Latin Verse Literature

Urbs antiqua fuit, Tyrii tenuere coloni,

There was an ancient city, Tyrian settlers possessed it,

Karthago, Italiam contra Tiberinaque longe

Carthage, facing Italy and the mouth of the Tiber far away,

ostia, dives opum studiisque asperrima belli;

rich in resources and very fierce in war’s activities,

quam Iuno fertur terris magis omnibus unam

which alone Juno is said to have cared for more than all other lands,

posthabita coluisse Samo; hic illius arma, hic currus fuit;

since she esteemed Samos less. Here was her armour, here was her chariot

hoc regnum dea gentibus esse, si qua fata sinant, iam tum tenditque fovetque.

even then the goddess both aimed and cherished that this city should be the kingdom of all races, if the fates allowed it in any way.

Progeniem sed enim Troiano a sanguine duci

But indeed she had heard that offspring was being produced from Trojan blood,

audierat, Tyrias olim quae verteret arces;

to overthrow the Tyrian citadels some day;

hinc populum late regem belloque superbum

From this a race would come ruling far and wide and arrogant in war,

venturum excidio Libyae: sic volvere Parcas.

to destroy Libya: thus the fates were bringing to pass.

Id metuens, veterisque memor Saturnia belli,

The daughter of Saturn, fearing this, and mindful of the old war

prima quod ad Troiam pro caris gesserat Argis

which she had previously waged against Troy on behalf of her beloved Greeks

necdum etiam causae irarum saevique dolores

for even now the causes of her anger and her savage pains

exciderant animo: manet alta mente repostum

had not yet disappeared from her mind: But remained buried deep in her mind

iudicium Paridis spretaeque iniuria formae,

was the Judgement of Paris and the insult done to her spurned beauty

et genus invisum, et rapti Ganymedis honores.

and the hated race, and the honours given to the snatched Ganymede.

His accensa super, iactatos aequore toto

inflamed further by these things, she kept the Trojans tossed about over the whole sea

Troas, reliquias Danaum atque immitis Achilli,

the remnants left by the Greeks and savage Achilles,

arcebat longe Latio, multosque per annos

far from Latium, and for many years

errabant, acti fatis, maria omnia circum.

they wandered driven by the fates around all the seas.

Tantae molis erat Romanam condere gentem!

It involved such great difficulty to found the Roman race.

Vix e conspectu Siculae telluris

Scarcely out of sight of the land of Sicily

in altum vela dabant laeti, et spumas salis aere ruebant,

they were happily sailing into the high seas, and were churning up the foam of the sea with their bronze-clad prow,

cum Iuno, aeternum servans sub pectore volnus,

when Juno, retaining the everlasting wound beneath her breast,

haec secum: 'Mene incepto desistere victam,

(said) this to herself, "To think that I, defeated, should give up my purpose

nec posse Italia Teucrorum avertere regem?

and not be able to divert the king of the Trojans from Italy?"

Quippe vetor fatis. Pallasne exurere classem

Of course I am forbidden by the fates! Was Pallas able to burn up the fleet

Argivum atque ipsos potuit summergere ponto,

of the Greeks and drown them in the sea,

unius ob noxam et furias Aiacis Oilei?

because of the offence and madness of one man, Ajax son of Oileus?

Ipsa, Iovis rapidum iaculata e nubibus ignem,

She herself, hurling the swift fire of Jupiter from the clouds

disiecitque rates evertitque aequora ventis,

both scattered the ships and upturned the seas with the winds,

illum expirantem transfixo pectore flammas

while him, as he breathed forth flame from his pierced breast,

turbine corripuit scopuloque infixit acuto.

She snatched up in a whirlwind and impaled him on a sharp rock.

Ast ego, quae divom incedo regina,

But I, who grandly walk as queen of the gods

Iovisque et soror et coniunx, una cum gente tot annos

and both the sister and wife of Jupiter, for so many years

bella gero. Et quisquam numen Iunonis adorat praeterea

have been waging war with one nation! And does anyone worship the divine power of Juno anymore,

, aut supplex aris imponet honorem?'

or in supplication will anyone place an offering upon her altars?"

talia flammato secum dea corde volutans

The goddess turning over such thoughts within herself in her inflamed heart,

nimborum in patriam, loca feta furentibus austris, Aeoliam venit.

came to the land of the clouds, Aeolia, an area teeming with the raging south winds.

Hic vasto rex Aeolus antro

Here, in a huge cave, king Aeolus

luctantes ventos tempestatesque sonoras

confines the struggling winds and sounding storms

imperio premit ac vinclis et carcere frenat.

by means of his power and curbs them with imprisoning chains.

Illi indignantes magno cum murmure montis

They, indignant, accompanied by mighty murmur of the mountain

circum claustra fremunt; celsa sedet Aeolus arce

roar around the prison bars; Aeolus sits in his lofty citadel,

sceptra tenens, mollitque animos et temperat iras.

grasping his sceptre, and sooths their spirits and restrains their outbursts of anger.

Ni faciat, maria ac terras caelumque profundum

If he did not do this, they would doubtless carry hurriedly away with them the seas, lands and the high heaven

quippe ferant rapidi secum verrantque per auras.

and sweep them through the breezes.

Sed pater omnipotens speluncis abdidit atris,

But the all-powerful Father hid them in dark caverns,

hoc metuens, molemque et montis insuper altos

fearing this, and he placed a mass above them and the high mountains,

imposuit, regemque dedit, qui foedere certo

and gave them a king who by a fixed contract

et premere et laxas sciret dare iussus habenas.

would know how to both tighten and loosen the reins as ordered.

Ad quem tum Iuno supplex his vocibus usa est:

Juno, as supplicant, then used these words to him:

"Aeole, namque tibi divum pater atque hominum rex

"Aeolus, for to you the Father of the gods and king of men

et mulcere dedit fluctus et tollere vento,

both gave (the power) to calm the waves and raise them with wind.

gens inimica mihi Tyrrhenum navigat aequor,

A race hostile to me is sailing the Etruscan sea,

Ilium in Italiam portans victosque Penates:

bringing Troy and its defeated household gods to Italy.

incute vim ventis submersasque obrue puppes,

Strike violence into your winds and destroy and sink their ships,

aut age diversos et disiice corpora ponto.

or drive the Trojans in different direction and scatter their bodies in the ocean!

Sunt mihi bis septem praestanti corpore nymphae,

I have fourteen nymphs of outstanding beauty,

quarum quae forma pulcherrima Deiopea,

of whom Deiopea is of the greatest beauty,

conubio iungam stabili propriamque dicabo,

I shall join (her to you) in eternal marriage and pronounce her your own,

omnes ut tecum meritis pro talibus annos

to spend all her years with you in return for such services,

exigat, et pulchra faciat te prole parentem.'

and to make you the father of beautiful children.'

Aeolus haec contra: 'Tuus, O regina, quid optes

Aeolus said this in return: 'Oh queen, it is your task to decide what you wish;

explorare labor; mihi iussa capessere fas est.

my duty is to carry out your orders

Tu mihi, quodcumque hoc regni, tu sceptra Iovemque

This kingdom, such as it is, this sceptre and Jupiter's goodwill,

concilias, tu das epulis accumbere divum,

You have gained for me, and you grant me to recline at the feasts of the gods,

nimborumque facis tempestatumque potentem.

and you have made me lord of the tempests and the storms.'

Haec ubi dicta, cavum conversa cuspide montem

When these things had been said, reversing his spear he struck the hollow mountains on the side

impulit in latus: ac venti, velut agmine facto,

and the winds, as if they had formed an army column,

qua data porta, ruunt et terras turbine perflant.

Where an exit is given to them, they rush out and blow through the lands in a hurricane.

Incubuere mari, totumque a sedibus imis

They fall upon the sea, and from its lowest depths

una Eurusque Notusque ruunt creberque procellis

they rush together, the East Wind, and the South and Southwesterly, with frequent storms,

Africus, et vastos volvunt ad litora fluctus.

And they churn up everything and roll vast waves to the shore.

Insequitur clamorque virum stridorque rudentum.

There follow both the shouting of the men and the shrieking of the cables.

Eripiunt subito nubes caelumque diemque

Clouds suddenly snatch away both sky and daylight

Teucrorum ex oculis; ponto nox incubat atra.

from the eyes of the Trojans; black night falls on the sea,

intonuere poli, et crebris micat ignibus aether,

the heavens thunder and the sky flickers with frequent flashes (of lightening).

praesentemque viris intentant omnia mortem.

and everything threatens the men with instant death.

Extemplo Aeneae solvuntur frigore membra:

At once Aeneas' limbs were loosened with an icy terror;

ingemit et duplicis tendens ad sidera palmas

he groaned, and stretching out both palms to the stars

talia voce refert: 'O terque quaterque beati,

he repeated such words aloud: 'O thrice and four times blessed are those

quis ante ora patrum Troiae sub moenibus altis contigit oppetere!

to whom it befell to die before the faces of your fathers under the high walls of Troy!

O Danaum fortissime gentis

O (Diomedes) son of Tydeus, the bravest of the race of the Greeks!

Tydide! Mene Iliacis occumbere campis

To think that I was not able to fall on the plains of Troy

non potuisse, tuaque animam hanc effundere dextra,

and pour out this life beneath your right hand,

saevus ubi Aeacidae telo iacet Hector, ubi ingens

where fierce Hector lies (dead) beneath the spear of the descendant of Aeacus, where mighty

Sarpedon, ubi tot Simois correpta sub undis

Sarpedon (died), where the river Simois having seized

scuta virum galeasque et fortia corpora volvit?'

so many shields and helmets and the brave bodies of men, and rolls them along under its waves?'

Talia iactanti stridens Aquilone procella

While he was shouting such (words), a storm, whistling with the North wind

velum adversa ferit, fluctusque ad sidera tollit.

struck the sail full in front, and raised the waves to the stars.

Franguntur remi; tum prora avertit, et undis

The oars were broken, then the prow turned away and

dat latus; insequitur cumulo praeruptus aquae mons.

offered the side to the waves; a sheer mountain of water followed in a mass.

Hi summo in fluctu pendent; his unda dehiscens

Some hung on the top of the wave, for others a yawning wave

terram inter fluctus aperit; furit aestus harenis.

revealed the earth among the waves, (while) the seething sea raged with the sands.

tres Notus abreptas in saxa latentia torquet-

The South wind, having snatched three (ships) hurled them onto hidden rocks

saxa vocant Itali mediis quae in fluctibus Aras—

(rocks in the middle of the waves which the Italians call the Altars

dorsum immane mari summo; tres Eurus ab alto

a huge ridge on top of the sea), three the East wind

in brevia et syrtes urget, miserabile visu,

pushed from the high seas onto shoals and sandbanks, wretched to behold,

inliditque vadis atque aggere cingit harenae.

dashed them onto the shallows and surrounded them with a mound of sand.