Aeneid 4.296-330

Dido learns what is happening and confronts Aeneas.

at regina dolos—quis fallere possit amantem?

praesensit,

Yet the queen divined the deceits (who could deceive a lover?),

motusque excepit prima futuros, omnia tuta timens.

and first heard of his coming departure, fearing when everything [seemed] safe.

eadem impia Fama furenti detulit armari classem cursumque parari.

The same impious Rumour brought to her in her fury that the fleet was being equipped, and a course was being plotted.

saevit inops animi, totamque incensa per urbem

bacchatur, qualis commotis excita sacris Thias

She rages powerless in mind and inflamed she raves throughout the whole city, like a Maenad incited by the brandished sacred emblems,

ubi audito stimulant trieterica Baccho

orgia, nocturnusque vocat clamore Cithaeron.

when, hearing Bacchus, the triennial ritual spurs her on, and [Mount] Cithaeron at night calls with is clamour.

tandem his Aenean compellat vocibus ultro:

At last, of her own accord, she reproaches Aeneas with these words:

dissimulare etiam sperasti, perfide, tantum

posse nefas, tacitusque mea decedere terra?

You traitor, did you even expect you could conceal such a great wrong and depart from my land in silence?

nec te noster amor, nec te data dextera quondam,

nec moritura tenet crudeli funere Dido?

Does neither our love, nor your right hand once pledged, nor Dido doomed to die a cruel death, hold you back?

quin etiam hiberno moliris sidere classem,

et mediis properas aquilonibus ire per altum,

crudelis?

Yes, and another point, why are you moving your fleet under the winter star and hurrying to go across the deep in the middle of Aquilo the north wind, you cruel one.

quid, si non arva aliena domosque

ignotas peteres, sed Troia antiqua maneret,

Troia per undosum peteretur classibus aequor?

Why, if you were not seeking fields foreign to you and homes unknown, and the former Troy were remaining, would Troy be sought by fleets across the wavy sea?

mene fugis?

Is it me you are running away from?

per ego has lacrimas dextramque tuam te

(quando aliud mihi iam miserae nihil ipsa reliqui)

per conubia nostra, per inceptos hymenaeos,

By these tears and you right hand (since now I myself have nothing else left to me in my misery), by our marriage, by our wedding begun,

si bene quid de te merui, fuit aut tibi quicquam

dulce meum, miserere domus labentis, et istam—

oro, si quis adhuc precibus locus—exue mentem.

if I have ever done you any service, or if anything of mine was ever dear to you, take pity on a falling house and, I beg you, if there is any place still for prayers, put aside this intention of yours.

te propter Libycae gentes Nomadumque tyranni

odere, infensi Tyrii;

Because of you the Libyan peoples and the rulers of the Numidians hate me, my Tyrians hate me;

te propter eundem exstinctus pudor, et, qua sola sidera adibam, fama prior.

because of you my honour has been destroyed and my former reputation, by which alone I was approaching heaven.

cui me moribundam deseris, hospes?

To what are you abandoning me, doomed to die, guest?

hoc solum nomen quoniam de coniuge restat.

since only this name is left in place of spouse.

quid moror? an mea Pygmalion dum moenia frater

destruat, aut captam ducat Gaetulus Iarbas?

What am I waiting for? Until Pygmalion, my brother, has destroyed my walls, or Gaetulian Iarbas has led me away captive?

saltem si qua mihi de te suscepta fuisset

ante fugam suboles, si quis mihi parvulus aula

luderet Aeneas, qui te tamen ore referret,

At least if some child had been born from you to me before your escape, if only some little Aeneas were playing in my palace, whose looks reminded me of you, despite everything,

non equidem omnino capta ac deserta viderer.

then I would not seem so completely deceived and abandoned.