end of book 2

Book 2.559-620

At me tum primum saevus circumstetit horror.

But then first the horrible cruelty surrounded me.

Obstipui: subiit cari genitoris imago,

I stood dazed: the image of my dear father came up,

Ut regem aequaevum crudely vulnere vidi

Just as I saw the king, equally breathing out life because

Vitam exhalantem, subiit deserta Creusa

Of a cruel wound, deserted Cruesa comes up,

Et direpta domus et parvi casus Iuli.

and the forsaken house and the cause of small Iulus.

Respicio et quae sit me circum copia lustro.

I look back and I traverse what of abundance is around me.

Deseruere omnes defessi, et corpora saltu

Worn out, everything left me, and sent wretched bodies

Ad terram misère aut ignibus aegra dedere.

Toward the earth with a leap or gave them to the fire.

Iamque adeo super unus eram, cum limina Vestae

And already indeed I was surviving alone, when I see

Servantem et tacitam secreta in sede latentem

Helen serving the threshold of Vesta and lurking with no sound

Tyndarida aspicio; dant claram incendia lucem

In a settled place; the fires they give a bright light

Erranti passimque oculos per cuncta ferenti.

To my eyes wandering and carrying through everything all around.

Illa sibi infestos eversa ob Pergama Teucros

That one, the same Fury of Troy and of the homeland,

Et Danaum poenam et deserti coniugis iras

Fearing beforehand the hostile Trojans on account of Troy overturned and the punishment from the Greeks and the anger of her abandoned husband,

Praemetuens, Troiae et patriae communis Erinys,

had hidden herself and (her being) hateful,

Abdiderat sese atque aris invisa sedebat.

Was sitting at the altar.

575

Exarsere ignes animo; subit ira cadentem

Fires flared in mind; anger arises to avenge the falling

Ulcisci patriam et sceleratas sumere poenas.

Country and to exact wicked punishments.

“Scilicet haec Spartam incolumis patriasque Mycenas

“To be sure, will this unharmed woman look upon Sparta

aspiciet, partoque ibit regina triumpho?

And the fatherland of Mycenas and will she proceed a queen, triumph having been produced?

Coniugiumque domumque patris natosque videbit

Will she see her marriage and the father’s home and her children

Iliadum turba et Phrygiis comitata ministris?

Accompanied by a crowd of Trojan women and Phrygian maids?

Occiderit ferro Priamus? Troia arserit igni?

Will Priam have fallen by the sword? Will Troy have burned by fire?

Dardanium totiens sudarit sanguine litus?

Will the Dardanian shore have sweated so often with blood?

Non ita. Namque etsi nullum memorabile nomen

Not so. And for although there is no memorable name

Feminea in poena est, habet haec victoria laudem;

In the punishment of a woman, this victory holds praise;

Exstinxisse nefas tamen et susumpisse merentes

I will be praised nevertheless to have extinguished the unspeakable thing

Laudabor poenas, animumque explesse iuvabit

And deserving penalties, and it will be pleasing to have fulfilled

Ultricis famam et cineres satiasse meorum.”

The reason and to have satiated the ashes of mine.”

588

Talia iactabam et furiata mente ferebar,

I was saying such things and was being born with a furious mind,

Cum mihi se, non ante oculis tam clara, videndam

When to me myself, not seen before to clear eyes, my nuturing

Obtulit et pura per noctem in luce refulsit

Parent presented herself and shown through the night in pure light

Alma parens, confessa deam qualisque videri

Having revealed the goddess and of such things and

Caelicolis et quanta solet, dextraque prehensum

What size she appeared to heaven-dwellers? And having seized me with her right hand

Continuity roseoque haec insuper addidit ore;

Checked  and added these things with her red mouth;

“nate, quis indomitas tantus dolor excitat iras?

Son, what of such great grief excites undominated anger?

Quid furis? Aut quonam nostri tibi cura recessit?

Why do you anger? Or where has your care for us receeded?

Non prius aspicies ubi fessum aetate parentem

Will you not first see where you have left the father Anchises,

Liqueris Anchisen, superet coniunxne Creusa

Worn with age, and if your wife Cruesa and boy Ascanius

Ascaniusque puer? Quos omnes undique Graiae

Survives? All of whom Greek soldiers wander on

Circum errant acies et, ni mea cura resistat,

All sides and unless me care resisted,

Iam flammae tulerint inimicus et hauserit ensis.

Already the enemy flames would have borne and the sword would have drained.

Non tibi Tyndaridis facies invisa Lacaenae

The hated face of the Lacaenean Helen

Culpatusve Paris, divum inclementia, divum

Or Paris not blamed by you, the mercilessness of the gods, of the gods?,

Has evertit opes sternitque a culmine Troiam.

Overturns these riches and lays low Troy from its height.

604

Aspice (namque omnem, quae nunc obducta tuenti

Look (and for I will remove all of the clouds, which now dulls

Mortales hebetat visus tibi et umida circum

Mortal sights, drawn around you as you watch,

Caligat, nubem eripiam; tu ne qua parentis

And damply darkens around; you do not fear

Iussa time neu praeceptis parere recusa):

Any commands of your parent nor decline what has been bid):

Saxa vides, mixtoque undantem pulvere fumum,

Here you see the scattered rocks and the smoke swelling with mixed in dust,

Neptunus muros magnoque emote tridenti

Neptune shakes the walls and the foundations, displaced with

Fundamenta quatit totamque a sedibus urbem

A great trident and tears the whole city from its

Eruit. Hic Iuno Scaeas saevissima portas

Base. Here, most cruel Juno first holds the Scaean gates

Prima tenet sociumque furens a navibus agmen

And raging, girded with iron, calls the helping troops

Ferro accincta vocat.

From the ships.

Iam summas arces Tritonia, respice, Pallas

Even now Tritonian Pallas occupies the highest citadels, look back,

Insedit nimbo effulgens et Gorgone saeva.

Gleamin from a cloud and with a cruel Gorgon.

Ipse pater Danais animos viresque secundas

The father himself supplies spirits and favorable strength to the Greeks

Sufficit, ipse deos in Dardana suscitat arma.

He himself stirs the gods on Trojan arms.

Eripe, nate, fugam finemque impone labori;

Son, seize flight and place a limit on struggle;

Nusquam abero et tutum patriot e limine sistam.”

Nowhere will I be away, and I will set you safe on the threshold of your ancestors.