Is there no benefit in surrendering the soul to death, but is it left for the wretched to live on longer?
§378an toti morimur nullaque pars manet §379nostri, cum profugo spiritus halitu §380immixtus nebulis cessit in aera §381et nudum tetigit subdita fax latus?
Or do we perish entirely, and does no part of us remain, when the spirit, with its fleeing breath, has mingled with the clouds and vanished into the air, and the underlying torch has touched the naked body?
§382Quicquid sol oriens, quicquid et occidens §383novit, caeruleis Oceanus fretis §384quicquid bis veniens et fugiens lavat,, §385aetas Pegaseo corripiet gradu.
Whatever the rising sun, and whatever the setting sun knows, whatever Ocean with its blue waters washes as it twice comes and goes, time will snatch away with Pegasean stride.
§386quo bis sena volant sidera turbine, §387quo cursu properat volvere saecula §388astrorum dominus, quo properat modo §389obliquis Hecate currere flexibus: §390hoc omnes petimus fata nec amplius, §391iuratos superis qui tetigit lacus, §392usquam est: ut calidis fumus ab ignibus §393vanescit, spatium per breve sordidus, §394ut nubes, gravidas quas modo vidimus, §395arctoi Boreae dissicit impetus: §396sic hic, quo regimur, spiritus effluet.
With the same swiftness as the twelve stars fly in their orbit, with the same speed as the lord of the stars hastens to turn the ages, and in the same manner as Hecate hastens to run her slanting course: we all seek this fate, and once a person has touched the lakes sworn by the gods above, he is no longer anywhere: just as smoke from hot fires vanishes, remaining soiled for only a brief space, or as the clouds, which we just now saw heavy with rain, are scattered by the force of the northern wind: so this spirit, by which we are ruled, will flow away.
§397post mortem nihil est ipsaque mors nihil, §398velocis spatii meta novissima; §399spem ponant avidi, solliciti metum: §400tempus nos avidum devorat et chaos.
After death there is nothing, and death itself is nothing, the final boundary of a swift race; let the greedy lay aside hope, and the anxious lay aside fear: greedy time and chaos devour us.
§401mors individua est, noxia corpori §402nec parcens animae: Taenara et aspero §403regnum sub domino limen et obsidens §404custos non facili Cerberus ostio §405rumores vacui verbaque inania §406et par sollicito fabula somnio.
Death is indivisible, harmful to the body and not sparing the soul: Taenarus, and the realm under the harsh master, and Cerberus guarding the threshold with a difficult entrance, are all empty rumors and hollow words, a tale equivalent to a troubled dream.
§407quaeris quo iaceas post obitum loco?
Do you ask where you will lie after death?
§408quo non nata iacent. —
Where the unborn lie.
Why, mournful crowd of Phrygia, do you tear your hair and, beating your breasts, wet your wretched cheeks with streaming tears?
We have suffered light things if we suffer what is merely to be wept for.
Ilium vobis modo, §413mihi cecidit olim. cum ferus curru incito §414mea membra raperet et gravi gemeret sono §415Peliacus axis pondere Hectoreo tremens.
Troy, which has just now fallen for you, fell for me long ago, when the fierce man with his swift chariot dragged my husband's limbs, and with a heavy sound the chariot-axle from Pelion groaned, trembling under Hector's weight.
Ever since then, crushed and overturned, whatever happens, I endure listlessly, numb to misfortunes and without feeling.
§418iam erepta Danais coniugem sequerer meum, §419nisi hic teneret: hic meos animos domat §420morique prohibet; cogit hic aliquid deos §421adhuc rogare— tempus aeramnae addidit, §422hic mihi malorum maximum fructum abstulit, §423nihil timere: prosperis rebus locus §424ereptus omnis, dira qua veniant habent, §425miserrimum est timere, cum speres nihil.
Already, escaping from the Greeks, I would have followed my husband, had not this child held me back: he tames my spirit and forbids me to die; he forces me to ask the gods for something still—he has added time to my misery, and he has taken from me the greatest fruit of misfortunes, which is to fear nothing: all place for prosperity has been snatched away, but terrible things still have a way to approach; it is most wretched to fear when you hope for nothing.
§426Quis te repens commovit afflictam metus?
What sudden fear has shaken you in your affliction?
Some greater evil arises from a great one; the fate of falling Troy has not yet reached its end.
§429Et quas reperiet, ut velit, clades deus?
And what further ruins will the god find, even if he wishes?
§430Stygis profundae claustra et obscuri specus §431laxantur et, ne desit e versis metus, §432hostes ab imo conditi Dite exeunt— §433solisne retro pervium est Danais iter?
The barriers of deep Styx and the dark caverns are opened, and lest fear be lacking to the ruined state, enemies hidden in the depths of Hades come forth— Is the return journey open only to the Greeks?
§434certe aequa mors est— turbat atque agitat Phrygas §435communis iste terror, hic proprie meum §436exterret animum, noctis horrendae sopor.
Death is surely equal— This common terror disturbs and agitates the Phrygians, but this sleep of a dreadful night particularly terrifies my own mind.
§437Quae visa portas? effer in medium metus.
What vision do you bring? Reveal your fears to us.
§438Partes fere nox alma transierat duas §439clarumque septem verterant stellae iugum; §440ignota tandem venit afflictae quies §441brevisque fessis somnus obrepsit genis, §442si somnus ille est mentis attonitae stupor: §443cum subito nostros Hector ante oculos stetit, §444non qualis ultro bella in Argivos ferens §445Graias petebat facibus Idaeis rates, §446nec caede multa qualis in Danaos furens §447vera ex Achille spolia simulato tulit, §448non ille vultus flammeum intendens iubar, §449sed fessus ac deiectus et fletu gravis §450similisque maesto, squalida obtectus coma.
Kind night had passed almost two of its parts, and the seven stars had turned their bright wagon; at last an unknown rest came to my afflicted self, and a brief sleep crept over my weary eyes, if that can be called sleep which is rather the numbness of a stunned mind: when suddenly Hector stood before my eyes, not as he was when he carried war against the Argives, and attacked the Greek ships with Idaean torches, nor as he was when raging against the Greeks with much slaughter he bore away the true spoils from the feigned Achilles, nor with that face reflecting a fiery beam, but weary, dejected, heavy with tears, and like a mourner, covered with dirty hair.
§451iuvat tamen vidisse; tum quassans caput: §452'dispelle somnos' inquit et natum eripe, §453o fida coniunx: lateat, haec una est salus.
Yet it was a joy to have seen him; then, shaking his head: 'Shake off sleep,' he said, 'and rescue our son, O faithful wife: let him be hidden, this is the only safety.
§454omitte fletus— Troia quod cecidit gemis?
Cease your weeping—do you groan because Troy has fallen?
§455utinam iaceret tota.
Would that it lay entirely in ruins.
festina, amove §456quocumque nostrae parvulam stirpem domus. ' §457mihi gelidus horror ac tremor somnum expulit, §458oculosque nunc huc pavida, nunc illuc ferens §459oblita nati misera quaesivi Hectorem: §460fallax per ipsos umbra complexus abit.
Hasten, remove the tiny offspring of our house to wherever you can.' Cold horror and trembling expelled sleep from me, and as I turned my eyes in panic, now here, now there, forgetting my son, in my misery I searched for Hector: but the elusive shade vanished from my very embrace.
§461O nate, magni certa progenies patris, §462spes una Phrygibus, unica adflictae domus, §463veterisque suboles sanguinis nimium inclita §464nimiumque patri similis: hos vultus meus §465habebat Hector, talis incessu fuit
O my son, sure offspring of a great father, the only hope for the Phrygians, the sole light of our afflicted house, too famous descendant of an ancient blood and too like your father: my Hector had this very face, such was his gait