§12.718stat pecus omne metu mutum mussantque iuvencae, §12.719quis nemori imperitet, quem tota armenta sequantur; §12.720illi inter sese multa vi volnera miscent §12.721cornuaque obnixi infigunt et sanguine largo §12.722colla armosque lavant; gemitu nemus omne remugit: §12.723non alitur Tros Aeneas et Daunius heros §12.724concurrunt clipeis; ingens fragor aethera complet.
All the herd stands mute with fear, and the heifers mutter, who should rule the forest, whom the whole herd should follow; they deal many a wound among themselves with mighty force, and pushing, fix their horns, and with streaming blood bathe their necks and shoulders; the whole forest bellows back with their groans: even so Trojan Aeneas and the Daunian hero clash with their shields; a mighty crash fills the sky.
§12.725Iuppiter ipse duas aequato examine lances §12.726sustinet et fata imponit diversa duorum, §12.727quem damnet labor et quo vergat pondere letum; §12.728Emicat hic, impune putans, et corpore toto §12.729alte sublatum consurgit Turnus in ensem §12.730et ferit: exclamant Troes trepidique Latini, §12.731arrectaeque amborum acies.
Jupiter himself holds up two scales with balanced tongue, and places on them the diverse fates of the two, whom the struggle should doom, and with which weight death should sink; Here Turnus springs forward, thinking it safe, and with his whole body rises to his sword raised high, and strikes: the Trojans and the anxious Latins cry out, and the battle lines of both are aroused.
At perfidus ensis §12.732frangitur in medioque ardentem deserit ictu §12.733ni fuga subsidio subeat.
But the treacherous sword breaks, and deserts him in his passion in mid-stroke, unless flight should come to his aid.
Fugit ocior euro, §12.734ut capulum ignotum dextramque aspexit inermem.
He flees swifter than the east wind, when he beheld the unknown hilt and his unarmed right hand.
§12.735Fama est praecipitem, cum prima in proelia iunctos §12.736conscendebat equos, patrio mucrone relicto, §12.737dum trepidat, ferrum aurigae rapuisse Metisci.
The story is that in his headlong haste, when he was mounting his yoked horses for the first battles, having left his father's blade behind, while he was trembling with excitement, he snatched the sword of his charioteer Metiscus.
§12.738Idque diu, dum terga dabant palantia Teucri, §12.739suffecit: postquam arma dei ad Volcania ventumst, §12.740mortalis mucro glacies ceu futilis ictu §12.741dissiluit; fulva resplendent fragmina harena.
And for a long time, while the scattered Trojans were turning their backs, it sufficed; but after it came to the god-made armor of Vulcan, the mortal blade, like brittle ice, at the blow flew apart; the fragments glitter on the yellow sand.
§12.742Ergo amens diversa fuga petit aequora Turnus §12.743et nunc huc, inde huc incertos implicat orbes §12.744undique enim densa Teucri inclusere corona, §12.745atque hinc vasta palus, hinc ardua moenia cingunt.
Therefore, frantic, Turnus seeks different parts of the plain in flight, and now here, then there, winds uncertain circles; for on all sides the Trojans have enclosed him in a dense ring, and on this side a vast marsh, on that side high walls gird him round.
§12.746Nec minus Aeneas, quamquam tardata sagitta §12.747interdum genua impediunt cursumque recusant, §12.748insequitur trepidique pedem pede fervidus urget: §12.749inclusum veluti siquando flumine nanctus §12.750cervum aut puniceae saeptum formidine pinnae §12.751venator cursu canis et latratibus instat; §12.752ille autem, insidiis et ripa territus alta, §12.753mille fugit refugitque vias; at vividus Umber §12.754haeret hians, iam iamque tenet similisque tenenti §12.755increpuit malis morsuque elusus inani est.
No less does Aeneas pursue, though his knees, slowed by the arrow, sometimes hinder him and refuse to run, he follows, and hot with rage presses hard on the heel of his trembling foe: just as when a hunting hound has found a stag enclosed by a river, or hemmed in by the terror of the crimson feather, and presses on him with running and barking; but the stag, terrified by the snares and the high bank, flees and flees back a thousand ways; yet the eager Umbrian hound clings with open mouth, and now, even now, has him, and as though he held him, snaps his jaws, and is baffled by an empty bite.
§12.756Tum vero exoritur clamor, ripaeque lacusque §12.757responsant circa et caelum tonat omne tumultu.
Then indeed a shout arises, and the banks and lakes echo around, and the whole sky thunders with the tumult.
§12.758Ille simul fugiens Rutulos simul increpat omnis, §12.759nomine quemque vocans, notumque efflagitat ensem.
He, fleeing, at the same time chides all the Rutulians, calling each by name, and demands his well-known sword.
§12.760Aeneas mortem contra praesensque minatur §12.761exitium, si quisquam adeat, terretque trementis §12.762excisurum urbem minitans et saucius instat.
Aeneas, on the other hand, threatens death and instant destruction, if anyone should approach, and terrifies the trembling men, threatening to raze the city, and, though wounded, presses on.
§12.763Quinque orbis explent cursu totidemque retexunt §12.764huc illuc; neque enim levia aut ludicra petuntur §12.765praemia, sed Turni de vita et sanguine certant.
Five circles they complete in their course, and as many they unweave this way and that; for no light or playful prizes are sought, but they strive for the life and blood of Turnus.
§12.766Forte sacer Fauno foliis oleaster amaris §12.767hic steterat, nautis olim venerabile lignum, §12.768servati ex undis ubi figere dona solebant §12.769Laurenti divo et votas suspendere vestes, §12.770sed stirpem Teucri nullo discrimine sacrum §12.771sustulerant, puro ut possent concurrere campo.
By chance a wild olive, sacred to Faunus with bitter leaves, had stood here, a tree once revered by sailors, where, saved from the waves, they were accustomed to fix their gifts to the Laurentine god, and hang up their vowed garments; but the Trojans, with no distinction, had removed the sacred trunk, so that they might clash on a clear field.
§12.772Hic hasta Aeneae stabat, huc impetus illam §12.773detulerat fixam et lenta in radice tenebat.
Here stood Aeneas' spear; hither its force had carried it and held it fast in the tough root.
§12.774Incubuit voluitque manu convellere ferrum §12.775Dardanides teloque sequi, quem prendere cursu §12.776non poterat.
The Dardanian bent over, and wished to pluck out the iron with his hand, and to pursue with the weapon the one whom he could not catch by running.
Tum vero amens formidine Turnus §12.777Faune, precor, miserere,
inquit,
tuque optima ferrum §12.778terra tene, colui vestros si semper honores, §12.779quos contra Aeneadae bello fecere profanos. §12.780Dixit opemque dei non cassa in vota vocavit.
Then indeed Turnus, frantic with fear, said: "Faunus, I pray, have pity, and you, most gracious earth, hold fast the iron, if I have always cherished your honors, which, on the contrary, the sons of Aeneas have made profane by war." He spoke, and called the help of the god in no fruitless vows.
§12.781Namque diu luctans lentoque in stirpe moratus §12.782viribus haud ullis valuit discludere morsus §12.783roboris Aeneas.
For struggling long and lingering over the tough stump, Aeneas was not able by any strength to open the grip of the hard wood.
Dum nititur acer et instat, §12.784rursus in aurigae faciem mutata Metisci §12.785procurrit fratrique ensem dea Daunia reddit.
While he strives fiercely and presses on, changed again into the likeness of the charioteer Metiscus, the Daunian goddess runs forward and restores the sword to her brother.
At which Venus, indignant that such a thing was permitted to the bold nymph, approached and plucked the weapon from the deep root.
§12.788Olli sublimes armis animisque refecti, §12.789hic gladio fidens, hic acer et arduus hasta, §12.790adsistunt contra certamina Martis anheli.
They, towering high, restored in arms and spirit, one trusting in his sword, the other fierce and towering with his spear, stand opposed to the contests of panting Mars.
§12.791Iunonem interea rex omnipotentis Olympi §12.792adloquitur fulva pugnas de nube tuentem: §12.793Qua iam finis erit, coniunx? Quid denique restat?
Meanwhile, the king of omnipotent Olympus addresses Juno as she watches the battles from a golden cloud: "What end will there be now, wife? What finally remains?
You yourself know, and confess that you know, that Aeneas as a hero-god is due to heaven and by the fates is to be raised to the stars.
§12.796Quid struis, aut qua spe gelidis in nubibus haeres?
What are you scheming, or with what hope do you linger in the cold clouds?
§12.797Mortalin decuit violari volnere divom,
Was it fitting that a god be violated by a mortal's wound,"