Aeneid

He said, and wept; then spread his sails before

Sic fatur lacrimans, classique immittit habenas,

The winds, and reach'd at length the Cumaean shore:

et tandem Euboïcis Cumarum adlabitur oris.

Their anchors dropp'd, his crew the vessels moor.

Obvertunt pelago proras; tum dente tenaci

They turn their heads to sea, their sterns to land,

ancora fundabat naves, et litora curvae

And greet with greedy joy th' Italian strand.

praetexunt puppes. Iuvenum manus emicat ardens

Some strike from clashing flints their fiery seed;

litus in Hesperium; quaerit pars semina flammae

Some gather sticks, the kindled flames to feed,

abstrusa in venis silicis, pars densa ferarum

Or search for hollow trees, and fell the woods,

tecta rapit silvas, inventaque flumina monstrat.

Or trace thro' valleys the discover'd floods.

At pius Aeneas arces, quibus altus Apollo

Thus, while their sev'ral charges they fulfil,

praesidet, horrendaeque procul secreta Sibyllae

The pious prince ascends the sacred hill

antrum immane petit, magnum cui mentem animumque

Where Phoebus is ador'd; and seeks the shade

Delius inspirat vates, aperitque futura.

Which hides from sight his venerable maid.

Iam subeunt Triviae lucos atque aurea tecta.

Deep in a cave the Sibyl makes abode;

Daedalus, ut fama est, fugiens Minoïa regna,

Thence full of fate returns, and of the god.

praepetibus pennis ausus se credere caelo,

Thro' Trivia's grove they walk; and now behold,

insuetum per iter gelidas enavit ad Arctos,

And enter now, the temple roof'd with gold.

Chalcidicaque levis tandem super adstitit arce.

When Daedalus, to fly the Cretan shore,

Redditus his primum terris, tibi, Phoebe, sacravit

His heavy limbs on jointed pinions bore,

remigium alarum, posuitque immania templa.

(The first who sail'd in air,) 't is sung by Fame,

In foribus letum Androgeo: tum pendere poenas

To the Cumaean coast at length he came,

Cecropidae iussi—miserum!—septena quotannis

And here alighting, built this costly frame.

corpora natorum; stat ductis sortibus urna.

Inscrib'd to Phoebus, here he hung on high

Contra elata mari respondet Gnosia tellus:

The steerage of his wings, that cut the sky:

hic crudelis amor tauri, suppostaque furto

Then o'er the lofty gate his art emboss'd

Pasiphaë, mixtumque genus prolesque biformis

Androgeos' death, and off'rings to his ghost;

Minotaurus inest, Veneris monumenta nefandae;

Sev'n youths from Athens yearly sent, to meet

hic labor ille domus et inextricabilis error;

The fate appointed by revengeful Crete.

magnum reginae sed enim miseratus amorem

And next to those the dreadful urn was plac'd,

Daedalus ipse dolos tecti ambagesque resolvit,

In which the destin'd names by lots were cast:

caeca regens filo vestigia. Tu quoque magnam

The mournful parents stand around in tears,

partem opere in tanto, sineret dolor, Icare, haberes.

And rising Crete against their shore appears.

Bis conatus erat casus effingere in auro;

There too, in living sculpture, might be seen

bis patriae cecidere manus. Quin protinus omnia

The mad affection of the Cretan queen;

perlegerent oculis, ni iam praemissus Achates

Then how she cheats her bellowing lover's eye;

adforet, atque una Phoebi Triviaeque sacerdos,

The rushing leap, the doubtful progeny,

Deiphobe Glauci, fatur quae talia regi:

The lower part a beast, a man above,

Non hoc ista sibi tempus spectacula poscit;

The monument of their polluted love.

nunc grege de intacto septem mactare iuvencos

Not far from thence he grav'd the wondrous maze,

praestiterit, totidem lectas de more bidentes.

A thousand doors, a thousand winding ways:

Talibus adfata Aenean (nec sacra morantur

Here dwells the monster, hid from human view,

iussa viri), Teucros vocat alta in templa sacerdos.

Not to be found, but by the faithful clew;

Excisum Euboicae latus ingens rupis in antrum,

Till the kind artist, mov'd with pious grief,

quo lati ducunt aditus centum, ostia centum;

Lent to the loving maid this last relief,

unde ruunt totidem voces, responsa Sibyllae.

And all those erring paths describ'd so well

Ventum erat ad limen, cum virgo. Poscere fata

That Theseus conquer'd and the monster fell.

tempus ait; deus, ecce, deus! Cui talia fanti

Here hapless Icarus had found his part,

ante fores subito non voltus, non color unus,

Had not the father's grief restrain'd his art.

non comptae mansere comae; sed pectus anhelum,

He twice assay'd to cast his son in gold;

et rabie fera corda tument; maiorque videri,

Twice from his hands he dropp'd the forming mold.

nec mortale sonans, adflata est numine quando

All this with wond'ring eyes Aeneas view'd;

iam propiore dei. Cessas in vota precesque,

Each varying object his delight renew'd:

Tros ait Aenea? Cessas? Neque enim ante dehiscent

Eager to read the rest- Achates came,

attonitae magna ora domus. Et talia fata

And by his side the mad divining dame,

conticuit. Gelidus Teucris per dura cucurrit

The priestess of the god, Deiphobe her name.

ossa tremor, funditque preces rex pectore ab imo:

"Time suffers not," she said, "to feed your eyes

Phoebe, graves Troiae semper miserate labores,

With empty pleasures; haste the sacrifice.

Dardana qui Paridis direxti tela manusque

Sev'n bullocks, yet unyok'd, for Phoebus choose,

corpus in Aeacidae, magnas obeuntia terras

And for Diana sev'n unspotted ewes."

tot maria intravi duce te, penitusque repostas

This said, the servants urge the sacred rites,

Massylum gentes praetentaque Syrtibus arva,

While to the temple she the prince invites.

iam tandem Italiae fugientis prendimus oras;

A spacious cave, within its farmost part,

hac Troiana tenus fuerit Fortuna secuta.

Was hew'd and fashion'd by laborious art

Vos quoque Pergameae iam fas est parcere genti,

Thro' the hill's hollow sides: before the place,

dique deaeque omnes quibus obstitit Ilium et ingens

A hundred doors a hundred entries grace;

gloria Dardaniae. Tuque, O sanctissima vates,

As many voices issue, and the sound

praescia venturi, da, non indebita posco

Of Sybil's words as many times rebound.

regna meis fatis, Latio considere Teucros

Now to the mouth they come. Aloud she cries:

errantisque deos agitataque numina Troiae.

"This is the time; enquire your destinies.

Tum Phoebo et Triviae solido de marmore templum

He comes; behold the god!" Thus while she said,

instituam, festosque dies de nomine Phoebi.

(And shiv'ring at the sacred entry stay'd,)

Te quoque magna manent regnis penetralia nostris:

Her color chang'd; her face was not the same,

hic ego namque tuas sortes arcanaque fata,

And hollow groans from her deep spirit came.

dicta meae genti, ponam, lectosque sacrabo,

Her hair stood up; convulsive rage possess'd

alma, viros. Foliis tantum ne carmina manda,

Her trembling limbs, and heav'd her lab'ring breast.

ne turbata volent rapidis ludibria ventis;

Greater than humankind she seem'd to look,

ipsa canas oro. Finem dedit ore loquendi.

And with an accent more than mortal spoke.

At, Phoebi nondum patiens, immanis in antro

Her staring eyes with sparkling fury roll;

bacchatur vates, magnum si pectore possit

When all the god came rushing on her soul.

excussisse deum; tanto magis ille fatigat

Swiftly she turn'd, and, foaming as she spoke:

os rabidum, fera corda domans, fingitque premendo.

"Why this delay?" she cried- "the pow'rs invoke!

Ostia iamque domus patuere ingentia centum

Thy pray'rs alone can open this abode;

sponte sua, vatisque ferunt responsa per auras:

Else vain are my demands, and dumb the god."

O tandem magnis pelagi defuncte periclis!

She said no more. The trembling Trojans hear,

Sed terrae graviora manent. In regna Lavini

O'erspread with a damp sweat and holy fear.

Dardanidae venient; mitte hanc de pectore curam;

The prince himself, with awful dread possess'd,

sed non et venisse volent. Bella, horrida bella,

His vows to great Apollo thus address'd:

et Thybrim multo spumantem sanguine cerno.

"Indulgent god, propitious pow'r to Troy,

Non Simois tibi, nec Xanthus, nec Dorica castra

Swift to relieve, unwilling to destroy,

defuerint; alius Latio iam partus Achilles,

Directed by whose hand the Dardan dart

natus et ipse dea; nec Teucris addita Iuno

Pierc'd the proud Grecian's only mortal part:

Thus far, by fate's decrees and thy commands,

Thro' ambient seas and thro' devouring sands,

Our exil'd crew has sought th' Ausonian ground;

And now, at length, the flying coast is found.

Thus far the fate of Troy, from place to place,

With fury has pursued her wand'ring race.

Here cease, ye pow'rs, and let your vengeance end:

Troy is no more, and can no more offend.

And thou, O sacred maid, inspir'd to see

Th' event of things in dark futurity;

Give me what Heav'n has promis'd to my fate,

To conquer and command the Latian state;

To fix my wand'ring gods, and find a place

For the long exiles of the Trojan race.

Then shall my grateful hands a temple rear

To the twin gods, with vows and solemn pray'r;

And annual rites, and festivals, and games,

Shall be perform'd to their auspicious names.

Nor shalt thou want thy honors in my land;

For there thy faithful oracles shall stand,

Preserv'd in shrines; and ev'ry sacred lay,

Which, by thy mouth, Apollo shall convey:

All shall be treasur'd by a chosen train

Of holy priests, and ever shall remain.

But O! commit not thy prophetic mind

To flitting leaves, the sport of ev'ry wind,

Lest they disperse in air our empty fate;

Write not, but, what the pow'rs ordain, relate."

Struggling in vain, impatient of her load,

And lab'ring underneath the pond'rous god,

The more she strove to shake him from her breast,

With more and far superior force he press'd;

Commands his entrance, and, without control,

Usurps her organs and inspires her soul.

usquam aberit; cum tu supplex in rebus egenis

Now, with a furious blast, the hundred doors

quas gentes Italum aut quas non oraveris urbes!

Ope of themselves; a rushing whirlwind roars

Causa mali tanti coniunx iterum hospita Teucris

Within the cave, and Sibyl's voice restores:

externique iterum thalami.

"Escap'd the dangers of the wat'ry reign,

Tu ne cede malis, sed contra audentior ito,

Yet more and greater ills by land remain.

qua tua te Fortuna sinet. Via prima salutis,

The coast, so long desir'd (nor doubt th' event),

quod minime reris, Graia pandetur ab urbe.

Thy troops shall reach, but, having reach'd, repent.

Talibus ex adyto dictis Cumaea Sibylla

Wars, horrid wars, I view- a field of blood,

horrendas canit ambages antroque remugit,

And Tiber rolling with a purple flood.

obscuris vera involvens: ea frena furenti

Simois nor Xanthus shall be wanting there:

concutit, et stimulos sub pectore vertit Apollo.

A new Achilles shall in arms appear,

Ut primum cessit furor et rabida ora quierunt,

And he, too, goddess-born. Fierce Juno's hate,

incipit Aeneas heros: Non ulla laborum,

Added to hostile force, shall urge thy fate.

O virgo, nova mi facies inopinave surgit;

To what strange nations shalt not thou resort,

omnia praecepi atque animo mecum ante peregi.

Driv'n to solicit aid at ev'ry court!

Unum oro: quando hic inferni ianua regis

The cause the same which Ilium once oppress'd;

dicitur, et tenebrosa palus Acheronte refuso,

A foreign mistress, and a foreign guest.

ire ad conspectum cari genitoris et ora

But thou, secure of soul, unbent with woes,

contingat; doceas iter et sacra ostia pandas.

The more thy fortune frowns, the more oppose.

Illum ego per flammas et mille sequentia tela

The dawnings of thy safety shall be shown

eripui his umeris, medioque ex hoste recepi;

From whence thou least shalt hope, a Grecian town."

ille meum comitatus iter, maria omnia mecum

Thus, from the dark recess, the Sibyl spoke,

atque omnes pelagique minas caelique ferebat,

And the resisting air the thunder broke;

invalidus, vires ultra sortemque senectae.

The cave rebellow'd, and the temple shook.

Quin, ut te supplex peterem et tua limina adirem,

Th' ambiguous god, who rul'd her lab'ring breast,

idem orans mandata dabat. Gnatique patrisque,

In these mysterious words his mind express'd;

alma, precor, miserere;—potes namque omnia, nec te

Some truths reveal'd, in terms involv'd the rest.

nequiquam lucis Hecate praefecit Avernis;—

At length her fury fell, her foaming ceas'd,

si potuit Manes arcessere coniugis Orpheus,

And, ebbing in her soul, the god decreas'd.

Threïcia fretus cithara fidibusque canoris,

Then thus the chief: "No terror to my view,

si fratrem Pollux alterna morte redemit,

No frightful face of danger can be new.

itque reditque viam totiens. Quid Thesea, magnum

Inur'd to suffer, and resolv'd to dare,

quid memorem Alciden? Et mi genus ab Iove summo.

The Fates, without my pow'r, shall be without my care.

Talibus orabat dictis, arasque tenebat,

This let me crave, since near your grove the road

cum sic orsa loqui vates: Sate sanguine divom,

To hell lies open, and the dark abode

Tros Anchisiade, facilis descensus Averno;

Which Acheron surrounds, th' innavigable flood;

noctes atque dies patet atri ianua Ditis;

Conduct me thro' the regions void of light,

sed revocare gradum superasque evadere ad auras,

And lead me longing to my father's sight.

hoc opus, hic labor est. Pauci, quos aequus amavit

For him, a thousand dangers I have sought,

Iuppiter, aut ardens evexit ad aethera virtus,

And, rushing where the thickest Grecians fought,

dis geniti potuere. Tenent media omnia silvae,

Safe on my back the sacred burthen brought.

Cocytusque sinu labens circumvenit atro.

He, for my sake, the raging ocean tried,

Quod si tantus amor menti, si tanta cupido est,

And wrath of Heav'n, my still auspicious guide,

bis Stygios innare lacus, bis nigra videre

And bore beyond the strength decrepid age supplied.

Tartara, et insano iuvat indulgere labori,

Oft, since he breath'd his last, in dead of night

accipe, quae peragenda prius. Latet arbore opaca

His reverend image stood before my sight;

aureus et foliis et lento vimine ramus,

Enjoin'd to seek, below, his holy shade;

Iunoni infernae dictus sacer; hunc tegit omnis

Conducted there by your unerring aid.

lucus, et obscuris claudunt convallibus umbrae.

But you, if pious minds by pray'rs are won,

Sed non ante datur telluris operta subire,

Oblige the father, and protect the son.

auricomos quam quis decerpserit arbore fetus.

Yours is the pow'r; nor Proserpine in vain

Hoc sibi pulchra suum ferri Proserpina munus

Has made you priestess of her nightly reign.

instituit. Primo avulso non deficit alter

If Orpheus, arm'd with his enchanting lyre,

aureus, et simili frondescit virga metallo.

The ruthless king with pity could inspire,

Ergo alte vestiga oculis, et rite repertum

And from the shades below redeem his wife;

carpe manu; namque ipse volens facilisque sequetur,

If Pollux, off'ring his alternate life,

si te fata vocant; aliter non viribus ullis

Could free his brother, and can daily go

vincere, nec duro poteris convellere ferro.

By turns aloft, by turns descend below-

Praeterea iacet exanimum tibi corpus amici—

Why name I Theseus, or his greater friend,

heu nescis—totamque incestat funere classem,

Who trod the downward path, and upward could ascend?

dum consulta petis nostroque in limine pendes.

Not less than theirs from Jove my lineage came;

Sedibus hunc refer ante suis et conde sepulchro.

My mother greater, my descent the same."

Duc nigras pecudes; ea prima piacula sunto:

So pray'd the Trojan prince, and, while he pray'd,

sic demum lucos Stygis et regna invia vivis

His hand upon the holy altar laid.

aspicies. Dixit, pressoque obmutuit ore.

Then thus replied the prophetess divine:

Aeneas maesto defixus lumina voltu

"O goddess-born of great Anchises' line,

ingreditur, linquens antrum, caecosque volutat

The gates of hell are open night and day;

eventus animo secum. Cui fidus Achates

Smooth the descent, and easy is the way:

it comes, et paribus curis vestigia figit.

But to return, and view the cheerful skies,

Multa inter sese vario sermone serebant,

In this the task and mighty labor lies.

quem socium exanimem vates, quod corpus humandum

To few great Jupiter imparts this grace,

diceret. Atque illi Misenum in litore sicco,

And those of shining worth and heav'nly race.

ut venere, vident indigna morte peremptum,

Betwixt those regions and our upper light,

Misenum Aeoliden, quo non praestantior alter

Deep forests and impenetrable night

aere ciere viros, Martemque accendere cantu.

Possess the middle space: th' infernal bounds

Hectoris hic magni fuerat comes, Hectora circum

Cocytus, with his sable waves, surrounds.

et lituo pugnas insignis obibat et hasta:

But if so dire a love your soul invades,

postquam illum vita victor spoliavit Achilles,

As twice below to view the trembling shades;

Dardanio Aeneae sese fortissimus heros

If you so hard a toil will undertake,

addiderat socium, non inferiora secutus.

As twice to pass th' innavigable lake;

Sed tum, forte cava dum personat aequora concha,

Receive my counsel. In the neighb'ring grove

demens, et cantu vocat in certamina divos,

There stands a tree; the queen of Stygian Jove

aemulus exceptum Triton, si credere dignum est,

Claims it her own; thick woods and gloomy night

inter saxa virum spumosa inmerserat unda.

Conceal the happy plant from human sight.

Ergo omnes magno circum clamore fremebant,

One bough it bears; but (wondrous to behold!)

praecipue pius Aeneas. Tum iussa Sibyllae,

The ductile rind and leaves of radiant gold:

haud mora, festinant flentes, aramque sepulchri

This from the vulgar branches must be torn,

congerere arboribus caeloque educere certant.

And to fair Proserpine the present borne,

Itur in antiquam silvam, stabula alta ferarum;

Ere leave be giv'n to tempt the nether skies.

procumbunt piceae, sonat icta securibus ilex,

The first thus rent a second will arise,

And the same metal the same room supplies.

Look round the wood, with lifted eyes, to see

The lurking gold upon the fatal tree:

Then rend it off, as holy rites command;

The willing metal will obey thy hand,

Following with ease, if favor'd by thy fate,

Thou art foredoom'd to view the Stygian state:

If not, no labor can the tree constrain;

And strength of stubborn arms and steel are vain.

Besides, you know not, while you here attend,

Th' unworthy fate of your unhappy friend:

Breathless he lies; and his unburied ghost,

Depriv'd of fun'ral rites, pollutes your host.

Pay first his pious dues; and, for the dead,

Two sable sheep around his hearse be led;

Then, living turfs upon his body lay:

This done, securely take the destin'd way,

To find the regions destitute of day."

She said, and held her peace. Aeneas went

Sad from the cave, and full of discontent,

Unknowing whom the sacred Sibyl meant.

Achates, the companion of his breast,

Goes grieving by his side, with equal cares oppress'd.

Walking, they talk'd, and fruitlessly divin'd

What friend the priestess by those words design'd.

But soon they found an object to deplore:

Misenus lay extended the shore;

Son of the God of Winds: none so renown'd

The warrior trumpet in the field to sound;

With breathing brass to kindle fierce alarms,

And rouse to dare their fate in honorable arms.

He serv'd great Hector, and was ever near,

Not with his trumpet only, but his spear.

But by Pelides' arms when Hector fell,

He chose Aeneas; and he chose as well.

fraxineaeque trabes cuneis et fissile robur

Swoln with applause, and aiming still at more,

scinditur, advolvunt ingentis montibus ornos.

He now provokes the sea gods from the shore;

Nec non Aeneas opera inter talia primus

With envy Triton heard the martial sound,

hortatur socios, paribusque accingitur armis.

And the bold champion, for his challenge, drown'd;

Atque haec ipse suo tristi cum corde volutat,

Then cast his mangled carcass on the strand:

aspectans silvam inmensam, et sic voce precatur:

The gazing crowd around the body stand.

Si nunc se nobis ille aureus arbore ramus

All weep; but most Aeneas mourns his fate,

ostendat nemore in tanto, quando omnia vere

And hastens to perform the funeral state.

heu nimium de te vates, Misene, locuta est.

In altar-wise, a stately pile they rear;

Vix ea fatus erat, geminae cum forte columbae

The basis broad below, and top advanc'd in air.

ipsa sub ora viri caelo venere volantes,

An ancient wood, fit for the work design'd,

et viridi sedere solo. Tum maximus heros

(The shady covert of the salvage kind,)

maternas agnoscit aves, laetusque precatur:

The Trojans found: the sounding ax is plied;

Este duces, O, si qua via est, cursumque per auras

Firs, pines, and pitch trees, and the tow'ring pride

dirigite in lucos, ubi pinguem dives opacat

Of forest ashes, feel the fatal stroke,

ramus humum. Tuque, O, dubiis ne defice rebus,

And piercing wedges cleave the stubborn oak.

diva parens. Sic effatus vestigia pressit,

Huge trunks of trees, fell'd from the steepy crown

observans quae signa ferant, quo tendere pergant.

Of the bare mountains, roll with ruin down.

Pascentes illae tantum prodire volando,

Arm'd like the rest the Trojan prince appears,

quantum acie possent oculi servare sequentum.

And by his pious labor urges theirs.

Inde ubi venere ad fauces grave olentis Averni,

Thus while he wrought, revolving in his mind

tollunt se celeres, liquidumque per aëra lapsae

The ways to compass what his wish design'd,

sedibus optatis geminae super arbore sidunt,

He cast his eyes upon the gloomy grove,

discolor unde auri per ramos aura refulsit.

And then with vows implor'd the Queen of Love:

Quale solet silvis brumali frigore viscum

"O may thy pow'r, propitious still to me,

fronde virere nova, quod non sua seminat arbos,

Conduct my steps to find the fatal tree,

et croceo fetu teretis circumdare truncos,

In this deep forest; since the Sibyl's breath

talis erat species auri frondentis opaca

Foretold, alas! too true, Misenus' death."

ilice, sic leni crepitabat brattea vento.

Scarce had he said, when, full before his sight,

Corripit Aeneas extemplo avidusque refringit

Two doves, descending from their airy flight,

cunctantem, et vatis portat sub tecta Sibyllae.

Secure upon the grassy plain alight.

Nec minus interea Misenum in litore Teucri

He knew his mother's birds; and thus he pray'd:

flebant, et cineri ingrato suprema ferebant.

"Be you my guides, with your auspicious aid,

Principio pinguem taedis et robore secto

And lead my footsteps, till the branch be found,

ingentem struxere pyram, cui frondibus atris

Whose glitt'ring shadow gilds the sacred ground.

intexunt latera, et ferales ante cupressos

And thou, great parent, with celestial care,

constituunt, decorantque super fulgentibus armis.

In this distress be present to my pray'r!"

Pars calidos latices et aëna undantia flammis

Thus having said, he stopp'd with watchful sight,

expediunt, corpusque lavant frigentis et unguunt.

Observing still the motions of their flight,

Fit gemitus. Tum membra toro defleta reponunt,

What course they took, what happy signs they shew.

purpureasque super vestes, velamina nota,

They fed, and, flutt'ring, by degrees withdrew

coniciunt. Pars ingenti subiere feretro,

Still farther from the place, but still in view:

triste ministerium, et subiectam more parentum

Hopping and flying, thus they led him on

aversi tenuere facem. Congesta cremantur

To the slow lake, whose baleful stench to shun

turea dona, dapes, fuso crateres olivo.

They wing'd their flight aloft; then, stooping low,

Postquam conlapsi cineres et flamma quievit

Perch'd on the double tree that bears the golden bough.

reliquias vino et bibulam lavere favillam,

Thro' the green leafs the glitt'ring shadows glow;

ossaque lecta cado texit Corynaeus aëno.

As, on the sacred oak, the wintry mistletoe,

Idem ter socios pura circumtulit unda,

Where the proud mother views her precious brood,

spargens rore levi et ramo felicis olivae,

And happier branches, which she never sow'd.

lustravitque viros, dixitque novissima verba.

Such was the glitt'ring; such the ruddy rind,

At pius Aeneas ingenti mole sepulcrum

And dancing leaves, that wanton'd in the wind.

imponit, suaque arma viro, remumque tubamque,

He seiz'd the shining bough with griping hold,

monte sub aërio, qui nunc Misenus ab illo

And rent away, with ease, the ling'ring gold;

dicitur, aeternumque tenet per saecula nomen.

Then to the Sibyl's palace bore the prize.

His actis, propere exsequitur praecepta Sibyllae.

Meantime the Trojan troops, with weeping eyes,

Spelunca alta fuit vastoque immanis hiatu,

To dead Misenus pay his obsequies.

scrupea, tuta lacu nigro nemorumque tenebris,

First, from the ground a lofty pile they rear,

quam super haud ullae poterant impune volantes

Of pitch trees, oaks, and pines, and unctuous fir:

tendere iter pennis—talis sese halitus atris

The fabric's front with cypress twigs they strew,

faucibus effundens supera ad convexa ferebat:

And stick the sides with boughs of baleful yew.

unde locum Grai dixerunt nomine Aornon.

The topmost part his glitt'ring arms adorn;

quattuor hic primum nigrantis terga iuvencos

Warm waters, then, in brazen caldrons borne,

constituit, frontique invergit vina sacerdos;

Are pour'd to wash his body, joint by joint,

et summas carpens media inter cornua saetas

And fragrant oils the stiffen'd limbs anoint.

ignibus imponit sacris, libamina prima,

With groans and cries Misenus they deplore:

voce vocans Hecaten, Caeloque Ereboque potentem.

Then on a bier, with purple cover'd o'er,

Supponunt alii cultros, tepidumque cruorem

The breathless body, thus bewail'd, they lay,

suscipiunt pateris. Ipse atri velleris agnam

And fire the pile, their faces turn'd away-

Aeneas matri Eumenidum magnaeque sorori

Such reverend rites their fathers us'd to pay.

ense ferit, sterilemque tibi. Proserpina, vaccam.

Pure oil and incense on the fire they throw,

Tum Stygio regi nocturnas inchoat aras,

And fat of victims, which his friends bestow.

et solida imponit taurorum viscera flammis,

These gifts the greedy flames to dust devour;

pingue superque oleum infundens ardentibus extis.

Then on the living coals red wine they pour;

Ecce autem, primi sub lumina solis et ortus,

And, last, the relics by themselves dispose,

sub pedibus mugire solum, et iuga coepta moveri

Which in a brazen urn the priests inclose.

silvarum, visaeque canes ululare per umbram,

Old Corynaeus compass'd thrice the crew,

adventante dea. Procul O procul este, profani,

And dipp'd an olive branch in holy dew;

conclamat vates, totoque absistite luco;

Which thrice he sprinkled round, and thrice aloud

tuque invade viam, vaginaque eripe ferrum:

Invok'd the dead, and then dismissed the crowd.

nunc animis opus, Aenea, nunc pectore firmo.

But good Aeneas order'd on the shore

Tantum effata, furens antro se immisit aperto;

A stately tomb, whose top a trumpet bore,

ille ducem haud timidis vadentem passibus aequat.

A soldier's fauchion, and a seaman's oar.

Di, quibus imperium est animarum, umbraeque silentes,

Thus was his friend interr'd; and deathless fame

et Chaos, et Phlegethon, loca nocte tacentia late,

Still to the lofty cape consigns his name.

sit mihi fas audita loqui; sit numine vestro

These rites perform'd, the prince, without delay,

pandere res alta terra et caligine mersas!

Hastes to the nether world his destin'd way.

Ibant obscuri sola sub nocte per umbram,

Deep was the cave; and, downward as it went

perque domos Ditis vacuas et inania regna:

From the wide mouth, a rocky rough descent;

quale per incertam lunam sub luce maligna

And here th' access a gloomy grove defends,

And there th' unnavigable lake extends,

O'er whose unhappy waters, void of light,

No bird presumes to steer his airy flight;

Such deadly stenches from the depths arise,

And steaming sulphur, that infects the skies.

From hence the Grecian bards their legends make,

And give the name Avernus to the lake.

Four sable bullocks, in the yoke untaught,

For sacrifice the pious hero brought.

The priestess pours the wine betwixt their horns;

Then cuts the curling hair; that first oblation burns,

Invoking Hecate hither to repair:

A pow'rful name in hell and upper air.

The sacred priests with ready knives bereave

The beasts of life, and in full bowls receive

The streaming blood: a lamb to Hell and Night

(The sable wool without a streak of white)

Aeneas offers; and, by fate's decree,

A barren heifer, Proserpine, to thee,

With holocausts he Pluto's altar fills;

Sev'n brawny bulls with his own hand he kills;

Then on the broiling entrails oil he pours;

Which, ointed thus, the raging flame devours.

Late the nocturnal sacrifice begun,

Nor ended till the next returning sun.

Then earth began to bellow, trees to dance,

And howling dogs in glimm'ring light advance,

Ere Hecate came. "Far hence be souls profane!"

The Sibyl cried, "and from the grove abstain!

Now, Trojan, take the way thy fates afford;

Assume thy courage, and unsheathe thy sword."

She said, and pass'd along the gloomy space;

The prince pursued her steps with equal pace.

Ye realms, yet unreveal'd to human sight,

Ye gods who rule the regions of the night,

est iter in silvis, ubi caelum condidit umbra

Ye gliding ghosts, permit me to relate

Iuppiter, et rebus nox abstulit atra colorem.

The mystic wonders of your silent state!

Vestibulum ante ipsum, primisque in faucibus Orci

Obscure they went thro' dreary shades, that led

Luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia Curae;

Along the waste dominions of the dead.

pallentesque habitant Morbi, tristisque Senectus,

Thus wander travelers in woods by night,

et Metus, et malesuada Fames, ac turpis Egestas,

By the moon's doubtful and malignant light,

terribiles visu formae: Letumque, Labosque;

When Jove in dusky clouds involves the skies,

tum consanguineus Leti Sopor, et mala mentis

And the faint crescent shoots by fits before their eyes.

Gaudia, mortiferumque adverso in limine Bellum,

Just in the gate and in the jaws of hell,

ferreique Eumenidum thalami, et Discordia demens,

Revengeful Cares and sullen Sorrows dwell,

vipereum crinem vittis innexa cruentis.

And pale Diseases, and repining Age,

In medio ramos annosaque brachia pandit

Want, Fear, and Famine's unresisted rage;

ulmus opaca, ingens, quam sedem Somnia volgo

Here Toils, and Death, and Death's half-brother, Sleep,

vana tenere ferunt, foliisque sub omnibus haerent.

Forms terrible to view, their sentry keep;

Multaque praeterea variarum monstra ferarum:

With anxious Pleasures of a guilty mind,

Centauri in foribus stabulant, Scyllaeque biformes,

Deep Frauds before, and open Force behind;

et centumgeminus Briareus, ac belua Lernae

The Furies' iron beds; and Strife, that shakes

horrendum stridens, flammisque armata Chimaera,

Her hissing tresses and unfolds her snakes.

Gorgones Harpyiaeque et forma tricorporis umbrae.

Full in the midst of this infernal road,

Corripit hic subita trepidus formidine ferrum

An elm displays her dusky arms abroad:

Aeneas, strictamque aciem venientibus offert,

The God of Sleep there hides his heavy head,

et, ni docta comes tenues sine corpore vitas

And empty dreams on ev'ry leaf are spread.

admoneat volitare cava sub imagine formae,

Of various forms unnumber'd specters more,

inruat, et frustra ferro diverberet umbras.

Centaurs, and double shapes, besiege the door.

Hinc via, Tartarei quae fert Acherontis ad undas.

Before the passage, horrid Hydra stands,

Turbidus hic caeno vastaque voragine gurges

And Briareus with all his hundred hands;

aestuat, atque omnem Cocyto eructat harenam.

Gorgons, Geryon with his triple frame;

Portitor has horrendus aquas et flumina servat

And vain Chimaera vomits empty flame.

terribili squalore Charon, cui plurima mento

The chief unsheath'd his shining steel, prepar'd,

canities inculta iacet; stant lumina flamma,

Tho' seiz'd with sudden fear, to force the guard,

sordidus ex umeris nodo dependet amictus.

Off'ring his brandish'd weapon at their face;

Ipse ratem conto subigit, velisque ministrat,

Had not the Sibyl stopp'd his eager pace,

et ferruginea subvectat corpora cymba,

And told him what those empty phantoms were:

iam senior, sed cruda deo viridisque senectus.

Forms without bodies, and impassive air.

Huc omnis turba ad ripas effusa ruebat,

Hence to deep Acheron they take their way,

matres atque viri, defunctaque corpora vita

Whose troubled eddies, thick with ooze and clay,

magnanimum heroum, pueri innuptaeque puellae,

Are whirl'd aloft, and in Cocytus lost.

impositique rogis iuvenes ante ora parentum:

There Charon stands, who rules the dreary coast-

quam multa in silvis autumni frigore primo

A sordid god: down from his hoary chin

lapsa cadunt folia, aut ad terram gurgite ab alto

A length of beard descends, uncomb'd, unclean;

quam multae glomerantur aves, ubi frigidus annus

His eyes, like hollow furnaces on fire;

trans pontum fugat, et terris immittit apricis.

A girdle, foul with grease, binds his obscene attire.

Stabant orantes primi transmittere cursum,

He spreads his canvas; with his pole he steers;

tendebantque manus ripae ulterioris amore.

The freights of flitting ghosts in his thin bottom bears.

Navita sed tristis nunc hos nunc accipit illos,

He look'd in years; yet in his years were seen

ast alios longe submotos arcet harena.

A youthful vigor and autumnal green.

Aeneas, miratus enim motusque tumultu,

An airy crowd came rushing where he stood,

Dic ait O virgo, quid volt concursus ad amnem?

Which fill'd the margin of the fatal flood:

Quidve petunt animae, vel quo discrimine ripas

Husbands and wives, boys and unmarried maids,

hae linquunt, illae remis vada livida verrunt?

And mighty heroes' more majestic shades,

Olli sic breviter fata est longaeva sacerdos:

And youths, intomb'd before their fathers' eyes,

Anchisa generate, deum certissima proles,

With hollow groans, and shrieks, and feeble cries.

Cocyti stagna alta vides Stygiamque paludem,

Thick as the leaves in autumn strow the woods,

di cuius iurare timent et fallere numen.

Or fowls, by winter forc'd, forsake the floods,

Haec omnis, quam cernis, inops inhumataque turba est;

And wing their hasty flight to happier lands;

portitor ille Charon; hi, quos vehit unda, sepulti.

Such, and so thick, the shiv'ring army stands,

Nec ripas datur horrendas et rauca fluenta

And press for passage with extended hands.

transportare prius quam sedibus ossa quierunt.

Now these, now those, the surly boatman bore:

Centum errant annos volitantque haec litora circum;

The rest he drove to distance from the shore.

tum demum admissi stagna exoptata revisunt.

The hero, who beheld with wond'ring eyes

Constitit Anchisa satus et vestigia pressit,

The tumult mix'd with shrieks, laments, and cries,

multa putans, sortemque animo miseratus iniquam.

Ask'd of his guide, what the rude concourse meant;

Cernit ibi maestos et mortis honore carentes

Why to the shore the thronging people bent;

Leucaspim et Lyciae ductorem classis Oronten,

What forms of law among the ghosts were us'd;

quos, simul ab Troia ventosa per aequora vectos,

Why some were ferried o'er, and some refus'd.

obruit Auster, aqua involvens navemque virosque.

"Son of Anchises, offspring of the gods,"

Ecce gubernator sese Palinurus agebat,

The Sibyl said, "you see the Stygian floods,

qui Libyco nuper cursu, dum sidera servat,

The sacred stream which heav'n's imperial state

exciderat puppi mediis effusus in undis.

Attests in oaths, and fears to violate.

Hunc ubi vix multa maestum cognovit in umbra,

The ghosts rejected are th' unhappy crew

sic prior adloquitur: Quis te, Palinure, deorum

Depriv'd of sepulchers and fun'ral due:

eripuit nobis, medioque sub aequore mersit?

The boatman, Charon; those, the buried host,

Dic age. Namque mihi, fallax haud ante repertus,

He ferries over to the farther coast;

hoc uno responso animum delusit Apollo,

Nor dares his transport vessel cross the waves

qui fore te ponto incolumem, finesque canebat

With such whose bones are not compos'd in graves.

venturum Ausonios. En haec promissa fides est?

A hundred years they wander on the shore;

Ille autem: Neque te Phoebi cortina fefellit,

At length, their penance done, are wafted o'er."

dux Anchisiade, nec me deus aequore mersit.

The Trojan chief his forward pace repress'd,

Namque gubernaclum multa vi forte revolsum,

Revolving anxious thoughts within his breast,

cui datus haerebam custos cursusque regebam,

He saw his friends, who, whelm'd beneath the waves,

praecipitans traxi mecum. Maria aspera iuro

Their fun'ral honors claim'd, and ask'd their quiet graves.

non ullum pro me tantum cepisse timorem,

The lost Leucaspis in the crowd he knew,

quam tua ne, spoliata armis, excussa magistro,

And the brave leader of the Lycian crew,

deficeret tantis navis surgentibus undis.

Whom, on the Tyrrhene seas, the tempests met;

Tris Notus hibernas immensa per aequora noctes

The sailors master'd, and the ship o'erset.

vexit me violentus aqua; vix lumine quarto

Amidst the spirits, Palinurus press'd,

prospexi Italiam summa sublimis ab unda.

Yet fresh from life, a new-admitted guest,

Paulatim adnabam terrae; iam tuta tenebam,

Who, while he steering view'd the stars, and bore

ni gens crudelis madida cum veste gravatum

His course from Afric to the Latian shore,

prensantemque uncis manibus capita aspera montis

Fell headlong down. The Trojan fix'd his view,

And scarcely thro' the gloom the sullen shadow knew.

Then thus the prince: "What envious pow'r, O friend,

Brought your lov'd life to this disastrous end?

For Phoebus, ever true in all he said,

Has in your fate alone my faith betray'd.

The god foretold you should not die, before

You reach'd, secure from seas, th' Italian shore.

Is this th' unerring pow'r?" The ghost replied;

"Nor Phoebus flatter'd, nor his answers lied;

Nor envious gods have sent me to the deep:

But, while the stars and course of heav'n I keep,

My wearied eyes were seiz'd with fatal sleep.

I fell; and, with my weight, the helm constrain'd

Was drawn along, which yet my gripe retain'd.

Now by the winds and raging waves I swear,

Your safety, more than mine, was then my care;

Lest, of the guide bereft, the rudder lost,

Your ship should run against the rocky coast.

Three blust'ring nights, borne by the southern blast,

I floated, and discover'd land at last:

High on a mounting wave my head I bore,

Forcing my strength, and gath'ring to the shore.

Panting, but past the danger, now I seiz'd

The craggy cliffs, and my tir'd members eas'd.

While, cumber'd with my dropping clothes, I lay,

The cruel nation, covetous of prey,

Stain'd with my blood th' unhospitable coast;

And now, by winds and waves, my lifeless limbs are toss'd:

Which O avert, by yon ethereal light,

Which I have lost for this eternal night!

Or, if by dearer ties you may be won,

By your dead sire, and by your living son,

Redeem from this reproach my wand'ring ghost;

Or with your navy seek the Velin coast,

ferro invasisset, praedamque ignara putasset.

And in a peaceful grave my corpse compose;

Nunc me fluctus habet, versantque in litore venti.

Or, if a nearer way your mother shows,

Quod te per caeli iucundum lumen et auras,

Without whose aid you durst not undertake

per genitorem oro, per spes surgentis Iuli,

This frightful passage o'er the Stygian lake,

eripe me his, invicte, malis: aut tu mihi terram

Lend to this wretch your hand, and waft him o'er

inice, namque potes, portusque require Velinos;

To the sweet banks of yon forbidden shore."

aut tu, si qua via est, si quam tibi diva creatrix

Scarce had he said, the prophetess began:

ostendit—neque enim, credo, sine numine divom

"What hopes delude thee, miserable man?

flumina tanta paras Stygiamque innare paludem—

Think'st thou, thus unintomb'd, to cross the floods,

da dextram misero, et tecum me tolle per undas,

To view the Furies and infernal gods,

sedibus ut saltem placidis in morte quiescam.

And visit, without leave, the dark abodes?

Talia fatus erat, coepit cum talia vates:

Attend the term of long revolving years;

Unde haec, o Palinure, tibi tam dira cupido?

Fate, and the dooming gods, are deaf to tears.

Tu Stygias inhumatus aquas amnemque severum

This comfort of thy dire misfortune take:

Eumenidum aspicies, ripamve iniussus adibis?

The wrath of Heav'n, inflicted for thy sake,

Desine fata deum flecti sperare precando.

With vengeance shall pursue th' inhuman coast,

Sed cape dicta memor, duri solatia casus.

Till they propitiate thy offended ghost,

Nam tua finitimi, longe lateque per urbes

And raise a tomb, with vows and solemn pray'r;

prodigiis acti caelestibus, ossa piabunt,

And Palinurus' name the place shall bear."

et statuent tumulum, et tumulo sollemnia mittent,

This calm'd his cares; sooth'd with his future fame,

aeternumque locus Palinuri nomen habebit.

And pleas'd to hear his propagated name.

His dictis curae emotae, pulsusque parumper

Now nearer to the Stygian lake they draw:

corde dolor tristi: gaudet cognomine terrae.

Whom, from the shore, the surly boatman saw;

Ergo iter inceptum peragunt fluvioque propinquant.

Observ'd their passage thro' the shady wood,

Navita quos iam inde ut Stygia prospexit ab unda

And mark'd their near approaches to the flood.

per tacitum nemus ire pedemque advertere ripae,

Then thus he call'd aloud, inflam'd with wrath:

sic prior adgreditur dictis, atque increpat ultro:

"Mortal, whate'er, who this forbidden path

Quisquis es, armatus qui nostra ad flumina tendis,

In arms presum'st to tread, I charge thee, stand,

fare age, quid venias, iam istinc, et comprime gressum.

And tell thy name, and bus'ness in the land.

Umbrarum hic locus est, somni noctisque soporae;

Know this, the realm of night- the Stygian shore:

corpora viva nefas Stygia vectare carina.

My boat conveys no living bodies o'er;

Nec vero Alciden me sum laetatus euntem

Nor was I pleas'd great Theseus once to bear,

accepisse lacu, nec Thesea Pirithoumque,

Who forc'd a passage with his pointed spear,

dis quamquam geniti atque invicti viribus essent.

Nor strong Alcides- men of mighty fame,

Tartareum ille manu custodem in vincla petivit,

And from th' immortal gods their lineage came.

ipsius a solio regis, traxitque trementem;

In fetters one the barking porter tied,

hi dominam Ditis thalamo deducere adorti.

And took him trembling from his sov'reign's side:

Quae contra breviter fata est Amphrysia vates:

Two sought by force to seize his beauteous bride."

Nullae hic insidiae tales; absiste moveri;

To whom the Sibyl thus: "Compose thy mind;

nec vim tela ferunt; licet ingens ianitor antro

Nor frauds are here contriv'd, nor force design'd.

aeternum latrans exsanguis terreat umbras,

Still may the dog the wand'ring troops constrain

casta licet patrui servet Proserpina limen.

Of airy ghosts, and vex the guilty train,

Troius Aeneas, pietate insignis et armis,

And with her grisly lord his lovely queen remain.

ad genitorem imas Erebi descendit ad umbras.

The Trojan chief, whose lineage is from Jove,

Si te nulla movet tantae pietatis imago,

Much fam'd for arms, and more for filial love,

at ramum hunc (aperit ramum, qui veste latebat)

Is sent to seek his sire in your Elysian grove.

adgnoscas. Tumida ex ira tum corda residunt.

If neither piety, nor Heav'n's command,

Nec plura his. Ille admirans venerabile donum

Can gain his passage to the Stygian strand,

fatalis virgae, longo post tempore visum,

This fatal present shall prevail at least."

caeruleam advertit puppim, ripaeque propinquat.

Then shew'd the shining bough, conceal'd within her vest.

Inde alias animas, quae per iuga longa sedebant,

No more was needful: for the gloomy god

deturbat, laxatque foros; simul accipit alveo

Stood mute with awe, to see the golden rod;

ingentem Aenean. Gemuit sub pondere cymba

Admir'd the destin'd off'ring to his queen-

sutilis, et multam accepit rimosa paludem.

A venerable gift, so rarely seen.

Tandem trans fluvium incolumis vatemque virumque

His fury thus appeas'd, he puts to land;

informi limo glaucaque exponit in ulva.

The ghosts forsake their seats at his command:

Cerberus haec ingens latratu regna trifauci

He clears the deck, receives the mighty freight;

personat, adverso recubans immanis in antro.