Aeneid

Virgil

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

  1. Nor shalt thou, Oebalus, depart unsung,
  2. whom minstrels say the nymph Sebethis bore
  3. to Telon, who in Capri was a king
  4. when old and gray; but that disdaining son
  5. quitted so small a seat, and conquering sway
  6. among Sarrastian folk and those wide plains
  7. watered by Sarnus' wave, became a king
  8. over Celenna, Rufrae, Batulum,
  9. and where among her apple-orchards rise
  10. Abella's walls. All these, as Teutons use,
  11. hurl a light javelin; for helm they wear
  12. stripped cork-tree bark; the crescent of their shields
  13. is gleaming bronze, and gleaming bronze the sword.
  1. Next Ufens, mountain-bred, from Nersae came
  2. to join the war; of goodly fame was he
  3. for prosperous arms: his Aequian people show
  4. no gentle mien, but scour the woods for prey,
  5. or, ever-armed, across the stubborn glebe
  6. compel the plough; though their chief pride and joy
  7. are rapine, violence, and plundered store.
  1. Next after these, his brows and helmet bound
  2. with noble olive, from Marruvium came
  3. a priest, brave Umbro, ordered to the field
  4. by King Archippus: o'er the viper's brood,
  5. and venomed river-serpents he had power
  6. to scatter slumber with wide-waving hands
  7. and wizard-songs. His potent arts could soothe
  8. their coiling rage and heal the mortal sting:
  9. but 'gainst a Trojan sword no drug had he,
  10. nor could his drowsy spells his flesh repair,
  11. nor gathered simples from the Marsic hills.
  12. Thee soon in wailing woods Anguitia mourned,
  13. thee, Fucinus, the lake of crystal wave,
  14. thee, many a mountain-tarn!
  1. Next, Virbius in martial beauty rode,
  2. son of Hippolytus, whose mother, proud
  3. Aricia, sent him in his flower of fame
  4. out of Egeria's hills and cloudy groves
  5. where lies Diana's gracious, gifted fane.
  6. For legend whispers that Hippolytus,
  7. by step-dame's plot undone, his life-blood gave
  8. to sate his vengeful father, and was rent
  9. in sunder by wild horses; but the grave
  10. to air of heaven and prospect of the stars
  11. restored him;—for Diana's love and care
  12. poured out upon him Paeon's healing balm.
  13. But Jove, almighty Sire, brooked not to see
  14. a mortal out of death and dark reclimb
  15. to light of life, and with a thunderbolt
  16. hurled to the Stygian river Phoebus' son,
  17. who dared such good elixir to compound.
  18. But pitying Trivia hid Hippolytus
  19. in her most secret cave, and gave in ward
  20. to the wise nymph Egeria in her grove;
  21. where he lived on inglorious and alone,
  22. ranging the woods of Italy, and bore
  23. the name of Virbius. 'T is for this cause
  24. the hallowed woods to Trivia's temple vowed
  25. forbid loud-footed horses, such as spilled
  26. stripling and chariot on the fatal shore,
  27. scared by the monsters peering from the sea.
  28. Yet did the son o'er that tumultuous plain
  29. his battle-chariot guide and plunging team.
  1. Lo, Turnus strides conspicuous in the van,
  2. full armed, of mighty frame, his lordly head
  3. high o'er his peers emerging! His tall helm
  4. with flowing triple crest for ensign bears
  5. Chimaera, whose terrific lips outpour
  6. volcanic fires; where'er the menace moves
  7. of her infernal flames and wrathful frown,
  8. there wildest flows the purple flood of war.
  9. On his smooth shield deep graven in the gold
  10. is horned Io—wondrous the device!—
  11. a shaggy heifer-shape the maiden shows;
  12. Argus is watching her, while Inachus
  13. pours forth his river from the pictured urn.
  14. A storm of tramping troops, to Turnus sworn,
  15. throngs all the widespread plain with serried shields:
  16. warriors of Argos, and Auruncan bands,
  17. Sicani, Rutuli, Sacranian hosts,
  18. Labicum's painted shields; all who till
  19. thy woodland vales, O Tiber! or the shore
  20. Numicius hallows; all whose ploughs upturn
  21. Rutulia's hills, or that Circaean range
  22. where Jove of Anxur guards, and forests green
  23. make fair Feronia glad; where lie the fens
  24. of Satura, and Ufens' icy wave
  25. through lowland valleys seeks his seaward way.