herself suspends the rigid laws,

The Trojans pities, and protects their cause.

Meantime, in shades of night Aeneas lies:

Care seiz'd his soul, and sleep forsook his eyes.

But, when the sun restor'd the cheerful day,

He rose, the coast and country to survey,

Anxious and eager to discover more.

It look'd a wild uncultivated shore;

But, whether humankind, or beasts alone

Possess'd the new-found region, was unknown.

corda volente deo; in primis regina quietum

Beneath a ledge of rocks his fleet he hides:

accipit in Teucros animum mentemque benignam.

Tall trees surround the mountain's shady sides;

At pius Aeneas, per noctem plurima volvens,

The bending brow above a safe retreat provides.

ut primum lux alma data est, exire locosque

Arm'd with two pointed darts, he leaves his friends,

explorare novos, quas vento accesserit oras,

And true Achates on his steps attends.

qui teneant, nam inculta videt, hominesne feraene,

Lo! in the deep recesses of the wood,

quaerere constituit, sociisque exacta referre

Before his eyes his goddess mother stood:

Classem in convexo nemorum sub rupe cavata

A huntress in her habit and her mien;

arboribus clausam circum atque horrentibus umbris

Her dress a maid, her air confess'd a queen.

occulit; ipse uno graditur comitatus Achate,

Bare were her knees, and knots her garments bind;

bina manu lato crispans hastilia ferro.

Loose was her hair, and wanton'd in the wind;

Cui mater media sese tulit obvia silva,

Her hand sustain'd a bow; her quiver hung behind.

virginis os habitumque gerens, et virginis arma

She seem'd a virgin of the Spartan blood:

Spartanae, vel qualis equos Threissa fatigat

With such array Harpalyce bestrode

Harpalyce, volucremque fuga praevertitur Hebrum.

Her Thracian courser and outstripp'd the rapid flood.

Namque umeris de more habilem suspenderat arcum

"Ho, strangers! have you lately seen," she said,

venatrix, dederatque comam diffundere ventis,

"One of my sisters, like myself array'd,

nuda genu, nodoque sinus collecta fluentis.

Who cross'd the lawn, or in the forest stray'd?

Ac prior, Heus inquit iuvenes, monstrate mearum

A painted quiver at her back she bore;

vidistis si quam hic errantem forte sororum,

Varied with spots, a lynx's hide she wore;

succinctam pharetra et maculosae tegmine lyncis,

And at full cry pursued the tusky boar."

aut spumantis apri cursum clamore prementem.

Thus Venus: thus her son replied again:

Sic Venus; et Veneris contra sic filius orsus:

"None of your sisters have we heard or seen,

Nulla tuarum audita mihi neque visa sororum—

O virgin! or what other name you bear

O quam te memorem, virgo? Namque haud tibi voltus

Above that style- O more than mortal fair!

mortalis, nec vox hominem sonat: O, dea certe—

Your voice and mien celestial birth betray!

an Phoebi soror? an nympharum sanguinis una?—

If, as you seem, the sister of the day,

sis felix, nostrumque leves, quaecumque, laborem,

Or one at least of chaste Diana's train,

et, quo sub caelo tandem, quibus orbis in oris

Let not an humble suppliant sue in vain;

iactemur, doceas. Ignari hominumque locorumque

But tell a stranger, long in tempests toss'd,

erramus, vento huc vastis et fluctibus acti:

What earth we tread, and who commands the coast?

multa tibi ante aras nostra cadet hostia dextra.

Then on your name shall wretched mortals call,

Tum Venus: Haud equidem tali me dignor honore;

And offer'd victims at your altars fall."

virginibus Tyriis mos est gestare pharetram,

"I dare not," she replied, "assume the name

purpureoque alte suras vincire cothurno.

Of goddess, or celestial honors claim:

Punica regna vides, Tyrios et Agenoris urbem;

For Tyrian virgins bows and quivers bear,

sed fines Libyci, genus intractabile bello.

And purple buskins o'er their ankles wear.

Imperium Dido Tyria regit urbe profecta,

Know, gentle youth, in Libyan lands you are-

germanum fugiens. Longa est iniuria, longae

A people rude in peace, and rough in war.

ambages; sed summa sequar fastigia rerum.

The rising city, which from far you see,

Huic coniunx Sychaeus erat, ditissimus agri

Is Carthage, and a Tyrian colony.

Phoenicum, et magno miserae dilectus amore,

Phoenician Dido rules the growing state,

cui pater intactam dederat, primisque iugarat

Who fled from Tyre, to shun her brother's hate.

ominibus. Sed regna Tyri germanus habebat

Great were her wrongs, her story full of fate;

Pygmalion, scelere ante alios immanior omnes.

Which I will sum in short. Sichaeus, known

Quos inter medius venit furor. Ille Sychaeum

For wealth, and brother to the Punic throne,

impius ante aras, atque auri caecus amore,

Possess'd fair Dido's bed; and either heart

clam ferro incautum superat, securus amorum

At once was wounded with an equal dart.

germanae; factumque diu celavit, et aegram,

Her father gave her, yet a spotless maid;

multa malus simulans, vana spe lusit amantem.

Pygmalion then the Tyrian scepter sway'd:

Ipsa sed in somnis inhumati venit imago

One who condemn'd divine and human laws.

coniugis, ora modis attollens pallida miris,

Then strife ensued, and cursed gold the cause.

crudeles aras traiectaque pectora ferro

The monarch, blinded with desire of wealth,

nudavit, caecumque domus scelus omne retexit.

With steel invades his brother's life by stealth;

Tum celerare fugam patriaque excedere suadet,

Before the sacred altar made him bleed,

auxiliumque viae veteres tellure recludit

And long from her conceal'd the cruel deed.

thesauros, ignotum argenti pondus et auri.

Some tale, some new pretense, he daily coin'd,

His commota fugam Dido sociosque parabat:

To soothe his sister, and delude her mind.

conveniunt, quibus aut odium crudele tyranni

At length, in dead of night, the ghost appears

aut metus acer erat; navis, quae forte paratae,

Of her unhappy lord: the specter stares,

corripiunt, onerantque auro: portantur avari

And, with erected eyes, his bloody bosom bares.

Pygmalionis opes pelago; dux femina facti.

The cruel altars and his fate he tells,

Devenere locos, ubi nunc ingentia cernis

And the dire secret of his house reveals,

moenia surgentemque novae Karthaginis arcem,

Then warns the widow, with her household gods,

mercatique solum, facti de nomine Byrsam,

To seek a refuge in remote abodes.

taurino quantum possent circumdare tergo.

Last, to support her in so long a way,

Sed vos qui tandem, quibus aut venistis ab oris,

He shows her where his hidden treasure lay.

quove tenetis iter? Quaerenti talibus ille

Admonish'd thus, and seiz'd with mortal fright,

suspirans, imoque trahens a pectore vocem:

The queen provides companions of her flight:

O dea, si prima repetens ab origine pergam,

They meet, and all combine to leave the state,

et vacet annalis nostrorum audire laborum,

Who hate the tyrant, or who fear his hate.

ante diem clauso componat Vesper Olympo.

They seize a fleet, which ready rigg'd they find;

Nos Troia antiqua, si vestras forte per auris

Nor is Pygmalion's treasure left behind.

Troiae nomen iit, diversa per aequora vectos

The vessels, heavy laden, put to sea

forte sua Libycis tempestas adpulit oris.

With prosp'rous winds; a woman leads the way.

Sum pius Aeneas, raptos qui ex hoste Penates

I know not, if by stress of weather driv'n,

Or was their fatal course dispos'd by Heav'n;

At last they landed, where from far your eyes

May view the turrets of new Carthage rise;

There bought a space of ground, which (Byrsa call'd,

From the bull's hide) they first inclos'd, and wall'd.

But whence are you? what country claims your birth?

What seek you, strangers, on our Libyan earth?"

To whom, with sorrow streaming from his eyes,

And deeply sighing, thus her son replies:

"Could you with patience hear, or I relate,

O nymph, the tedious annals of our fate!

Thro' such a train of woes if I should run,

The day would sooner than the tale be done!

From ancient Troy, by force expell'd, we came-

If you by chance have heard the Trojan name.

On various seas by various tempests toss'd,

At length we landed on your Libyan coast.

The good Aeneas am I call'd- a name,

While Fortune favor'd, not unknown to fame.

My household gods, companions of my woes,

With pious care I rescued from our foes.

To fruitful Italy my course was bent;

And from the King of Heav'n is my descent.

With twice ten sail I cross'd the Phrygian sea;

Fate and my mother goddess led my way.

Scarce sev'n, the thin remainders of my fleet,

From storms preserv'd, within your harbor meet.

Myself distress'd, an exile, and unknown,

Debarr'd from Europe, and from Asia thrown,

In Libyan desarts wander thus alone."

classe veho mecum, fama super aethera notus.

His tender parent could no longer bear;

Italiam quaero patriam et genus ab Iove summo.

But, interposing, sought to soothe his care.

Bis denis Phrygium conscendi navibus aequor,

"Whoe'er you are- not unbelov'd by Heav'n,

matre dea monstrante viam, data fata secutus;

Since on our friendly shore your ships are driv'n-

vix septem convolsae undis Euroque supersunt.

Have courage: to the gods permit the rest,

Ipse ignotus, egens, Libyae deserta peragro,

And to the queen expose your just request.

Europa atque Asia pulsus. Nec plura querentem

Now take this earnest of success, for more:

passa Venus medio sic interfata dolore est:

Your scatter'd fleet is join'd upon the shore;

Quisquis es, haud, credo, invisus caelestibus auras

The winds are chang'd, your friends from danger free;

vitalis carpis, Tyriam qui adveneris urbem.

Or I renounce my skill in augury.

Perge modo, atque hinc te reginae ad limina perfer,

Twelve swans behold in beauteous order move,

Namque tibi reduces socios classemque relatam

And stoop with closing pinions from above;

nuntio, et in tutum versis aquilonibus actam,

Whom late the bird of Jove had driv'n along,

ni frustra augurium vani docuere parentes.

And thro' the clouds pursued the scatt'ring throng:

Aspice bis senos laetantis agmine cycnos,

Now, all united in a goodly team,

aetheria quos lapsa plaga Iovis ales aperto

They skim the ground, and seek the quiet stream.

turbabat caelo; nunc terras ordine longo

As they, with joy returning, clap their wings,

aut capere, aut captas iam despectare videntur:

And ride the circuit of the skies in rings;

ut reduces illi ludunt stridentibus alis,

Not otherwise your ships, and ev'ry friend,

et coetu cinxere polum, cantusque dedere,

Already hold the port, or with swift sails descend.

haud aliter puppesque tuae pubesque tuorum

No more advice is needful; but pursue

aut portum tenet aut pleno subit ostia velo.

The path before you, and the town in view."

Perge modo, et, qua te ducit via, dirige gressum.

Thus having said, she turn'd, and made appear

Dixit, et avertens rosea cervice refulsit,

Her neck refulgent, and dishevel'd hair,

ambrosiaeque comae divinum vertice odorem

Which, flowing from her shoulders, reach'd the ground.

spiravere, pedes vestis defluxit ad imos,

And widely spread ambrosial scents around:

et vera incessu patuit dea. Ille ubi matrem

In length of train descends her sweeping gown;