Aeneid 259-277 -- Mercury visits Aeneas

English word order

ut primum tetigit magalia alatis plantis,

As soon as he reached the builders’ huts, on his winged feet,

conspicit Aenean fundantem arces ac novantem tecta.

He saw Aeneas establishing towers and altering roofs.

atque illi ensis erat stallatus fulva jaspide,

and his sword was starred with tawny jasper,

que laena demissa ex umeris ardebat Tyrio murice,

and the cloak that hung down from his shoulders blazed with Tyrian purple,

munera quae dives Dido fecerat,

A gift that rich Dido had made,

et discreverat telas auro tenui.

and had woven the cloth with golden thread.

[Mercurius] invadit continuo: tu nunc locas fundamenta altae Karthaginis,

[Mercury] challenged [him] at once: are you now laying the foundations of lofty Carthage,

que extruis pulchram urbem uxorius?

and building a beautiful city under your wife’s sway?

heu, [te] oblite tuarum regni que rerum!

Alas, [O you], forgetful of your kingdom and destiny!

regnator deum ipse mittit me de tibi claro Olympo,

The king of the gods himself has sent me down to you from bright Olympus,

qui torquet caelum et terras numine

[He] who bends heaven and earth by his divine power:

iubet [me] ipse ferre haec mandata per celeris auras:

He commanded [me] himself to carry these orders through the swift winds:

quid struis? aut qua spe teris otia Libycis terris?

What are you planning? Or with what hopes do you waste your leisure in Libya’s lands?

si nulla gloria tantarum rerum movet te,

If no glory of such a great destiny moves you,

(nec super moliris laborem tua ipse laude,)

(And, moreover, you do not undertake the effort for your own fame),

respice surgentem Ascanium et spes Iuli heredis,

Think of your growing Ascanius, and the expectations [of him as] Iulus your heir,

cui debetur regnum Italiae que Romana tellus.

To whom will be owed the kingdom of Italy and the Roman lands.

locutus tali ore, Cyllenius reliquit mortalis visus medio sermone

Having spoken in this way, Mercury vanished from mortal eyes in the middle of the speech,

et evanuit in tenuem auram procul ex oculis.

and melted into thin air far from their sight.