§10.836dependet galea et prato gravia arma quiescunt.
His helmet hangs from the branches, and his heavy arms rest on the meadow.
§10.837Stant lecti circum iuvenes: ipse aeger anhelans §10.838colla fovet, fusus propexam in pectore barbam; §10.839multa super Lauso rogitat multumque remittit §10.840qui revocent maestique ferant mandata parentis.
Chosen youths stand around; he himself, sick and panting, eases his neck, having his combed beard spread upon his chest; he asks many things about Lausus, and sends many back, to recall him and carry the commands of the sorrowing father.
§10.841At Lausum socii exanimem super arma ferebant §10.842flentes, ingentem atque ingenti volnere victum.
But weeping, his comrades were carrying the lifeless Lausus on his shield, a great hero, and conquered by a great wound.
§10.843Agnovit longe gemitum praesaga mali mens: §10.844canitiem multo deformat pulvere et ambas §10.845ad caelum tendit palmas et corpore inhaeret.
His mind, prescient of ill, recognized the groan from afar: he defiles his white hair with much dust and stretches both palms to heaven, and clings to the body.
§10.846Tantane me tenuit vivendi, nate, voluptas, §10.847ut pro me hostili paterer succedere dextrae,
"My son, did so great a desire for life hold me, that I should allow you, whom I begot, to take my place under the enemy's right hand?
§10.848quem genui? Tuane haec genitor per volnera servor,
Am I, your father, saved by these wounds of yours, living by your death?
§10.849morte tua vivens? Heu, nunc misero mihi demum §10.850exitium infelix, nunc alte volnus adactum!
Alas, now at last is exile bitter to wretched me, now the wound is driven deep!
§10.851Idem ego, nate, tuum maculavi crimine nomen, §10.852pulsus ob invidiam solio sceptrisque paternis.
I, the same man, my son, stained your name with crime, driven through hatred from my throne and fatherly sceptre.
§10.853Debueram patriae poenas odiisque meorum: §10.854omnis per mortis animam sontem ipse dedissem!
I had owed punishment to my country and the hatred of my people: I myself should have given up my guilty soul through any death!
§10.855Nunc vivo neque adhuc homines lucemque relinquo.
Now I live, and do not yet leave mankind and the light.
§10.856Sed linquam. Simul hoc dicens attollit in aegrum §10.857se femur et, quamvis dolor alto volnere tardet, §10.858haud deiectus equum duci iubet.
But leave them I will." Speaking thus, he raises himself on his injured thigh, and although the pain of his deep wound slows him down, yet undaunted, he orders his horse to be led out.
This was his pride, this was his solace; on this he went away victor from all his battles.
Adloquitur maerentem et talibus infit: §10.861Rhaebe, diu, res siqua diu mortalibus ulla est, §10.862viximus.
He addresses the grieving beast and begins thus: "Rhaebus, we have lived long, if anything is long-lasting for mortals.
Aut hodie victor spolia illa cruenti §10.863et caput Aeneae referes Lausique dolorum §10.864ultor eris mecum aut, aperit si nulla viam vis, §10.865occumbes pariter; neque enim, fortissime, credo, §10.866iussa aliena pati et dominos dignabere Teucros. §10.867Dixit et exceptus tergo consueta locavit §10.868membra manusque ambas iaculis oneravit acutis, §10.869aere caput fulgens cristaque hirsutus equina.
Today either as victor you shall bring back those bloody spoils and the head of Aeneas, and be with me the avenger of Lausus's pains, or, if no power opens a way, you shall fall together with me; for I do not think, bravest beast, you will deign to suffer another's orders and Trojan masters." He spoke, and being received on its back, settled his accustomed limbs, and loaded both hands with sharp javelins, his head gleaming with bronze and bristling with horsehair crest.
§10.870Sic cursum in medios rapidus dedit: aestuat ingens §10.871uno in corde pudor mixtoque insania luctu, §10.873Atque hic Aenean magna ter voce vocavit.
Thus he swiftly directed his course into the midst; there seethes a huge shame in his single heart, and madness mixed with grief, and here he called Aeneas three times with a loud voice.
§10.874Aeneas agnovit enim laetusque precatur: §10.875Sic pater ille deum faciat, sic altus Apollo, §10.876incipias conferre manum. §10.877Tantum effatus et infesta subit obvius hasta.
Indeed, Aeneas recognized him, and joyfully prays: "May that father of the gods so bring it to pass, so may lofty Apollo, that you begin to join hand in hand." Having spoken only so much, he goes to meet him with a hostile spear.
§10.878Ille autem:
Quid me erepto, saevissime, nato
But he: "Why do you terrify me, most savage man, now that my son is snatched away?
§10.879terres? Haec via sola fuit, qua perdere posses.
This was the only way by which you could destroy me.
§10.880Nec mortem horremus nec divom parcimus ulli.
We neither shrink from death nor spare any of the gods.
§10.881Desine: nam venio moriturus et haec tibi porto §10.882dona prius. Dixit telumque intorsit in hostem; §10.883inde aliud super atque aliud figitque volatque §10.884ingenti gyro, sed sustinet aureus umbo.
Cease, for I come to die, and first I bring these gifts." He spoke, and hurled a weapon at the enemy; then another and yet another he plants, and flies in a vast circle, but the golden shield-boss sustains them.
§10.885Ter circum adstantem laevos equitavit in orbes §10.886tela manu iaciens, ter secum Troïus heros §10.887immanem aerato circumfert tegmine silvam.
Three times he rode in left-hand circles around him as he stood, throwing weapons from his hand; three times the Trojan hero carries with him a vast forest on his bronze-clad shield.
§10.888Inde ubi tot traxisse moras, tot spicula taedet §10.889vellere et urgetur pugna congressus iniqua, §10.890multa movens animo iam tandem erumpit et inter §10.891bellatoris equi cava tempora conicit hastam.
Then, when he is weary of drawing out so many delays, of plucking out so many darts, and is hard pressed, fighting in an unequal contest, pondering many things in his mind, at last he breaks forth, and between the hollow temples of the warhorse he hurls his spear.
§10.892Tollit se arrectum quadrupes et calcibus auras §10.893verberat effusumque equitem super ipse secutus §10.894implicat eiectoque incumbit cernuus armo.
The beast rears itself upright and beats the air with its hooves, and following above the thrown rider, itself entangles him and, falling headlong, lies upon him with dislocated shoulder.
§10.895Clamore incendunt caelum Troesque Latinique.
Both Trojans and Latins inflame the sky with their shouts.
§10.896Advolat Aeneas vaginaque eripit ensem §10.897et super haec:
Ubi nunc Mezentius acer et illa §10.898effera vis animi?
Contra Tyrrhenus, ut auras §10.899suspiciens hausit caelum mentemque recepit: §10.900Hostis amare, quid increpitas mortemque minaris?
Aeneas flies to him and draws his sword from its scabbard, and over him says these things: "Where now is fierce Mezentius and that wild force of his mind?" In reply the Etruscan, as looking up at the air he drank in the sky and recovered his senses: "Bitter enemy, why do you chide me and threaten death?
§10.901Nullum in caede nefas, nec sic ad proelia veni, §10.902nec tecum meus haec pepigit mihi foedera Lausus.
There is no sin in killing, nor did I come to battle on such terms, nor did my Lausus strike such agreements with you for me.
This one thing I beg, by whatever grace there is for conquered enemies: suffer my body to be covered with earth.
Scio acerba meorum §10.905circumstare odia: hunc, oro, defende furorem §10.906et me consortem nati concede sepulchro. §10.907Haec loquitur iuguloque haud inscius accipit ensem §10.908undantique animam diffundit in arva cruore.
I know that the bitter hatred of my people surrounds me: protect me, I pray, from this madness, and grant me to be a sharer in my son's tomb." He says these things, and not unwitting receives the sword in his throat, and pours out his life into the fields with welling blood.