Aeneid
Virgil
Vergil. The Aeneid of Virgil. Williams, Theodore, C, translator. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1910.
- Then loomed o'er Troy the apparition vast
- of her dread foes divine; I seemed to see
- all Ilium sink in fire, and sacred Troy,
- of Neptune's building, utterly o'erthrown.
- So some huge ash-tree on the mountain's brow
- (when rival woodmen, heaving stroke on stroke
- of two-edged axes, haste to cast her down)
- sways ominously her trembling, leafy top,
- and drops her smitten head; till by her wounds
- vanquished at last, she makes her dying groan,
- and falls in loud wreck from the cliffs uptorn.
- I left the citadel; and, led by Heaven,
- threaded the maze of deadly foes and fires,
- through spears that glanced aside and flames that fell.
- Soon came I to my father's ancient seat,
- our home and heritage. But lo! my sire
- (whom first of all I sought, and first would bear
- to safe asylum in the distant hills)
- vowed he could never, after fallen Troy,
- live longer on, or bear an exile's woe.
- “O you,” he cried, “whose blood not yet betrays
- the cruel taint of time, whose powers be still
- unpropped and undecayed, go, take your flight.
- If heavenly wrath had willed my life to spare,
- this dwelling had been safe. It is too much
- that I have watched one wreck, and for too Iong
- outlived my vanquished country. Thus, O, thus!
- Compose these limbs for death, and say farewell.
- My own hand will procure it; or my foe
- will end me of mere pity, and for spoil
- will strip me bare. It is an easy loss
- to have no grave. For many a year gone by,
- accursed of Heaven, I tarry in this world
- a useless burden, since that fatal hour
- when Jove, of gods the Sire and men the King,
- his lightnings o'er me breathed and blasting fire.”
- Such fixed resolve he uttered o'er and o'er,
- and would not yield, though with my tears did join
- my spouse Creusa, fair Ascanius,
- and our whole house, imploring the gray sire
- not with himself to ruin all, nor add
- yet heavier burdens to our crushing doom.
- He still cried, “No!” and clung to where he sat
- and to the same dread purpose. I once more
- back to the fight would speed. For death alone
- I made my wretched prayer. What space was left
- for wisdom now? What chance or hope was given?
- “Didst thou, dear father, dream that I could fly
- sundered from thee? Did such an infamy
- fall from a father's lips? If Heaven's decree
- will of this mighty nation not let live
- a single soul, if thine own purpose be
- to cast thyself and thy posterity
- into thy country's grave, behold, the door
- is open to thy death! Lo, Pyrrhus comes
- red-handed from King Priam! He has slain
- a son before a father's eyes, and spilt
- a father's blood upon his own hearthstone.
- Was it for this, O heavenly mother mine,
- that thou hast brought me safe through sword and fire?
- that I might see these altars desecrate
- by their worst foes? that I might look upon
- my sire, my wife, and sweet Ascanius
- dead at my feet in one another's blood?
- To arms, my men, to arms! The hour of death
- now beckons to the vanquished. Let me go
- whither the Greeks are gathered; let me stand
- where oft revives the flagging stroke of war:
- Not all of us die unavenged this day!”
- I clasped my sword-belt round me once again,
- fitted my left arm to my shield, and turned
- to fly the house; but at the threshold clung
- Creusa to my knees, and lifted up
- Iulus to his father's arms. “If thou
- wouldst rush on death,” she cried, “O, suffer us
- to share thy perils with thee to the end.
- But if this day's work bid thee trust a sword,
- defend thy hearthstone first. Who else shall guard
- thy babe Iulus, or thy reverend sire?
- Or me, thy wife that was—what help have I?”
- So rang the roof-top with her piteous cries:
- but lo! a portent wonderful to see
- on sudden rose; for while his parents' grief
- held the boy close in arm and full in view,
- there seemed upon Iulus' head to glow
- a flickering peak of fire; the tongue of flame
- innocuous o'er his clustering tresses played,
- and hovered round his brows. We, horror-struck,
- grasped at his burning hair, and sprinkled him,
- to quench that holy and auspicious fire.
- then sire Anchises with exultant eyes
- looked heavenward, and lifted to the stars
- his voice and outstretched hands. “Almighty Jove,
- if aught of prayer may move thee, let thy grace
- now visit us! O, hear this holy vow!
- And if for service at thine altars done,
- we aught can claim, O Father, lend us aid,
- and ratify the omen thou hast given!”
- Scarce ceased his aged voice, when suddenly
- from leftward, with a deafening thunder-peal,
- cleaving the blackness of the vaulted sky,
- a meteor-star in trailing splendor ran,
- exceeding bright. We watched it glide sublime
- o'er tower and town, until its radiant beam
- in forest-mantled Ida died away;
- but left a furrow on its track in air,
- a glittering, Iong line, while far and wide
- the sulphurous fume and exhalation flowed.
- My father strove not now; but lifted him
- in prayer to all the gods, in holy awe
- of that auspicious star, and thus exclaimed:
- “Tarry no moment more! Behold, I come!
- Whithersoe'er ye lead, my steps obey.
- Gods of my fathers, O, preserve our name!
- Preserve my son, and his! This augury
- is yours; and Troy on your sole strength relies.
- I yield, dear son; I journey at thy side.”
- He spoke; and higher o'er the blazing walls
- leaped the loud fire, while ever nearer drew
- the rolling surges of tumultuous flame.
- “Haste, father, on these bending shoulders climb!
- This back is ready, and the burden light;
- one peril smites us both, whate'er befall;
- one rescue both shall find. Close at my side
- let young Iulus run, while, not too nigh,
- my wife Creusa heeds what way we go.
- Ye servants of our house, give ear, I pray,
- to my command. Outside the city's gates
- lies a low mound and long since ruined fane
- to Ceres vowed; a cypress, ancient shade
- o'erhangs it, which our fathers' pious care
- protected year by year; by various paths
- be that our meeting-place. But in thy hands
- bring, sire, our household gods, and sanctifies:
- for me to touch, who come this very hour
- from battle and the fresh blood of the slain,
- were but abomination, till what time
- in living waters I shall make me clean.”
- So saying, I bowed my neck and shoulders broad,
- o'erspread me with a lion's tawny skin,
- and lifted up my load. Close at my side
- little Iulus twined his hand in mine
- and followed, with unequal step, his sire.
- My wife at distance came. We hastened on,
- creeping through shadows; I, who once had viewed
- undaunted every instrument of war
- and all the gathered Greeks in grim array,
- now shook at every gust, and heard all sounds
- with fevered trepidation, fearing both
- for him I bore and him who clasped my hand.
- Now near the gates I drew, and deemed our flight
- safely at end, when suddenly I heard
- the sounding tread of many warriors
- that seemed hard-by, while through the murky night
- my father peered, and shouted, “O my son,
- away, away! for surely all our foes
- are here upon us, and my eyes behold
- the glance of glittering shields and flash of arms.”
- O, then some evil-working, nameless god
- clouded my senses quite: for while I sped
- along our pathless way, and left behind
- all paths and regions known—O wretched me!—
- Creusa on some dark disaster fell;
- she stopped, or wandered, or sank down undone,—
- I never knew what way,—and nevermore
- I looked on her alive. Yet knew I not
- my loss, nor backward turned a look or thought,
- till by that hallowed hill to Ceres vowed
- we gathered all,— and she alone came not,
- while husband, friends, and son made search in vain.
- What god, what man, did not my grief accuse
- in frenzied word? In all the ruined land
- what worse woe had I seen? Entrusting then
- my sire, my son, and all the Teucrian gods
- to the deep shadows of a slanting vale
- where my allies kept guard, I tried me back
- to that doomed town, re-girt in glittering arms.
- Resolved was I all hazards to renew,
- all Troy to re-explore, and once again
- offer my life to perils without end.
- The walls and gloomy gates whence forth I came
- I first revisit, and retrace my way,
- searching the night once more. On all sides round
- horror spread wide; the very silence breathed
- a terror on my soul. I hastened then
- back to my fallen home, if haply there
- her feet had strayed; but the invading Greeks
- were its possessors, though the hungry fire
- was blown along the roof-tree, and the flames
- rolled raging upward on the fitful gale.
- To Priam's house I haste, and climb once more
- the citadel; in Juno's temple there,
- the chosen guardians of her wasted halls,
- Phoenix and dread Ulysses watched the spoil.
- Here, snatched away from many a burning fane,
- Troy's treasures lay,—rich tables for the gods,
- thick bowls of messy gold, and vestures rare,
- confusedly heaped up, while round the pile
- fair youths and trembling virgins stood forlorn.
- Yet oft my voice rang dauntless through the gloom,
- from street to street I cried with anguish vain;
- and on Creusa piteously calling,
- woke the lamenting echoes o'er and o'er.
- While on this quest I roamed the city through,
- of reason reft there rose upon my sight—
- O shape of sorrow!— my Creusa's ghost,
- hers truly, though a loftier port it wore.
- I quailed, my hair rose, and I gasped for fear;
- but thus she spoke, and soothed my grief away:
- “Why to these frenzied sorrows bend thy soul,
- O husband ever dear! The will of Heaven
- hath brought all this to pass. Fate doth not send
- Creusa the long journeys thou shalt take,
- or hath th' Olympian King so given decree.
- Long is thy banishment; thy ship must plough
- the vast, far-spreading sea. Then shalt thou come
- unto Hesperia, whose fruitful plains
- are watered by the Tiber, Lydian stream,
- of smooth, benignant Bow. Thou shalt obtain
- fair fortunes, and a throne and royal bride.
- For thy beloved Creusa weep no more!
- No Myrmidon's proud palace waits me now;
- Dolopian shall not scorn, nor Argive dames
- command a slave of Dardan's royal stem
- and wife to Venus' son. On these loved shores
- the Mother of the Gods compels my stay.
- Farewell! farewell! O, cherish evermore
- thy son and mine!” Her utterance scarce had ceased,
- when, as I strove through tears to make reply,
- she left me, and dissolved in empty air.
- Thrice would my frustrate arms her form enfold;
- thrice from the clasp of hand that vision fled,
- like wafted winds and like a fleeting dream.
- The night had passed, and to my friends once more
- I made my way, much wondering to find
- a mighty multitude assembled there
- of friends new-come,—matrons and men-at-arms,
- and youth for exile bound,— a doleful throng.
- From far and near they drew, their hearts prepared
- and their possessions gathered, to sail forth
- to lands unknown, wherever o'er the wave
- I bade them follow. Now above the crest
- of loftiest Ida rose the morning-star,
- chief in the front of day. The Greeks held fast
- the captive gates of Troy. No help or hope
- was ours any more. Then, yielding all,
- and lifting once again my aged sire,
- for refuge to the distant hills I fled.