§193tradat et omnes fama per urbes §194garrula laudet §195caeloque parem tollat et astris; §196alius curru sublimis eat: §197me mea tellus §197blare secreto tutoque tegat.
let garrulous fame deliver him and praise him through all cities, and let it extol him equal to heaven and stars; let another go aloft in his chariot: but as for me, let my own land cover me in a secret and safe home.
§198venit ad pigros cana senectus, §199humilique loco sed certa sedet §200sordida parvae fortuna domus: §201alte virtus animosa cadit. — §202Sed maesta venit crine soluto §203Megara parvum comitata gregem, §204tardusque senio graditur Alcidae parens.
Gray old age comes to the quiet, and in a humble place, but secure, sits the modest fortune of a small house: courageous virtue falls from on high. — But, lo, sad Megara comes with disheveled hair, accompanied by her little flock, and the father of Alcides, slow with old age, walks along.
§205O magne Olympi rector et mundi arbiter, §206iam statue tandem gravibus aerumnis modum §207finemque cladi.
O great ruler of Olympus and judge of the world, set at last a limit to our heavy tribulations and an end to our disaster.
nulla lux umquam mihi §208secura fulsit: finis alterius mali §209gradus est futuri, protinus reduci novus §210paratur hostis; antequam laetam domum §211contingat, aliud iussus ad bellum meat; §212nec ulla requies tempus aut ullum vacat, §213nisi dum iubetur.
No day has ever shone carefree for me: the end of one evil is the step to a future one; straightway for him as he returns a new enemy is prepared; before he can reach his happy home, ordered, he goes to another war; nor is there any rest, nor is any time free, except while he is being commanded.
sequitur a primo statim §214infesta Iuno: numquid immunis fuit
From the very start, hostile Juno follows him: was even his infant age free from her?
§215infantis aetas? monstra superavit prius §216quam nosse posset, gemina cristati caput §217angues ferebant ora, quos contra obvius §218reptabat infans igneos serpentium §219oculos remisso lumine ac placido intuens; §220artos serenis vultibus nodos tulit, §221et tumida tenera guttura elidens manu §222prolusit hydrae.
He overcame monsters before he could know them; crested snakes were raising their double-headed mouths, against which, meeting them, the infant crawled, looking at the fiery eyes of the serpents with a relaxed and calm gaze; with a serene countenance he endured their tight knots, and squeezing their swollen throats with his tender hand, he rehearsed for the hydra.
Maenali pernix fera, §223multo decorum praeferens auro caput, §224deprensa cursu; maximus Nemeae timor §225pressus lacertis gemuit Herculeis leo.
The swift beast of Maenalus, displaying its head beautiful with much gold, was caught by him in running; the greatest terror of Nemea, the lion, squeezed by the arms of Hercules, groaned.
Why should I mention the dreadful stables of the Bistonian flock, and the king given as food to his own herds?
And the bristly Maenalian boar accustomed to shake the Arcadian groves on the thick ridges of Erymanthus?
§230taurumque centum non levem populis metum?
And the bull, no light fear for a hundred peoples?
§231inter remotos gentis Hesperiae greges §232pastor triformis litoris Tartesii §233peremptus, acta est praeda ab occasu ultimo; §234notum Cithaeron pavit Oceano pecus.
Amidst the remote herds of the Hesperian nation, the triple-bodied shepherd of the Tartessian shore was slain, and the prey was driven from the farthest west; Cithaeron fed the well-known herd obtained from the Ocean.
§235penetrare iussus solis aestivi plagas §236et adusta medius regna quae torret dies §237utrimque montes solvit ac rupto obice §238latam ruenti fecit Oceano viam.
Ordered to penetrate the regions of the summer sun, and the parched kingdoms which mid-day torments, he parted the mountains on both sides, and having broken the barrier, made a wide way for the rushing Ocean.
§239post haec adortus nemoris opulenti domos §240aurifera vigilis spolia serpentis tulit; §241quid? saeva Lernae monstra, numerosum malum, §242non igne demum vicit et docuit mori,
After this, attacking the dwellings of the rich grove, he carried off the gold-bearing spoils of the watchful serpent; What of the fierce monsters of Lerna, a numerous plague, did he not at last conquer them with fire and teach them to die?
And did he not seek from the clouds themselves the Stymphalian birds accustomed to hide the day with their spread-out wings?
Was the queen of the Thermodontian nation, widowed of a chaste bed, not conquered by him?
Nor did the shameful labor of Augeas' stable put to flight his hands, bold for every glorious deed.
§249Quid ista prosunt? orbe defenso caret, §250sensere terrae pacis auctorem suae §251abesse tristes: prosperum ac felix scelus §252virtus vocatur; sontibus parent boni.
What use are those things? Having defended the world, he lacks it; the sad lands have felt that the author of their peace is absent: prosperous and successful crime is called virtue; the good obey the guilty.
§253ius est in armis, opprimit leges timor, §254ante ora vidi nostra truculenta manu §255gnatos paterni cadere regni vindices §256ipsumque, Cadini nobilis stirpem ultimam, §257occidere, vidi regium capitis decus
Right is in arms, fear oppresses the laws; before our eyes I saw, by a truculent hand, the children fall, defenders of their father's kingdom, and the very last offspring of noble Cadmus perish; I saw the royal ornament of his head snatched away with his head.
§258cum capite raptum, quis satis Thebas fleat?
Who could weep enough for Thebes?
§259ferax deorum terra, quem dominum tremis?
O fertile land of gods, at what master do you tremble?
§260e cuius arvis eque fecundo sinu §261stricto iuventus orta cum ferro stetit §262cuiusque muros natus Amphion Iove §263struxit canoro saxa modulatu trahens, §264in cuius urbem non semel divum parens §265caelo relicto venit, haec quae caelites §266recepit et quae fecit et (fas sit loqui) §267fortasse faciet, sordido premitur iugo.
From whose fields and from whose fertile bosom the youth, sprung up, stood with drawn swords, and whose walls Amphion, born of Jove, built, drawing the stones with his melodious music, into whose city more than once the parent of the gods came, leaving heaven—this land, which received the heavenly ones, and which made them, and (may it be lawful to say) perhaps will make them, is pressed by a shameful yoke.
O Cadmean offspring and race of Ophion, where have you fallen?
§270suis carentem finibus, nostris gravem.
You tremble at a cowardly exile, lacking his own borders, heavy upon ours!
§271qui scelera terra quique persequitur mari §272ac saeva iusta sceptra confringit manu §273nunc servit absens fertque quae fieri vetat, §274tenetque Thebas exul Herculeas Lycus,
He who pursues crimes on land and on sea, and breaks cruel scepters with his just hand, now serves in his absence and bears what he forbids to be done, and the exile Lycus holds Herculean Thebes.
But he shall not hold it; Hercules will be here and seek punishment, and suddenly emerge to the stars; he will find a way or make one.
I pray that you may be present safe and return, and come at last as victor to your conquered home.
§279Emerge, coniunx, atque dispulsas manu §280abrumpe tenebras; nulla si retro via §281iterque clusum est, orbe diducto redi §282et quicquid atra nocte possessum latet
Emerge, husband, and breaking with your hand the scattered darkness, burst through; if there is no way back, and the path is closed, return by tearing open the earth, and whatever lies hidden, possessed by dark night...