§539et Paphia myrtus et per immensum mare §540motura remos alnus et Phoebo obvia §541enode Zephyris pinus opponens latus:
and Paphia myrtus, and the alder destined to move oars over the immense sea, and the pine opposing its knotless side to the Zephyrs: In the middle stands a huge tree, and with its heavy shade oppresses the lesser woods, and, with its branches spread in a wide span, alone defends the grove.
§542medio stat ingens arbor atque umbra gravi §543silvas minores urguet et magno ambitu §544diffusa ramos una defendit nemus, §545tristis sub illa, lucis et Phoebi inscius, §546restagnat umor frigore aeterno rigens; §547limosa pigrum circumit fontem palus.
Sad beneath it, ignorant of light and Phoebus, stagnant moisture stiffens with eternal cold; a muddy marsh surrounds the sluggish spring.
As the elderly priest brought his step here, he did not delay: the place provided night.
§550tum effossa tellus, et super rapti rogis §551iaciuntur ignes, ipse funesto integit §552vates amictu corpus et frondem quatit, §553lugubris imos palla perfundit pedes,
Then the earth was dug up, and fires snatched from funeral pyres are thrown on top; the prophet himself covers his body with a mournful garment and shakes a branch, a mournful robe flows down to his lowest feet.
In squalid attire the sad old man enters; deadly yew binds his hoary hair.
§556nigro bidentes vellere atque atrae boves §557intro trahuntur, flamma praedatur dapes, §558vivumque trepidat igne ferali pecus,
Sheep with black fleece and dark cows are dragged inside; the flame preys upon the feast, and the living flock trembles in the funeral fire.
Then he calls the shades, and you who rule the shades, and him who guards the barriers of the Lethaean lake.
§561carmenque magicum volvit et rabido minax §562decantat ore quicquid aut placat leves §563aut cogit umbras; sanguinem libat focis §564solidasque pecudes urit et multo specum §565saturat cruore; libat et niveum insuper §566lactis liquorem, fundit et Bacchum manu §567laeva canitque rursus ac terram intuens §568graviore manes voce et attonita citat.
And he rolls out a magic song, and menacingly with rabid mouth chants whatever either placates or forces the light shades; he libates blood upon the hearths, and burns whole victims, and saturates the cave with much gore; and on top he libates the snowy liquid of milk, and pours wine with his left hand, and sings again, and, looking at the earth, summons the shades with a heavier and astonished voice.
§569latravit Hecates turba; ter valles cavae §570sonuere maestum, tota succusso solo §571pulsata tellus.
Hecate’s pack bayed; thrice the hollow valleys sounded mournfully, and the whole earth was struck by the shaken ground.
'audior' vates ait, §572'rata verba fudi: rumpitur caecum chaos §573iterque populis Ditis ad superos datur' §574subsedit omnis silva et erexit comas, §575duxere rimas robora et totum nemus §576concussit horror, terra se retro dedit §577gemuitque penitus: sive temptari abditum §578Acheron profundum mente non aequa tulit, §579sive ipsa tellus, ut daret functis viam, §580compage rupta sonuit; aut ira furens §581triceps catenas Cerberus movit graves.
"I am heard," says the prophet, "I have poured out effective words: blind chaos is burst open, and a path is given to the people of Dis to the upper world." The whole wood settled down and raised its hair, the oaks drew rifts, and horror shook the entire grove; the earth shrank back and groaned deep within: whether Acheron bore the invasion of its hidden depths with an unfavorable mind, or the earth itself, in order to give a path to the dead, sounded with broken framework; or, raging with anger, three-headed Cerberus shook his heavy chains.
§582subito dehiscit terra et immenso sinu §583laxata patuit— ipse torpentes lacus §584vidi inter umbras, ipse pallentes deos §585noctemque veram; gelidus in venis stetit §586haesitque sanguis, saeva prosiluit cohors §587et stetit in armis omne vipereum genus, §588fratrum catervae dente Dircaeo satae.
Suddenly the earth gapes open, and with a huge chasm lay wide and loose—I myself saw the sluggish lakes among the shades, I myself saw the pale gods and the true night; the cold blood stood and froze in my veins, a savage cohort leaped forth, and the whole viper-like race stood in arms, the troops of brothers sprung from the Dircaean tooth.
§590tum torva Erinys sonuit et caecus Furor §591Horrorque et una quicquid aeternae creant §592celantque tenebrae: Luctus avellens comam §593aegreque lassum sustinens Morbus caput, §594gravis Senectus sibimet et pendens Metus §589avidumque populi Pestis Ogygii malum.
Then grim Erinys shrieked, and blind Fury, and Horror, and together whatever the eternal darkness creates and conceals: Grief tearing her hair, and Disease with difficulty holding up his weary head, heavy Old Age, a burden to itself, and impending Fear, and Pestilence, the greedy bane of the Ogygian people.
§595nos liquit animus, ipse quae ritus senis §596artesque norat stupuit, intrepidus parens §597audaxque damno convocat Ditis feri §598exangue vulgus, ilico ut nebulae leves §599volitant et auras libero caelo trahunt.
Our spirit left us; even she who knew the old man's rites and arts was stunned; but the intrepid father, bold because of the loss, summons the bloodless multitude of fierce Dis; immediately like light mists they flit about and draw the air in the free sky.
§600non tot caducas educat frondes Eryx §601nec vere flores Hybla tot medio creat, §602cum examen arto nectitur densum globo, §603fluctusque non tot frangit Ionium mare, §604nec tanta gelidi Strymonis fugiens minas §605permutat hiemes ales et caelum secans §606tepente Nilo pensat Arctoas nives §607quot ille populos vatis eduxit sonus.
Not so many falling leaves does Eryx bring forth, nor does Hybla create so many flowers in the midst of spring, when the dense swarm is knit in a tight cluster; nor does the Ionian sea break so many waves, nor does the bird fleeing the threats of cold Strymon change its winters in such numbers, and cutting the sky, compensate for Arctic snows with the warm Nile, as the number of peoples that the prophet's voice led forth.
§608avide latebras nemoris umbrosi petunt §609animae trementes. ; primus emergit solo, §610dextra ferocem cornibus taurum premens, §611Zethus, manuque sustinens laeva chelyn §612qui saxa dulci traxit Amphion sono; §613interque natos Tantalis tandem suos §614tuto superba fert caput fastu grave §615et numerat umbras, peior hac genetrix adest
Greedily they seek the hiding places of the shady grove, the trembling souls; first emerges from the ground, pressing with his right hand a fierce bull by the horns, Zethus, and holding a lyre in his left hand, Amphion, who drew rocks with his sweet sound; and among her own children at last, the daughter of Tantalus carries her head heavy with proud haughtiness safely, and counts the shades.
§616furibunda Agaue, tota quam sequitur manus §617partita regem: sequitur et Bacchas lacer §618Pentheus tenetque saevus etiam nunc minas,
A worse mother is present than she: raging Agave, whom the whole band follows that partitioned the king; and mutilated Pentheus follows the Bacchants, and even now, savage, holds his threats.