by Virgil
finibus expulsum patriis, nova regna petentem 620
Who, driven from out his fatherland, was seeking new abode
auxilio Beli; genitor tum Belus opimam
By Belus’ help: but Belus then, my father, over-rode
vastabat Cyprum, et victor dicione tenebat.
Cyprus the rich, and held the same as very conquering lord:
Tempore iam ex illo casus mihi cognitus urbis
So from that tide I knew of Troy and bitter Fate’s award,
Troianae nomenque tuum regesque Pelasgi.
I knew of those Pelasgian kings — yea, and I knew thy name.
Ipse hostis Teucros insigni laude ferebat, 625
He then, a foeman, added praise to swell the Teucrian fame,
seque ortum antiqua Teucrorum ab stirpe volebat.
And oft was glad to deem himself of ancient Teucer’s line.
Quare agite, O tectis, iuvenes, succedite nostris.
So hasten now to enter in ‘neath roofs of me and mine.
Me quoque per multos similis fortuna labores
Me too a fortune such as yours, me tossed by many a toil,
iactatam hac demum voluit consistere terra.
Hath pleased to give abiding-place at last upon this soil,
Non ignara mali, miseris succurrere disco.’ 630
Learned in illhaps full wise am I unhappy men to aid.”
Sic memorat; simul Aenean in regia ducit
Such tale she told, and therewith led to house full kingly made
tecta, simul divom templis indicit honorem.
Æneas, bidding therewithal the Gods with gifts to grace;
Nec minus interea sociis ad litora mittit
Nor yet their fellows she forgat upon the sea-beat place,
viginti tauros, magnorum horrentia centum
But sendeth them a twenty bulls, an hundred bristling backs
terga suum, pinguis centum cum matribus agnos, 635
Of swine, an hundred fatted lambs, whereof his ewe none lacks,
munera laetitiamque dii.
And gifts and gladness of the God.
At domus interior regali splendida luxu
Meanwhile the gleaming house within with kingly pomp is dight,
instruitur, mediisque parant convivia tectis:
And in the midmost of the hall a banquet they prepare:
arte laboratae vestes ostroque superbo,
Cloths laboured o’er with handicraft, and purple proud is there;
ingens argentum mensis, caelataque in auro 640
Great is the silver on the board, and carven out of gold
fortia facta patrum, series longissima rerum
The mighty deeds of father-folk, a long-drawn tale, is told,
per tot ducta viros antiqua ab origine gentis.
Brought down through many and many an one from when their race began.
Aeneas (neque enim patrius consistere mentem
Æneas, through whose father’s heart unquiet love there ran,
passus amor) rapidum ad navis praemittit Achaten,
Sent on the swift Achates now unto the ships to speed,
Ascanio ferat haec, ipsumque ad moenia ducat; 645
To bear Ascanius all these haps, and townward him to lead;
omnis in Ascanio cari stat cura parentis.
For on Ascanius well beloved was all his father’s thought:
Munera praeterea, Iliacis erepta ruinis,
And therewithal gifts good to give from Ilium’s ruin caught
ferre iubet, pallam signis auroque rigentem,
He bade him bring: a cope all stiff with golden imagery;
et circumtextum croceo velamen acantho,
With saffron soft acanthus twine a veil made fair to see;
ornatus Argivae Helenae, quos illa Mycenis, 650
The Argive Helen’s braveries, brought from Mycenæ erst,
Pergama cum peteret inconcessosque hymenaeos,
When she was seeking Pergamos and wedding all accursed:
extulerat, matris Ledae mirabile donum:
Her mother Leda gave her these and marvellous they were.
praeterea sceptrum, Ilione quod gesserat olim,
A sceptre too that Ilione in days agone did bear,
maxima natarum Priami, colloque monile
The eldest-born of Priam’s maids; a neckchain pearl bestrown,
bacatum, et duplicem gemmis auroque coronam. 655
And, doubly wrought with gold and gems, a kingly-fashioned crown.
Haec celerans ita ad naves tendebat Achates.
So to the ships Achates went these matters forth to speed.
At Cytherea novas artes, nova pectore versat
But Cytherea in her heart turned over new-wrought rede,
Consilia, ut faciem mutatus et ora Cupido
New craft; how, face and fashion changed, her son the very Love
pro dulci Ascanio veniat, donisque furentem
For sweet Ascanius should come forth, and, gift-giving, should move
incendat reginam, atque ossibus implicet ignem; 660
The Queen to madness, make her bones the yoke-fellows of flame.
quippe domum timet ambiguam Tyriosque bilinguis;
Forsooth the doubtful house she dreads, the two-tongued Tyrian name;
urit atrox Iuno, et sub noctem cura recursat.
And bitter Juno burneth her, and care the night doth wake:
Ergo his aligerum dictis adfatur Amorem:
Now therefore to the winged Love such words as this she spake:
‘Nate, meae vires, mea magna potentia solus,
“O son, my might, my only might, who fearest nought at all
nate, patris summi qui tela Typhoia temnis, 665
How his, the highest Father’s bolts, Typhoeus’ bane, may fall,
ad te confugio et supplex tua numina posco.
To thee I flee, and suppliant so thy godhead’s power beseech:
Frater ut Aeneas pelago tuus omnia circum
Thy brother, e’en Æneas, tossed on every sea-side beach
litora iactetur odiis Iunonis iniquae,
Thou knowest; all the fashioning of wrongful Juno’s hate
nota tibi, et nostro doluisti saepe dolore.
Thou knowest; oft upon my grief with sorrow wouldst thou wait.
Hunc Phoenissa tenet Dido blandisque moratur 670
Him now Phoenician Dido holds, and with kind words enow
vocibus; et vereor, quo se Iunonia vertant
Delays him there, but unto what Junonian welcomes grow
hospitia; haud tanto cessabit cardine rerum.
I fear me: will she hold her hand when thus the hinge is dight?
Quocirca capere ante dolis et cingere flamma
Now therefore am I compassing to catch their craft in flight,
reginam meditor, ne quo se numine mutet,
To ring the Queen about with flame that her no power may turn,
sed magno Aeneae mecum teneatur amore. 675
That she may cling to me and sore for mine Æneas yearn.
Qua facere id possis, nostram nunc accipe mentem.
Now hearken how I counsel thee to bring about my will:
Regius accitu cari genitoris ad urbem
The kingly boy his father calls, he whom I cherish still,
Sidoniam puer ire parat, mea maxima cura,
To that Sidonian city now is ready dight to fare,
dona ferens, pelago et flammis restantia Troiae:
And gifts, the gleanings of the sea and flames of Troy, doth bear,
hunc ego sopitum somno super alta Cythera 680
Whom soaked in sleep forthwith will I in high Cythera hide,
aut super Idalium sacrata sede recondam,
Or in Idalium’s holy place where I am wont to bide,
ne qua scire dolos mediusve occurrere possit.
Lest any one the guile should know and thrust themselves between:
Tu faciem illi
us noctem non amplius unam
But thou with craft his fashion feign, and with his face be seen
falle dolo, et notos pueri puer indue voltus,
Well known of all, for no more space than one night’s wearing by;
ut, cum te gremio accipiet laetissima Dido 685
And so, when Dido, gladdest grown, shall take thee up to lie
regalis inter mensas laticemque Lyaeum,
Upon her breast ‘twixt queenly board and great Lyæus’ wave,
cum dabit amplexus atque oscula dulcia figet,
And thou the winding of her arms and kisses sweet shalt have,
occultum inspires ignem fallasque veneno.’
Then breathe the hidden flame in her and forge thy venomed guile.”
Paret Amor dictis carae genetricis, et alas
His lovesome mother Love obeyed, and doffed his wings awhile,
exuit, et gressu gaudens incedit Iuli. 690
And as Iulus goeth now rejoicing on his way.
At Venus Ascanio placidam per membra quietem
But Venus all Ascanius’ limbs in quiet rest doth lay,
inrigat, et fotum gremio dea tollit in altos
And cherished in her goddess’ breast unto Idalian groves
Idaliae lucos, ubi mollis amaracus illum
She bears him, where the marjoram still soft about him moves
floribus et dulci adspirans complectitur umbra.
And breatheth sweet from scented shade and blossoms on the air.
Iamque ibat dicto parens et dona Cupido 695
Love wrought her will, and bearing now those royal gifts and rare,
regia portabat Tyriis, duce laetus Achate.
Unto the Tyrians joyous went, e’en as Achates led.
Cum venit, aulaeis iam se regina superbis
But when he came into the house, there on her golden bed
aurea composuit sponda mediamque locavit.
With hangings proud Queen Dido lay amidmost of the place:
Iam pater Aeneas et iam Troiana iuventus
The father then, Æneas, then the youth of Trojan race,
conveniunt, stratoque super discumbitur ostro. 700
There gather, and their bodies cast on purple spread abroad.
Dant famuli manibus lymphas, Cereremque canistris
Folk serve them water for their hands, and speed the baskets stored
expediunt, tonsisque ferunt mantelia villis.
With Ceres, and the towels soft of close-clipped nap they bear.
Quinquaginta intus famulae, quibus ordine longam
Within were fifty serving-maids, whose long array had care
cura penum struere, et flammis adolere Penatis;
To furnish forth the meat and drink, and feed the house-gods’ flame;
centum aliae totidemque pares aetate ministri, 705
An hundred more, and youths withal of age and tale the same,
qui dapibus mensas onerent et pocula ponant.
Set on the meat upon the board and lay the cups about.
Nec non et Tyrii per limina laeta frequentes
And now through that wide joyous door came thronging from without
convenere, toris iussi discumbere pictis.
The Tyrians, and, so bidden, lie on benches painted fair.
Mirantur dona Aeneae, mirantur Iulum
They wonder at Æneas’ gifts, and at Iulus there,
flagrantisque dei voltus simulataque verba, 710
The flaming countenance of God, and speech so feigned and fine;
[pallamque et pictum croceo velamen acantho.]
They wonder at the cope and veil with that acanthus twine.
Praecipue infelix, pesti devota futurae,
And chiefly that unhappy one doomed to the coming ill,
expleri mentem nequit ardescitque tuendo
Nor hungry hollow of her heart nor burning eyes may fill
Phoenissa, et pariter puero donisque movetur.
With all beholding: gifts and child alike her heart do move.
Ille ubi complexu Aeneae colloque pependit 715
But he, when he had satisfied his feignèd father’s love,
et magnum falsi implevit genitoris amorem,
And clipped Æneas all about, and round his neck had hung,
reginam petit haec oculis, haec pectore toto
Went to the Queen, who with her eyes and heart about him clung,
haeret et interdum gremio fovet, inscia Dido,
And whiles would strain him to her breast — poor Dido! knowing nought
insidat quantus miserae deus; at memor ille
What God upon her bosom sat; who ever had in thought
matris Acidaliae paulatim abolere Sychaeum 720
His Acidalian mother’s word, and slowly did begin
incipit, et vivo temptat praevertere amore
To end Sychæus quite, and with a living love to win
iam pridem resides animos desuetaque corda.
Her empty soul at rest, and heart unused a weary tide.
Postquam prima quies epulis, mensaeque remotae,
But when the feasting first was stayed, and boards were done aside,
crateras magnos statuunt et vina coronant.
Great beakers there they set afoot, and straight the wine they crowned.
Fit strepitus tectis, vocemque per ampla volutant 725
A shout goes up within the house, great noise they roll around
atria; dependent lychni laquearibus aureis
The mighty halls: the candles hang adown from golden roof
incensi, et noctem flammis funalia vincunt.
All lighted, and the torches’ flame keeps dusky night aloof.
Hic regina gravem gemmis auroque poposcit
And now a heavy bowl of gold and gems the Queen bade bring
implevitque mero pateram, quam Belus et omnes
And fill with all unwatered wine, which erst used Belus king,
a Belo soliti; tum facta silentia tectis: 730
And all from Belus come: therewith through the hushed house she said:
‘Iuppiter, hospitibus nam te dare iura loquuntur,
“O Jupiter! they say by thee the guesting laws were made;
hunc laetum Tyriisque diem Troiaque profectis
Make thou this day to Tyrian folk, and folk come forth from Troy,
esse velis, nostrosque huius meminisse minores.
A happy day, and may our sons remember this our joy!
Adsit laetitiae Bacchus dator, et bona Iuno;
Mirth-giver Bacchus, fail thou not from midst our mirth! be kind,
et vos, O, coetum, Tyrii, celebrate faventes.’ 735
O Juno! and ye Tyrian folk, be glad this bond to bind!”
Dixit, et in mensam laticum libavit honorem,
She spake, and on the table poured the glorious wave of wine,
primaque, libato, summo tenus attigit ore,
Then touched the topmost of the bowl with dainty lip and fine,
tum Bitiae dedit increpitans; ille impiger hausit
And, egging on, to Bitias gave: nought slothful to be told
spumantem pateram, et pleno se proluit auro
The draught he drained, who bathed himself within the foaming gold;
post alii proceres. Cithara crinitus Iopas 740
Then drank the other lords of them: long-haired Iopas then
personat aurata, docuit quem maximus Atlas.
Maketh the golden harp to sing, whom Atlas most of men
Hic canit errantem lunam solisque labores;
Erst taught: he sings the wandering moon and toiling of the sun,
unde hominum genus et pecudes; unde imber et ignes;
And whence the kind of men and beasts, how rain and fire begun,
Arcturum pluviasque Hyadas geminosque Triones;
Arcturus, the wet Hyades, and twin-wrought Northern Bears:
quid tantum Oceano properent se tinguere soles 745
&nbs
p; And why so swift the winter sun unto his sea-bath fares,
hiberni, vel quae tardis mora noctibus obstet.
And what delayeth night so long upon the daylight’s hem.
Ingeminant plausu Tyrii, Troesque sequuntur.
Then praise on praise the Tyrians shout, the Trojans follow them.
Nec non et vario noctem sermone trahebat
Meanwhile unhappy Dido wore the night-tide as it sank
infelix Dido, longumque bibebat amorem,
In diverse talk, and evermore long draughts of love she drank,
multa super Priamo rogitans, super Hectore multa; 750
And many a thing of Priam asked, of Hector many a thing:
nunc quibus Aurorae venisset filius armis,
With what-like arms Aurora’s son had come unto the King;
nunc quales Diomedis equi, nunc quantus Achilles.
What were the steeds of Diomed, how great Achilles was.
‘Immo age, et a prima dic, hospes, origine nobis
At last she said: “But come, O guest, tell all that came to pass
insidias,’ inquit, ‘Danaum, casusque tuorum,
From earliest tide; of Danaan craft, and how thy land was lorn,
erroresque tuos; nam te iam septima portat 755
And thine own wanderings; for as now the seventh year is worn
omnibus errantem terris et fluctibus aestas.’
That thee a-straying wide away o’er earth and sea hath borne.”
The Meeting of Dido and Aeneas by Nathaniel Dance Holland, 1801
LIBER II
BOOK II.
Conticuere omnes intentique ora tenebant
All hearkened hushed, and fixed on him was every face of man,
inde toro pater Aeneas sic orsus ab alto:
As from the couch high set aloft Æneas thus began:
Infandum, regina, iubes renouare dolorem,
“Unutterable grief, O Queen, thou biddest me renew
Troianas ut opes et lamentabile regnum
The falling of the Trojan weal and realm that all shall rue
eruerint Danai, quaeque ipse miserrima uidi 5
‘Neath Danaan might; which thing myself unhappy did behold,
et quorum pars magna fui. quis talia fando
Yea, and was no small part thereof. What man might hear it told
Myrmidonum Dolopumue aut duri miles Vlixi
Of Dolopes, or Myrmidons, or hard Ulysses’ band,
temperet a lacrimis? et iam nox umida caelo
And keep the tears back? Dewy night now falleth from the land
praecipitat suadentque cadentia sidera somnos.
Of heaven, and all the setting stars are bidding us to sleep: