by Virgil
Is this the coming back again? is this the triumph won?
haec mea magna fides? at non, Euandre, pudendis 55
Is this my solemn troth? — Yet thee, Evander, bides no sight
uulneribus pulsum aspicies, nec sospite dirum
Of craven beat with shameful wounds, nor for the saved from fight
optabis nato funus pater. ei mihi quantum
Shalt thou but long for dreadful death. — Woe’s me, Ausonian land!
praesidium, Ausonia, et quantum tu perdis, Iule!’
Woe’s me, Iulus, what a shield is perished from thine hand!”
Haec ubi defleuit, tolli miserabile corpus
Such wise he wept him, and bade raise the hapless body dead,
imperat, et toto lectos ex agmine mittit 60
And therewithal a thousand men, his war-hosts’ flower, he sped
mille uiros qui supremum comitentur honorem
To wait upon him on the way with that last help of all,
intersintque patris lacrimis, solacia luctus
And be between his father’s tears: forsooth a solace small
exigua ingentis, misero sed debita patri.
Of mighty grief; a debt no less to that sad father due.
haud segnes alii cratis et molle feretrum
But others speed a pliant bier weaving a wattle through,
arbuteis texunt uirgis et uimine querno 65
Of limber twigs of berry-bush and boughs of oaken-tree,
exstructosque toros obtentu frondis inumbrant.
And shadow o’er the piled-up bed with leafy canopy.
hic iuuenem agresti sublimem stramine ponunt:
So there upon the wild-wood couch adown the youth is laid;
qualem uirgineo demessum pollice florem
E’en as a blossom dropped to earth from fingers of a maid —
seu mollis uiolae seu languentis hyacinthi,
The gilliflower’s bloom maybe, or jacinth’s hanging head,
cui neque fulgor adhuc nec dum sua forma recessit, 70
Whose lovely colour is not gone, nor shapely fashion fled,
non iam mater alit tellus uirisque ministrat.
Although its mother feedeth not, nor earth its life doth hold.
tum geminas uestis auroque ostroque rigentis
Thereon two woven webs, all stiff with purple dye and gold,
extulit Aeneas, quas illi laeta laborum
Æneas bringeth forth, which erst with her own fingers fair
ipsa suis quondam manibus Sidonia Dido
Sidonian Dido wrought for him, and, glad the toil to bear,
fecerat et tenui telas discreuerat auro. 75
Had shot across the web thereof with thin and golden thread:
harum unam iuueni supremum maestus honorem
In one of these the youth he wrapped, last honour of the dead,
induit arsurasque comas obnubit amictu,
And, woeful, covered up the locks that fire should burn away.
multaque praeterea Laurentis praemia pugnae
And furthermore a many things, Laurentum’s battle-prey,
aggerat et longo praedam iubet ordine duci;
He pileth up, and bids the spoil in long array be borne:
addit equos et tela quibus spoliauerat hostem. 80
Horses and battle-gear he adds, late from the foemen torn:
uinxerat et post terga manus, quos mitteret umbris
And men’s hands had he bound aback whom shortly should he send
inferias, caeso sparsurus sanguine flammas,
Unto the ghosts; whose blood should slake the fire that ate his friend.
indutosque iubet truncos hostilibus armis
And trunks of trees with battle-gear from foemen’s bodies won
ipsos ferre duces inimicaque nomina figi.
He bids the leaders carry forth, with foemen’s names thereon.
ducitur infelix aeuo confectus Acoetes, 85
Hapless Acoetes, spent with eld, is brought forth; whiles he wears
pectora nunc foedans pugnis, nunc unguibus ora,
His bosom with the beat of fists, and whiles his face he tears:
sternitur et toto proiectus corpore terrae;
Then forth he falls, and grovelling there upon the ground doth lie.
ducunt et Rutulo perfusos sanguine currus.
They bring the war-wain now, o’errained with blood of Rutuli:
post bellator equus positis insignibus Aethon
Æthon his war-horse comes behind, stripped of his gear of state,
it lacrimans guttisque umectat grandibus ora. 90
Mourning he goes, and wets his face with plenteous tear-drops great.
hastam alii galeamque ferunt, nam cetera Turnus
Some bring the dead man’s spear and helm: victorious Turnus’ hand
uictor habet. tum maesta phalanx Teucrique sequuntur
Hath all the rest: then follow on the woeful Teucrian band,
Tyrrhenique omnes et uersis Arcades armis.
All Tuscans, and Arcadian folk with weapons turned about.
postquam omnis longe comitum praecesserat ordo,
But now, when all the following folk were got a long way out,
substitit Aeneas gemituque haec addidit alto: 95
Æneas stood and groaned aloud, and spake these words withal:
‘nos alias hinc ad lacrimas eadem horrida belli
“Us otherwhere to other tears the same dread war-fates call;
fata uocant: salue aeternum mihi, maxime Palla,
Undying greetings go with thee! farewell for evermore,
aeternumque uale.’ nec plura effatus ad altos
O mightiest Pallas!” Ending so, to those high walls of war
tendebat muros gressumque in castra ferebat.
He turned about, and went his ways unto his war-folks’ home.
Iamque oratores aderant ex urbe Latina 100
But from the Latin city now were fair speech-masters come,
uelati ramis oleae ueniamque rogantes:
Half-hidden by the olive-boughs, and praying for a grace,
corpora, per campos ferro quae fusa iacebant,
That he would give them back their men who lay about the place
redderet ac tumulo sineret succedere terrae;
O’erthrown by steel, and let them lie in earth-mound duly dight;
nullum cum uictis certamen et aethere cassis;
Since war was not for men o’ercome, or those that lack the light —
parceret hospitibus quondam socerisque uocatis. 105
That he would spare his whileome hosts, the kinsmen of his bride.
quos bonus Aeneas haud aspernanda precantis
But good Æneas, since their prayer might not be put aside,
prosequitur uenia et uerbis haec insuper addit:
Let all his pardon fall on them, and sayeth furthermore:
‘quaenam uos tanto fortuna indigna, Latini,
“O Latin folk, what hapless fate hath tangled you in war
implicuit bello, qui nos fugiatis amicos?
So great and ill? From us, your friends, why must ye flee away?
pacem me exanimis et Martis sorte peremptis 110
For perished men, dead thralls of Mars, a little peace ye pray,
oratis? equidem et uiuis concedere uellem.
But to your living folk indeed fain would I grant the grace.
nec ueni, nisi fata locum sedemque dedissent,
I had not come here, save that Fate here gave me home and place:
nec bellum cum gente gero; rex nostra reliquit
No battle with your folk I wage; nay, rather ’twas your lord
hospitia et Turni potius se credidit armis.
Who left my friendship, trusting him to Turnus’ shield and sword.
aequius huic Turnum fuerat se opponere morti. 115
For Turnus to have faced the death were deed of better worth:
si bellum fin
ire manu, si pellere Teucros
If he deems hands should end the war and thrust the Teucrians forth,
apparat, his mecum decuit concurrere telis:
‘Twere lovely deed to meet my hand amid the rain of strife;
uixet cui uitam deus aut sua dextra dedisset.
Then let him live to whom the Gods have given the gift of life.
nunc ite et miseris supponite ciuibus ignem.’
Go ye, and ‘neath your hapless ones lay ye the bale-fire’s blaze.”
dixerat Aeneas. illi obstipuere silentes 120
He made an end; but still they stood and hushed them in amaze,
conuersique oculos inter se atque ora tenebant.
And each on each they turned their eyes, and every tongue refrained,
Tum senior semperque odiis et crimine Drances
Till elder Drances, whom for foe child Turnus well had gained
infensus iuueni Turno sic ore uicissim
By hate-filled charges, took the word, and in such wise began:
orsa refert: ‘o fama ingens, ingentior armis,
“O great in fame, in dint of war yet greater, Trojan man!
uir Troiane, quibus caelo te laudibus aequem? 125
What praise of words is left to me to raise thee to the sky?
iustitiaene prius mirer belline laborum?
For justice shall I praise thee most, or battle’s mastery?
nos uero haec patriam grati referemus ad urbem
Now happy, to our fathers’ town this answer back we bear,
et te, si qua uiam dederit Fortuna, Latino
And if good-hap a way thereto may open anywhere,
iungemus regi. quaerat sibi foedera Turnus.
Thee to Latinus will we knit — let Turnus seek his own! —
quin et fatalis murorum attollere moles 130
Yea, we shall deem it joy forsooth about your fateful town:
saxaque subuectare umeris Troiana iuuabit.’
To raise the walls, and Trojan stones upon our backs to lay.”
dixerat haec unoque omnes eadem ore fremebant.
Such words he spake, and with one mouth did all men murmur yea.
bis senos pepigere dies, et pace sequestra
For twice six days they covenant; and in war-sundering peace
per siluas Teucri mixtique impune Latini
The Teucrians and the Latins blent about the woods increase,
errauere iugis. ferro sonat alta bipenni 135
About the hill-sides wander safe; the smitten ash doth know
fraxinus, euertunt actas ad sidera pinus,
The ring of steel; the pines that thrust heaven-high they overthrow;
robora nec cuneis et olentem scindere cedrum
Nor cease with wedge to cleave the oak and cedar shedding scent,
nec plaustris cessant uectare gementibus ornos.
Or on the wains to lead away the rowan’s last lament.
Et iam Fama uolans, tanti praenuntia luctus,
And now the very Wingèd Fame, with that great grief she bears,
Euandrum Euandrique domos et moenia replet, 140
Filleth Evander’s town and house, filleth Evander’s ears;
quae modo uictorem Latio Pallanta ferebat.
Yea, Fame, who erst of Pallas’ deeds in conquered Latium told:
Arcades ad portas ruere et de more uetusto
Rush the Arcadians to the gates, and as they used of old,
funereas rapuere faces; lucet uia longo
Snatch up the torches of the dead, and with the long array
ordine flammarum et late discriminat agros.
Of flames the acre-cleaving road gleams litten far away:
contra turba Phrygum ueniens plangentia iungit 145
Then meeteth them the Phrygian crowd, and swells the wailing band;
agmina. quae postquam matres succedere tectis
And when the mothers saw them come amid the house-built land,
uiderunt, maestam incendunt clamoribus urbem.
The woeful town they set afire with clamour of their ill.
at non Euandrum potis est uis ulla tenere,
But naught there is hath any might to hold Evander still;
sed uenit in medios. feretro Pallante reposto
He comes amidst, and on the bier where Pallas lies alow
procubuit super atque haeret lacrimansque gemensque, 150
He grovels, and with weeping sore and groaning clings thereto;
et uia uix tandem uoci laxata dolore est:
And scarce from sorrow at the last his speech might win a way:
‘non haec, o Palla, dederas promissa parenti,
“Pallas, this holdeth not the word thou gavest me that day,
cautius ut saeuo uelles te credere Marti.
That thou wouldst ward thee warily in game of bitter Mars:
haud ignarus eram quantum noua gloria in armis
Though sooth I knew how strong it is, that first fame of the wars;
et praedulce decus primo certamine posset. 155
How strong is that o’er-sweet delight of earliest battle won.
primitiae iuuenis miserae bellique propinqui
O wretched schooling of my child! O seeds of war begun,
dura rudimenta, et nulli exaudita deorum
How bitter hard! O prayers of mine, O vows that none would hear
uota precesque meae! tuque, o sanctissima coniunx,
Of all the Gods! O holiest wife, thy death at least was dear,
felix morte tua neque in hunc seruata dolorem!
And thou art happy to be gone, not kept for such a tide.
contra ego uiuendo uici mea fata, superstes 160
But I — my life hath conquered Fate, that here I might abide
restarem ut genitor. Troum socia arma secutum
A lonely father. Ah, had I gone with the Trojan host,
obruerent Rutuli telis! animam ipse dedissem
To fall amid Rutulian spears! were mine the life-days lost;
atque haec pompa domum me, non Pallanta, referret!
If me, not Pallas, this sad pomp were bringing home today! —
nec uos arguerim, Teucri, nec foedera nec quas
Yet, Teucrians, on your troth and you no blaming would I lay,
iunximus hospitio dextras: sors ista senectae 165
Nor on our hands in friendship joined: ’twas a foreordered load
debita erat nostrae. quod si immatura manebat
For mine old age: and if my son untimely death abode,
mors gnatum, caesis Volscorum milibus ante
’Tis sweet to think he fell amidst the thousand Volscians slain,
ducentem in Latium Teucros cecidisse iuuabit.
And leading on the men of Troy the Latin lands to gain.
quin ego non alio digner te funere, Palla,
Pallas, no better funeral rites mine heart to thee awards
quam pius Aeneas et quam magni Phryges et quam 170
Than good Æneas giveth thee, and these great Phrygian lords,
Tyrrhenique duces, Tyrrhenum exercitus omnis.
The Tyrrhene dukes, the Tyrrhene host, a mighty company;
magna tropaea ferunt quos dat tua dextera leto;
While they whom thine own hand hath slain great trophies bear for thee.
tu quoque nunc stares immanis truncus in aruis,
Yea, Turnus, thou wert standing there, a huge trunk weapon-clad,
esset par aetas et idem si robur ab annis,
If equal age, if equal strength from lapse of years ye had.
Turne. sed infelix Teucros quid demoror armis? 175
— But out! — why should a hapless man thus stay the Teucrian swords?
uadite et haec memores regi mandata referte:
Go, and be mindful to your king to carry these my words:
quod uitam moror inuisam Pallante perempto
If here by loathèd life I bide, with Pallas dead and gone,
dextera causa tua est, Turnum gnatoque patrique
Thy right hand is the cause thereof, which unto sire and son
quam debere uides. meritis uacat hic tibi solus
Owes Turnus, as thou wottest well: no other place there is
fortunaeque locus. non uitae gaudia quaero, 180
Thy worth and fate may fill. God wot I seek no life-days’ bliss,
nec fas, sed gnato manis perferre sub imos.’
But might I bear my son this tale amid the ghosts of earth!”
Aurora interea miseris mortalibus almam
Meanwhile the loveliness of light Aurora brought to birth
extulerat lucem referens opera atque labores:
For heartsick men, and brought aback the toil of heart and hand:
iam pater Aeneas, iam curuo in litore Tarchon
Father Æneas therewithal down on the hollow strand,
constituere pyras. huc corpora quisque suorum 185
And Tarchon with him, rear the bales; and each man thither bears
more tulere patrum, subiectisque ignibus atris
His dead friend in the ancient guise: beneath the black flame flares,
conditur in tenebras altum caligine caelum.
The heaven aloft for reek thereof with night is overlaid:
ter circum accensos cincti fulgentibus armis
Three times about the litten bales in glittering arms arrayed
decurrere rogos, ter maestum funeris ignem
They run the course; three times on steed they beat the earth about
lustrauere in equis ululatusque ore dedere. 190
Those woeful candles of the dead and sing their wailing out;
spargitur et tellus lacrimis, sparguntur et arma,
The earth is strewn with tears of men, and arms of men forlorn,
it caelo clamorque uirum clangorque tubarum.
And heavenward goes the shout of men and blaring of the horn:
hic alii spolia occisis derepta Latinis
But some upon the bale-fires cast gear stripped from Latins slain:
coniciunt igni, galeas ensisque decoros
War-helms, and well-adornèd swords, and harness of the rein,
frenaque feruentisque rotas; pars munera nota, 195
And glowing wheels: but overwell some knew the gifts they brought,
ipsorum clipeos et non felicia tela.
The very shields of their dead friends and weapons sped for nought.
multa boum circa mactantur corpora Morti,
Then oxen manifold to Death all round about they slay,
saetigerosque sues raptasque ex omnibus agris
And bristled boars, and sheep they snatch from meadows wide away,
in flammam iugulant pecudes. tum litore toto