§1636nullique priscum profuit luco decus; §1637aggeritur omnis silva et alternae trabes §1638in astra tollunt Herculi angustum rogum: §1639raptura flammas pinus et robur tenax §1640et brevior ilex.
and no ancient glory profited any grove; all the forest is piled up, and alternating logs raise high to the stars a steep pyre for Hercules: pine, ready to snatch the flames, and tenacious oak, and shorter holm-oak.
alba sed complet rogum §1641populea silva, frontis Herculeae decus.
But the white poplar forest, the glory of the Herculean brow, fills up the pyre.
§1642at ille, ut ingens nemore sub Nasamonio §1643aegro reclinis pectore immugit leo, §1644fertur: quis illum credat ad flammas rapi?
But he, like a huge lion that, reclining with a wounded breast under the Nasamonian forest, roars, is carried: who would believe that he was being hurried to the flames?
§1645voltus petentis astra, non ignes erat, §1646ut pressit Oeten ac suis oculis rogum §1647lustravit omnem, fregit impositus trabes.
His countenance was that of one seeking the stars, not the fire, as he trod upon Oeta and surveyed with his eyes the whole pyre, and, laid upon it, broke the logs.
He demanded his bow: "Receive these gifts," he said, "O son of Poeas, take this reward of Alcides.
These the hydra felt, by these the Stymphalian birds lie prostrate, and whatever other evil I conquered from afar.
§1652† victrice felix, iuvenis, has numquam irritas §1653mittes in postem; sive de media voles §1654auferre volucres nube, descendent aves §1655et certa praedae tela de caelo fluent, §1656nec fallet umquam dexteram hic arcus tuam: §1657librare tela didicit et certam dare §1658fugam sagittis, ipsa non fallunt iter §1659emissa nervo tela: tu tantum precor §1660accommoda ignes et facem extremam mihi.
†Happy in victory†, young man, you will never shoot these in vain against the enemy; whether you wish to snatch birds from the midst of the cloud, the birds will fall and the darts, sure of their prey, will flow from heaven, nor will this bow ever fail your right hand: it has learned to poise the darts and to give a sure flight to the arrows; the weapons themselves, shot from the string, do not miss their path: only, I pray, apply the fire and the final torch to me.
'This club," he said, "which no hand has ever mastered, let it burn with me through the flames; this weapon alone shall follow Hercules.
§1663tantum sequetur, hoc quoque acciperes' ait §1664'si ferre posses, adiuvet domini rogum. ' §1665tum rigida secum spolia Nemeaei mali §1666arsura poscit; latuit in spolio rogus.
This too you would receive," he said, "if you were able to carry it; let it help the pyre of its master." Then he demands the stiff spoils of the Nemean beast to burn with him; the pyre was hidden under the spoil.
§1667ingemuit omnis turba nec lacrimas dolor §1668cuiquam remisit, mater in luctum furens §1669diduxit avidum pectus atque utero tenus §1670exerta vastos ubera in planctus ferit.
The whole crowd groaned, nor did grief spare tears to anyone; the mother, raging in her mourning, tore open her eager breast, and down to her womb beat her bared breasts in vast lamentation.
And striking the gods above and Jupiter himself with her cries, she filled the whole place with her woman's voice.
§1673'deforme letum, mater, Herculeum facis, §1674compesce lacrimas' inquit, 'introrsus dolor §1675femineus abeat;
"You make the Herculean death unseemly, mother; restrain your tears," he said, "let womanly grief retreat inward.
Iuno cur laetum diem §1676te flente ducat? paelicis gaudet suae
Why should Juno lead a joyful day while you weep?
§1677spectare lacrimas, comprime infirmum iecur, §1678mater: nefas est ubera atque uterum tibi §1679laniare, qui me genuit. ' et dirum fremens, §1680qualis per urbes duxit Argolicas canem, §1681cum victor Erebi Dite contempto redit §1682tremente fato, talis incubuit rogo.
She rejoices to gaze upon the tears of her rival; repress your weak emotions, mother: it is a sin for you to tear the breasts and the womb that bore me." And roaring dreadfully, as when he led the dog through the Argive cities, when as conqueror of Erebus, defying Dis, he returned while fate trembled, so he lay down upon the pyre.
§1683quis sic triumphans laetus in curru stetit
What victorious conqueror ever stood so joyful in his chariot?
§1684victor? quis illo gentibus voltu dedit
What ruler ever gave laws to nations with such a countenance?
§1685leges tyrannus? quanta pax habitum tulit!
What great peace bore his bearing!
§1686haesere lacrimae, cecidit impulsus dolor §1687nobis quoque ipsis, nemo periturum ingemit: §1688iam flere pudor est; ipsa quam sexus iubet §1689maerere,, siccis haesit Alcmene genis §1690stetitque nato paene iam similis parens.
Our tears stopped, the stirred grief fell away even from ourselves, no one laments him who is about to perish: now to weep is a shame; Alcmene herself, whom her sex commands to mourn, stood with dry cheeks, and the parent stood now almost like her son.
Chorus: Did he send no prayers to the stars, to the gods above, as he was about to burn, or look to Jupiter in his vows?
§1693Iacuit sui securus et caelum intuens §1694quaesivit oculis, parte an ex aliqua pater §1695despiceret illum, tum manus tendens ait: §1696' quacumque parte prospicis natum pater, §1697te te precor, cui nocte commissa dies §1698quievit unus.
Philoctetes: He lay careless of himself, and gazing at heaven, sought with his eyes whether from any part his father was looking down upon him; then, stretching out his hands, he said: "O father, from whatever part you look upon your son, you, you I pray, for whom, when night was joined to night, one day lay still.
si meas laudes canit §1699utrumque Phoebi litus et Scythiae genus §1700et omnis ardens ora quam torret dies. §1701si pace tellus plena, si nullae gemunt §1702urbes nec aras impias quisquam inquinat, §1703si scelera desunt, spiritum admitte hunc precor §1704in astra, non me mortis infernae locus §1705nec maesta nigri regna conterrent Iovis, §1706sed ire ad illos umbra, quos vici, deos, §1707pater, erubesco, nube discussa diem §1708pande, ut deorum voltus ardentem Herculem §1709spectet; licet tu sidera et mundum neges, §1710ultro, pater, cogere: si voces dolor §1711abstulerit ullas, pande tum Stygios lacus §1712et redde fatis: approba natum prius: §1713ut dignus astris videar, hic faciet dies.
If both shores of Phoebus and the Scythian race and every burning region which the blazing day scorches sing my praises; if the earth is full of peace, if no cities groan, and no one defiles impious altars, if crimes are absent, receive this spirit, I pray, into the stars; the place of infernal death does not terrify me, nor the gloomy realms of black Jupiter, but, father, I blush to go as a shade to those gods whom I conquered; scatter the cloud and open the day, so that the face of the gods may behold Hercules burning; even though you deny me the stars and the heavens, you will be compelled of your own accord, father: if pain should snatch away any cries from me, then open the Stygian lakes and return me to the fates: first, approve your son: this day will make me seem worthy of the stars.
§1714leve est quod actum est; Herculem hic, genitor, dies §1715inveniet aut damnabit. ' haec postquam edidit, §1717flammas poposcit.
What has been done is light; this day, father, will find Hercules or condemn him." After he uttered these words, he demanded the flames.
'hoc age, Alcidae comes §1718non segnis' inquit 'corripe Oetaeam facem,
"Come now, no sluggish companion of Alcides," he said, "seize the Oetaean torch."