§734quid ista vaecors tela feminea manu
Why does that madwoman present those weapons, drawn by a female hand?
What man does her right hand seek, she in Spartan attire, bearing an Amazonian blade?
§737quae versat oculos alia nunc facies meos?
What other vision now turns my eyes?
§738victor ferarum colla sublimis iacet §739ignobili sub dente Marmaricus leo, §740morsus cruentos passus audacis leae.
The Marmarican lion, conqueror of beasts, lies lofty under an ignoble tooth, having suffered the bloody bites of a daring lioness.
Why do you call me, the only survivor of my people, shades of my family?
§743Troiae sepultae; frater, auxilium Phrygum §744terrorque Danaum, non ego antiquum decus §745video aut calentes ratibus exustis manus, §746sed lacera membra et saucios vinclo gravi §747illos lacertos; te sequor, nimium cito §748congresse Achilli Troile; incertos geris, §749Deiphobe, vultus, coniugis munus novae,
I follow you as a witness, father, of buried Troy; brother, the help of the Phrygians and terror of the Danaans, I do not see your ancient glory or your hot hands when the ships were burned, but torn limbs and those arms wounded by a heavy chain; I follow you, Troilus, who met Achilles too quickly; you bear a mutilated face, Deiphobus, the gift of your new wife.
It is a joy to enter the Stygian lakes themselves, it is a joy to see the fierce dog of Tartarus and the kingdoms of greedy Dis!
§752avidique regna Ditis! haec hodie ratis §753Phlegethontis atri regias animas vehet, §754victamqne victricemqne.
Today this boat of dark Phlegethon will carry royal souls, both the conquered and the conqueror.
vos. umbrae, precor. §755iurata superis unda. te pariter precor: §756reserate paulum terga nigrantis poli, §757levis ut Mycenas turba prospiciat Phrygum.
I pray to you, shades, and equally to you, water sworn by the gods: open a little the back of the darkening sky, so that the light crowd of Phrygians may look out upon Mycenae.
§758spectate. miseri: fata se vertunt retro.
Behold, wretched ones: the fates turn backward.
The squalid sisters press on and brandish bloody whips.
§761fert laeva semustas faces §762turgentque pallentes genae §763et vestis atri funeris §764exesa cingit ilia, §765strepuntque nocturni metus §766et ossa vasti corporis §767corrupta longinquo situ §768palude limosa iacent.
The left hand carries half-burnt torches, and their pale cheeks swell, and a garment of black funeral girds their wasted flanks, and nocturnal terrors resound, and the bones of a vast body, decayed by long neglect, lie in the muddy marsh.
§769et ecce, defessus senex §770ad ora ludentes aquas §771non captat oblitus sitim, §772maestus futuro funere: §773exultat et ponit gradus §774pater decoros Dardanus.
And behold, the weary old man does not catch at the waters playing at his mouth, forgetting his thirst, sad at the coming death: father Dardanus exults and takes graceful steps.
§775Iam pervagatus ipse se fregit furor, §776caditque flexo qualis ante aras genu §777cervice taurus vulnus incertum gerens,
Now the madness, having spread throughout, has broken itself, and she falls with bent knee before the altars, like a bull bearing an uncertain wound in its neck.
§778relevemus artus, en deos tandem suos §779victrice lauru cinctus Agamemnon adit, §780et festa coniunx obvios illi tulit §781gressus reditque iuncta concordi gradu.
Let us raise her limbs; behold, at last Agamemnon, girded with victorious laurel, approaches his gods, and his festal wife has directed her steps to meet him, and she returns joined with him in harmonious pace.
At last I return safe to my ancestral hearth; hail, O dear land!
To you so many barbarian nations gave spoils, to you long-fortunate Troy, of powerful Asia, submitted its hands.
Why does that prophetess, with her body cast down and trembling, falter with a swaying neck?
§788refovete gelido latice.
Attendants, lift her up, revive her with cold water.
iam recipit diem §789marcente visu.
Now she receives the light with fading sight.
Rouse your senses: that longed-for harbor from troubles is here, it is a festive day.
§791bFestus et Troiae fuit.
It was festive for Troy as well.
§792Veneremur aras.
Let us worship the altars.
§792bCecidit ante aras pater.
My father fell before the altars.
§793Iovem precemur pariter.
Let us pray to Jupiter likewise.
§793bHerceum Iovem?
To Hercelean Jupiter?
§794Credis videre te Ilium?
Do you believe you see Ilium?
§794bEt Priamum simul.
And Priam at the same time.
§795Hic Troia non est.
This is not Troy.
§795bHelena ubi est Troiam puto.
Wherever Helena is, I think there is Troy.
§796Ne metue dominam famula,
Do not fear your mistress, handmaid.
§796bLibertas adest.
Freedom is at hand.
§797Secura vive.
Live without care.
§797bMihi mori est securitas.
For me, to die is safety.
§798Nullum est periclum tibimet.
There is no danger to yourself.
§798bAt magnum tibi.
But a great one to you.
§799Victor timere quid potest?
What can a conqueror fear?
§799bQuod non timet.
What he does not fear.
Hold her, faithful crowd of attendants, until she shakes off the god, lest her powerless madness commit some harm.
§802at te, pater, qui saeva torques fulmina §803pellisque nubes, sidera et terras regis, §804ad quem triumphi spolia victores ferunt, §805et te sororem cuncta pollentis viri, §806Argolica limo, pecore votivo libens §807Arabumque donis supplice et fibra colam.
But you, father, who hurl the cruel thunderbolts and drive away the clouds, who rule the stars and the lands, to whom victors bring the spoils of triumph, and you, sister of the all-powerful husband, Argive Juno, gladly with a votive beast, with gifts of the Arabs, and with a suppliant's entrails, I will worship.
§808Argos nobilibus nobile civibus, §809Argos iratae carum novercae, §810semper ingentes alumnos §811educas, numerum deorum §812imparem aequasti: tuus ille §813bis seno meruit labore §813badlegi caelo §814magnus Alcides, cui lege mundi §815Iuppiter rupta geminavit horas §816roscidae noctis iussitque Phoebum §817tardius celeres agitare currus §818et tuas lente remeare bigas, §819pallida Phoebe; §819brettulit pedem §820nomen alternis stella quae mutat §821seque mirata est Hesperum dici; §822Aurora movit ad solitas vices §823caput et relabens imposuit seni §823bcollum marito.
Argos, noble through its noble citizens, Argos, dear to your angry stepmother, you always rear mighty foster-sons, and you made the odd number of the gods equal: that great Alcides of yours merited to be enrolled in heaven by his twelve labors, for whom, breaking the law of the universe, Jupiter doubled the hours of dewy night and ordered Phoebus to drive his swift chariot more slowly, and your two-horse chariot to return slowly, pale Phoebe; the star which changes its name with alternating turns retraced its steps, and wondered that it was called Hesperus; Aurora moved her head for her usual shifts and, slipping back, laid her neck upon her old husband.
§824sensit ortus, sensit occasus §825Herculem nasci: violentus ille §826nocte non una poterat creari.
The East felt, the West felt that Hercules was being born: that violent man could not be created in a single night.
For you the shaken universe stood still, O boy destined to enter heaven.