The boy has gone ahead of the sacrifice, and cannot follow the prophet, snatched away by a better fate.
§637modo piari posse redituras rates, §638si placet undas Hectoris sparsi cinis §639ac tumulus imo totus aequetur solo.
Calchas says that the scattered ashes of Hector can appease the waves and the returning ships can only then be purified, if his tomb is utterly leveled with the ground below.
Now, since he has escaped his due death, our hands must be laid upon the sacred dwellings.
§642Quid agimus? animum distrahit geminus timor:
What do I do?
§643hinc natus, illinc coniugis sacri cinis,
A double fear tears my mind apart: on this side my son, on that the sacred ashes of my husband.
§644pars utra vincet? testor immites deos, §645deosque veros coniugis manes mei: §646non aliud, Hector, in meo nato mihi §647placere quam te.
Which side will win? I call to witness the harsh gods, and the true gods—the shades of my husband: Hector, nothing else pleases me in my son than you.
vivat, ut possit tuos §648referre vultus— prorutus tumulo cinis
Let him live, so that he can recall your face—but shall the ashes thrown down from the tomb be submerged?
§649mergetur? ossa fluctibus spargi sinam
Shall I allow his scattered bones to be strewn on the vast waves?
Rather let this one meet death here.— Can you, a mother, look upon him given up to an unspeakable death?
§652videre? poteris celsa per fastigia
Can you watch him sent spinning down from the high battlements?
§653missum rotari? potero, perpetiar, feram, §654dum non meus post fata victoris manu §655iactetur Hector. — hic suam poenam potest §656sentire, at illum fata iam in tuto locant—
I can, I will endure, I will bear it, provided that my Hector, after his death, is not tossed about by the victor's hand.—This one can feel his punishment, but the fates already place that one in safety.— Why do you waver?
§657quid fluctuaris? statue, quem poenae extrahas.
Decide whom you will rescue from punishment.
Ungrateful woman, do you hesitate? Your Hector is on that side— You err: on both sides is Hector.
hic sensus potens, §660forsan futurus ultor extincti patris— §661utrique parci non potest: quid iam facis?
This one is a living mind, perhaps a future avenger of his dead father— Both cannot be spared: what do you do now?
§662serva e duobus, anime, quem Danai timent.
Save of the two, my soul, the one whom the Danai fear.
§663Responsa peragam: funditus busta eruam.
I shall carry out the response: I will utterly destroy the tomb.
§664Quae vendidistis?
What, the tomb you sold?
I will proceed, and from the top of the mound drag down the graves.
I appeal to the faith of the gods, and to the faith of Achilles: Pyrrhus, protect your father's gift.
This tomb shall immediately lie flat on the whole plain.
templa violastis, deos §670etiam faventes: busta transierat furor.
You have violated temples, and even gods who favored you: but your madness had spared the tombs.
§671resistam, inermis offeram armatis manus,
I will resist, unarmed I will offer my hands to the armed men.
§672dabit ira vires, qualis Argolicas ferox §673turmas Amazon stravit, aut qualis deo §674percussa Maenas entheo silvas gradu §675armata thyrso terret atque expers sui §676vulnus dedit nec sensit, in medios ruam.
Anger will give strength, just as the fierce Amazon laid low Argive troops, or as a Maenad, struck by the god, with divinely inspired step, armed with a thyrsus, terrifies the woods and, out of her mind, inflicts a wound without feeling it.
§677tumuloque cineris socia defenso cadam.
I will rush into their midst, and fall as a companion to the ashes, having defended the tomb.
§678Cessatis.
Are you hesitating?
et vos flebilis clamor movet
Does a woman's tearful cry and useless madness move you?
§680bMe, me sternite hic ferro prius.
Slay me, me first with the sword here!
§681repellor, heu me.
I am pushed back, alas.
rumpe fatorum moras, §682molire terras, Hector: ut Vlixen domes,
Break the delays of fate, heave up the earth, Hector: to subdue Ulysses, even as a shade you are enough!
§683vel umbra satis es— arma concussit manu,
He shakes arms in his hand, he hurls fires!
§684iaculatur ignes— cernitis, Danai, Hectorem?
Do you see Hector, Danai?
§685an sola video?
Or do I alone see him?
§685bFunditus cuncta eruam.
I will utterly destroy everything.
§686Quid agis? ruina pariter et natum et virum
What are you doing? Will you throw down both son and husband in one ruins?
Perhaps you can appease the Danai with prayer.
§689immane busti pondus— intereat miser
The immense weight of the tomb will immediately crush him hidden within.
§690ubicumque potius, ne pater natum obruat §691prematque patrem natus. — Ad genua accido §692supplex, Vlixe, quamque nullius pedes §693novere dextram pedibus admoveo tuis.
Let the wretched boy die anywhere else rather than have the father crush the son, and the son press upon the father.—I fall at your knees as a suppliant, Ulysses, and I place at your feet this right hand which has never known anyone's feet.
§694miserere matris et preces placidus pias §695patiensque recipe, quoque te celsum altius §696superi levarunt, mitius lapsos preme: §697misero datur quodcumque, fortunae datur.
Pity a mother, and calmly and patiently receive her pious prayers; and the higher the gods have raised you on high, the more gently press upon the fallen: whatever is given to the wretched is given to Fortune.
§698sic te revisat coniugis sanctae torus, §699annosque, dum te recipit, extendat suos §700Laerta; sic te iuvenis excipiat tuus, §701et vota vincens vestra felici indole §702aetate avum transcendat, ingenio patrem.
So may the bed of your chaste wife see you again, and may Laertes extend his years until he receives you; so may your young son welcome you, and, surpassing your vows by his happy nature, transcend his grandfather in age and his father in character.
Pity a mother: this is the sole comfort for me in my affliction.
§704bExhibe natum et roga.
Produce your son and beg.
Come forth hither from your hiding place, sad secret of your wretched mother.
This is he, this is the terror, Ulysses, of a thousand ships!
submitte manus §709dominique pedes supplice dextra §710stratus adora nec turpe puta §711quicquid miseros fortuna iubet.
Submit your hands, and, prostrated, adore your master's feet with a suppliant right hand, and do not think shameful whatever fortune commands the wretched.
§712pone ex animo reges atavos §713magnique senis iura per omnis §714incluta terras j excidat Hector, §715gere captivum positoque genu, §716si tua nondum funera sentis, §717matris fletus imitare tuae.
Lay aside from your mind your ancestral kings and the laws of the great elder famous through all lands; let Hector be forgotten, act the captive, and on bended knee, if you do not yet feel your own death, imitate your mother's tears.
§718Vidit pueri regis lacrimas §719et Troia prior, parvusque minas §720trucis Alcidae flexit Priamus.
An earlier Troy also saw the tears of a boy king, and young Priam bent the threats of fierce Alcides.
§721ille, ille ferox, cuius vastis §722viribus omnes cessere ferae, §723qui perfracto limine Ditis §724caecum retro patefecit iter, §725hostis parvi victus lacrimis: §726'suscipe' dixit 'rector habenas §727patrioque sede celsus solio; §728sed sceptra fide meliore tene. '
That fierce one, to whose vast strength all wild beasts yielded, who, having broken the threshold of Dis, opened back the blind path, was conquered by the tears of a small enemy: "Take up," he said, "ruler, the reins, and sit high on your father's throne; but hold the sceptre with better faith."