Aenied Translation

Lines 1—50

 

arma virumque cano Troiae qui primus ab oris

Italiam fato profugus Lauiniaque venit

litora multum ille et terris iactatus et alto

vi superum saevae memorem Iunonis ob iram

 

 

 

 multa quoque et bello passus dum conderet urbem

inferretque deos Latio genus unde Latinum

Albanique patres atque altae moenia Romae

 

 

Musa mihi causas memora quo numine laeso

quidue dolens regina deum tot voluere casus

insignem pietate virum tot adire labores

impulerit tantaene animis caelestibus irae

 

 

 

urbs antiqua fuit Tyrii tenuere coloni

Karthago Italiam contra Tiberinaque longe

ostia dives opum studiisque asperrima belli

quam Iuno fertur terris magis omnibus unam

posthabita coluisse Samo  hic illius arma

hic currus fuit hoc regnum dea gentibus esse

si qua fata sinant iam tum tenditque fouetque

 

 

 

progeniem sed enim Troiano a sanguine duci

audierat Tyrias olim quae verteret arces

hinc populum late regem belloque superbum

venturum excidio Libyae

 

 

                 sic uoluere Parcas

id metuens ueterisque memor Saturnia belli

prima quod ad Troiam pro caris gesserat Argis 

necdum etiam causae irarum saeuique dolores

exciderant animo manet alta mente repostum

iudicium Paridis spretaeque iniuria formae

et genus inuisum et rapti Ganymedis honores

 

 

 

his accensa super iactatos aequore toto

Troas reliquias Danaum atque immitis Achilli

arcebat longe Latio multosque per annos

errabant acti fatis maria omnia circum

tantae molis erat Romanam condere gentem

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I sing of weapons and a hero, who first came from the shores of Troy to Italy in exile by fate, and he came to The Lavinian shores, and he was buffeted much both on land and on the sea by the violence of the gods, on account of the unforgetting anger of cruel Juno,

 

And also he endured much in war, until he founded a city and brought [his[ gods to Latium—from where the Latian people and the fathers of the Albans [came], and the lofty walls of Rome.

 

Muse, recall for me the causes, because of what divinity that was offended, or the Queen of the gods grieving at what, forced such a distinguished man marked by piety to encounter so many misfortunes, and to come upon so many hardships.  Is there such great anger to the divine minds?

 

There was an ancient city [that] the Tyrian colonists held, Carthage, far away opposite Italy and mouths of the Tiber, rich in wealth and very fierce in the pursuits of war, which it is said Juno cherished these lands more than all [others], Samo esteemed less; here were her weapons, here was her chariot, the goddess already then intends and cherishes that this be the ruling power for the other nations, if in any way the fates would allow this.

 

But she also had heard that a race was being led led from Trojan blood, which one day would overturn the Tyrian citadels; that this people, ruling widely and proud in war, was destined to come for the destruction of Libya.

 

Thus (Juno) had heard that the fates had rolled [the scolls; “decreed”]; (Juno) fearing this and mindful of the ancient war, which as chief she had waged at Troy for her beloved Argos—not yet even had the causes of her anger and raging grief had fallen from her mind, deep in her mind remains stored up the Judgment of Paris and the injury to her rejected beauty, and the hated race, and Ganymede’s stolen honors—

 

Inflamed by these things moreover, she was keeping the Trojans, remnants of the Greeks and cruel Achilles, (who had been) tossed on the whole sea and far from Latium, through many years they wandered around all the seas driven by the fates.

Of such a great burden it was to found the Roman race.