Aeneid

Virgil

Vergil. The Aeneid of Virgil. Williams, Theodore, C, translator. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1910.

  1. Arms and the man I sing, who first made way,
  2. predestined exile, from the Trojan shore
  3. to Italy, the blest Lavinian strand.
  4. Smitten of storms he was on land and sea
  5. by violence of Heaven, to satisfy
  6. stern Juno's sleepless wrath; and much in war
  7. he suffered, seeking at the last to found
  8. the city, and bring o'er his fathers' gods
  9. to safe abode in Latium; whence arose
  10. the Latin race, old Alba's reverend lords,
  11. and from her hills wide-walled, imperial Rome.
  1. O Muse, the causes tell! What sacrilege,
  2. or vengeful sorrow, moved the heavenly Queen
  3. to thrust on dangers dark and endless toil
  4. a man whose largest honor in men's eyes
  5. was serving Heaven? Can gods such anger feel?
  1. In ages gone an ancient city stood—
  2. Carthage, a Tyrian seat, which from afar
  3. made front on Italy and on the mouths
  4. of Tiber's stream; its wealth and revenues
  5. were vast, and ruthless was its quest of war.
  6. 'T is said that Juno, of all lands she loved,
  7. most cherished this,—not Samos' self so dear.
  8. Here were her arms, her chariot; even then
  9. a throne of power o'er nations near and far,
  10. if Fate opposed not, 't was her darling hope
  11. to 'stablish here; but anxiously she heard
  12. that of the Trojan blood there was a breed
  13. then rising, which upon the destined day
  14. should utterly o'erwhelm her Tyrian towers,
  15. a people of wide sway and conquest proud
  16. should compass Libya's doom;—such was the web
  17. the Fatal Sisters spun. Such was the fear
  18. of Saturn's daughter, who remembered well
  19. what long and unavailing strife she waged
  20. for her loved Greeks at Troy. Nor did she fail
  21. to meditate th' occasions of her rage,
  22. and cherish deep within her bosom proud
  23. its griefs and wrongs: the choice by Paris made;
  24. her scorned and slighted beauty; a whole race
  25. rebellious to her godhead; and Jove's smile
  26. that beamed on eagle-ravished Ganymede.
  27. With all these thoughts infuriate, her power
  28. pursued with tempests o'er the boundless main
  29. the Trojans, though by Grecian victor spared
  30. and fierce Achilles; so she thrust them far
  31. from Latium; and they drifted, Heaven-impelled,
  32. year after year, o'er many an unknown sea—
  33. O labor vast, to found the Roman line!
  1. Below th' horizon the Sicilian isle
  2. just sank from view, as for the open sea
  3. with heart of hope they sailed, and every ship
  4. clove with its brazen beak the salt, white waves.
  5. But Juno of her everlasting wound
  6. knew no surcease, but from her heart of pain
  7. thus darkly mused: “Must I, defeated, fail
  8. of what I will, nor turn the Teucrian King
  9. from Italy away? Can Fate oppose?
  10. Had Pallas power to lay waste in flame
  11. the Argive fleet and sink its mariners,
  12. revenging but the sacrilege obscene
  13. by Ajax wrought, Oileus' desperate son?
  14. She, from the clouds, herself Jove's lightning threw,
  15. scattered the ships, and ploughed the sea with storms.
  16. Her foe, from his pierced breast out-breathing fire,
  17. in whirlwind on a deadly rock she flung.
  18. But I, who move among the gods a queen,
  19. Jove's sister and his spouse, with one weak tribe
  20. make war so long! Who now on Juno calls?
  21. What suppliant gifts henceforth her altars crown?”
  1. So, in her fevered heart complaining still,
  2. unto the storm-cloud land the goddess came,
  3. a region with wild whirlwinds in its womb,
  4. Aeolia named, where royal Aeolus
  5. in a high-vaulted cavern keeps control
  6. o'er warring winds and loud concourse of storms.
  7. There closely pent in chains and bastions strong,
  8. they, scornful, make the vacant mountain roar,
  9. chafing against their bonds. But from a throne
  10. of lofty crag, their king with sceptred hand
  11. allays their fury and their rage confines.
  12. Did he not so, our ocean, earth, and sky
  13. were whirled before them through the vast inane.
  14. But over-ruling Jove, of this in fear,
  15. hid them in dungeon dark: then o'er them piled
  16. huge mountains, and ordained a lawful king
  17. to hold them in firm sway, or know what time,
  18. with Jove's consent, to loose them o'er the world.
  19. To him proud Juno thus made lowly plea:
  1. “Thou in whose hands the Father of all gods
  2. and Sovereign of mankind confides the power
  3. to calm the waters or with winds upturn,
  4. great Aeolus! a race with me at war
  5. now sails the Tuscan main towards Italy,
  6. bringing their Ilium and its vanquished powers.
  7. Uprouse thy gales. Strike that proud navy down!
  8. Hurl far and wide, and strew the waves with dead!
  9. Twice seven nymphs are mine, of rarest mould;
  10. of whom Deiopea, the most fair,
  11. I give thee in true wedlock for thine own,
  12. to mate thy noble worth; she at thy side
  13. shall pass long, happy years, and fruitful bring
  14. her beauteous offspring unto thee their sire.”