§6.599viscera, rimaturque epulis, habitatque sub alto §6.600pectore, nec fibris requies datur ulla renatis.
its entrails, and gropes for them for its feast, and dwells deep beneath his breast, nor is any rest given to the fibers that are born again.
§6.602quos super atra silex iam iam lapsura cadentique §6.603imminet adsimilis; lucent genialibus altis §6.604aurea fulcra toris, epulaeque ante ora paratae §6.605regifico luxu; Furiarum maxima iuxta §6.606accubat, et manibus prohibet contingere mensas, §6.607exsurgitque facem attollens, atque intonat ore.
Over them a black rock, just about to slip and like to one already falling, hangs threatening; there shine on high bridal couches golden feet, and feasts are prepared before their faces with kingly luxury; nearby the greatest of the Furies reclines, and forbids them to touch the tables with their hands, and leaps up, raising her torch, and thunders with her mouth.
§6.608Hic, quibus invisi fratres, dum vita manebat, §6.609pulsatusve parens, et fraus innexa clienti, §6.610aut qui divitiis soli incubuere repertis, §6.611nec partem posuere suis (quae maxima turba est), §6.612quique ob adulterium caesi, quique arma secuti §6.613impia nec veriti dominorum fallere dextras, §6.614inclusi poenam exspectant.
Here are those who hated their brothers, while life remained, or struck a parent, or spun deceit for a client, or who brooded alone over riches they had found nor set aside a part for their own (which is the greatest crowd), and those slain on account of adultery, and those who followed impious arms and did not fear to deceive the right hands of their masters, shut up, they await their punishment.
Ne quaere doceri §6.615quam poenam, aut quae forma viros fortunave mersit.
Do not seek to be taught what punishment, or what form or fortune overwhelmed these men.
§6.616Saxum ingens volvunt alii, radiisque rotarum §6.617districti pendent; sedet, aeternumque sedebit, §6.618infelix Theseus; Phlegyasque miserrimus omnis §6.619admonet, et magna testatur voce per umbras: §6.620Discite iustitiam moniti, et non temnere divos. §6.621Vendidit hic auro patriam, dominumque potentem §6.622imposuit; fixit leges pretio atque refixit; §6.623hic thalamum invasit natae vetitosque hymenaeos; §6.624ausi omnes immane nefas, ausoque potiti.
Some roll a huge stone, and hang stretched out on the spokes of wheels; unhappy Theseus sits, and will sit eternally; and most miserable Phlegyas warns all, and testifies with a loud voice through the shadows: 'Learn justice, having been warned, and not to despise the gods.' This one sold his country for gold, and imposed a powerful master; he set up laws for a price and tore them down again; this one invaded his daughter's chamber and forbidden marriage; all dared monstrous wickedness, and attained what they dared.
§6.625Non, mihi si linguae centum sint oraque centum, §6.626ferrea vox, omnis scelerum comprendere formas, §6.627omnia poenarum percurrere nomina possim.
Not even if I had a hundred tongues and a hundred mouths, an iron voice, could I encompass all forms of crimes, or run through all the names of punishments.
§6.628Haec ubi dicta dedit Phoebi longaeva sacerdos: §6.629Sed iam age, carpe viam et susceptum perfice munus; §6.630adceleremus
ait; Cyclopum educta caminis §6.631moenia conspicio atque adverso fornice portas, §6.632haec ubi nos praecepta iubent deponere dona. §6.633Dixerat, et pariter, gressi per opaca viarum, §6.634corripiunt spatium medium, foribusque propinquant.
When the aged priestess of Phoebus had given these words: 'But come now, take the way and finish the task you have undertaken; let us hasten,' she said; 'I see the walls built in the furnaces of the Cyclopes, and the gates in the archway opposite, where our instructions bid us deposit these gifts.' She had spoken, and at the same time, having walked through the darkness of the ways, they hurry across the space between, and approach the doors.
§6.635Occupat Aeneas aditum, corpusque recenti §6.636spargit aqua, ramumque adverso in limine figit.
Aeneas occupies the entrance, and sprinkles his body with fresh water, and fixes the branch on the threshold opposite.
§6.637His demum exactis, perfecto munere divae, §6.638devenere locos laetos et amoena virecta §6.639fortunatorum nemorum sedesque beatas.
These things at last performed, the gift of the goddess completed, they came to happy places and the pleasant green places of the fortunate groves and the blessed seats.
Here a more abundant ether clothes the plains with purple light, and they know their own sun, their own stars.
§6.642Pars in gramineis exercent membra palaestris, §6.643contendunt ludo et fulva luctantur harena; §6.644pars pedibus plaudunt choreas et carmina dicunt.
Part exercise their limbs on grassy wrestling-grounds, contend in sport and wrestle on the yellow sand; part beat dances with their feet and sing songs.
§6.645Nec non Threïcius longa cum veste sacerdos §6.646obloquitur numeris septem discrimina vocum, §6.647iamque eadem digitis, iam pectine pulsat eburno.
Moreover, the Thracian priest in his long robe accompanies the measures with the seven differences of tones, and now strikes them with his fingers, now with his ivory plectrum.
§6.648Hic genus antiquum Teucri, pulcherrima proles, §6.649magnanimi heroes, nati melioribus annis, §6.650Ilusque Assaracusque et Troiae Dardanus auctor.
Here is the ancient race of Teucer, a most beautiful offspring, magnanimous heroes, born in better years, and Ilus and Assaracus and Dardanus, the founder of Troy.
§6.651Arma procul currusque virum miratur inanes.
He marvels from afar at the empty arms and chariots of the men.
Spears stand fixed in the earth, and everywhere released horses feed through the plain.
Quae gratia currum §6.654armorumque fuit vivis, quae cura nitentis §6.655pascere equos, eadem sequitur tellure repostos.
What pleasure in chariots and arms they had when alive, what care to feed shining horses, the same follows them laid to rest in the earth.
§6.656Conspicit, ecce, alios dextra laevaque per herbam §6.657vescentis, laetumque choro paeana canentis §6.658inter odoratum lauri nemus, unde superne §6.659plurimus Eridani per silvam volvitur amnis.
Behold, he sees others on the right and on the left through the grass feasting, and singing a joyful paean in a choir amidst the fragrant grove of laurel, whence from above the abundant river of Eridanus rolls through the forest.
§6.660Hic manus ob patriam pugnando volnera passi, §6.661quique sacerdotes casti, dum vita manebat, §6.662quique pii vates et Phoebo digna locuti, §6.663inventas aut qui vitam excoluere per artes, §6.664quique sui memores alios fecere merendo, §6.665omnibus his nivea cinguntur tempora vitta.
Here is the band of those who suffered wounds in fighting for their country, and those who were chaste priests, while life remained, and those who were pious poets and spoke things worthy of Phoebus, or those who adorned life through discovered arts, or those who made others mindful of them by deserving well; for all of these the temples are girt with a snow-white band.
§6.666Quos circumfusos sic est adfata Sybilla, §6.667Musaeum ante omnes, medium nam plurima turba §6.668hunc habet, atque umeris exstantem suspicit altis: §6.669Dicite, felices animae, tuque, optime vates, §6.670quae regio Anchisen, quis habet locus? Illius ergo
Whom gathered around the Sibyl thus addressed, Musaeus before all; for a very great crowd held him in their midst, and looked up to him standing out with his high shoulders: 'Tell, happy souls, and you, best of poets, what region, what place holds Anchises?
§6.671venimus, et magnos Erebi transnavimus amnes. §6.672Atque huic responsum paucis ita reddidit heros: §6.673Nulli certa domus; lucis habitamus opacis, §6.674riparumque toros et prata recentia rivis §6.675incolimus.
For his sake we have come, and have sailed across the great rivers of Erebus.' And to her the hero thus returned answer in few words: 'To none is there a fixed home; we dwell in shady groves, and inhabit the cushions of banks and meadows fresh with streams.
Sed vos, si fert ita corde voluntas,
But you, if the desire in your heart so leads,