virgil section 9

tum vero tremefacta novus per pectora cunctis insinuat pavor,

then in truth a new fear stole into the shuddering hearts of all,

et scelus expendisse merentem Laocoonta ferunt,

and they said that Laocoon had deservedly paid for his crime,

sacrum qui cuspide robur laeserit et tergo sceleratam intorserit hastam.

he damaged the sacred wood with his spear and hurled his accursed spear at its trunk.

ducendum ad sedes simulacrum orandaque divae numina conclamant.

they shout that the statue must be led to her house and prayers must be offered to the spirit of the goddess.

dividimus muros et moenia pandimus urbis.

we broke through the walls and we opened up the defences of the city.

accingunt omnes operi pedibusque rotarum subiciunt lapsus, et stuppea vincula collo intendunt;

all prepared themselves for the task and they put rollers under the feet and they stretched chains made of help on its neck

scandit fatalis machina muros feta armis.

the fateful engine climbed our walls, full of armed men.

pueri circum innuptaeque puellae sacra canunt funemque manu contingere gaudent;

boys and unmarried girls sang sacred songs around it and they delighted in touching the rope with their hands;

illa subit mediaeque minans inlabitur urbi.

up it went and glided threateningly into the middle of the city.

o patria, o divum domus Ilium et incluta bello moenia Dardanidum!

O my country, home of the gods and Trojan walls famous in war!

quater ipso in limine portae substitit atque utero sonitum quater arma dedere;

four times it came to a stop on the threshold of the gates itself, and four times the weapons rang out a sound in its belly,

instamus tamen immemores caecique furore et monstrum infelix sacrata sistimus arce.

we pressed on however, unmindful and blind with frenzy and we set the unlucky creature in the sacred citadel.

tunc etiam fatis aperit Cassandra futuris ora dei iussu non umquam credita Teucris.

even then, Cassandra, destined never to be believed by the Trojans by the order of the god, revealed our fate.

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

we wretched ones, for whom that day would be our last, we covered the temples of the gods throughout the city with festive branches.