Aeneid Translation (1.418-1.440)

Corripuere viam interea, qua semita monstrat.

Iamque ascendebant collem, qui plurimus urbi

imminet adversasque aspectat desuper arces.

Meanwhile, they snatched up the road, where the path shows. And now, they were ascending the hill, very much [of] which hangs over the city and faces the opposite citadels from above.

Miratur molem Aeneas, magalia quondam,

miratur portas strepitumque et strata viarum.

Instant ardentes Tyrii: pars ducere muros

molirique arcem et manibus subvolvere saxa,

pars optare locum tecto et concludere sulco;

Aeneas admires the mass, formerly huts, he admires the gates and the noise and the pavements of the roads. The burning Tyrians press on: part led walls and made a citadel and rolled up rocks with their hands, part chose a place for a roof and enclosed [it] with a ditch;

iura magistratusque legunt sanctumque senatum.

Hic portus alii effodiunt; hic altra theatris

fundamenta locant alii, immanesque columnas

rupibus excidunt, scaenis decora alta futuris.

they choose laws and magistrates and a holy senate. Here, some dig out harbors; here, others place the deep foundations for theaters, and they cut out huge columns from the crags, high decorations for the future stages.

Qualis apes aestate nova per florea rura

exercet sub sole labor, cum gentis adultos

educunt fetus, aut cum liquentia mella

stipant et dulci distendunt nectare cellas,

aut onera accipiunt venientum, aut agmine facto

ignavum fucos pecus a praesepibus arcent;

fervet opus redolentque thymo fraglantia mella.

Of what sort of work trains bees in the new summer through the flowery countrysides, under the sun, when they lead out the adult offspring of their race, or when they stuff liquid honeys, and they stretch the cells with sweet nectar, or they receive the burdens of the coming [bees], or, with a line having been made, they keep the drones, the lazy swarm, away from the hives; the work heats up and the fragrant honeys smell of thyme.

"O fortunati, quorum iam moenia surgunt!"

Aeneas ait et fastigia suspicit urbis.

Infert se saeptus nebula (mirabile dictu)

per medios, miscetque viris neque cernitur ulli.

"Oh fortunate people, whose walls already rise!" Aeneas says and looks up at the heights of the city. He carries himself, having been enclosed in the cloud (wonderful to say) through the middle of the people, and he mixes with the men, and he is not discerned by anyone.