§5.162Quo tantum mihi dexter abis? Huc dirige gressum;
"Whither do you depart so far to the right for me?
§5.163litus ama, et laevas stringat sine palmula cautes; §5.164altum alii teneant. Dixit; sed caeca Menoetes §5.165saxa timens proram pelagi detorquet ad undas.
Direct your course hither; hug the shore, and let the oar-blade graze the rocks on the left; let others hold the deep." He spoke; but Menoetes, fearing the hidden rocks, turns the prow away toward the waves of the open sea.
§5.166Quo diversus abis?
iterum
Pete saxa, Menoete! §5.167cum clamore Gyas revocabat; et ecce Cloanthum §5.168respicit instantem tergo, et propiora tenentem.
"Whither do you depart out of the way? Seek the rocks again, Menoetes!" Gyas called back with a shout; and behold, he looks back and sees Cloanthus pressing on his back and holding a closer course.
§5.169Ille inter navemque Gyae scopulosque sonantes §5.170radit iter laevum interior, subitoque priorem §5.171praeterit, et metis tenet aequora tuta relictis.
He, between the ship of Gyas and the sounding rocks, scrapes his path on the left, further inside, and suddenly passes the one before him, and, leaving the marks behind, holds the safe waters.
§5.172Tum vero exarsit iuveni dolor ossibus ingens, §5.173nec lacrimis caruere genae, segnemque Menoeten, §5.174oblitus decorisque sui sociumque salutis, §5.175in mare praecipitem puppi deturbat ab alta; §5.176ipse gubernaclo rector subit, ipse magister, §5.177hortaturque viros, clavumque ad litora torquet.
Then indeed a huge grief blazed up in the young man's bones, nor did his cheeks lack tears, and, forgetting his own dignity and the safety of his companions, he flings the sluggish Menoetes headlong into the sea from the high stern; he himself succeeds as pilot to the helm, himself as master, and encourages the men, and turns the rudder toward the shore.
§5.178At gravis, ut fundo vix tandem redditus imo est, §5.179iam senior madidaque fluens in veste Menoetes §5.180summa petit scopuli siccaque in rupe resedit.
But heavy, when at last he was scarcely returned from the bottom, being now elderly and dripping in his wet clothing, Menoetes sought the top of the rock and sat down on the dry stone.
§5.181Ilium et labentem Teucri et risere natantem, §5.182et salsos rident revomentem pectore fluctus.
The Teucrians laughed at him both as he fell and as he swam, and they laugh as he vomits the salty waves from his chest.
§5.183Hic laeta extremis spes est accensa duobus, §5.184Sergesto Mnestheique, Gyan superare morantem.
Here a joyful hope was kindled in the two last, Sergestus and Mnestheus, to surpass the delaying Gyas.
§5.185Sergestus capit ante locum scopuloque propinquat, §5.186nec tota tamen ille prior praeeunte carina; §5.187parte prior, partem rostro premit aemula Pristis.
Sergestus takes the place ahead and approaches the rock, yet he was not ahead by a whole keel leading; ahead in part, part the rival Pristis presses with her prow.
§5.188At media socios incedens nave per ipsos §5.189hortatur Mnestheus:
Nunc, nunc insurgite remis, §5.190Hectorei socii, Troiae quos sorte suprema §5.191delegi comites; nunc illas promite vires, §5.192nunc animos, quibus in Gaetulis Syrtibus usi, §5.193Ionioque mari Maleaeque sequacibus undis.
But Mnestheus, walking through the midst of his crew along the middle of the ship, encourages them: "Now, now rise to the oars, companions of Hector, whom in the supreme fate of Troy I chose as comrades; now bring forth those strengths, now that courage, which you used in the Gaetulian Syrtes, and on the Ionian sea, and in the pursuing waves of Malea.
§5.194Non iam prima peto Mnestheus, neque vincere certo; §5.195quamquam O!—sed superent, quibus hoc, Neptune, dedisti; §5.196extremos pudeat rediisse; hoc vincite, cives, §5.197et prohibete nefas. Olli certamine summo §5.198procumbunt; vastis tremit ictibus aerea puppis, §5.199subtrahiturque solum; tum creber anhelitus artus §5.200aridaque ora quatit, sudor fluit undique rivis.
I, Mnestheus, do not now seek the first place, nor do I strive to win; although, oh!—but let them conquer, to whom you, Neptune, have given this; let it be a shame to have returned last; overcome in this, citizens, and avert the disgrace." They with utmost struggle lean forward; the bronze-plated stern trembles with the vast strokes, and the water is withdrawn from under them; then thick gasping shakes their limbs and dry mouths, and sweat flows everywhere in streams.
§5.201Attulit ipse viris optatum casus honorem.
Chance itself brought to the men the desired honor.
§5.202Namque furens animi dum proram ad saxa suburguet §5.203interior, spatioque subit Sergestus iniquo, §5.204infelix saxis in procurrentibus haesit.
For while Sergestus, raging in mind, presses his prow toward the rocks further inside, and enters a perilous space, unfortunate, he stuck fast on the jutting rocks.
The rocks were shaken, and the oars, struggling against the sharp flint, snapped with a crash, and the dashed prow hung suspended.
§5.207Consurgunt nautae et magno clamore morantur, §5.208ferratasque trudes et acuta cuspide contos §5.209expediunt, fractosque legunt in gurgite remos.
The sailors leap up and with a great shout delay, and get out iron-pointed poles and sharp-tipped stakes, and gather the broken oars in the gulf.
§5.210At laetus Mnestheus successuque acrior ipso §5.211agmine remorum celeri ventisque vocatis §5.212prona petit maria et pelago decurrit aperto.
But Mnestheus, joyful and made keener by this very success, with a swift row of oars and the winds invoked, seeks the shelving seas and runs down over the open main.
§5.213Qualis spelunca subito commota columba, §5.214cui domus et dulces latebroso in pumice nidi, §5.215fertur in ana volans, plausumque exterrita pennis §5.216dat tecto ingentem, mox aere lapsa quieto §5.217radit iter liquidum, celeres neque commovet alas: §5.218sic Mnestheus, sic ipsa fuga secat ultima Pristis §5.219aequora, sic illam fert impetus ipse volantem.
Just as a dove, suddenly startled from a cave, whose home and sweet nest are in the hiding pumice-stone, is borne flying into the fields, and, terrified, gives a huge flapping against the roof, but soon, gliding in the quiet air, skims her liquid path and does not move her swift wings: so Mnestheus, so the Pristis herself in her flight cuts the furthest waters, so her own impulse bears her flying.
§5.220Et primum in scopulo luctantem deserit alto §5.221Sergestum, brevibusque vadis frustraque vocantem §5.222auxilia, et fractis discentem currere remis
And first he leaves Sergestus struggling on the high rock, and in the shallow shoals, calling in vain for help, and learning to run with broken oars.
§5.223Inde Gyan ipsamque ingenti mole Chimaeram §5.224consequitur; cedit, quoniam spoliata magistro est.
Then he overtakes Gyas and the Chimaera itself of huge bulk; she yields, since she has been despoiled of her pilot.
§5.225Solus iamque ipso superest in fine Cloanthus: §5.226quem petit, et summis adnixus viribus urguet.
And now Cloanthus alone remains at the very end: him he seeks, and, striving with utmost strength, presses hard.
§5.227Tum vero ingeminat clamor, cunctique sequentem §5.228instigant studiis, resonatque fragoribus aether.
Then indeed the shout redoubles, and all encourage him as he follows with their zeal, and the sky resounds with the din.
§5.229Hi proprium decus et partum indignantur honorem §5.230ni teneant, vitamque volunt pro laude pacisci; §5.231hos successus alit: possunt, quia posse videntur.
These are indignant if they should not keep their own glory and the honor already won, and are willing to barter life for praise; success nourishes those: they can because they seem to be able.
§5.232Et fors aequatis cepissent praemia rostris, §5.233ni palmas ponto tendens utrasque Cloanthus §5.234fudissetque preces, divosque in vota vocasset: §5.235Di, quibus imperium est pelagi, quorum aequora curro, §5.236vobis laetus ego hoc candentem in litore taurum §5.237constituam ante aras, voti reus, extaque salsos §5.238porriciam in fluctus et vina liquentia fundam.
And perhaps they would have taken the prizes with equal prows, had not Cloanthus, stretching both palms to the sea, poured forth prayers and called the gods to his vows: "O Gods, who have the dominion of the sea, whose waters I run over, joyfully I will set up for you a white bull on this shore before the altars, bound by my vow, and will fling the entrails into the salty waves and pour out flowing wines."