Aeneid

Virgil

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

  1. Swift through the Libyan cities Rumor sped.
  2. Rumor! What evil can surpass her speed?
  3. In movement she grows mighty, and achieves
  4. strength and dominion as she swifter flies.
  5. small first, because afraid, she soon exalts
  6. her stature skyward, stalking through the lands
  7. and mantling in the clouds her baleful brow.
  8. The womb of Earth, in anger at high Heaven,
  9. bore her, they say, last of the Titan spawn,
  10. sister to Coeus and Enceladus.
  11. Feet swift to run and pinions like the wind
  12. the dreadful monster wears; her carcase huge
  13. is feathered, and at root of every plume
  14. a peering eye abides; and, strange to tell,
  15. an equal number of vociferous tongues,
  16. foul, whispering lips, and ears, that catch at all.
  17. At night she spreads midway 'twixt earth and heaven
  18. her pinions in the darkness, hissing loud,
  19. nor e'er to happy slumber gives her eyes:
  20. but with the morn she takes her watchful throne
  21. high on the housetops or on lofty towers,
  22. to terrify the nations. She can cling
  23. to vile invention and malignant wrong,
  24. or mingle with her word some tidings true.
  25. She now with changeful story filled men's ears,
  26. exultant, whether false or true she sung:
  27. how, Trojan-born Aeneas having come,
  28. Dido, the lovely widow, Iooked his way,
  29. deigning to wed; how all the winter long
  30. they passed in revel and voluptuous ease,
  31. to dalliance given o'er; naught heeding now
  32. of crown or kingdom—shameless! lust-enslaved!
  33. Such tidings broadcast on the lips of men
  34. the filthy goddess spread; and soon she hied
  35. to King Iarbas, where her hateful song
  36. to newly-swollen wrath his heart inflamed.
  1. Him the god Ammon got by forced embrace
  2. upon a Libyan nymph; his kingdoms wide
  3. possessed a hundred ample shrines to Jove,
  4. a hundred altars whence ascended ever
  5. the fires of sacrifice, perpetual seats
  6. for a great god's abode, where flowing blood
  7. enriched the ground, and on the portals hung
  8. garlands of every flower. The angered King,
  9. half-maddened by malignant Rumor's voice,
  10. unto his favored altars came, and there,
  11. surrounded by the effluence divine,
  12. upraised in prayer to Jove his suppliant hands.
  13. “Almighty Jupiter, to whom each day,
  14. at banquet on the painted couch reclined,
  15. Numidia pours libation! Do thine eyes
  16. behold us? Or when out of yonder heaven,
  17. o sire, thou launchest the swift thunderbolt,
  18. is it for naught we fear thee? Do the clouds
  19. shoot forth blind fire to terrify the soul
  20. with wild, unmeaning roar? O, Iook upon
  21. that woman, who was homeless in our realm,
  22. and bargained where to build her paltry town,
  23. receiving fertile coastland for her farms,
  24. by hospitable grant! She dares disdain
  25. our proffered nuptial vow. She has proclaimed
  26. Aeneas partner of her bed and throne.
  27. And now that Paris, with his eunuch crew,
  28. beneath his chin and fragrant, oozy hair
  29. ties the soft Lydian bonnet, boasting well
  30. his stolen prize. But we to all these fanes,
  31. though they be thine, a fruitless offering bring,
  32. and feed on empty tales our trust in thee.”
  1. As thus he prayed and to the altars clung,
  2. th' Omnipotent gave ear, and turned his gaze
  3. upon the royal dwelling, where for love
  4. the amorous pair forgot their place and name.
  5. Then thus to Mercury he gave command:
  6. “Haste thee, my son, upon the Zephyrs call,
  7. and take thy winged way! My mandate bear
  8. unto that prince of Troy who tarries now
  9. in Tyrian Carthage, heedless utterly
  10. of empire Heaven-bestowed. On winged winds
  11. hasten with my decrees. Not such the man
  12. his beauteous mother promised; not for this
  13. twice did she shield him from the Greeks in arms:
  14. but that he might rule Italy, a land
  15. pregnant with thrones and echoing with war;
  16. that he of Teucer's seed a race should sire,
  17. and bring beneath its law the whole wide world.
  18. If such a glory and event supreme
  19. enkindle not his bosom; if such task
  20. to his own honor speak not; can the sire
  21. begrudge Ascanius the heritage
  22. of the proud name of Rome? What plans he now?
  23. What mad hope bids him linger in the lap
  24. of enemies, considering no more
  25. the land Lavinian and Ausonia's sons.
  26. Let him to sea! Be this our final word:
  27. this message let our herald faithful bear.”