Aeneid

Virgil

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

  1. Meanwhile th' Olympian sovereign supreme
  2. to Juno speaks, as from an amber cloud
  3. the strife she views: “My Queen, what end shall be?
  4. What yet remains? Thou seest Aeneas' name
  5. numbered with tutelary gods of power;
  6. and well thou know'st what station in the sky
  7. his starward destiny intends. What scheme
  8. vexes thy bosom still? What stubborn hope,
  9. fostered in cloud and cold? O, was it well
  10. to desecrate a god with mortal wound;
  11. or well (what were a nymph unhelped by thee?)
  12. to give back Turnus his lost sword, and lend
  13. strength unavailing to the fallen brave?
  14. Give o'er, and to our supplication yield;
  15. let not such grief thy voiceless heart devour;
  16. nor from thy sweet lips let thy mournful care
  17. so oft assail my mind. For now is come
  18. the last decisive day. Thy power availed
  19. to vex the Trojans upon land and sea,
  20. to wake abominable war, bring shame
  21. upon a royal house, and mix the songs
  22. of marriage and the grave: but further act
  23. I thee refuse.” Such was the word of Jove.
  24. Thus Saturn's daughter answered, drooping low
  25. her brows divine: “Because, great Jove, I knew
  26. thy pleasure, I from yonder earth retired
  27. and Turnus' cause, tho, with unwilling mind.
  28. Else shouldst thou not behold me at this hour
  29. Upon my solitary throne of air
  30. enduring fair and foul; I should be found
  31. flame-girded on the battle's deadly verge,
  32. tempting the Teucrians to a hated war.
  33. Yea, 't was my motion thrust Juturna forth
  34. to help her hapless brother. I approved—
  35. to save his life—that she should be too bold;
  36. but bade no whirl of spear nor bending bow:
  37. I swear it by th' inexorable fount
  38. whence flow the Stygian rivers, the sole seat
  39. where gods of light bow down in awful prayer.
  40. I yield me now; heart-sick I quit the war.
  41. But ask one boon, which in the book of fate
  42. is not denied; for Latium's good I sue,
  43. and high prerogatives of men that be
  44. thy kith and kin: when happy wedlock vows
  45. (aye, be it so!) shall join them by strong laws
  46. of chartered peace, let not the Latins Iose
  47. their ancient, native name. Bid them not pass
  48. for Trojans, nor be hailed as Teucer's sons;
  49. no alien speech, no alien garb impose.
  50. Let it be Latium ever; let the lords
  51. of Alba unto distant ages reign;
  52. let the strong, master blood of Rome receive
  53. the manhood and the might of Italy.
  54. Troy perished: let its name and glory die!”
  55. The Author of mankind and all that is,
  56. smiling benignant, answered thus her plea:
  57. “Jove's sister true, and Saturn's second child,
  58. what seas of anger vex thy heart divine!
  59. But come, relinquish thy rash, fruitless rage:
  60. I give thee this desire, and yield to thee
  61. free submission. The Ausonian tribes
  62. shall keep the speech and customs of their sires;
  63. the name remains as now; the Teucrian race,
  64. abiding in the land, shall but infuse
  65. the mixture of its blood. I will bestow
  66. a league of worship, and to Latins give
  67. one language only. From the mingled breed
  68. a people shall come forth whom thou shalt see
  69. surpass all mortal men and even outvie
  70. the faithfulness of gods; for none that live
  71. shall render to thy name an equal praise.”
  72. So Juno bowed consent, and let her will
  73. be changed, as with much comfort in her breast
  74. she left Olympus and her haunt of cloud.