§1.1Arma virumque cano, Troiae qui primus ab oris §1.2Italiam, fato profugus, Laviniaque venit §1.3litora, multum ille et terris iactatus et alto §1.4vi superum saevae memorem Iunonis ob iram; §1.5multa quoque et bello passus, dum conderet urbem, §1.6inferretque deos Latio, genus unde Latinum, §1.7Albanique patres, atque altae moenia Romae.
Arms and the man I sing, who first from the shores of Troy, driven by fate, came to Italy and the Lavinian shores, much tossed about on both land and deep by the power of the gods above, on account of the mindful anger of cruel Juno; also having suffered much in war, until he could found his city, and bring his gods to Latium, whence came the Latin race, and the Alban fathers, and the walls of lofty Rome.
§1.8Musa, mihi causas memora, quo numine laeso, §1.9quidve dolens, regina deum tot volvere casus §1.10insignem pietate virum, tot adire labores §1.11impulerit.
Muse, relate to me the causes, by what divinity offended, or grieving at what, did the queen of the gods force a man distinguished for piety to undergo so many misfortunes, to face so many labors.
Tantaene animis caelestibus irae?
Is there such great anger in heavenly minds?
§1.12Urbs antiqua fuit, Tyrii tenuere coloni, §1.13Karthago, Italiam contra Tiberinaque longe §1.14ostia, dives opum studiisque asperrima belli; §1.15quam Iuno fertur terris magis omnibus unam §1.16posthabita coluisse Samo; hic illius arma, §1.17hic currus fuit; hoc regnum dea gentibus esse, §1.18si qua fata sinant, iam tum tenditque fovetque.
There was an ancient city, Tyrian colonists held it, Carthage, opposite Italy and far from the Tiber's mouths, rich in resources and very fierce in the pursuits of war; which single city Juno is said to have cherished more than all lands, even with Samos held second; here were her arms, here was her chariot; that this should be the ruling kingdom for nations, if any fates should allow, she already then intended and cherished.
§1.19Progeniem sed enim Troiano a sanguine duci §1.20audierat, Tyrias olim quae verteret arces; §1.21hinc populum late regem belloque superbum §1.22venturum excidio Libyae: sic volvere Parcas.
But indeed she had heard that a progeny was being derived from Trojan blood, which one day would overturn the Tyrian citadels; hence a people widely ruling and proud in war would come for the destruction of Libya: thus the Fates spun.
§1.23Id metuens, veterisque memor Saturnia belli, §1.24prima quod ad Troiam pro caris gesserat Argis— §1.25necdum etiam causae irarum saevique dolores §1.26exciderant animo: manet alta mente repostum §1.27iudicium Paridis spretaeque iniuria formae, §1.28et genus invisum, et rapti Ganymedis honores.
Fearing this, and mindful of the ancient war, the daughter of Saturn, which she first had waged at Troy for her beloved Argos— nor yet indeed had the causes of her anger and her cruel griefs fallen from her mind: there remains stored up deep in her soul the judgment of Paris and the insult to her slighted beauty, and the hated race, and the honors of stolen Ganymede.
§1.29His accensa super, iactatos aequore toto §1.30Troas, reliquias Danaum atque immitis Achilli, §1.31arcebat longe Latio, multosque per annos §1.32errabant, acti fatis, maria omnia circum.
Incensed by these things besides, she was keeping the Trojans, tossed over the whole sea, the remnants left by the Greeks and fierce Achilles, far away from Latium, and for many years they wandered, driven by the fates, around all the seas.
§1.33Tantae molis erat Romanam condere gentem!
Of so great an effort it was to found the Roman race!
§1.34Vix e conspectu Siculae telluris in altum §1.35vela dabant laeti, et spumas salis aere ruebant, §1.36cum Iuno, aeternum servans sub pectore volnus, §1.37haec secum:
Mene incepto desistere victam, §1.38nec posse Italia Teucrorum avertere regem?
Scarcely out of sight of the Sicilian land into the deep were they joyfully giving sail, and plowing the foam of the salt sea with their bronze, when Juno, keeping the eternal wound deep in her breast, spoke thus to herself: "Am I, defeated, to desist from my undertaking, and not be able to turn away the king of the Trojans from Italy?
§1.39Quippe vetor fatis.
To be sure, I am forbidden by the fates.
Pallasne exurere classem §1.40Argivum atque ipsos potuit submergere ponto, §1.41unius ob noxam et furias Aiacis Oilei?
Was Pallas able to burn the fleet of the Greeks and submerge them in the sea, on account of the guilt and madness of Ajax, son of Oileus alone?
§1.42Ipsa, Iovis rapidum iaculata e nubibus ignem, §1.43disiecitque rates evertitque aequora ventis, §1.44illum expirantem transfixo pectore flammas §1.45turbine corripuit scopuloque infixit acuto.
She herself, having hurled Jupiter's swift fire from the clouds, both scattered the ships and overturned the seas with winds, and him, breathing out flames from his transfixed breast, she caught up in a whirlwind and impaled on a sharp rock.
§1.46Ast ego, quae divom incedo regina, Iovisque §1.47et soror et coniunx, una cum gente tot annos §1.48bella gero! Et quisquam numen Iunonis adoret
But I, who walk as queen of the gods, and of Jupiter both sister and wife, with one nation for so many years wage war!
§1.49praeterea, aut supplex aris imponet honorem? §1.50Talia flammato secum dea corde volutans §1.51nimborum in patriam, loca feta furentibus austris, §1.52Aeoliam venit.
And does anyone worship the divinity of Juno hereafter, or place an offering on her altars as a suppliant?" Revolving such things with herself in her inflamed heart, the goddess came to Aeolia, the homeland of storm clouds, places teeming with raging winds.
Hic vasto rex Aeolus antro §1.53luctantes ventos tempestatesque sonoras §1.54imperio premit ac vinclis et carcere frenat.
Here in a vast cave, King Aeolus presses down the struggling winds and resounding tempests with authority, and curbs them with chains and a prison.
§1.55Illi indignantes magno cum murmure montis §1.56circum claustra fremunt; celsa sedet Aeolus arce §1.57sceptra tenens, mollitque animos et temperat iras.
They, indignant, with a great murmur of the mountain, roar around their barriers; Aeolus sits on his lofty citadel, holding his scepter, and softens their spirits and tempers their angers.
§1.58Ni faciat, maria ac terras caelumque profundum §1.59quippe ferant rapidi secum verrantque per auras.
Unless he should do so, surely they, rapid, would carry away with themselves the seas and lands and deep sky, and sweep them through the air.
§1.60Sed pater omnipotens speluncis abdidit atris, §1.61hoc metuens, molemque et montis insuper altos §1.62imposuit, regemque dedit, qui foedere certo §1.63et premere et laxas sciret dare iussus habenas.
But the omnipotent father hid them in dark caves, fearing this, and placed a mass and lofty mountains above, and gave them a king, who by a fixed agreement would know both how to restrain them and how to give them loose reins when ordered.
§1.64Ad quem tum Iuno supplex his vocibus usa est: §1.65Aeole, namque tibi divom pater atque hominum rex §1.66et mulcere dedit fluctus et tollere vento
, §1.67gens inimica mihi Tyrrhenum navigat aequor, §1.68Ilium in Italiam portans victosque Penates: §1.69incute vim ventis submersasque obrue puppes, §1.70aut age diversos et disiice corpora ponto.
To whom then Juno as a suppliant used these words: "Aeolus, for to you the father of gods and king of men has given both to soothe the waves and to raise them with the wind, a race hostile to me sails the Tyrrhenian sea, carrying Ilium and their defeated Penates into Italy: strike force into the winds and overwhelm their submerged ships, or drive them scattered and disperse their bodies on the sea.
§1.71Sunt mihi bis septem praestanti corpore nymphae, §1.72quarum quae forma pulcherrima Deiopea, §1.73conubio iungam stabili propriamque dicabo, §1.74omnis ut tecum meritis pro talibus annos §1.75exigat, et pulchra faciat te prole parentem.
I have twice seven nymphs of outstanding body, of whom, Deiopea, who is the most beautiful in form, I will join to you in stable wedlock and dedicate as your own, so that she may pass all her years with you for such merits, and make you a parent with beautiful offspring."