by Virgil
cum Iuno, aeternum servans sub pectore volnus,
When Juno’s heart, who nursed the wound that never thence would pass,
haec secum: ‘Mene incepto desistere victam,
Spake out: “And must I, vanquished, leave the deed I have begun,
nec posse Italia Teucrorum avertere regem?
Nor save the Italian realm a king who comes of Teucer’s son?
Quippe vetor fatis. Pallasne exurere classem
The Fates forbid it me forsooth? And Pallas, might not she
Argivom atque ipsos potuit submergere ponto, 40
Burn up the Argive fleet and sink the Argives in the sea
unius ob noxam et furias Aiacis Oilei?
For Oileus’ only fault and fury that he wrought?
Ipsa, Iovis rapidum iaculata e nubibus ignem,
She hurled the eager fire of Jove from cloudy dwelling caught,
disiecitque rates evertitque aequora ventis,
And rent the ships and with the wind the heaped-up waters drew,
illum expirantem transfixo pectore flammas
And him a-dying, and all his breast by wildfire smitten through,
turbine corripuit scopuloque infixit acuto. 45
The whirl of waters swept away on spiky crag to bide.
Ast ego, quae divom incedo regina, Iovisque
While I, who go forth Queen of Gods, the very Highest’s bride
et soror et coniunx, una cum gente tot annos
And sister, must I wage a war for all these many years
bella gero! Et quisquam numen Iunonis adoret
With one lone race? What! is there left a soul that Juno fears
praeterea, aut supplex aris imponet honorem?’
Henceforth? or will one suppliant hand gifts on mine altar lay?”
Talia flammato secum dea corde volutans 50
So brooding in her fiery heart the Goddess went her way
nimborum in patriam, loca feta furentibus austris,
Unto the fatherland of storm, full fruitful of the gale,
Aeoliam venit. Hic vasto rex Aeolus antro
Æolia hight, where Æolus is king of all avail,
luctantes ventos tempestatesque sonoras
And far adown a cavern vast the bickering of the winds
imperio premit ac vinclis et carcere frenat.
And roaring tempests of the world with bolt and fetter binds:
Illi indignantes magno cum murmure montis 55
They set the mountains murmuring much, a-growling angrily
circum claustra fremunt; celsa sedet Aeolus arce
About their bars, while Æolus sits in his burg on high,
sceptra tenens, mollitque animos et temperat iras.
And, sceptre-holding, softeneth them, and strait their wrath doth keep:
Ni faciat, maria ac terras caelumque profundum
Yea but for that the earth and sea, and vault of heaven the deep,
quippe ferant rapidi secum verrantque per auras.
They eager-swift would roll away and sweep adown of space:
Sed pater omnipotens speluncis abdidit atris, 60
For fear whereof the Father high in dark and hollow place
hoc metuens, molemque et montis insuper altos
Hath hidden them, and high above a world of mountains thrown
imposuit, regemque dedit, qui foedere certo
And given them therewithal a king, who, taught by law well known,
et premere et laxas sciret dare iussus habenas.
Now draweth, and now casteth loose the reins that hold them in:
Ad quem tum Iuno supplex his vocibus usa est:
To whom did suppliant Juno now in e’en such words begin:
‘Aeole, namque tibi divom pater atque hominum rex 65
“The Father of the Gods and men hath given thee might enow,
et mulcere dedit fluctus et tollere vento,
O Æolus, to smooth the sea, and make the storm-wind blow.
gens inimica mihi Tyrrhenum navigat aequor,
Hearken! a folk, my very foes, saileth the Tyrrhene main
Ilium in Italiam portans victosque Penates:
Bearing their Troy to Italy, and Gods that were but vain:
incute vim ventis submersasque obrue puppes,
Set on thy winds, and overwhelm their sunken ships at sea,
aut age diversos et disiice corpora ponto. 70
Or prithee scattered cast them forth, things drowned diversedly.
Sunt mihi bis septem praestanti corpore nymphae,
Twice seven nymphs are in my house of body passing fair:
quarum quae forma pulcherrima Deiopea,
Of whom indeed Deïopea is fairest fashioned there.
conubio iungam stabili propriamque dicabo,
I give her thee in wedlock sure, and call her all thine own
omnis ut tecum meritis pro talibus annos
To wear away the years with thee, for thy deserving shown
exigat, et pulchra faciat te prole parentem.’ 75
To me this day; of offspring fair she too shall make thee sire.”
Aeolus haec contra: ‘Tuus, O regina, quid optes
To whom spake Æolus: “O Queen, to search out thy desire
explorare labor; mihi iussa capessere fas est.
Is all thou needest toil herein; from me the deed should wend.
Tu mihi, quodcumque hoc regni, tu sceptra Iovemque
Thou mak’st my realm; the sway of all, and Jove thou mak’st my friend,
concilias, tu das epulis accumbere divom,
Thou givest me to lie with Gods when heavenly feast is dight,
nimborumque facis tempestatumque potentem.’ 80
And o’er the tempest and the cloud thou makest me of might.”
Haec ubi dicta, cavum conversa cuspide montem
Therewith against the hollow hill he turned him spear in hand
impulit in latus: ac venti, velut agmine facto,
And hurled it on the flank thereof, and as an ordered band
qua data porta, ruunt et terras turbine perflant.
By whatso door the winds rush out o’er earth in whirling blast,
Incubuere mari, totumque a sedibus imis
And driving down upon the sea its lowest deeps upcast.
una Eurusque Notusque ruunt creberque procellis 85
The East, the West together there, the Afric, that doth hold
Africus, et vastos volvunt ad litora fluctus.
A heart fulfilled of stormy rain, huge billows shoreward rolled.
Insequitur clamorque virum stridorque rudentum.
Therewith came clamour of the men and whistling through the shrouds
Eripiunt subito nubes caelumque diemque
And heaven and day all suddenly were swallowed by the clouds
Teucrorum ex oculis; ponto nox incubat atra.
Away from eyes of Teucrian men; night on the ocean lies,
Intonuere poli, et crebris micat ignibus aether, 90
Pole thunders unto pole, and still with wildfire glare the skies,
praesentemque viris intentant omnia mortem.
And all things hold the face of death before the seamen’s eyes.
Extemplo Aeneae solvuntur frigore membra:
Now therewithal Æneas’ limbs grew weak with chilly dread,
ingemit, et duplicis tendens ad sidera palmas
He groaned, and lifting both his palms aloft to heaven, he said:
talia voce refert: ‘O terque quaterque beati,
“O thrice and four times happy ye, that had the fate to fall
quis ante ora patrum Troiae sub moenibus altis 95
Before your fathers’ faces there by Troy’s beloved wall!
contigit oppetere! O Danaum fortissime gentis
Tydides, thou of Danaan folk the mightiest under shield,
Tydide! Mene Iliacis occumbere campis
Why might I never lay me down upon the Ilian field,
non potuisse, tuaque animam hanc effundere dextra,
Why was my soul forbid release at thy most mighty hand,
saevus ubi Aeacidae telo iacet Hector, ubi ingens
Where eager Hector stooped and lay before Achilles’ wand,
Sarpedon, ubi tot Simois correpta sub undis 100
Where huge Sarpedon fell asleep, where Simoïs rolls along
scuta virum galeasque et fortia corpora volvit?’
The shields of men, and helms of men, and bodies of the strong?”
Talia iactanti stridens Aquilone procella
Thus as he cried the whistling North fell on with sudden gale
velum adversa ferit, fluctusque ad sidera tollit.
And drave the seas up toward the stars, and smote aback the sail;
Franguntur remi; tum prora avertit, et undis
Then break the oars, the bows fall off, and beam on in the trough
dat latus; insequitur cumulo praeruptus aquae mons. 105
She lieth, and the sea comes on a mountain huge and rough.
Hi summo in flucta pendent; his unda dehiscens
These hang upon the topmost wave, and those may well discern
terram inter fluctus aperit; furit aestus harenis.
The sea’s ground mid the gaping whirl: with sand the surges churn.
Tris Notus abreptas in saxa latentia torquet —
Three keels the South wind cast away on hidden reefs that lie
saxa vocant Itali mediis quae in fluctibus aras —
Midmost the sea, the Altars called by men of Italy,
dorsum immane mari summo; tris Eurus ab alto 110
A huge back thrusting through the tide: three others from the deep
in brevia et Syrtis urguet, miserabile visu,
The East toward straits, and swallowing sands did miserably sweep,
inliditque vadis atque aggere cingit harenae.
And dashed them on the shoals, and heaped the sand around in ring:
Unam, quae Lycios fidumque vehebat Oronten,
And one, a keel the Lycians manned, with him, the trusty King
ipsius ante oculos ingens a vertice pontus
Orontes, in Æneas’ sight a toppling wave o’erhung,
in puppim ferit: excutitur pronusque magister 115
And smote the poop, and headlong rolled, adown the helmsman flung;
volvitur in caput; ast illam ter fluctus ibidem
Then thrice about the driving flood hath hurled her as she lay,
torquet agens circum, et rapidus vorat aequore vortex.
The hurrying eddy swept above and swallowed her from day:
Adparent rari nantes in gurgite vasto,
And lo! things swimming here and there, scant in the unmeasured seas,
arma virum, tabulaeque, et Troia gaza per undas.
The arms of men, and painted boards, and Trojan treasuries.
Iam validam Ilionei navem, iam fortis Achati, 120
And now Ilioneus’ stout ship, her that Achates leal
et qua vectus Abas, et qua grandaevus Aletes,
And Abas ferried o’er the main, and old Aletes’ keel
vicit hiems; laxis laterum compagibus omnes
The storm hath overcome; and all must drink the baneful stream
accipiunt inimicum imbrem, rimisque fatiscunt.
Through opening leaky sides of them that gape at every seam.
Interea magno misceri murmure pontum,
But meanwhile Neptune, sorely moved, hath felt the storm let go,
emissamque hiemem sensit Neptunus, et imis 125
And all the turmoil of the main with murmur great enow;
stagna refusa vadis, graviter commotus; et alto
The deep upheaved from all abodes the lowest that there be:
prospiciens, summa placidum caput extulit unda.
So forth he put his placid face o’er topmost of the sea,
Disiectam Aeneae, toto videt aequore classem,
And there he saw Æneas’ ships o’er all the main besprent,
fluctibus oppressos Troas caelique ruina,
The Trojans beaten by the flood and ruin from heaven sent.
nec latuere doli fratrem Iunonis et irae. 130
But Juno’s guile and wrathful heart her brother knew full well:
Eurum ad se Zephyrumque vocat, dehinc talia fatur:
So East and West he called to him, and spake such words to tell:
‘Tantane vos generis tenuit fiducia vestri?
“What mighty pride of race of yours hath hold upon your minds,
Iam caelum terramque meo sine numine, venti,
That earth and sea ye turmoil so without my will, O winds;
miscere, et tantas audetis tollere moles?
That such upheaval and so great ye dare without my will?
Quos ego — sed motos praestat componere fluctus. 135
Whom I — But first it comes to hand the troubled flood to still:
Post mihi non simili poena commissa luetis.
For such-like fault henceforward though with nought so light ye pay.
Maturate fugam, regique haec dicite vestro:
Go get you gone, and look to it this to your king to say:
non illi imperium pelagi saevumque tridentem,
That ocean’s realm and three-tined spear of dread are given by Fate
sed mihi sorte datum. Tenet ille immania saxa,
Not unto him but unto me? he holds the cliffs o’ergreat,
vestras, Eure, domos; illa se iactet in aula 140
Thine houses, Eurus; in that hall I bid him then be bold,
Aeolus, et clauso ventorum carcere regnet.’
Thine Æolus, and lord it o’er his winds in barred hold.”
Sic ait, et dicto citius tumida aequora placat,
So saying and swifter than his word he layed the troubled main,
collectasque fugat nubes, solemque reducit.
And put to flight the gathered clouds, and brought the sun again;
Cymothoe simul et Triton adnixus acuto
And with him Triton fell to work, and fair Cymothoë,
detrudunt navis scopulo; levat ipse tridenti; 145
And thrust the ships from spiky rocks; with triple spear wrought he
et vastas aperit syrtis, et temperat aequor,
To lift, and opened swallowing sands, and laid the waves alow.
atque rotis summas levibus perlabitur undas.
Then on light wheels o’er ocean’s face soft gliding did he go.
Ac veluti magno in populo cum saepe coorta est
And, like as mid a people great full often will arise
seditio, saevitque animis ignobile volgus,
Huge riot, and all the low-born herd to utter anger flies,
iamque faces et saxa volant — furor arma ministrat; 150
And sticks and stones are in the air, and fury arms doth find:
tum, pietate gravem ac meritis si forte virum quem
Then, setting eyes perchance on one of weight for noble mind,
conspexere, silent, arrectisque auribus adstant;
And noble deeds, they hush them then and stand with pricked-up ears,
ille regit dictis animos, et pectora mulcet, —
And he with words becomes their lord, and smooth their anger wears;
sic cunctus pelagi cecidit fragor, aequora postquam
— In such wise fell all clash of sea when that sea-father rose,
prospiciens genitor caeloque invectus aperto 155
And looked abroad: who turned his steeds, and giving rein to those,
flectit equos, curruque volans dat lora secundo.
Flew forth in happy-gliding car through heaven’s all-open way.
Defessi Aeneadae, quae proxima litora, cursu
Æneas’ sore forewearied host the shores that nearest lay
contendunt petere, et Libyae vertuntur ad oras.
Stretch out for o’er the sea, and turn to Libyan land this
while.
Est in secessu longo locus: insula portum
There goes a long firth of the sea, made haven by an isle,
efficit obiectu laterum, quibus omnis ab alto 160
Against whose sides thrust out abroad each wave the main doth send
frangitur inque sinus scindit sese unda reductos.
Is broken, and must cleave itself through hollow bights to wend:
Hinc atque hinc vastae rupes geminique minantur
Huge rocks on this hand and on that, twin horns of cliff, cast dread
in caelum scopuli, quorum sub vertice late
On very heaven; and far and wide beneath each mighty head
aequora tuta silent; tum silvis scaena coruscis
Hushed are the harmless waters; lo, the flickering wood above
desuper horrentique atrum nemus imminet umbra. 165
And wavering shadow cast adown by darksome hanging grove:
Fronte sub adversa scopulis pendentibus antrum,
In face hereof a cave there is of rocks o’erhung, made meet
intus aquae dulces vivoque sedilia saxo,
With benches of the living stone and springs of water sweet,
nympharum domus: hic fessas non vincula navis
The house of Nymphs: a-riding there may way-worn ships be bold
ulla tenent, unco non alligat ancora morsu.
To lie without the hawser’s strain or anchor’s hookèd hold.
Huc septem Aeneas collectis navibus omni 170
That bight with seven of all his tale of ships Æneas gained,
ex numero subit; ac magno telluris amore
And there, by mighty love of land the Trojans sore constrained,
egressi optata potiuntur Troes harena,
Leap off-board straight, and gain the gift of that so longed-for sand,
et sale tabentis artus in litore ponunt.
And lay their limbs with salt sea fouled adown upon the strand:
Ac primum silici scintillam excudit Achates,
And first Achates smote alive the spark from out the flint,
succepitque ignem foliis, atque arida circum 175
And caught the fire in tinder-leaves, and never gift did stint
nutrimenta dedit, rapuitque in fomite flammam.
Of feeding dry; and flame enow in kindled stuff he woke;
Tum Cererem corruptam undis Cerealiaque arma
Then Ceres’ body spoilt with sea, and Ceres’ arms they took,
expediunt fessi rerum, frugesque receptas
And sped the matter spent with toil, and fruit of furrows found
et torrere parant flammis et frangere saxo.
They set about to parch with fire and ‘twixt of stones to pound.
Aeneas scopulum interea conscendit, et omnem 180