Aeneid

And thou, O matron of immortal fame,

Tu quoque litoribus nostris, Aeneia nutrix,

Here dying, to the shore hast left thy name;

aeternam moriens famam, Caieta, dedisti;

Cajeta still the place is call'd from thee,

et nunc servat honos sedem tuus ossaque nomen

The nurse of great Aeneas' infancy.

Hesperia in magna, siqua est ea gloria, signat.

Here rest thy bones in rich Hesperia's plains;

At pius exsequiis Aeneas rite solutis,

Thy name ('t is all a ghost can have) remains.

aggere composito tumuli, postquam alta quierunt

Now, when the prince her fun'ral rites had paid,

aequora, tendit iter velis portumque relinquit.

He plow'd the Tyrrhene seas with sails display'd.

Adspirant aurae in noctem nec candida cursus

From land a gentle breeze arose by night,

Luna negat, splendet tremulo sub lumine pontus.

Serenely shone the stars, the moon was bright,

Proxima Circaeae raduntur litora terrae,

And the sea trembled with her silver light.

dives inaccessos ubi Solis filia lucos

Now near the shelves of Circe's shores they run,

adsiduo resonat cantu tectisque superbis

(Circe the rich, the daughter of the Sun,)

urit odoratam nocturna in lumina cedrum,

A dang'rous coast: the goddess wastes her days

arguto tenuis percurrens pectine telas.

In joyous songs; the rocks resound her lays:

Hinc exaudiri gemitus iraeque leonum

In spinning, or the loom, she spends the night,

vincla recusantum et sera sub nocte rudentum,

And cedar brands supply her father's light.

saetigerique sues atque in praesaepibus ursi

From hence were heard, rebellowing to the main,

saevire ac formae magnorum ululare luporum,

The roars of lions that refuse the chain,

quos hominum ex facie dea saeva potentibus herbis

The grunts of bristled boars, and groans of bears,

induerat Circe in voltus ac terga ferarum.

And herds of howling wolves that stun the sailors' ears.

Quae ne monstra pii paterentur talia Troes

These from their caverns, at the close of night,

delati in portus neu litora dira subirent,

Fill the sad isle with horror and affright.

Neptunus ventis implevit vela secundis

Darkling they mourn their fate, whom Circe's pow'r,

atque fugam dedit et praeter vada fervida vexit.

(That watch'd the moon and planetary hour,)

Iamque rubescebat radiis mare et aethere ab alto

With words and wicked herbs from humankind

Aurora in roseis fulgebat lutea bigis:

Had alter'd, and in brutal shapes confin'd.

cum venti posuere omnisque repente resedit

Which monsters lest the Trojans' pious host

flatus et in lento luctantur marmore tonsae.

Should bear, or touch upon th' inchanted coast,

Atque hic Aeneas ingentem ex aequore lucum

Propitious Neptune steer'd their course by night

prospicit. Hunc inter fluvio Tiberinus amoeno

With rising gales that sped their happy flight.

verticibus rapidis et multa flavus arena

Supplied with these, they skim the sounding shore,

in mare prorumpit. Variae circumque supraque

And hear the swelling surges vainly roar.

adsuetae ripis volucres et fluminis alveo

Now, when the rosy morn began to rise,

aethera mulcebant cantu lucoque volabant.

And wav'd her saffron streamer thro' the skies;

flectere iter sociis terraeque advertere proras

When Thetis blush'd in purple not her own,

imperat et laetus fluvio succedit opaco.

And from her face the breathing winds were blown,

Nunc age, qui reges, Erato, quae tempora rerum,

A sudden silence sate upon the sea,

quis Latio antiquo fuerit status, advena classem

And sweeping oars, with struggling, urge their way.

cum primum Ausoniis exercitus appulit oris,

The Trojan, from the main, beheld a wood,

expediam et primae revocabo exordia pugnae.

Which thick with shades and a brown horror stood:

tu vatem, tu, diva, mone. Dicam horrida bella,

Betwixt the trees the Tiber took his course,

dicam acies actosque animis in funera reges

With whirlpools dimpled; and with downward force,

Tyrrhenamque manum totamque sub arma coactam

That drove the sand along, he took his way,

Hesperiam. Maior rerum mihi nascitur ordo,

And roll'd his yellow billows to the sea.

maius opus moveo. Rex arva Latinus et urbes

About him, and above, and round the wood,

iam senior longa placidas in pace regebat.

The birds that haunt the borders of his flood,

Hunc Fauno et nympha genitum Laurente Marica

That bath'd within, or basked upon his side,

accipimus, Fauno Picus pater isque parentem

To tuneful songs their narrow throats applied.

te, Saturne, refert, tu sanguinis ultimus auctor.

The captain gives command; the joyful train

filius huic fato divom prolesque virilis

Glide thro' the gloomy shade, and leave the main.

nulla fuit primaque oriens erepta iuventa est.

Now, Erato, thy poet's mind inspire,

Sola domum et tantas servabat filia sedes,

And fill his soul with thy celestial fire!

iam matura viro, iam plenis nubilis annis.

Relate what Latium was; her ancient kings;

Multi illam magno e Latio totaque petebant

Declare the past and state of things,

Ausonia. Petit ante alios pulcherrimus omnis

When first the Trojan fleet Ausonia sought,

Turnus, avis atavisque potens, quem regia coniunx

And how the rivals lov'd, and how they fought.

adiungi generum miro properabat amore;

These are my theme, and how the war began,

sed variis portenta deum terroribus obstant.

And how concluded by the godlike man:

Laurus erat tecti medio in penetralibus altis,

For I shall sing of battles, blood, and rage,

sacra comam multosque metu servata per annos,

Which princes and their people did engage;

quam pater inventam, primas cum conderet arces,

And haughty souls, that, mov'd with mutual hate,

ipse ferebatur Phoebo sacrasse Latinus

In fighting fields pursued and found their fate;

Laurentisque ab ea nomen posuisse colonis.

That rous'd the Tyrrhene realm with loud alarms,

Huius apes summum densae (mirabile dictu),

And peaceful Italy involv'd in arms.

stridore ingenti liquidum trans aethera vectae,

A larger scene of action is display'd;

obsedere apicem, ex pedibus per mutua nexis

And, rising hence, a greater work is weigh'd.

examen subitum ramo frondente pependit.

Latinus, old and mild, had long possess'd

Continuo vates: Externum cernimus, inquit,

The Latin scepter, and his people blest:

adventare virum et partis petere agmen easdem

His father Faunus; a Laurentian dame

partibus ex isdem et summa dominarier arce.

His mother; fair Marica was her name.

Praeterea, castis adolet dum altaria taedis

But Faunus came from Picus: Picus drew

et iuxta genitorem adstat Lavinia virgo,

His birth from Saturn, if records be true.

visa (nefas) longis comprendere crinibus ignem,

Thus King Latinus, in the third degree,

atque omnem ornatum flamma crepitante cremari

Had Saturn author of his family.

regalisque accensa comas, accensa coronam

But this old peaceful prince, as Heav'n decreed,

insignem gemmis, tum fumida lumine fulvo

Was blest with no male issue to succeed:

involvi ac totis Volcanum spargere tectis.

His sons in blooming youth were snatch'd by fate;

Id vero horrendum ac visu mirabile ferri:

One only daughter heir'd the royal state.

namque fore inlustrem fama fatisque canebant

Fir'd with her love, and with ambition led,

ipsam, sed populo magnum portendere bellum.

The neighb'ring princes court her nuptial bed.

At rex sollicitus monstris oracula Fauni,

Among the crowd, but far above the rest,

Young Turnus to the beauteous maid address'd.

Turnus, for high descent and graceful mien,

Was first, and favor'd by the Latian queen;

With him she strove to join Lavinia's hand,

But dire portents the purpos'd match withstand.

Deep in the palace, of long growth, there stood

A laurel's trunk, a venerable wood;

Where rites divine were paid; whose holy hair

Was kept and cut with superstitious care.

This plant Latinus, when his town he wall'd,

Then found, and from the tree Laurentum call'd;

And last, in honor of his new abode,

He vow'd the laurel to the laurel's god.

It happen'd once (a boding prodigy!)

A swarm of bees, that cut the liquid sky,

(Unknown from whence they took their airy flight,)

Upon the topmost branch in clouds alight;

There with their clasping feet together clung,

And a long cluster from the laurel hung.

An ancient augur prophesied from hence:

"Behold on Latian shores a foreign prince!

From the same parts of heav'n his navy stands,

To the same parts on earth; his army lands;

The town he conquers, and the tow'r commands."

Yet more, when fair Lavinia fed the fire

Before the gods, and stood beside her sire,

(Strange to relate!) the flames, involv'd in smoke

Of incense, from the sacred altar broke,

Caught her dishevel'd hair and rich attire;

Her crown and jewels crackled in the fire:

fatidici genitoris, adit lucosque sub alta

From thence the fuming trail began to spread

consulit Albunea, nemorum quae maxima sacro

And lambent glories danc'd about her head.

fonte sonat saevamque exhalat opaca mephitim.

This new portent the seer with wonder views,

Hinc Italae gentes omnisque Oenotria tellus

Then pausing, thus his prophecy renews:

in dubiis responsa petunt; huc dona sacerdos

"The nymph, who scatters flaming fires around,

cum tulit et caesarum ovium sub nocte silenti

Shall shine with honor, shall herself be crown'd;

pellibus incubuit stratis somnosque petivit,

But, caus'd by her irrevocable fate,

multa modis simulacra videt volitantia miris

War shall the country waste, and change the state."

et varias audit voces fruiturque deorum

Latinus, frighted with this dire ostent,

conloquio atque imis Acheronta adfatur Avernis.

For counsel to his father Faunus went,

Hic et tum pater ipse petens responsa Latinus

And sought the shades renown'd for prophecy

centum lanigeras mactabat rite bidentis

Which near Albunea's sulph'rous fountain lie.

atque harum effultus tergo stratisque iacebat

To these the Latian and the Sabine land

velleribus: subita ex alto vox reddita luco est:

Fly, when distress'd, and thence relief demand.

Ne pete conubiis natam sociare Latinis,

The priest on skins of off'rings takes his ease,

O mea progenies, thalamis neu crede paratis:

And nightly visions in his slumber sees;

externi venient generi, qui sanguine nostrum

A swarm of thin aerial shapes appears,

nomen in astra ferant quorumque a stirpe nepotes

And, flutt'ring round his temples, deafs his ears:

omnia sub pedibus, qua Sol utrumque recurrens

These he consults, the future fates to know,

aspicit Oceanum, vertique regique videbunt.

From pow'rs above, and from the fiends below.

Haec responsa patris Fauni monitusque silenti

Here, for the gods' advice, Latinus flies,

nocte datos non ipse suo premit ore Latinus,

Off'ring a hundred sheep for sacrifice:

sed circum late volitans iam Fama per urbes

Their woolly fleeces, as the rites requir'd,

Ausonias tulerat, cum Laomedontia pubes

He laid beneath him, and to rest retir'd.

gramineo ripae religavit ab aggere classem.

No sooner were his eyes in slumber bound,

Aeneas primique duces et pulcher Iulus

When, from above, a more than mortal sound

corpora sub ramis deponunt arboris altae

Invades his ears; and thus the vision spoke:

instituuntque dapes et adorea liba per herbam

"Seek not, my seed, in Latian bands to yoke

subiciunt epulis (sic Iuppiter ipse monebat)

Our fair Lavinia, nor the gods provoke.

et Cereale solum pomis agrestibus augent.

A foreign son upon thy shore descends,

Consumptis hic forte aliis ut vertere morsus

Whose martial fame from pole to pole extends.

exiguam in Cererem penuria adegit edendi

His race, in arms and arts of peace renown'd,

et violare manu malisque audacibus orbem

Not Latium shall contain, nor Europe bound:

fatalis crusti patulis nec parcere quadris:

'T is theirs whate'er the sun surveys around."

Heus ! etiam mensas consumimus, inquit Iulus,

These answers, in the silent night receiv'd,

nec plura adludens. Ea vox audita laborum

The king himself divulg'd, the land believ'd:

prima tulit finem, primamque loquentis ab ore

The fame thro' all the neighb'ring nations flew,

eripuit pater ac stupefactus numine pressit.

When now the Trojan navy was in view.

Continuo: Salve fatis mihi debita tellus

Beneath a shady tree, the hero spread

vosque, ait, O fidi Troiae salvete penates:

His table on the turf, with cakes of bread;

hic domus, haec patria est. Genitor mihi talia namque

And, with his chiefs, on forest fruits he fed.

(nunc repeto) Anchises fatorum arcana reliquit:

They sate; and, (not without the god's command,)

cum te, nate, fames ignota ad litora vectum

Their homely fare dispatch'd, the hungry band

accisis coget dapibus consumere mensas,

Invade their trenchers next, and soon devour,

tum sperare domos defessus ibique memento

To mend the scanty meal, their cakes of flour.

prima locare manu molirique aggere tecta.

Ascanius this observ'd, and smiling said:

Haec erat illa fames; haec nos suprema manebat,

"See, we devour the plates on which we fed."

exiliis positura modum.

The speech had omen, that the Trojan race

Quare agite et primo laeti cum lumine solis

Should find repose, and this the time and place.

quae loca, quive habeant homines, ubi moenia gentis,

Aeneas took the word, and thus replies,

vestigemus et a portu diversa petamus.

Confessing fate with wonder in his eyes:

Nunc pateras libate Iovi precibusque vocate

"All hail, O earth! all hail, my household gods!

Anchisen genitorem, et vina reponite mensis.

Behold the destin'd place of your abodes!

Sic deinde effatus frondenti tempora ramo

For thus Anchises prophesied of old,

implicat et geniumque loci primamque deorum

And this our fatal place of rest foretold:

Tellurem nymphasque et adhuc ignota precatur

'When, on a foreign shore, instead of meat,

flumina, tum Noctem Noctisque orientia signa

By famine forc'd, your trenchers you shall eat,

Idaeumque Iovem Phrygiamque ex ordine matrem

Then ease your weary Trojans will attend,

invocat et duplicis caeloque ereboque parentis.

And the long labors of your voyage end.

Hic pater omnipotens ter caelo clarus ab alto

Remember on that happy coast to build,

intonuit radiisque ardentem lucis et auro

And with a trench inclose the fruitful field.'

ipse manu quatiens ostendit ab aethere nubem.

This was that famine, this the fatal place

Diditur hic subito Troiana per agmina rumor

Which ends the wand'ring of our exil'd race.

advenisse diem, quo debita moenia condant.

Then, on to-morrow's dawn, your care employ,

Certatim instaurant epulas atque omine magno

To search the land, and where the cities lie,

crateras laeti statuunt et vina coronant.

And what the men; but give this day to joy.

Postera cum prima lustrabat lampade terras

Now pour to Jove; and, after Jove is blest,

orta dies, urbem et finis et litora gentis

Call great Anchises to the genial feast:

diversi explorant: haec fontis stagna Numici,

Crown high the goblets with a cheerful draught;

hunc Thybrim fluvium, hic fortis habitare Latinos.

Enjoy the present hour; adjourn the future thought."

Tum satus Anchisa delectos ordine ab omni

Thus having said, the hero bound his brows

centum oratores augusta ad moenia regis

With leafy branches, then perform'd his vows;

ire iubet, ramis velatos Palladis omnis,

Adoring first the genius of the place,

donaque ferre viro pacemque exposcere Teucris.

Then Earth, the mother of the heav'nly race,

Haud mora, festinant iussi rapidisque feruntur

The nymphs, and native godheads yet unknown,

passibus. Ipse humili designat moenia fossa

And Night, and all the stars that gild her sable throne,

moliturque locum primasque in litore sedes

And ancient Cybel, and Idaean Jove,

castrorum in morem pinnis atque aggere cingit.

And last his sire below, and mother queen above.

Iamque iter emensi turris ac tecta Latinorum

Then heav'n's high monarch thunder'd thrice aloud,

ardua cernebant iuvenes muroque subibant.

And thrice he shook aloft a golden cloud.

Ante urbem pueri et primaevo flore iuventus

Soon thro' the joyful camp a rumor flew,

exercentur equis domitantque in pulvere currus

The time was come their city to renew.

Then ev'ry brow with cheerful green is crown'd,

The feasts are doubled, and the bowls go round.

When next the rosy morn disclos'd the day,

The scouts to sev'ral parts divide their way,

To learn the natives' names, their towns explore,

The coasts and trendings of the crooked shore:

Here Tiber flows, and here Numicus stands;

Here warlike Latins hold the happy lands.

The pious chief, who sought by peaceful ways

To found his empire, and his town to raise,

A hundred youths from all his train selects,

And to the Latian court their course directs,

(The spacious palace where their prince resides,)

And all their heads with wreaths of olive hides.

They go commission'd to require a peace,

And carry presents to procure access.

Thus while they speed their pace, the prince designs

His new-elected seat, and draws the lines.

The Trojans round the place a rampire cast,

And palisades about the trenches plac'd.

Meantime the train, proceeding on their way,

From far the town and lofty tow'rs survey;

At length approach the walls. Without the gate,

They see the boys and Latian youth debate

The martial prizes on the dusty plain:

Some drive the cars, and some the coursers rein;

Some bend the stubborn bow for victory,

And some with darts their active sinews try.

A posting messenger, dispatch'd from hence,

aut acris tendunt arcus aut lenta lacertis

Of this fair troop advis'd their aged prince,

spicula contorquent cursuque ictuque lacessunt:

That foreign men of mighty stature came;

cum praevectus equo longaevi regis ad auris

Uncouth their habit, and unknown their name.

nuntius ingentis ignota in veste reportat

The king ordains their entrance, and ascends

advenisse viros. Ille intra tecta vocari

His regal seat, surrounded by his friends.

imperat et solio medius consedit avito.

The palace built by Picus, vast and proud,

Tectum augustum ingens. centum sublime columnis,

Supported by a hundred pillars stood,

urbe fuit summa, Laurentis regia Pici,

And round incompass'd with a rising wood.

horrendum silvis et religione parentum.

The pile o'erlook'd the town, and drew the sight;

Hic sceptra accipere et primos attollere fasces

Surpris'd at once with reverence and delight.

regibus omen erat, hoc illis curia templum,

There kings receiv'd the marks of sov'reign pow'r;

hae sacris sedes epulis, hic ariete caeso

In state the monarchs march'd; the lictors bore

perpetuis soliti patres considere mensis.

Their awful axes and the rods before.

Quin etiam veterum effigies ex ordine avorum

Here the tribunal stood, the house of pray'r,

antiqua e cedro, Italusque paterque Sabinus

And here the sacred senators repair;

vitisator, curvam servans sub imagine falcem,

All at large tables, in long order set,

Saturnusque senex Ianique bifrontis imago

A ram their off'ring, and a ram their meat.

vestibulo astabant, aliique ab origine reges

Above the portal, carv'd in cedar wood,

Martiaque ob patriam pugnando volnera passi.

Plac'd in their ranks, their godlike grandsires stood;

Multaque praeterea sacris in postibus arma,

Old Saturn, with his crooked scythe, on high;

captivi pendent currus curvaeque secures

And Italus, that led the colony;

et cristae capitum et portarum ingentia claustra

And ancient Janus, with his double face,

spiculaque clipeique ereptaque rostra carinis.

And bunch of keys, the porter of the place.

Ipse Quirinali lituo parvaque sedebat

There good Sabinus, planter of the vines,

succinctus trabea laevaque ancile gerebat

On a short pruning hook his head reclines,

Picus, equum domitor; quem capta cupidine coniunx

And studiously surveys his gen'rous wines;

aurea percussum virga versumque venenis

Then warlike kings, who for their country fought,

fecit avem Circe sparsitque coloribus alas.

And honorable wounds from battle brought.

Tali intus templo divom patriaque Latinus

Around the posts hung helmets, darts, and spears,

sede sedens Teucros ad sese in tecta vocavit,

And captive chariots, axes, shields, and bars,

atque haec ingressis placido prior edidit ore:

And broken beaks of ships, the trophies of their wars.

Dicite, Dardanidae (neque enim nescimus et urbem

Above the rest, as chief of all the band,

et genus, auditique advertitis aequore cursum),

Was Picus plac'd, a buckler in his hand;

quid petitis ? Quae causa rates aut cuius egentis

His other wav'd a long divining wand.

litus ad Ausonium tot per vada caerula vexit?

Girt in his Gabin gown the hero sate,

Sive errore viae seu tempestatibus acti,

Yet could not with his art avoid his fate:

qualia multa mari nautae patiuntur in alto,

For Circe long had lov'd the youth in vain,

fluminis intrastis ripas portuque sedetis,

Till love, refus'd, converted to disdain:

ne fugite hospitium neve ignorate Latinos

Then, mixing pow'rful herbs, with magic art,

Saturni gentem, haud vinclo nec legibus aequam,

She chang'd his form, who could not change his heart;

sponte sua veterisque dei se more tenentem.

Constrain'd him in a bird, and made him fly,

Atque equidem memini (fama est obscurior annis)

With party-color'd plumes, a chatt'ring pie.

Auruncos ita ferre senes, his ortus ut agris

In this high temple, on a chair of state,

Dardanus Idaeas Phrygiae penetravit ad urbes

The seat of audience, old Latinus sate;

Threiciamque Samum, quae nunc Samothracia fertur.

Then gave admission to the Trojan train;

Hinc illum, Corythi Tyrrhena ab sede profectum,

And thus with pleasing accents he began:

aurea nunc solio stellantis regia caeli

"Tell me, ye Trojans, for that name you own,

accipit et numerum divorum altaribus auget.

Nor is your course upon our coasts unknown-

Dixerat, et dicta Ilioneus sic voce secutus:

Say what you seek, and whither were you bound:

Rex, genus egregium Fauni, nec fluctibus actos,

Were you by stress of weather cast aground?

atra subegit hiemps vestris succedere terris

(Such dangers as on seas are often seen,

nec sidus regione viae litusve fefellit:

And oft befall to miserable men,)

consilio hanc omnes animisque volentibus urbem,

Or come, your shipping in our ports to lay,

adferimur, pulsi regnis, quae maxima quondam

Spent and disabled in so long a way?

extremo veniens Sol aspiciebat Olympo.

Say what you want: the Latians you shall find

Ab Iove principium generis, Iove Dardana pubes

Not forc'd to goodness, but by will inclin'd;

gaudet avo, rex ipse Iovis de gente suprema,

For, since the time of Saturn's holy reign,

Troius Aeneas, tua nos ad limina misit.

His hospitable customs we retain.

Quanta per Idaeos saevis effusa Mycenis

I call to mind (but time the tale has worn)

tempestas ierit campos, quibus actus uterque

Th' Arunci told, that Dardanus, tho' born

Europae atque Asiae fatis concurrerit orbis,

On Latian plains, yet sought the Phrygian shore,

audiit et siquem tellus extrema refuso

And Samothracia, Samos call'd before.

summovet oceano et siquem extenta plagarum

From Tuscan Coritum he claim'd his birth;

quattuor in medio dirimit plaga solis iniqui.

But after, when exempt from mortal earth,

Diluvio ex illo tot vasta per aequora vecti

From thence ascended to his kindred skies,

dis sedem exiguam patriis litusque rogamus

A god, and, as a god, augments their sacrifice,"

innocuum et cunctis undamque auramque patentem.

He said. Ilioneus made this reply:

Non erimus regno indecores, nec vestra feretur

"O king, of Faunus' royal family!

fama levis tantique abolescet gratia facti,

Nor wintry winds to Latium forc'd our way,

nec Troiam Ausonios gremio excepisse pigebit.

Nor did the stars our wand'ring course betray.

Fata per Aeneae iuro dextramque potentem

Willing we sought your shores; and, hither bound,

sive fide seu quis bello est expertus et armis:

The port, so long desir'd, at length we found;

multi nos populi, multae (ne temne, quod ultro

From our sweet homes and ancient realms expell'd;

praeferimus manibus vittas ac verba precantia)

Great as the greatest that the sun beheld.

et petiere sibi et voluere adiungere gentes;

The god began our line, who rules above;

sed nos fata deum vestras exquirere terras

And, as our race, our king descends from Jove:

imperiis egere suis. Hinc Dardanus ortus;

And hither are we come, by his command,

huc repetit iussisque ingentibus urguet Apollo

To crave admission in your happy land.

Tyrrhenum ad Thybrim et fontis vada sacra Numici.

How dire a tempest, from Mycenae pour'd,

Dat tibi praeterea fortunae parva prioris

Our plains, our temples, and our town devour'd;

munera, reliquias Troia ex ardente receptas.

What was the waste of war, what fierce alarms

Hoc pater Anchises auro libabat ad aras;

Shook Asia's crown with European arms;

Ev'n such have heard, if any such there be,

Whose earth is bounded by the frozen sea;

And such as, born beneath the burning sky

And sultry sun, betwixt the tropics lie.

From that dire deluge, thro' the wat'ry waste,

Such length of years, such various perils past,

At last escap'd, to Latium we repair,

To beg what you without your want may spare:

The common water, and the common air;

Sheds which ourselves will build, and mean abodes,

Fit to receive and serve our banish'd gods.

Nor our admission shall your realm disgrace,

Nor length of time our gratitude efface.

Besides, what endless honor you shall gain,

To save and shelter Troy's unhappy train!

Now, by my sov'reign, and his fate, I swear,

Renown'd for faith in peace, for force in war;

Oft our alliance other lands desir'd,

And, what we seek of you, of us requir'd.

Despite not then, that in our hands we bear

These holy boughs, sue with words of pray'r.

Fate and the gods, by their supreme command,

Have doom'd our ships to seek the Latian land.

To these abodes our fleet Apollo sends;

Here Dardanus was born, and hither tends;

Where Tuscan Tiber rolls with rapid force,

And where Numicus opes his holy source.

Besides, our prince presents, with his request,

Some small remains of what his sire possess'd.

hoc Priami gestamen erat, cum iura vocatis

This golden charger, snatch'd from burning Troy,

more daret populis, sceptrumque sacerque tiaras

Anchises did in sacrifice employ;

Iliadumque labor vestes.

This royal robe and this tiara wore

Talibus Ilionei dictis defixa Latinus

Old Priam, and this golden scepter bore

obtutu tenet ora soloque immobilis haeret

In full assemblies, and in solemn games;

intentos volvens oculos. Nec purpura regem

These purple vests were weav'd by Dardan dames."

picta movet nec sceptra movent Priameia tantum,

Thus while he spoke, Latinus roll'd around

quantum in conubio natae thalamoque moratur,

His eyes, and fix'd a while upon the ground.

et veteris Fauni voluit sub pectore sortem,

Intent he seem'd, and anxious in his breast;

hunc illum fatis externa ab sede profectum

Not by the scepter mov'd, or kingly vest,

portendi generum paribusque in regna vocari

But pond'ring future things of wondrous weight;

auspiciis, huic progeniem virtute futuram

Succession, empire, and his daughter's fate.

egregiam et totum quae viribus occupet orbem.

On these he mus'd within his thoughtful mind,

tandem laetus ait: Di nostra incepta secundent

And then revolv'd what Faunus had divin'd.

auguriumque suum; dabitur, Troiane, quod optas,

This was the foreign prince, by fate decreed

munera nec sperno. Non vobis rege Latino

To share his scepter, and Lavinia's bed;

divitis uber agri Troiaeve opulentia deerit.

This was the race that sure portents foreshew

Ipse modo Aeneas, nostri si tanta cupido est,

To sway the world, and land and sea subdue.

si iungi hospitio properat sociusque vocari,

At length he rais'd his cheerful head, and spoke:

adveniat voltus neve exhorrescat amicos:

"The pow'rs," said he, "the pow'rs we both invoke,

illi pacis erit dextram tetigisse tyranni.

To you, and yours, and mine, propitious be,

vos contra regi mea nunc mandata referte.

And firm our purpose with their augury!

Est mihi nata, viro gentis quam iungere nostrae

Have what you ask; your presents I receive;

non patrio ex adyto sortes, non plurima caelo

Land, where and when you please, with ample leave;

monstra sinunt: generos externis adfore ab oris,

Partake and use my kingdom as your own;

hoc Latio restare canunt, qui sanguine nostrum

All shall be yours, while I command the crown:

nomen in astra ferant. Hunc illum poscere fata

And, if my wish'd alliance please your king,

et reor et, siquid veri mens augurat, opto.

Tell him he should not send the peace, but bring.

haec effatus equos numero pater eligit omni

Then let him not a friend's embraces fear;

(stabant ter centum nitidi in praesaepibus altis):

The peace is made when I behold him here.

omnibus extemplo Teucris iubet ordine duci

Besides this answer, tell my royal guest,

instratos ostro alipedes pictisque tapetis;

I add to his commands my own request:

aurea pectoribus demissa monilia pendent,

One only daughter heirs my crown and state,

tecti auro fulvum mandunt sub dentibus aurum;

Whom not our oracles, nor Heav'n, nor fate,

absenti Aeneae currum geminosque iugalis

Nor frequent prodigies, permit to join

semine ab aetherio, spirantis naribus ignem,

With any native of th' Ausonian line.

illorum de gente, patri quos daedala Circe

A foreign son-in-law shall come from far

supposita de matre nothos furata creavit.

(Such is our doom), a chief renown'd in war,

Talibus Aeneadae donis dictisque Latini

Whose race shall bear aloft the Latian name,

sublimes in equis redeunt pacemque reportant.

And thro' the conquer'd world diffuse our fame.

Ecce autem Inachiis sese referebat ab Argis

Himself to be the man the fates require,

saeva Iovis coniunx aurasque invecta tenebat,

I firmly judge, and, what I judge, desire."

et laetum Aenean classemque ex aethere longe

He said, and then on each bestow'd a steed.

Dardaniam Siculo prospexit ab usque Pachyno.

Three hundred horses, in high stables fed,

moliri iam tecta videt, iam fidere terrae,

Stood ready, shining all, and smoothly dress'd:

deseruisse rates: stetit acri fixa dolore.

Of these he chose the fairest and the best,

Tum quassans caput haec effundit pectore dicta:

To mount the Trojan troop. At his command

Heu stirpem invisam et fatis contraria nostris

The steeds caparison'd with purple stand,

fata Phrygum ! Num Sigeis occumbere campis,

With golden trappings, glorious to behold,

num capti potuere capi, num incensa cremavit

And champ betwixt their teeth the foaming gold.

Troia viros ? Medias acies mediosque per ignis

Then to his absent guest the king decreed

invenere viam. At, credo, mea numina tandem

A pair of coursers born of heav'nly breed,

fessa iacent odiis aut exsaturata quievi.

Who from their nostrils breath'd ethereal fire;

Quin etiam patria excussos infesta per undas

Whom Circe stole from her celestial sire,

ausa sequi et profugis toto me opponere ponto !

By substituting mares produc'd on earth,

Absumptae in Teucros vires caelique marisque.

Whose wombs conceiv'd a more than mortal birth.

Quid Syrtes aut Scylla mihi, quid vasta Charybdis

These draw the chariot which Latinus sends,

profuit? Optato conduntur Thybridis alveo,

And the rich present to the prince commends.

securi pelagi atque mei. Mars perdere gentem

Sublime on stately steeds the Trojans borne,

immanem Lapithum valuit, concessit in iras

To their expecting lord with peace return.

ipse deum antiquam genitor Calydona Dianae,

But jealous Juno, from Pachynus' height,

quod scelus aut Lapithis tantum aut Calydona merentem?

As she from Argos took her airy flight,

Ast ego magna Iovis coniunx, nil linquere inausum

Beheld with envious eyes this hateful sight.

quae potui infelix, quae memet in omnia verti,

She saw the Trojan and his joyful train

vincor ab Aenea. Quod si mea numina non sunt

Descend upon the shore, desert the main,

magna satis, dubitem haud equidem implorare quod usquam est:

Design a town, and, with unhop'd success,

flectere si nequeo superos, Acheronta movebo.

Th' embassadors return with promis'd peace.

Non dabitur regnis, esto, prohibere Latinis,

Then, pierc'd with pain, she shook her haughty head,

atque immota manet fatis Lavinia coniunx:

Sigh'd from her inward soul, and thus she said:

at trahere atque moras tantis licet addere rebus,

"O hated offspring of my Phrygian foes!

at licet amborum populos exscindere regum.

O fates of Troy, which Juno's fates oppose!

Hac gener atque socer coeant mercede suorum:

Could they not fall unpitied on the plain,

sanguine Troiano et Rutulo dotabere, virgo,

But slain revive, and, taken, scape again?

et Bellona manet te pronuba. Nec face tantum

When execrable Troy in ashes lay,

Cisseis praegnans ignis enixa iugalis

Thro' fires and swords and seas they forc'd their way.

quin idem Veneri partus suus et Paris alter

Then vanquish'd Juno must in vain contend,

funestaeque iterum recidiva in Pergama taedae.

Her rage disarm'd, her empire at an end.

Haec ubi dicta dedit, terras Horrenda petivit:

Breathless and tir'd, is all my fury spent?

luctificam Allecto dirarum ab sede dearum

Or does my glutted spleen at length relent?

infernisque ciet tenebris, cui tristia bella

As if 't were little from their town to chase,

iraeque insidiaeque et crimina noxia cordi.

I thro' the seas pursued their exil'd race;

Ingag'd the heav'ns, oppos'd the stormy main;

But billows roar'd, and tempests rag'd in vain.

What have my Scyllas and my Syrtes done,

When these they overpass, and those they shun?

On Tiber's shores they land, secure of fate,

Triumphant o'er the storms and Juno's hate.

Mars could in mutual blood the Centaurs bathe,

And Jove himself gave way to Cynthia's wrath,

Who sent the tusky boar to Calydon;

(What great offense had either people done?)

But I, the consort of the Thunderer,

Have wag'd a long and unsuccessful war,

With various arts and arms in vain have toil'd,

And by a mortal man at length am foil'd.

If native pow'r prevail not, shall I doubt

To seek for needful succor from without?

If Jove and Heav'n my just desires deny,

Hell shall the pow'r of Heav'n and Jove supply.

Grant that the Fates have firm'd, by their decree,

The Trojan race to reign in Italy;

At least I can defer the nuptial day,

And with protracted wars the peace delay:

With blood the dear alliance shall be bought,

And both the people near destruction brought;

So shall the son-in-law and father join,

With ruin, war, and waste of either line.

O fatal maid, thy marriage is endow'd

With Phrygian, Latian, andRutulian blood!

Bellona leads thee to thy lover's hand;

Another queen brings forth another brand,

To burn with foreign fires another land!

Odit et ipse pater Pluton, odere sorores

A second Paris, diff'ring but in name,

Tartareae monstrum: tot sese vertit in ora,

Shall fire his country with a second flame."

tam saevae facies, tot pullulat atra colubris.

Thus having said, she sinks beneath the ground,

Quam Iuno his acuit verbis ac talia fatur:

With furious haste, and shoots the Stygian sound,

Hunc mihi da proprium, virgo sata Nocte, laborem,

To rouse Alecto from th' infernal seat

hanc operam, ne noster honos infractave cedat

Of her dire sisters, and their dark retreat.

fama loco, neu conubiis ambire Latinum

This Fury, fit for her intent, she chose;

Aeneadae possint Italosve obsidere finis.

One who delights in wars and human woes.

Tu potes unanimos armare in proelia fratres

Ev'n Pluto hates his own misshapen race;

atque odiis versare domos, tu verbera tectis

Her sister Furies fly her hideous face;

funereasque inferre faces, tibi nomina mille,

So frightful are the forms the monster takes,

mille nocendi artes. Fecundum concute pectus,

So fierce the hissings of her speckled snakes.

disice compositam pacem, sere crimina belli:

Her Juno finds, and thus inflames her spite:

arma velit poscatque simul rapiatque inventus.

"O virgin daughter of eternal Night,

Exin Gorgoneis Allecto infecta venenis

Give me this once thy labor, to sustain

principio Latium et Laurentis tecta tyranni

My right, and execute my just disdain.

celsa petit tacitumque obsedit limen Amatae,

Let not the Trojans, with a feign'd pretense

quam super adventu Teucrum Turnique hymenaeis

Of proffer'd peace, delude the Latian prince.

femineae ardentem curaeque iraeque coquebant.

Expel from Italy that odious name,

Huic dea caeruleis unum de crinibus anguem

And let not Juno suffer in her fame.

conicit inque sinum praecordia ad intuma subdit,

'T is thine to ruin realms, o'erturn a state,

quo furibunda domum monstro permisceat omnem.

Betwixt the dearest friends to raise debate,

Ille inter vestes et levia pectora lapsus

And kindle kindred blood to mutual hate.

volvitur attactu nullo fallitque furentem,

Thy hand o'er towns the fun'ral torch displays,

vipeream inspirans animam: fit tortile collo

And forms a thousand ills ten thousand ways.

aurum ingens coluber, fit longae taenia vittae

Now shake, out thy fruitful breast, the seeds

innectitque comas, et membris lubricus errat.

Of envy, discord, and of cruel deeds:

Ac dum prima lues udo sublapsa veneno

Confound the peace establish'd, and prepare

pertemptat sensus atque ossibus implicat ignem

Their souls to hatred, and their hands to war."

necdum animus toto percepit pectore flammam,

Smear'd as she was with black Gorgonian blood,

mollius et solito matrum de more locuta est,

The Fury sprang above the Stygian flood;

multa super nata lacrimans Phrygiisque hymenaeis:

And on her wicker wings, sublime thro' night,

Exsulibusne datur ducenda Lavinia Teucris,

She to the Latian palace took her flight:

O genitor, nec te miseret gnataeque tuique ?

There sought the queen's apartment, stood before

Nec matris miseret, quam primo aquilone relinquet

The peaceful threshold, and besieg'd the door.

perfidus alta petens abducta virgine praedo?

Restless Amata lay, her swelling breast

An non sic Phrygius penetrat Lacedaemona pastor

Fir'd with disdain for Turnus dispossess'd,

Ledaeamque Helenam Troianas vexit ad urbes ?

And the new nuptials of the Trojan guest.

Quid tua sancta fides, quid cura antiqua tuorum

From her black bloody locks the Fury shakes

et consanguineo totiens data dextera Turno?

Her darling plague, the fav'rite of her snakes;

Si gener externa petitur de gente Latinis

With her full force she threw the poisonous dart,

idque sedet Faunique premunt te iussa parentis,

And fix'd it deep within Amata's heart,

omnem equidem sceptris terram quae libera nostris

That, thus envenom'd, she might kindle rage,

dissidet, externam reor et sic dicere divos.

And sacrifice to strife her house husband's age.

Et Turno, si prima domus repetatur origo,

Unseen, unfelt, the fiery serpent skims

Inachus Acrisiusque patres mediaeque Mycenae.

Betwixt her linen and her naked limbs;

His ubi nequiquam dictis experta Latinum

His baleful breath inspiring, as he glides,

contra stare videt penitusque in viscera lapsum

Now like a chain around her neck he rides,

serpentis furiale malum totamque pererrat,

Now like a fillet to her head repairs,

tum vero infelix, ingentibus excita monstris,

And with his circling volumes folds her hairs.

immensam sine more furit lymphata per urbem.

At first the silent venom slid with ease,

Ceu quondam torto volitans sub verbere turbo,

And seiz'd her cooler senses by degrees;

quem pueri magno in gyro vacua atria circum

Then, ere th' infected mass was fir'd too far,

intenti ludo exercent; ille actus habena

In plaintive accents she began the war,

curvatis fertur spatiis; stupet inscia supra

And thus bespoke her husband: "Shall," she said,

inpubesque manus, mirata volubile buxum;

"A wand'ring prince enjoy Lavinia's bed?

dant animos plagae: non cursu segnior illo

If nature plead not in a parent's heart,

per medias urbes agitur populosque feroces.

Pity my tears, and pity her desert.

Quin etiam in silvas, simulato numine Bacchi,

I know, my dearest lord, the time will come,

maius adorta nefas maioremque orsa furorem

You in vain, reverse your cruel doom;

evolat et natam frondosis montibus abdit,

The faithless pirate soon will set to sea,

quo thalamum eripiat Teucris taedasque moretur,

And bear the royal virgin far away!

Euhoe Bacche, fremens, solum te virgine dignum

A guest like him, a Trojan guest before,

vociferans, etenim mollis tibi sumere thyrsos,

In shew of friendship sought the Spartan shore,

te lustrare choro, sacrum tibi pascere crinem.

And ravish'd Helen from her husband bore.

Fama volat, furiisque accensas pectore matres

Think on a king's inviolable word;

idem omnis simul ardor agit nova quaerere tecta:

And think on Turnus, her once plighted lord:

deseruere domos, ventis dant colla comasque,

To this false foreigner you give your throne,

ast aliae tremulis ululatibus aethera complent,

And wrong a friend, a kinsman, and a son.

pampineasque gerunt incinctae pellibus hastas;

Resume your ancient care; and, if the god

ipsa inter medias flagrantem fervida pinum

Your sire, and you, resolve on foreign blood,

sustinet ac natae Turnique canit hymenaeos,

Know all are foreign, in a larger sense,

sanguineam torquens aciem, torvumque repente

Not born your subjects, or deriv'd from hence.

clamat: Io matres, audite, ubi quaeque, Latinae:

Then, if the line of Turnus you retrace,

Siqua piis animis manet infelicis Amatae

He springs from Inachus of Argive race."

gratia, si iuris materni cura remordet,

But when she saw her reasons idly spent,

solvite crinalis vittas, capite orgia mecum.

And could not move him from his fix'd intent,

Talem inter silvas, inter deserta ferarum,

She flew to rage; for now the snake possess'd

reginam Allecto stimulis agit undique Bacchi.

Her vital parts, and poison'd all her breast;

Postquam visa satis primos acuisse furores

She raves, she runs with a distracted pace,

consiliumque omnemque domum vertisse Latini,

And fills with horrid howls the public place.

protinus hinc fuscis tristis dea tollitur alis

And, as young striplings whip the top for sport,

On the smooth pavement of an empty court;

The wooden engine flies and whirls about,

Admir'd, with clamors, of the beardless rout;

They lash aloud; each other they provoke,

And lend their little souls at ev'ry stroke:

Thus fares the queen; and thus her fury blows

Amidst the crowd, and kindles as she goes.

Nor yet content, she strains her malice more,

And adds new ills to those contriv'd before:

She flies the town, and, mixing with a throng

Of madding matrons, bears the bride along,

Wand'ring thro' woods and wilds, and devious ways,

And with these arts the Trojan match delays.

She feign'd the rites of Bacchus; cried aloud,

And to the buxom god the virgin vow'd.

"Evoe! O Bacchus!" thus began the song;

And "Evoe!" answer'd all the female throng.

"O virgin! worthy thee alone!" she cried;

"O worthy thee alone!" the crew replied.

"For thee she feeds her hair, she leads thy dance,

And with thy winding ivy wreathes her lance."

Like fury seiz'd the rest; the progress known,

All seek the mountains, and forsake the town:

All, clad in skins of beasts, the jav'lin bear,

Give to the wanton winds their flowing hair,

And shrieks and shoutings rend the suff'ring air.

The queen herself, inspir'd with rage divine,

Shook high above her head a flaming pine;

Then roll'd her haggard eyes around the throng,

audacis Rutuli ad muros, quam dicitur urbem

And sung, in Turnus' name, the nuptial song:

Acrisioneis Danae fundasse colonis,