Aeneid
Virgil
Vergil. The Aeneid of Virgil. Williams, Theodore, C, translator. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1910.
- When Turnus marks how much the Latins quail
- in adverse war, how on himself they call
- to keep his pledge, and with indignant eyes
- gaze all his way, fierce rage implacable
- swells his high heart. As when on Libyan plain
- a lion, gashed along his tawny breast
- by the huntsman's grievous thrust, awakens him
- unto his last grim fight, and gloriously
- shaking the great thews of his maned neck,
- shrinks not, but crushes the despoiler's spear
- with blood-sprent, roaring mouth,—not less than so
- burns the wild soul of Turnus and his ire.
- Thus to the King he spoke with stormful brow:
- “The war lags not for Turnus' sake. No cause
- constrains the Teucrian cowards and their King
- to eat their words and what they pledged refuse.
- On his own terms I come. Bring forward, sire,
- the sacrifice, and seal the pact I swear:
- either to deepest hell this hand shall fling
- yon Trojan runaway—the Latins all
- may sit at ease and see!—and my sole sword
- efface the general shame; or let him claim
- the conquest, and Lavinia be his bride.”
- To him Latinus with unruffled mind
- thus made reply: “O youth surpassing brave!
- The more thy sanguinary valor burns
- beyond its wont, the more with toilsome care
- I ponder with just fear what chance may fall,
- weighing it well. Thy father Daunus' throne,
- and many a city by thy sword subdued,
- are still thy own. Latinus also boasts
- much golden treasure and a liberal hand.
- Other unwedded maids of noble stem
- in Latium and Laurentine land are found.
- Permit me, then, to tell thee without guile
- things hard to utter; let them deeply fill
- thy listening soul. My sacred duty 'twas
- to plight my daughter's hand to nonesoe'er
- of all her earlier wooers—so declared
- the gods and oracles; but overcome
- by love of thee, by thy dear, kindred blood,
- and by the sad eyes of my mournful Queen,
- I shattered every bond; I snatched away
- the plighted maiden from her destined lord,
- and took up impious arms. What evil case
- upon that deed ensued, what hapless wars,
- thou knowest, since thyself dost chiefly bear
- the cruel burden. In wide-ranging fight
- twice-conquered, our own city scarce upholds
- the hope of Italy. Yon Tiber's wave
- still runs warm with my people's blood; the plains
- far round us glisten with their bleaching bones.
- Why tell it o'er and o'er? What maddening dream
- perverts my mind? If after Turnus slain
- I must for friendship of the Trojan sue,
- were it not better to suspend the fray
- while Turnus lives? For what will be the word
- of thy Rutulian kindred—yea, of all
- Italia, if to death I give thee o'er—
- (Which Heaven avert!) because thou fain wouldst win
- my daughter and be sworn my friend and son?
- Bethink thee what a dubious work is war;
- have pity on thy father's reverend years,
- who even now thy absence daily mourns
- in Ardea, his native land and thine.”
- But to this pleading Turnus' frenzied soul
- yields not at all, but rather blazes forth
- more wildly, and his fever fiercer burns
- beneath the healer's hand. In answer he,
- soon as his passion gathered voice, began:
- “This keen solicitude for love of me,
- I pray, good sire, for love of me put by!
- And let me traffic in the just exchange
- of death for glory. This right hand, O King,
- can scatter shafts not few, nor do I wield
- untempered steel. Whene'er I make a wound
- blood follows. For my foeman when we meet
- will find no goddess-mother near, with hand
- to hide him in her woman's skirt of cloud,
- herself in dim, deluding shade concealed.”
- But now the Queen, whose whole heart shrank in fear
- from these new terms of duel, wept aloud,
- and like one dying clasped her fiery son:
- “O Turnus, by these tears-if in thy heart
- thou honorest Amata still—O thou
- who art of our distressful, dark old age
- the only hope and peace, the kingly name
- and glory of Latinus rests in thee;
- thou art the mighty prop whereon is stayed
- our falling house. One favor I implore:
- give o'er this fight with Trojans. In such strife
- thy destined doom is destined to be mine
- by the same fatal stroke. For in that hour
- this hated life shall cease, nor will I look
- with slave's eyes on Aeneas as my son.”
- Lavinia heard her mother's voice, and tears
- o'erflowed her scarlet cheek, where blushes spread
- like flame along her warm, young face and brow:
- as when the Indian ivory must wear
- ensanguined crimson stain, or lilies pale
- mingled with roses seem to blush, such hues
- her virgin features bore; and love's desire
- disturbed his breast, as, gazing on the maid,
- his martial passion fiercer flamed; whereon
- in brief speech he addressed the Queen: “No tears!
- No evil omen, mother, I implore!
- Make me no sad farewells, as I depart
- to the grim war-god's game! Can Turnus' hand
- delay death's necessary coming? Go,
- Idmon, my herald, to the Phrygian King,
- and tell him this—a word not framed to please:
- soon as Aurora from her crimson car
- flushes to-morrow's sky, let him no more
- against the Rutule lead the Teucrian line;
- let Teucrian swords and Rutule take repose,
- while with our own spilt blood we twain will make
- an end of war; on yonder mortal field
- let each man woo Lavinia for his bride.”
- So saying, he hied him to his lordly halls,
- summoned his steeds, and with pleased eye surveyed
- their action proud: them Orithyia, bride
- of Boreas, to Sire Pilumnus gave,
- which in their whiteness did surpass the snow
- in speed the wind. The nimble charioteers
- stood by and smote with hollowed hand and palm
- the sounding chests, or combed the necks and manes.
- But he upon his kingly shoulders clasped
- his corselet, thick o'erlaid with blazoned gold
- and silvery orichalch; he fitted him
- with falchion, shield, and helm of purple plume,
- that falchion which the Lord of Fire had made
- for Daunus, tempering in the Stygian wave
- when white it glowed; next grasped he the good spear
- which leaned its weight against a column tall
- in the mid-court, Auruncan Actor's spoil,
- and waved it wide in air with mighty cry:
- “O spear, that ne'er did fail me when I called,
- the hour is come! Once mighty Actor's hand,
- but now the hand of Turnus is thy lord.
- Grant me to strike that carcase to the ground,
- and with strong hand the corselet rip and rend
- from off that Phrygian eunuch: let the dust
- befoul those tresses, tricked to curl so fine
- with singeing steel and sleeked with odorous oil.”
- Such frenzy goads him: his impassioned brow
- is all on flame, the wild eyes flash with fire.
- Thus, bellowing loud before the fearful fray,
- some huge bull proves the fury of his horns,
- pushing against a tree-trunk; his swift thrusts
- would tear the winds in pieces; while his hoofs
- toss up the turf and sand, rehearsing war.
- That self-same day with aspect terrible
- Aeneas girt him in the wondrous arms
- his mother gave; made sharp his martial steel,
- and roused his heart to ire; though glad was he
- to seal such truce and end the general war.
- Then he spoke comfort to his friends; and soothed
- Iulus' fear, unfolding Heaven's intent;
- but on Latinus bade his heralds lay
- unyielding terms and laws of peace impose.