Book IV. 30 to 89

Aeneid IV. 30-89
30 Sic effata sinum lacrimis implevit obortis.
Thus having spoken, she filled her bosom with tears welling up.
31 Anna refert: “O luce magis dilecta sorori,
Anna replies: “O beloved to your sister more than light,
32 solane perpetua maerens carpere iuventa
grieving alone in continual youth will you be eaten away,
carpere
=
carperis
33 nec dulces natos Veneris nec praemia noris?
will you know neither the sweet children nor the rewards of Venus?
noris =
noveris
34 Id cinerem aut manes credis curare sepultos?
Do you believe that the ash or the buried shades of the dead care about this?
<--
Sychaeus
35 Esto: aegram nulli quondam flexere mariti,
So be it: once no suitors moved you, wretched,
36 non Libyae, non ante Tyro; despectus Ïarbas
not in Libya, not before Tyre; Iarbas [was] scorned [by you],
37 ductoresque alii, quos Africa terra triumphis
and other leaders, whom African land wealthy in victories nourishes:
38 dives alit: placitone etiam pugnabis amori?
will you fight even a pleasing love?
39 Nec venit in mentem quorum consederis arvis?
And does it not come into your mind in whose fields you have settled?
40 Hinc Gaetulae urbes, genus insuperabile bello,
On this side the Gaetulian cities, a people unconquerable in war,
41 et Numidae infreni cingunt et inhospita Syrtis;
and the unbridled Numidians and the inhospitable Syrtis surround [you];
42 hinc deserta siti regio lateque furentes
on this side [is] a deserted region on account of drought, and
43 Barcaei. Quid bella Tyro surgentia dicam
the Barcaeans, raging far and wide. Why should I mention the wars rising from Tyre
44 germanique minas?
and the threats of [your] brother?
45 Dis equidem auspicibus reor et Iunone secunda
Indeed I think that with gods being as seers and with Juno being favorable
46 hunc cursum Iliacas vento tenuisse carinas.
the Trojan ships held [their] course on the wind.
47 Quam tu urbem, soror, hanc cernes, quae surgere regna
What a city you will see [is] this, sister, you will see, what kingdoms [you will see] rise
48 coniugio tali! Teucrum comitantibus armis
from such a marriage! To what great things will Punic glory
49 Punica se quantis attollet gloria rebus!
raise itself with weapons of Trojans accompanying!
50 Tu modo posce deos veniam, sacrisque litatis
Only ask the gods for mercy, and with sacrifices having been performed
51 indulge hospitio causasque innecte morandi,
indulge in hospitality and connect reasons for delaying,
52 dum pelago desaevit hiems et aquosus Orion,
while winter rages on the sea and Orion [is] rainy,
53 quassataeque rates, dum non tractabile caelum.”
and [their] ships [have] been shaken, while the sky [is] not manageable.”
54 His dictis impenso animum flammavit amore
With these things said, she inflamed [Dido’s] spirit with vast love
55 spemque dedit dubiae menti solvitque pudorem.
and gave hope to her wavering mind and released [her] modesty.
56 Principio delubra adeunt pacemque per aras
At first they approach the shrines and seek peace through the altars;
57 exquirunt; mactant lectas de more bidentes
they sacrifice the two-year old sheep chosen by custom
58 legiferae Cereri Phoeboque patrique Lyaeo,
to law bringing Ceres and Apollo and father Bacchus,
59 Iunoni ante omnes, cui vincla iugalia curae.
[and] to Juno before all, for whom the bonds of wedlock [are] a care .
60 Ipsa tenens dextra pateram pulcherrima Dido
Most beautiful Dido herself holding the bowl with her right hand
61 candentis vaccae media inter cornua fundit,
she pours [it] in between the middle of the horns of the sleek young cow,
62 aut ante ora deum pingues spatiatur ad aras,
or before the faces of the gods she walks to the rich altars,
63 instauratque diem donis, pecudumque reclusis
and she renews the day with gifts, and with the hearts of the animals revealed,
64 pectoribus inhians spirantia consulit exta.
gaping she consults quivering entrails.
65 Heu, vatum ignarae mentes! quid vota furentem,
Alas, unknowing [are the] minds of prophets! How [do] prayers [help her] raging,
66 quid delubra iuvant? Est molles flamma medullas
how do shrines help her? The flame consumes [her] soft marrow[s] meanwhile,
67 interea et tacitum vivit sub pectore vulnus.
and the secret wound beneath her heart is alive.
68 Uritur infelix Dido totaque vagatur
Unlucky Dido is burned and in a frenzy she wanders through the whole city,
69 urbe furens, qualis coniecta cerva sagitta,
like a deer, an arrow having been shot,
70 quam procul incautam nemora inter Cresia fixit
which, unsuspecting, a shepherd, chasing with weapons, has pierced from afar
71 pastor agens telis liquitque volatile ferrum
among the Cretan groves, and [in which] he, unknowing , has left [his] swift iron.
72 nescius: illa fuga silvas saltusque peragrat
That one wanders through the forests and glades of Mount Dicte in flight;
73 Dictaeos; haeret lateri letalis harundo.
the death-bringing arrow clings to [her] side.
74 Nunc media Aenean secum per moenia ducit
Now she brings Aeneas with herself through the middle of the walls
75 Sidoniasque ostentat opes urbemque paratam,
and shows [him] Sidonian wealth and the city [that has been] prepared,
76 incipit effari mediaque in voce resistit;
she begins to speak and in the middle of a word she stops;
77 nunc eadem labente die convivia quaerit,
now, with the day waning, she seeks out the same feast,
78 Iliacosque iterum demens audire labores
and mad[ly] demands to hear again the Trojan labors
79 exposcit pendetque iterum narrantis ab ore.
and again hangs on/from the mouth [words] of [the one] speaking.
80 Post ubi digressi, lumenque obscura vicissim
Afterwards, when they departed, and the gloomy moon in turn hides its light
81 luna premit suadentque cadentia sidera somnos,
and the falling stars suggest sleep,
82 sola domo maeret vacua stratisque relictis
she mourns alone in [her] empty house and lies upon the bedcoverings left behind [by Aeneas].
83 incubat. illum absens absentem auditque videtque,
Absent [from him], she hears and sees that man, absent,
84 aut gremio Ascanium genitoris imagine capta
or seized by the image of [his] father she holds Ascanius in her lap,
85 detinet, infandum si fallere possit amorem.
if [only] she might be able to deceive her unspeakable love.
86 Non coeptae adsurgunt turres, non arma iuventus
The towers [having been] started do not rise up, the youth do not exercise weapons,
87 exercet portusve aut propugnacula bello
or prepare the battlement [to be] safe for war:
88 tuta parant: pendent opera interrupta minaeque
the interrupted projects hang
89 murorum ingentes aequataque machina caelo.
and the huge threats of the walls, and the scaffolding made equal to the sky.