Pandite nunc, Musae, praesentia numina vatum | ome grow in power, some wane. Troy was once great |
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(scitis enim, nec vos fallit spatiosa vetustas,) | in riches and in men—so great she could |
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unde Coroniden circumflua Thybridis alti | for ten unequalled years afford much blood; |
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insula Romuleae sacris adiecerit urbis. | now she lies low and offers to our gaze |
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Dira lues quondam Latias vitiaverat auras | but ancient ruins and, instead of wealth |
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pallidaque exsangui squalebant corpora morbo. | ancestral tombs. Sparta was famous once |
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Funeribus fessi postquam mortalia cernunt | and great Mycenae was most flourishing. |
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temptamenta nihil, nihil artes posse medentum | And Cecrops' citadel and Amphion's shone |
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auxilium caeleste petunt mediamque tenentes | in ancient power. Sparta is nothing now |
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orbis humum Delphos adeunt, oracula Phoebi | ave barren ground, the proud Mycenae fell |
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utque salutifera miseris succurrere rebus | what is the Thebes of storied Oedipu |
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sorte velit tantaeque urbis mala finiat, orant: | except a name? And of Pandion's Athen |
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et locus et laurus et, quas habet ipse, pharetras | what now remains beyond the name? |
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hanc adyto vocem pavefactaque pectora movit: | is rising, and beside the Tiber 's waves |
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“Quod petis hinc, propiore loco, Romane, petisses | whose springs are high in the Apennines , is laying |
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et pete nunc propiore loco! nec Apolline vobis | her deep foundations. So in her growth |
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qui minuat luctus, opus est, sed Apolline nato. | her form is changing, and one day she will |
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Ite bonis avibus prolemque accersite nostram!” | be the sole mistress of the boundless world. |
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quam colat, explorant, iuvenis Phoebeius urbem | revealers of our destiny, declare |
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quique petant ventis Epidauria litora mittunt. | this fate, and, if I recollect it right |
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Quae simul incurva missi tetigere carina | Helenus, son of Priam, prophesied |
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concilium Graiosque patres adiere, darentque | unto Aeneas, when he was in doubt |
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oravere, deum, qui praesens funera gentis | of safety and lamenting for the state |
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finiat Ausoniae: certas ita dicere sortes. | of Troy , about to fall, ‘O, son of a goddess |
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Dissidet et variat sententia, parsque negandum | if you yourself, will fully understand |
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non putat auxilium, multi retinere suamque | this prophecy now surging in my mind |
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non emittere opem nec numina tradere suadent: | Troy shall not, while you are preserved to life |
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dum dubitant, seram pepulere crepuscula lucem | fall utterly. Flames and the sword shall give |
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umbraque telluris tenebras induxerat orbi | you passage. You shall go and bear away |
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cum deus in somnis opifer consistere visus | Pergama, ruined; till a foreign soil |
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ante tuum, Romane, torum, sed qualis in aede | more friendly to you than your native land |
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esse solet, baculumque tenens agreste sinistra | hall be the lot of Troy and of yourself. |
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et placido tales emittere pectore voces: | that our posterity, born far from Troy |
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“Pone metus! Veniam simulacraque nostra relinquam. | will build a city greater than exists |
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Hunc modo serpentem, baculum qui nexibus ambit | or ever will exist, or ever ha |
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perspice et usque nota visu, ut cognoscere possis! | been seen in former times. Through a long lapse |
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Vertar in hunc, sed maior ero tantusque videbor | of ages other noted men shall make |
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in quantum verti caelestia corpora debent.” | it strong, but one of the race of Iulus; |
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Extemplo cum voce deus, cum voce deoque | hall make it the great mistress of the world. |
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somnus abit, somnique fugam lux alma secuta est. | After the earth has thoroughly enjoyed |
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Postera sidereos aurora fugaverat ignes: | his glorious life, aetherial abode |
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incerti, quid agant, proceres ad templa petiti | hall gain him, and immortal heaven shall be |
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perveniunt operosa dei, quaque ipse morari | his destiny.’ |
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sede velit, signis caelestibus indicet, orant. | Such was the prophesy |
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Vix bene desierant, cum cristis aureus altis | of Helenus, when great Aeneas took |
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in serpente deus praenuntia sibila misit | away his guardian deities, and I |
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adventuque suo signumque arasque foresque | rejoice to see my kindred walls rise high |
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marmoreumque solum fastigiaque aurea movit | and realize how much the Trojans won |
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pectoribusque tenus media sublimis in aede | by that resounding victory of the Greeks! |
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Territa turba pavet. Cognovit numina castos | forgetful of the goal, the heavens and all |
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evinctus vitta crines albente sacerdos: | beneath them and the earth and everything |
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“En deus est deus est! Animis linguisque favete | upon it change in form. We likewise change |
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quisquis ades!” dixit. “Sis, o pulcherrime, visus | who are a portion of the universe |
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utiliter populosque iuves tua sacra colentes !” | and, since we are not only things of flesh |
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Quisquis adest, visum venerantur numen, et omnes | but winged souls as well, we may be doomed |
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verba sacerdotis referunt geminata piumque | to enter into beasts as our abode; |
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Aeneadae praestant et mente et voce favorem. | and even to be hidden in the breast |
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Adnuit his motisque deus rata pignora cristis | of cattle. Therefore, should we not allow |
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et repetita dedit vibrata sibila lingua. | these bodies to be safe which may contain |
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Tum gradibus nitidis delabitur oraque retro | the souls of parents, brothers, or of those |
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flectit et antiquas abiturus respicit aras | allied to us by kinship or of men |
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adsuetasque domos habitataque templa salutat. | at least, who should be saved from every harm? |
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Inde per iniectis adopertam floribus ingens | Let us not gorge down a Thyestean feast! |
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tendit ad incurvo munitos aggere portus. | how impiously does he prepare himself |
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Restitit hic agmenque suum turbaeque sequentis | for shedding human blood, who with u knife |
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officium placido visus dimittere vultu | cuts the calf's throat and offers a deaf ear |
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corpus in Ausonia posuit rate: numinis illa | to its death-longings! who can kill the kid |
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sensit onus, pressa estque dei gravitate carina; | while it is sending forth heart rending crie |
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Aeneadae gaudent caesoque in litore tauro | like those of a dear child; or who can feed |
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torta coronatae solvunt retinacula navis. | upon the bird which he has given food. |
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Impulerat levis aura ratem: deus eminet alte | How little do such deeds as these fall short |
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impositaque premens puppim cervice recurvam | of actual murder? Yes, where will they lead? |
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Ionium zephyris sextae Pallantidos ortu | to weight of years; and let the sheep give u |
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Italiam tenuit praeterque Lacinia templo | defence against the cold of Boreas; |
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nobilitata deae Scylaceaque litora fertur; | and let the well-fed she-goats give to man |
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linquit Iapygiam laevisque Amphrisia remis | their udders for the pressure of kind hands. |
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Romethiumque legit Caulonaque Naryciamque | and fraudulent contrivances: deceive |
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evincitque fretum Siculique angusta Pelori | not birds with bird-limed twigs: do not deceive |
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Hippotadaeque domos regis Temesesque metalla | the trusting deer with dreaded feather foils: |
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Leucosiamque petit tepidique rosaria Paesti. | do not conceal barbed hooks with treacherous bait: |
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Inde legit Capreas promunturiumque Minervae | if any beast is harmful, take his life |
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et Surrentino generosos palmite colles | but, even so, let killing be enough. |
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Herculeamque urbem Stabiasque et in otia natam | Taste not his flesh, but look for harmless food!” |
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Parthenopen et ab hac Cumaeae templa Sibyllae. | They say that Numa with a mind well taught |
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Hinc calidi fontes lentisciferumque tenetur | by these and other precepts traveled back |
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Liternum multamque trahens sub gurgite harenam | to his own land and, being urged again |
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Volturnus niveisque frequens Sinuessa columbis | assumed the guidance of the Latin state. |
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Minturnaeque graves et quam tumulavit alumnus | Blest with a nymph as consort, blest also with |
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Antiphataeque domus Trachasque obsessa palude | the Muses for his guides, he taught the rite |
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et tellus Circaea et spissi litoris Antium. | of sacrifice and trained in arts of peace |
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Huc ubi veliferam nautae advertere carinam | a race accustomed long to savage war. |
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(asper enim iam pontus erat), deus explicat orbes | When, ripe in years, he ended reign and life |
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perque sinus crebros et magna volumina labens | the Latin matrons, the fathers of the state |
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templa parentis init flavum tangentia litus. | and all the people wept for Numa's death. |
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Aequore placato patrias Epidaurius aras | For the nymph, his widow, had withdrawn from Rome |
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linquit et hospitio iuncti sibi numinis usus | concealed within the thick groves of the vale |
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litoream tractu squamae crepitantis harenam | Aricia , where with groans and wailing she |
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sulcat et innixus moderamine navis in alta | disturbed the holy rites of Cynthia |
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puppe caput posuit, donec Castrumque sacrasque | established by Orestes. Ah! how often |
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Lavini sedes Tiberinaque ad ostia venit. | nymphs of the grove and lake entreated her |
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Huc omnis populi passim matrumque patrumque | to cease and offered her consoling words. |
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obvia turba ruit, quaeque ignes, Troica, servant | How often the son of Theseus said to her |
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Vesta, tuos, laetoque deum clamore salutant. | “Control your sorrow; surely your sad lot |
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Quaque per adversas navis cita ducitur undas | is not the only one; consider now |
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tura super ripas aris ex ordine factis | the like calamities by others borne |
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parte ab utraque sonant et odorant aera fumis | and you can bear your sorrow. To my grief |
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ictaque coniectos incalfacit hostia cultros. | my own disaster was far worse than yours. |
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Iamque caput rerum, Romanam intraverat urbem: | At least it can afford you comfort now. |
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erigitur serpens summoque acclinia malo | “Is it not true, discourse has reached yours ear |
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colla movet sedesque sibi circumspicit aptas. | that one Hippolytus met with his death |
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Scinditur in geminas partes circumfluus amnis | through the credulity of his loved sire |
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(Insula nomen habet), laterumque a parte duorum | deceived by a stepmother's wicked art? |
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porrigit aequales media tellure lacertos. | It will amaze you much, and I may fail |
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Huc se de Latia pinu Phoebeius anguis | to prove what I declare, but I am he! |
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contulit et finem, specie caeleste resumpta | Long since the daughter of Pasiphae |
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luctibus imposuit venitque salutifer urbi. | tempted me to defile my father's bed |
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Hic tamen accessit delubris advena nostris: | and, failing, feigned that I had wished to do |
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