§806me quoque petenti munus Alcidae dedit.
Dis also gave me as a gift to Alcides who was asking for it.
§807Tum gravia monstri colla permulcens manu §808adamante texto vincit; oblitus sui §809custos opaci pervigil regni canis §810componit aures timidus et patiens trahi §811eramque fassus, ore summisso obsequens, §812utrumque cauda pulsat anguifera latus.
Then, stroking the heavy neck of the monster with his hand, he binds it with woven adamant; forgetting himself, the ever-watchful dog-guardian of the dark kingdom lowers his ears, timid and patient of being dragged, and acknowledging his master's power, submissive with lowered muzzle, beats both his sides with his snake-bearing tail.
§813postquam est ad oras Taenari ventum et nitor §814percussit oculos lucis ignotae novus, §815resumit animos victus et vastas furens §816quassat catenas; paene victorem abstulit §817pronumque retro vexit et movit gradu.
After they came to the borders of Taenarus, and the new brightness of an unknown light struck his eyes, the vanquished beast recovers its spirit and, raging, shakes its immense chains; it almost dragged its victor away, pulling him forward backward and shaking him from his footing.
§818tunc et meas respexit Alcides manus; §819geminis uterque viribus tractum canem §820ira furentem et bella temptantem inrita §821intulimus orbi.
Then Alcides looked back also for my hands; with our combined strength, both of us dragged the dog, raging with anger and attempting vain battles, and brought him into the world.
vidit ut clarum diem §822et pura nitidi spatia conspexit poli, §824compressit oculos et diem invisum expulit §825faciemque retro flexit atque omni petit §826cervice terram; tum sub Herculeas caput
As soon as he saw the bright day and beheld the pure spaces of the bright sky, he shut his eyes and shut out the hated light, and turned his face backward, and with his whole neck sought the ground; then he hid his head beneath the shadow of Hercules.
§827abscondit umbras, densa sed laeto venit §828clamore turba frontibus laurum gerens §829magnique meritas Herculis laudes canit.
But a dense crowd came with joyful shouting, wearing laurel on their brows, and sang the well-earned praises of great Hercules.
§830Natus Eurystheus properante partu §831iusserat mundi penetrare fundum: §832derat hoc solum numero laborum, §833tertiae regem spoliare sortis.
Eurystheus, born of a hastened birth, had ordered him to penetrate the bottom of the world; this alone was lacking from the number of his labors, to despoil the king of the third lot.
§834ausus es caecos aditus inire, §835ducit ad manes via qua remotos §836tristis et nigra metuenda silva, §837sed frequens magna comitante turba.
You dared to enter the blind approaches, where the path leads to the remote shades, gloomy and fearful with its black forest, yet crowded with a great accompanying throng.
§838Quantus incedit populus per urbes §839ad novi ludos avidus theatri, §840quantus Eleum ruit ad Tonantem, §841quinta cum sacrum revocavit aestas; §842quanta, cum longae redit hora nocti §843crescere et somnos cupiens quietos §844libra Phoebeos tenet aequa currus, §845turba secretam Cererem frequentat §846et citi tectis properant relictis §847Attici noctem celebrare mystae: §848tanta per campos agitur silentes §849turba;
As great a multitude as walks through the cities, eager for the games of a new theater, or as many as rush to the Elean Thunderer, when the fifth summer has recalled the sacred festival; or as great a crowd as, when the hour returns for the long night to grow, and wishing for quiet sleep, the equal Balance holds Phoebus' chariot, frequents the secret Ceres, and the Attican initiates, leaving their homes, hasten swiftly to celebrate the night; so great a crowd is driven through the silent fields.
pars tarda graditur senecta, §850tristis et longa satiata vita: §851pars adhuc currit melioris aevi: §852virgines nondum thalamis iugatae §853et comis nondum positis ephebi §854matris et nomen modo doctus infans, §855his datum solis, minus ut timerent, §856igne praelato relevare noctem; §857ceteri vadunt per opaca tristes.
Part walks slow with tardy old age, sad and sated with a long life; part still runs in the flower of a better age: maidens not yet joined in marriage, and youths with hair not yet cut, and the infant who has just learned the name of mother, to these alone is it granted, that they might fear less, to lighten the night with a torch carried before; the others walk sad through the dark.
§858qualis est vobis animus, remota §859luce cum maestus sibi quisque sensit §860obrutum tota caput esse terra?
What is your mind, when, light being removed, each sad soul feels his head buried under the whole earth?
§861stat chaos densum tenebraeque turpes §862et color noctis malus ac silentis §863otium mundi vacuaeque nubes.
There stands thick chaos and foul darkness, and the bad color of night, and the leisure of a silent world, and empty clouds.
§864Sera nos illo referat senectus: §865nemo ad' id sero venit, unde numquam. §866cum semel venit, potuit reverti; §867quid iuvat durum properare fatum?
May late old age bring us back thither: no one comes late to that place from which, when once he has come, he can never return; what does it please to hasten harsh fate?
§868omnis haec magnis vaga turba terris §869ibit ad manes facietque inerti §870vela Cocyto: tibi crescit omne, §871et quod occasus videt et quod ortus,
All this wandering crowd on the great lands will go to the shades and will hoist sails on the sluggish Cocytus; for you everything grows, both what the west sees and what the east.
§872parce Venturis: tibi, mors, paramur.
Spare those who are to come: for you, O Death, we are prepared.
Though you be slow, we ourselves hasten: the first hour which gave life, already plucks it away.
§875Thebis laeta dies adest.
A joyful day is here for Thebes.
§876aras tangite supplices, §877pingues caedite victimas; §878permixtae maribus nurus §879sollemnes agitent choros; §880cessent deposito iugo §881arvi fertilis incolae.
Touch the altars as suppliants, slay the fat victims; let the young wives, mingled with the men, lead the solemn dances; let the inhabitants of the fertile field rest, their yoke laid aside.
§882Pax est Herculea manu §883Auroram inter et Hesperum, §884et qua sol medium tenens §885umbras corporibus negat; §886quodcumque alluitur solum §887longo Tethyos ambitu, §888Alcidae domuit labor.
There is peace by Hercules' hand between Aurora and Hesperus, and where the sun, holding the meridian, denies shadows to bodies; whatever soil is washed by the long circuit of Tethys, the labor of Alcides has subdued.
Having crossed the shallows of Tartarus, he returns, the underworld pacified.
Now no fear remains: nothing lies beyond the underworld.
O priest, cover your bristling hair with the beloved poplar.
§895Victrice dextra fusus adverso Lycus §896terram cecidit ore; tum quisquis comes §897fuerat tyranni iacuit et poenae comes,
Hercules: Slain by my victorious right hand, the opposing Lycus fell face first upon the ground; then whoever had been a companion of the tyrant, lay also as a companion in his punishment.
Now, victorious, I shall offer sacrifices to my father and to the gods above, and honor the altars with slain victims, as they deserve.
§900Te te laborum socia et adiutrix precor. §901belligera Pallas, cuius in laeva ciet §902aegis feroces ore saxifico minas; §903adsit Lycurgi domitor et rubri maris, §904tectam virente cuspidem thyrso gerens, §905geminumque numen Phoebus et Phoebi soror: §906soror sagittis aptior, Phoebus lyrae;
You, you, I pray, O warlike Pallas, companion and helper of my labors, in whose left hand the aegis stirs up fierce threats with its petrifying face; may the subduer of Lycurgus and of the Red Sea be present, bearing a spear-point covered with the green thyrsus, and the twin deities, Phoebus and Phoebus' sister: the sister more fitted for arrows, Phoebus for the lyre;