Friday, September 7, 2007

Aeneid lines 1.1-49 (class translation)

I sing of arms and a man who first from the shores of Troy, a fugitive because of fate, came to Italy and Lavinian shores, that man tossed much both on lands and on the sea by the force of the gods due to the mindful anger of savage Juno; also having endured much, even war, while founding his city and carrying his gods to Latium, whence the Latin race, the Alban fathers, and the walls of lofty Rome. Muse, remind me (of) the causes, by what injured divinity or grieving in respect to what the queen of the gods forced a man marked by piety to roll out so many misfortunes to enter so many labors. Have the spirits of the skies such angers?

There was an ancient city, Tyrians held (it) as colonists, Carthage, far opposite Italy and Tiber's mouths, wealthy in riches and most fierce in the arts of war, which alone Juno is said to have cherished above all lands, even Samos was held lower; here were the weapons of that (goddess), here was her chariot; the goddess then already held and nourished this kingdom for her people , if the fates would allow. But indeed she had heard that an offspring would be led from Trojan blood which someday would overturn the Tyrian citadels; from this a people ruling widely and proud in war would come for the destruction of Libya: thus the Fates had written.

Fearing this, the daughter of Saturn, mindful of the old war which she had waged as a leader for her dear Argives upon Troy--also the causes of angers and savage pains had not yet left her mind: the judgement of Paris, stored deep in her heart, and the injury of her spurned form, and the hated race, and the honors of stolen Ganymede remain. Burning over these, she drove far from Latium the Trojans left by the Danai and hostile Achilles, tossed on the whole sea, and driven by the fates they wandered for many years, around all the seas. Of such effort was it to found the Roman race!

Scarcely out of sight of Sicilian land, the Trojans were happily giving their sails into the deep and churning the foam of the salt sea with their bronze prow, when Juno, nursing the eternal wound in her heart, (said) these things to herself, “Am I, beaten, to cease from my plan? Am I not able to turn the King of the Tucreans from Italy? Indeed I am barred by the fates. Was Pallas able to burn the Argive fleet and sink those in the sea due to the crime of one and the violent passions of Ajax, son of Oileus? She herself, having hurled the swift fire of Jove from the clouds, both scattered the ships and turned over the waters with the winds; she snatched that man from the whirlwind, breathing out flames from his pierced chest and impaled him on a sharp rock; but I, who stride as queen of the gods and both sister and wife of Jove, wage war with one race for so many years! And who will worship the power of Juno hereafter or put sacrificial honor on my altars as a suppliant?"

No comments: