Aeneid

Virgil

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

  1. Apollo heard and granted half the prayer,
  2. but half upon the passing breeze he threw:
  3. granting his votary he should confound
  4. Camilla by swift death; but 't was denied
  5. the mountain-fatherland once more to see,
  6. or safe return,—that prayer th' impetuous winds
  7. swept stormfully away. Soon as the spear
  8. whizzed from his hand, straight-speeding on the air,
  9. the Volscians all turned eager thought and eyes
  10. toward their Queen. She only did not heed
  11. that windy roar, nor weapon dropped from heaven,
  12. till in her bare, protruded breast the spear
  13. drank, deeply driven, of her virgin blood.
  14. Her terror-struck companians swiftly throng
  15. around her, and uplift their sinking Queen.
  16. But Arruns, panic-stricken more than all,
  17. makes off, half terror and half joy, nor dares
  18. hazard his lance again, nor dares oppose
  19. a virgin's arms. As creeps back to the hills
  20. in pathless covert ere his foes pursue,
  21. from shepherd slain or mighty bull laid low,
  22. some wolf, who, now of his bold trespass ware,
  23. curls close against his paunch a quivering tail
  24. and to the forest tries: so Arruns speeds
  25. from sight of men in terror, glad to fly,
  26. and hides him in the crowd. But his keen spear
  27. dying Camilla from her bosom drew,
  28. though the fixed barb of deeply-wounding steel
  29. clung to the rib. She sank to earth undone,
  30. her cold eyes closed in death, and from her cheeks
  31. the roses fled. With failing breath she called
  32. on Acca—who of all her maiden peers
  33. was chiefly dear and shared her heart's whole pain—
  34. and thus she spoke: “O Acca, sister mine,
  35. I have been strong till now. The cruel wound
  36. consumes me, and my world is growing dark.
  37. Haste thee to Turnus! Tell my dying words!
  38. 'T is he must bear the battle and hold back
  39. the Trojan from our city wall. Farewell!”
  40. So saying, her fingers from the bridle-rein
  41. unclasped, and helpless to the earth she fell;
  42. then, colder grown, she loosed her more and more
  43. out of the body's coil; she gave to death
  44. her neck, her drooping head, and ceased to heed
  45. her war-array. So fled her spirit forth
  46. with wrath and moaning to the world below.
  47. Then clamor infinite uprose and smote
  48. the golden stars, as round Camilla slain
  49. the battle newly raged. To swifter charge
  50. the gathered Trojans ran, with Tuscan lords
  51. and King Evander's troops of Arcady.