virgil section 5

“sanguine placastis ventos et virgine caesa, cum primum Iliacas, Danai, venistis ad oras;

with blood and the killing of a virgin you pacified the winds when Greeks, you first came to the Trojan shores:

sanguine quaerendi reditus animaque litandum Argolica.” vulgi quae vox ut venit ad aures,

with blood your return must be sought and with a Greek life you must win favourable omens.” as the voice came to the ears of the crowd

obstipuere animi gelidusque per ima cucurrit ossa tremor,

their minds were stunned and an icy tremor ran to their inner bones,

cui fata parent, quem poscat Apollo.

for whom are the fates readied, whom does Apollo demand?

hic Ithacus vatem magno Calchanta tumultu protrahit in medios,

at This the Ithacan dragged forward the priest Calches into their midst ,

quae sint ea numina divum flagitat.

what are the commands of the gods he demanded.

et mihi iam multi crudele canebant artificis scelus,

and many were beginning to chant cruelty about me, the crime of the schemer,

et taciti ventura videbant.

and although they said nothing, they were seeing the outcome.

bis quinos silet ille dies tectusque recusat prodere voce sua quemquam aut opponere morti.

for 10 days he was silent and shut away in his tent he refused to betray with his voice or to set anyone in the path of death.

vix tandem, magnis Ithaci clamoribus actus, composito rumpit vocem et me destinat arae.

at long last, driven by the Ithacan’s great shouts, he broke into speech, according to agreement and marked me out for the altar.

adsensere omnes et, quae sibi quisque timebat,

all approved and, each one fearing for themselves,

unius in miseri exitium conversa tulere.

accepted, having been directed to the destruction of the wretched one.

iamque dies infanda aderat; mihi sacra parari et salsae fruges et circum tempora vittae.

and now the dreadful day was there; the sacred rites were prepared for me both the sacred grain and the headbands around my brow.

eripui, fateor, leto (me) et vincula rupi,

I snatched away, I confess, I broke free from my death and the chains,

limosoque lacu per noctem obscurus in ulva delitui dum vela darent, si forte dedissent.

i lurked in the muddy lake through the night in the reeds while they set sail, if by chance they did.

nec mihi iam patriam antiquam spes ulla videndi

there was not for me now the hope of seeing my ancient country

nec dulces natos exoptatumque parentem,

nor my sweet children and longed for parent,

quos illi fors et poenas ob nostra reposcent effugia, et culpam hanc miserorum morte piabunt.

whom they (the Greeks) perhaps punish on account of my escape and avenge this sin of mine by the death of the wretched ones.

quod te per superos et conscia numina veri,

therefore you, by the gods above and the divine powers aware of the truth

per si qua est quae restet adhuc mortalibus usquam intemerata fides

through which if any uncorrupted trust still remains amongst mortals

oro, miserere laborum tantorum, miserere animi non digna ferentis.’

i beg to pity such great troubles on the soul undeserving of bearing such things.”