§8.568non ego nunc dulci amplexu divellerer usquam, §8.569nate, tuo, neque finitimo Mezentius umquam §8.570huic capiti insultans tot ferro saeva dedisset §8.571funera, tam multis viduasset civibus urbem.
I would not now be torn away from your sweet embrace anywhere, my son, nor would Mezentius ever, insulting this head of mine, have caused so many cruel deaths by the sword, or deprived the city of so many citizens.
§8.572At vos, o superi, et divom tu maxume rector §8.573Iuppiter, Arcadii, quaeso, miserescite regis §8.574et patrias audite preces.
But you, O gods above, and you, supreme ruler of the gods, Jupiter, pity, I pray, the Arcadian king, and hear a father's prayers.
Si numina vestra §8.575incolumem Pallanta mihi, si fata reservant, §8.576si visurus eum vivo et venturus in unum: §8.577vitam oro, patior quemvis durare laborem.
If your divine will, if the fates preserve Pallas safe for me, if I live destined to see him and to come together as one: I pray for life, I agree to endure any hardship.
§8.578Sin aliquem infandum casum, Fortuna, minaris: §8.579nunc O nunc liceat crudelem abrumpere vitam, §8.580dum curae ambiguae, dum spes incerta futuri, §8.581dum te, care puer, mea sera et sola voluptas, §8.582complexu teneo, gravior neu nuntius auris §8.583volneret. Haec genitor digressu dicta supremo §8.584fundebat: famuli conlapsum in tecta ferebant.
But if you, Fortune, threaten some unspeakable disaster: now, O now let it be permitted to break off this cruel life, while anxieties are doubtful, while hope of the future is uncertain, while I hold you, dear boy, my late and only pleasure, in my embrace, and let no heavier news wound my ears." These words the father at their last parting poured forth; his servants carried him, collapsed, into the house.
§8.585Iamque adeo exierat portis equitatus apertis, §8.586Aeneas inter primos et fidus Achates, §8.587inde alii Troiae proceres, ipse agmine Pallas §8.588in medio chlamyde et pictis conspectus in armis: §8.589qualis ubi Oceani perfusus Lucifer unda, §8.590quem Venus ante alios astrorum diligit ignis, §8.591extulit os sacrum caelo tenebrasque resolvit.
And now indeed the cavalry had gone out from the opened gates, Aeneas among the first and faithful Achates, then other leaders of Troy, Pallas himself in the center of the column, conspicuous in his cloak and painted armor: just as when the Morning Star, bathed in the wave of Ocean, whom Venus loves above other fires of the stars, has raised his sacred face to the sky and dissolved the darkness.
§8.592Stant pavidae in muris matres oculisque sequuntur §8.593pulveream nubem et fulgentis aere catervas.
Terrified mothers stand on the walls and follow with their eyes the dusty cloud and the squadrons shining with bronze.
§8.594Olli per dumos, qua proxuma meta viarum, §8.595armati tendunt; it clamor, et agmine facto §8.596quadrupedante putrem sonitu quatit ungula campum.
They march through the thickets, where the path is nearest to their destination, in arms; a shout arises, and with the column formed the hoof shakes the crumbling plain with a four-footed sound.
§8.597Est ingens gelidum lucus prope Caeritis amnem, §8.598religione patrum late sacer; undique colles §8.599inclusere cavi et nigra nemus abiete cingunt.
There is a huge, cold grove near the stream of Caere, sacred far and wide by the devotion of the ancestors; hollow hills on all sides have enclosed it and encircle the grove with black fir trees.
§8.600Silvano fama est veteres sacrasse Pelasgos, §8.601arvorum pecorisque deo, lucumque diemque, §8.602qui primi finis aliquando habuere Latinos:
There is a legend that the ancient Pelasgians consecrated to Silvanus, the god of fields and flocks, both the grove and the day, who were the first to hold the Latin borders once upon a time.
§8.603haud procul hinc Tarcho et Tyrrheni tuta tenebant §8.604castra locis, celsoque omnis de colle videri §8.605iam poterat legio et latis tendebat in arvis.
Not far from here Tarchon and the Tyrrhenians were holding their safe camp in the terrain, and now from the high hill all the legion could be seen and was stretching out in the wide fields.
To this place father Aeneas and the youth chosen for war come, and, weary, they take care of their horses and their bodies.
§8.608At Venus aetherios inter dea candida nimbos §8.609dona ferens aderat; natumque in valle reducta §8.610ut procul egelido secretum flumine vidit, §8.611talibus adfata est dictis seque obtulit ultro: §8.612En perfecta mei promissa coniugis arte §8.613munera, ne mox aut Laurentis, nate, superbos §8.614aut acrem dubites in proelia poscere Turnum. §8.615Dixit et amplexus nati Cytherea petivit, §8.616arma sub adversa posuit radiantia quercu.
But Venus, the bright goddess among the heavenly clouds, was present bringing gifts; and when she saw her son in a secluded valley withdrawn far off by the cold stream, she addressed him with such words and offered herself of her own accord: "Behold the gifts completed by the art of my husband, the promised ones, so that you may not hesitate soon, my son, to challenge either the proud Laurentines or fierce Turnus to battle." Cytherea spoke and sought the embrace of her son, and placed the shining armor under an oak tree opposite him.
§8.617Ille, deae donis et tanto laetus honore, §8.618expleri nequit atque oculos per singula volvit §8.619miraturque interque manus et bracchia versat §8.620terribilem cristis galeam flammasque vomentem §8.621fatiferumque ensem, loricam ex aere rigentem §8.622sanguineam ingentem, qualis cum caerula nubes §8.623solis inardescit radiis longeque refulget; §8.624tum levis ocreas electro auroque recocto §8.625hastamque et clipei non enarrabile textum.
He, rejoicing in the gifts of the goddess and in so great an honor, cannot be satisfied and rolls his eyes over each single piece, and admires and turns them over between his hands and arms: the helmet, terrifying with its crests and spewing flames, and the death-dealing sword, the corselet stiff with bronze, blood-red and immense, just as when a dark cloud glows with the rays of the sun and shines far off; then the light greaves of electrum and refined gold, and the spear, and the shield's indescribable texture.
§8.626Illic res Italas Romanorumque triumphos §8.627haud vatum ignarus venturique inscius aevi §8.628fecerat ignipotens, illic genus omne futurae §8.629stirpis ab Ascanio. pugnataque in ordine bella.
There the Italian history and the triumphs of the Romans by no means ignorant of the prophets or unknowing of the age to come had the Lord of Fire made; there all the lineage of the future stock from Ascanius, and the wars fought in order.
§8.630Fecerat et viridi fetam Mavortis in antro §8.631procubuisse lupam, geminos huic ubera circum §8.632ludere pendentis pueros et lambere matrem §8.633impavidos, illam tereti cervice reflexa §8.634mulcere alternos et corpora fingere lingua.
He had also made the mother wolf, having recently given birth, in the green cave of Mars, lie down; around her udders the twin boys were playing, hanging, and were licking their mother fearlessly; she, with her smooth neck bent back, was caressing them in turn and shaping their bodies with her tongue.
§8.635Nec procul hinc Romam et raptas sine more Sabinas §8.636consessu caveae magnis circensibus actis §8.637addiderat subitoque novum consurgere bellum §8.638Romulidis Tatioque seni Curibusque severis.
Not far from here he had added Rome and the Sabine women carried off without law from the assembly in the seating when the great games of the circus were held, and suddenly a new war arising for the sons of Romulus and old Tatius and the severe Cures.
§8.639Post idem inter se posito certamine reges §8.640armati Iovis ante aram paterasque tenentes §8.641stabant et caesa iungebant foedera porca.
Afterward, the same kings, having laid aside their strife, were standing armed before the altar of Jupiter, holding bowls, and were joining treaties over a sacrificed sow.
§8.642Haud procul inde citae Mettum in diversa quadrigae §8.643distulerant, at tu dictis, Albane, maneres,
Not far from there swift chariots had torn Mettius apart in different directions, but you, O Alban, should have stood by your words!