Anna's Pleadings and the Ominous Portents — Virgil, Aeneid Book 4 (lines 392–471), Latin & English

392

marmoreo referunt thalamo stratisque reponunt.

Her maidservants carry her back to her marble chamber and replace her on her bed.

At pius Aeneas, quamquam lenire dolentem

But pious Aeneas, although he desires to soothe her grieving

solando cupit et dictis avertere curas,

by consoling her and to turn away her cares with his words,

395

multa gemens magnoque animum labefactus amore,

groaning much and shaken in his mind by his great love,

iussa tamen divom exsequitur, classemque revisit.

nevertheless executes the commands of the gods, and revisits the fleet.

Tum vero Teucri incumbunt, et litore celsas

Then indeed the Trojans fall to work, and along the whole shore

deducunt toto naves: natat uncta carina;

they launch the lofty ships: the well-pitched keel floats;

frondentisque ferunt remos et robora silvis

and they bring leafy oars and unworked timber

400

infabricata, fugae studio.

from the woods, in their eagerness for flight.

Migrantis cernas,¹ totaque ex urbe ruentis.

You might see them moving, and rushing out from the whole city.

Ac velut ingentem formicae farris acervum

Just as when ants pillage a huge heap of spelt,

cum populant, hiemis memores, tectoque reponunt;

mindful of winter, and store it away in their home;

it nigrum campis agmen, praedamque per herbas

a black column moves through the plains, and they carry their booty

405

convectant calle angusto; pars grandia trudunt

through the grass on a narrow path; some push the large grains

obnixae frumenta umeris; pars agmina cogunt

with their shoulders, straining hard; others keep the columns together

castigantque moras; opere omnis semita fervet.

and chastise delays; the whole path seethes with work.

Quis tibi tum, Dido, cernenti talia sensus?

What feelings were yours then, Dido, as you saw such things?

quosve dabas gemitus, cum litora fervere late

Or what groans did you utter, when you looked out from the highest citadel

410

prospiceres arce ex summa, totumque videres

on the shore seething far and wide, and saw before your eyes

misceri ante oculos tantis clamoribus aequor?

the whole sea thrown into confusion by such loud cries?

Improbe Amor, quid non mortalia pectora cogis?

Relentless Love, to what do you not compel mortal hearts?

Ire iterum in lacrimas, iterum temptare precando

She is compelled to go again into tears, again to try him with prayers,

cogitur, et supplex animos submittere amori,

and as a suppliant to submit her pride to love,

415

ne quid inexpertum frustra moritura relinquat.

lest she leave anything untried and die in vain.

Anna, vides toto properari litore; circum

”Anna, you see that they are hurrying along the whole shore; they have gathered

undique convenere; vocat iam carbasus auras,

from all sides; now the canvas calls the breezes,

puppibus et laeti nautae imposuere coronas.

and the joyful sailors have placed garlands on the sterns.

Hunc ego si potui tantum sperare dolorem,

If I was able to foresee this so great grief, sister,

420

et perferre, soror, potero. Miserae hoc tamen unum

I shall also be able to endure it. Yet perform this one thing, Anna,

exsequere, Anna, mihi. Solam nam perfidus ille

for miserable me. For that treacherous man used to respect only you,

te colere,² arcanos etiam tibi credere sensus;

and even to entrust his secret feelings to you;

sola viri mollis aditus et tempora noras.

you alone knew the easy approaches and the proper times for the man.

I, soror, atque hostem supplex adfare superbum:

Go, sister, and as a suppliant address our proud enemy:

425

non ego cum Danais Troianam exscindere gentem

I did not swear at Aulis with the Greeks to destroy the Trojan race,

Aulide iuravi, classemve ad Pergama misi,

or send a fleet to Pergamum,

nec patris Anchisae cineres Manisve revelli,

nor did I tear up the ashes or ghost of his father Anchises,

cur mea dicta neget duras demittere in auris.

why should he refuse to admit my words into his unyielding ears?

Quo ruit? Extremum hoc miserae det munus amanti:

Where is he rushing? Let him grant this last gift to his miserable lover:

430

exspectet facilemque fugam ventosque ferentis.

let him wait for an easy departure and carrying winds.

Non iam coniugium antiquum, quod prodidit, oro,

I no longer plead for the former marriage, which he betrayed,

nec pulchro ut Latio careat regnumque relinquat:

nor that he be deprived of beautiful Latium and abandon his kingdom:

tempus inane peto, requiem spatiumque furori,

I ask for empty time, a rest and a space for my madness,

dum mea me victam doceat fortuna dolere.

until my fortune teaches me, conquered, to grieve.

435

Extremam hanc oro veniam—miserere sororis—

I pray for this last favor—pity your sister—

quam mihi cum dederit,³ cumulatam morte remittam.

which when he has granted to me, I will return it increased at my death.”

Talibus orabat, talisque miserrima fletus

With such words she pleaded, and such weepings her most miserable sister

fertque refertque soror: sed nullis ille movetur

carries and carries again: but he is moved by no

fletibus, aut voces ullas tractabilis audit;

tears, nor does he, yielding, listen to any words;

440

fata obstant, placidasque viri deus obstruit auris.

the fates stand in the way, and a god obstructs the calm ears of the man.

Ac, velut annoso validam cum robore quercum

And, just as when Alpine north winds with their blasts, now from this side,

Alpini Boreae nunc hinc nunc flatibus illinc

now from that, strive among themselves to uproot

eruere inter se certant; it stridor, et altae

a strong oak of ancient strength; a creaking goes forth, and high leaves

consternunt terram concusso stipite frondes;

strew the ground as the trunk is shaken;

445

ipsa haeret scopulis, et, quantum vertice ad auras

the tree itself clings to the rocks, and as far as it stretches with its top

aetherias, tantum radice in Tartara tendit:

toward the ethereal breezes, so far does it stretch with its root into Tartarus:

haud secus adsiduis hinc atque hinc vocibus heros

not otherwise is the hero beaten with constant voices from this side

tunditur, et magno persentit pectore curas;

and that, and feels cares deeply in his great heart;

mens immota manet; lacrimae volvuntur inanes.⁴

his mind remains unmoved; tears roll down in vain.

450

Tum vero infelix fatis exterrita Dido

Then indeed, unhappy Dido, terrified by her fates,

mortem orat; taedet caeli convexa tueri.

prays for death; she is weary of looking at the vault of heaven.

Quo magis inceptum peragat lucemque relinquat,

That she might the more complete her undertaking and leave the light,

vidit, turicremis cum dona imponeret aris,

she saw, when she was placing gifts on the incense-burning altars,

horrendum dictu, latices nigrescere sacros,

horrible to relate, the sacred waters turn black,

455

fusaque in obscenum se vertere vina cruorem.

and the poured wine turn into ominous blood.

Hoc visum nulli, non ipsi effata sorori.

This sight she told to no one, not even to her sister.

Praeterea fuit in tectis de marmore templum

Furthermore, there was in her palace a marble chapel

coniugis antiqui, miro quod honore colebat,

of her former husband, which she cherished with wonderful honor,

velleribus niveis et festa fronde revinctum:

bound with snow-white wool and festive foliage:

460

hinc exaudiri voces et verba vocantis

from here, voices and words of her husband calling her

visa viri, nox cum terras obscura teneret;

seemed to be heard, when dark night held the lands;

solaque culminibus ferali carmine bubo

and a lonely owl on the roofs with its deathly song

saepe queri et longas in fletum ducere voces;

often seemed to complain and draw out long cries into wailing;

multaque praeterea vatum praedicta priorum

and besides, many predictions of ancient prophets

465

terribili monitu horrificant. Agit ipse furentem

terrify her with terrible warning. Cruel Aeneas himself pursues her raving

in somnis ferus Aeneas; semperque relinqui

in her sleep; and she always seems to be left

sola sibi, semper longam incomitata videtur

alone to herself, always to go uncompanied on a long road,

ire viam, et Tyrios deserta quaerere terra.

and to seek the Tyrians in a deserted land.

Eumenidum veluti demens videt agmina Pentheus,

Just as when mad Pentheus sees the bands of the Eumenides,

470

et solem geminum et duplicis se ostendere Thebas;

and a double sun and a double Thebes show themselves;

aut Agamemnonius scaenis agitatus Orestes

or as Agamemnonian Orestes driven on the stage.

Syntax notes4 items

4.401cernas
The second-person singular present subjunctive (potential subjunctive) used with an indefinite force ('one might see' or 'you could discern'), addressing the reader as an imaginary spectator of the scene.
4.422colere
Historical infinitives (colere and credere in the next line) equivalent to imperfect indicatives (colebat, credebat) describing habitual past actions. The subject is 'perfidus ille' (Aeneas).
4.436dederit
Future perfect indicative representing a future action prior to the main verb (remittam, future indicative): 'when he shall have granted this to me'.
4.449lacrimae volvuntur inanes
Though ancient and modern commentators debate whether these tears are shed by Aeneas himself or by Dido and Anna, they are most poetically understood as Aeneas's own tears, falling in vain as his mind (mens immota) remains resolutely fixed on duty.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-22)urn:cts:latinLit:phi0690.phi003.humanitext-lat2:4.392-4.471