§1083b(nondum est §1084tanti pestis superata mali §1085clavaeque gravi lassum solitus §1086mandare caput §1087quaerit vacua pondera dextra, §1088motu iactans bracchia vano)
Not yet is the plague of so great an evil overcome; and he, accustomed to rest his weary head upon his heavy club, seeks its empty weight with his right hand, tossing his arms in vain movement.
§1089nec adhuc omnis expulit aestus, §1090sed ut ingenti vexata noto §1091servat longos unda tumultus §1092et iam vento cessante tumet.
Nor has he yet expelled all his passion, but just as a wave troubled by a mighty south wind keeps its long tossings and swells even though the wind has now ceased.
Drive away the mad waves of his mind; let piety and valor return to the man.
§1094bvel sit potius §1095mens vesano concita motu: §1096error caecus qua coepit eat; §1097solus te iam praestare potest §1098furor insontem: proxima puris §1099sors est manibus nescire nefas.
Or rather, let his mind be stirred by mad movement: let the blind error go where it began; now madness alone can make thee guiltless; the next lot to pure hands is not to know one's crime.
§1100Nunc Herculeis percussa sonent §1101pectora palmis, §1102mundum solitos ferre lacertos §1103verbera pulsent victrice manu; §1104gemitus vastos audiat aether, §1105audiat atri regina poli §1105bvastisque ferox §1106qui colla gerit vincta catenis §1107imo latitans Cerberus antro.
Now let the breast, struck by Hercules' palms, resound; let the blows strike with victorious hand the arms accustomed to bear the universe; let high heaven hear his vast groans, let the queen of the dark pole hear, and, fierce with vast chains bound around his neck, Cerberus lurking in the lowest cave.
§1108Resonet maesto clamore chaos §1109lateque patens unda profundi: §1110et qui medius tua tela tamen §1111senserat aer.
Let Chaos resound with mournful cry, and the far-spreading wave of the deep; and the air, which in between had nevertheless felt thy weapons.
§1112pectora tantis obsessa malis §1113non sunt ictu ferienda levi: §1114uno planctu tria regna sonent.
A breast beset by so great evils must not be struck with a light blow: let the three kingdoms resound with one lament.
§1115Et tu collo decus ac telum §1116suspensa diu, §1117fortis harundo, pharetraeque graves, §1118date saeva fero verbera tergo; §1119caedant umeros robora fortes §1119bstipesque potens §1120duris oneret pectora nodis: §1121plangant tantos arma dolores.
And thou, hung long upon his neck as an ornament and a weapon, strong shaft, and heavy quivers, give cruel blows to his fierce back; let the strong oak strike his shoulders, and let the powerful club burden his breast with its hard knots: let his weapons lament so great griefs.
§1135Ite infaustum genus, o pueri, §1136noti per iter triste laboris, §1122non vos patriae laudis comites §1123ulti saevos vulnere reges, §1124non Argiva membra palaestra §1125flectere docti fortes caestu §1126fortesque manu, iam tamen ausi §1127telum Scythicis leve corytis §1128missum certa librare manu §1129tutosque fuga figere cervos: §1131ite ad Stygios, umbrae, portus §1132ite, innocuae, §1133quas in primo limine vitae §1134scelus oppressit patriusque furor, §1137ite, iratos visite reges.
Go, ill-fated race, O children, known along the sad path of labor, not as companions of your father's praise avenging cruel kings with wounds, nor learned in bending your limbs in the Argive palestra, strong with the cestus and strong of hand, yet already daring to poise with sure hand the light weapon sent from Scythian quivers, and to transfix stags safe in flight: go to the Stygian ports, O shades, go, innocent ones, whom on the very threshold of life crime and a father's madness crushed, go, visit the angry kings.
§1138Quis hic locus, quae regio, quae mundi plaga?
What place is this? What region? What quarter of the world?
§1139ubi sum? sub ortu solis, an sub cardine §1140glacialis ursae? numquid Hesperii maris §1141extrema tellus hunc dat Oceano modum?
Where am I? Beneath the rising of the sun, or beneath the pole of the icy Bear? Does the furthest land of the Hesperian sea give this limit to the Ocean?
§1142quas trahimus auras? quod solum fesso subest?
What air do we breathe? What soil lies beneath my weary frame?
§1143certe redimus, unde prostrata ad domum §1144video cruenta corpora? an nondum exuit §1145simulacra mens inferna? post reditus quoque §1146oberrat oculis turba feralis meis?
Surely we have returned; whence do I see bloody bodies prostrate before the house? Or has my infernal mind not yet cast off its phantoms? Even after return, does the deathly throng hover before my eyes?
I am ashamed to confess: I fear; my mind forebodes I know not what, some great evil.
§1149ubi es, parens? ubi illa natorum grege §1150animosa coniunx? cur latus laevum vacat §1151spolio leonis? quonam abit tegimen meum §1152idemque somno mollis Herculeo torus?
Where art thou, father? Where is she, that wife proud of her throng of children? Why is my left side bare of the lion's skin? Whither has my covering gone, which was also a soft bed for Hercules' sleep?
§1153ubi tela? ubi arcus? arma quis vivo mihi §1154detrahere potuit? spolia quis tanta abstulit §1155ipsumque quis non Herculis somnum horruit?
Where are my weapons? Where is my bow? Who could strip me of my arms while I lived? Who carried off such great spoils, and who did not dread the sleep of Hercules himself?
§1156libet meum videre victorem, libet §1157(exurge, virtus) quem novum caelo pater §1158genuit relicto, cuius in fetu stetit §1159nox longior quam nostra, quod cerno nefas?
I wish to see my conqueror; I wish (arise, my valor!) to see what new hero the father, leaving heaven, begot, at whose conception a longer night stood than ours. What crime do I see?
§1160nati cruenta caede confecti iacent, §1161perempta coniunx, quis Lycus regnum obtinet §1163Hercule reverso? quisquis Ismeni loca, §1164Actaea quisquis arva, qui gemino mari §1165pulsata Pelopis regna Dardanii colis, §1166succurre, saevae cladis auctorem indica.
My children lie dead in bloody slaughter, my wife is slain. What Lycus holds the kingdom now that Hercules has returned? Whoever inhabits the lands of Ismenus, whoever inhabits the fields of Actea, whoever dwells in the realms of Pelops, son of Dardanus, beaten by the double sea, help me, point out the author of this cruel slaughter.
Let my wrath rush upon all: he is my enemy who does not show me the enemy. Conqueror of Alcides, dost thou hide?
§1169procede, seu tu vindicas currus truces §1170Thracis cruenti sive Geryonae pecus §1171Libyaeve dominos, nulla pugnandi mora est.
Come forth, whether thou avengest the fierce chariots of the bloody Thracian, or the herd of Geryon, or the lords of Libya; there is no delay in fighting.
§1172en nudus asto; vel meis armis licet §1173petas inermem, cur meos Theseus fugit §1174paterque vultus? ora cur condunt sua?
Behold, I stand naked; even with my own weapons thou mayest attack me unarmed. Why does Theseus avoid my gaze, and my father? Why do they hide their faces?
Defer your weeping; tell me, who has delivered all my family to death at once?
quid, genitor, siles?
Why, father, art thou silent?
§1177at tu ede, Theseu, sed tua, Theseu, fide.
But do thou speak, Theseus, by thy faith, Theseus.
§1178uterque tacitus ora pudibunda obtegit §1179furtimque lacrimas fundit, in tantis malis §1180quid est pudendum? numquid Argivae impotens
Each is silent and covers his shame-stricken face, and sheds tears in secret. In such great evils, what is there to be ashamed of? Does the powerless ruler of Argos...