§202Tritonum ab alto cecinit hymenaeum chorus.
The chorus of Tritons sang the marriage song from the deep.
§203Cum laeta pelago vela rediturus dares, §204excidit Achilles, cuius unius manu §205impulsa Troia, quicquid accessit morae §206illo remoto, dubia quo caderet stetit,
When you, about to return, were giving joyful sails to the sea, Achilles slipped from your mind—by whose hand alone Troy was shaken, and whatever delay occurred while he was removed, the city stood in doubt as to where it would fall.
Though you may hasten to give with your sails what is requested, you are going to give it too late: already all the leaders have carried away their rewards.
§209tulere pretium, quae minor merces potest
What smaller prize can be given to such great valor?
§210tantae dari virtutis? an meruit parum §211qui, fugere bellum iussus et longa sedens §212aevum senecta ducere ac Pylii senis §213transcendere annos, exuit matris dolos §214falsasque vestes, fassus est armis virum?
Or did he deserve too little, who, ordered to flee the war and spend a long life in lingering old age, and to surpass the years of the Pylian old man, cast off his mother's deceits and false garments, and confessed himself a man by his arms?
§215inhospitali Telephus regno impotens, §216dum Mysiae ferocis introitus negat, §217rudem cruore regio dextram imbuit §218fortemque eandem sensit et mitem manum.
Telephus, violent in his inhospitable kingdom, while he denied entry to fierce Mysia, dyed his untried right hand with royal blood, and felt that same hand to be both strong and gentle.
§219cecidere Thebae, vidit Eetion capi §220sua regna victus; clade subversa est pari §221apposita celso parva Lyrnesos iugo, §222captaque tellus nobilis Briseide §223et causa litis regibus Chryse iacet §224et nota fama Tenedos et quae pascuo §225fecunda pingui Thracios nutrit greges §226Scyros fretumque Lesbos Aegaeum secans §227et cara Phoebo Cilla; quid quas alluit §228vernis Caycus gurgitem attollens aquis?
Thebes fell; Eetion, conquered, saw his kingdom captured; by a similar ruin was overthrown little Lyrnesos, situated near the high ridge, and the captured land noble for Briseis, and Chryse, the cause of strife for the kings, lies low, and Tenedos known by fame, and Scyros which feeds Thracian flocks on rich pasture, and Lesbos cutting the Aegean sea, and Cilla dear to Phoebus; why mention those lands which Caycus washes, raising his flood with vernal waters?
§229haec tanta clades gentium ac tantus pavor, §230sparsae tot urbes turbinis vasti modo §231alterius esset gloria ac summum decus:
This so great ruin of nations and so great terror, so many cities scattered like a vast whirlwind, would be the glory and highest honor of another: but it was only the journey of Achilles.
Thus my father came, and waged such great wars while he was preparing for war.
§234ut alia sileam merita, non unus satis
Though I may keep silent about other merits, would not Hector alone have been enough?
My father conquered Ilium, you demolished it.
inclitas laudes iuvat §237et facta magni clara genitoris sequi: §238iacuit peremptus Hector ante oculos patris §239patruique Memnon, cuius ob luctum parens §240pallente maestum protulit vultu diem; §241suique victor operis exemplum horruit §242didicitque Achilles et dea natos mori.
It is pleasing to follow the renowned praises and bright deeds of my great sire: slain Hector lay before the eyes of his father, and Memnon, nephew of Priam, for whose mourning his parent brought forth a sad day with a pale face; and the victor himself shuddered at the example of his own deed, and Achilles learned that even those born of a goddess can die.
§243tum saeva Amazon ultimus cecidit metus.
Then the fierce Amazon fell, our final fear.
You owe to Achilles, if you estimate his merits worthily, even if he should demand a maiden from Mycenae and Argos.
Is it hesitated, and do you now suddenly reject what was agreed, and do you believe it is cruel to sacrifice Priam's daughter to Peleus' son?
Yet you, a parent, sacrificed your own daughter for Helen: I demand what is already accustomed and done.
§250Iuvenile vitium est regere non posse impetum; §251aetatis alios fervor hic primus rapit, §252Pyrrhum paternus, spiritus quondam trucis
It is a youth's fault not to be able to rule his impulse; this first fervor of age carries away some, and his father's fervor carries Pyrrhus.
I once patiently bore the spirits and threats of the proud Aeacides: the more you can do, the more you should patiently bear.
Why do you stain the noble shade of a famous leader with dire slaughter?
§257quid facere victor debeat, victus pati.
It is fitting first to learn this: what a victor ought to do, what the conquered ought to suffer.
§258violenta nemo imperia continuit diu, §259moderata durant: quoque Fortuna altius §260evexit ac levavit humanas opes, §261hoc se magis supprimere felicem decet §262variosque casus tremere metuentem deos §263nimium faventes.
No one has held violent empires long; moderate ones endure: and the higher Fortune has raised and lifted human wealth, the more it becomes a fortunate man to restrain himself, and, fearing the gods, to tremble at various chances when they favor too much.
magna momento obrui §264vincendo didici.
That great things can be overthrown in a moment I have learned by conquering.
Troia nos tumidos facit
Does Troy make us proud and too fierce?
§265nimium ac feroces? stamus hoc Danai loco,
We, the Danai, stand in this place from which she fell.
§266unde illa cecidit, fateor, aliquando impotens §267regno ac superbus altius memet tuli; §268sed fregit illos spiritus haec quae dare §269potuisset aliis causa, Fortunae favor,
I confess, sometimes unrestrained in my kingdom and proud, I bore myself too high; but that spirit was broken by this very cause which could have given it to others: the favor of Fortune.
§270tu me superbum, Priame, tu timidum facis.
You, Priam, make me proud; you make me fearful.
Should I think that sceptres are anything but a name covered with empty luster, and a head adorned with a false band?
§273vinclo decentem? casus haec rapiet brevis, §274nec mille forsan ratibus aut annis decem: §275non omnibus fortuna tam lenta imminet.
A brief chance will snatch these away, and perhaps not with a thousand ships or ten years: fortune does not hang so lingeringly over all.
§276equidem fatebor (pace dixisse hoc tua, §277Argiva tellus, liceat) affligi Phrygas §278vinci que volui: ruere et aequari solo §279utinam arcuissem.
Indeed I will confess (with your peace, Argive land, let it be allowed to say this): I wished the Phrygians to be afflicted and conquered; but that they should fall and be leveled to the ground I wish I had prevented.
sed regi frenis nequit §280et ira et ardens hostis et victoria
But anger, and the burning enemy, and victory committed to the night cannot be ruled by reins.
§281commissa nocti quicquid indignum aut ferum §282cuiquam videri potuit, hoc fecit dolor §283tenebraeque, per quas ipse se inritat furor, §284gladiisque felix, cuius infecti semel §285vecors libido est.
Whatever could seem unworthy or cruel to anyone, grief did this, and the darkness, through which fury inflames itself, and the mad lust of the sword, fortunate once it is stained.
Whatever can survive of overturned Troy, let it remain; enough of punishment has been exacted, and more.
regia ut virgo occidat §288tumuloque donum detur et cineres riget
That a royal maiden should die, and be given as a gift to the tomb and wet his ashes—