Aeneid 2.203-249

ecce autem gemini a Tenedo tranquilla per alta

But look! A pair of them from Tenedos over the tranquil deep

(horresco referens)

(I shudder recalling it)

immensis orbibus angues incumbunt pelago pariterque ad litora tendunt;

with enormous coils, snakes, press upon the sea and, side by side, make for the shore;

pectora quorum inter fluctus arrecta iubaeque

sanguineae superant undas,

their breasts among the waves rear up and their crests, blood-red, overtop the waters,

pars cetera pontum pone legit

while the remaining part picks its way through the sea behind

sinuatque immensa volumine terga.

and undulates its measureless back in coils.

fit sonitus spumante salo;

There spits the sound of salty spume;

iamque arva tenebant

and now they were in possession of the land

ardentesque oculos suffecti sanguine et igni

their blazing eyes suffused with blood and fire,

sibila lambebant linguis vibrantibus ora.

with flickering tongues they licked their hissing mouths.

diffugimus visu exsangues.

We scatter, bloodless at the sight.

illi agmine certo Laocoonta petunt;

They, with unerring advance, make straight for Laocoon;

et primum parva duorum corpora natorum serpens amplexus uterque implicat

and first the two bodies of his little sons each serpent embraces and entwines

et miseros morsu depascitur artus;

and feeds on their poor limbs with a bite;

post ipsum auxilio subeuntem ac tela ferentem corripiunt

next it is Laocoon himself they snatch, as he comes up to help, bearing weapons,

spirisque ligant ingentibus;

and with enormous coils they bind him tight;

et iam bis medium amplexi,

and now, twice around his middle embracing him,

bis collo squamea circum terga dati

twice wrapping round his neck with their scaly backs

superant capite et cervicibus altis.

they tower over him with their heads and high necks.

ille simul manibus tendit divellere nodos

at the same time he tries to tear apart the knots with his hands

perfusus sanie vittas atroque veneno,

his fillets drenched with gore and black venom,

clamores simul horrendos ad sidera tollit:

at the same time raises terrifying shouts to the stars:

quales mugitus, fugit cum saucius aram

taurus

just like the bellowing when a wounded bull has fled the altar

et incertam excussit cervice securim.

and has shaken the axe, missing its mark, from its neck.

at gemini lapsu delubra ad summa dracones effugiunt saevaeque petunt Tritonidis arcem,

But the twin snakes, by slithering away, make their escape to the topmost temple on the citadel of the savage Tritonian goddess

sub pedibusque deae clipeique sub orbe teguntur.

and beneath the goddess's feet, beneath the encircling orb of her shield they are hidden away.

tum vero tremefacta novus per pectora cunctis insinuat pavor,

Then indeed over the trembling hearts of us all curled a new panic,

et scelus expendisse merentem Laocoonta ferunt,

and people were saying that Laocoon had deservedly paid the price for his crime,

sacrum qui cuspide robur laeserit et tergo sceleratam intorserit hastam.

that he had pierced the sacred wood with his spearpoint and at its body launched a wicked spear.

ducendum ad sedes simulacrum orandaque divae numina conclamant.

The image must be taken up to the temple, they cried, and the goddess's divine will must be prayed to.

dividimus muros et moenia pandimus urbis.

We breached the walls and opened up the fortifications of the city.

accingunt omnes operi pedibusque rotarum subiciunt lapsus,

They all plied themselves to the task and under its feet placed wheeled platforms

et stuppea vincula collo intendunt;

and bonds of hemp they stretched around its neck.

scandit fatalis machina muros feta armis.

The fateful machine scaled the walls, pregnant with weapons.

pueri circum innuptaeque puellae sacra canunt

Boys all around and unmarried girls sang sacred hymns

funemque manu contingere gaudent;

and took joy in touching the rope with their hands;

illa subit mediaeque minans inlabitur urbi.

 and it glided forward, full of threat, towards the city

o patria, o divum domus Ilium et incluta bello

moenia Dardanidum!

O fatherland, o Ilium, home of the gods, and Dardanians' city walls famous in war!

quater ipso in limine portae substitit

Four times on the very threshold of the gate it stopped short

atque utero sonitum quater arma dedere;

and in its womb four times the weapons made a noise;

instamus tamen immemores caecique furore

we pressed on, however, heedless and blinded by frenzy,

et monstrum infelix sacrata sistimus arce.

and the monstrosity of misfortune we positioned on our sacred citadel.

tunc etiam fatis aperit Cassandra futuris

ora dei iussu

Then also for the fates that were to come Cassandra opened her lips, by order of the god

non umquam credita Teucris.

not ever to be believed by the Trojans.

nos delubra deum miseri, quibus ultimus esset ille dies, festa velamus fronde per urbem.

We meanwhile, wretched in that this was our last day, covered the shrine of the gods with foliage through the city.