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Notes Display Latin text | translated by Theodore C. Williams Book X Chapter 27: Turnus understands | Next chapter Return to index Previous chapter |
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By chance in covert of a lofty crag a ship stood fastened and at rest; her sides showed ready bridge and stairway; she had brought Osinius, king of Clusium. Thither came Aeneas' counterfeit of flight and fear, and dropped to darkness. Turnus, nothing loth, gave close chase, overleaping every bar, and scaling the high bridge; but scarce he reached the vessel's prow, when Juno cut her loose, the cables breaking, and along swift waves pushed her to sea. Yet in that very hour Aeneas to the battle vainly called the vanished foe, and round his hard-fought path stretched many a hero dead. No longer now the mocking shadow sought to hide, but soared visibly upward and was lost in cloud, while Turnus drifted o'er the waters wide before the wind. Bewildered and amazed he looked around him; little joy had he in his own safety, but upraised his hands in prayer to Heaven: O Sire omnipotent! [Note 1] Didst thou condemn me to a shame like this? Such retribution dire? Whither now? Whence came I here? What panic wafts away this Turnus -- if t is he? Shall I behold Laurentum's towers once more? But what of those my heroes yonder, who took oath to me, and whom -- O sin and shame! -- I have betrayed to horrible destruction? Even now I see them routed, and my ears receive their dying groans. What is this thing I do? Where will the yawning earth crack wide enough beneath my feet? Ye tempests, pity me! On rocks and reef -- t is Turnus' faithful prayer, let this bark founder; fling it on the shoals of wreckful isles, where no Rutulian eye can follow me, or Rumor tell my shame. With such wild words his soul tossed to and fro, not knowing if to hide his infamy with his own sword and madly drive its blade home to his heart, or cast him in the sea, and, swimming to the rounded shore, renew his battle with the Trojan foe. Three times each fatal course he tried; but Juno's power three times restrained, and with a pitying hand the warrior's purpose barred. So on he sped o'er yielding waters and propitious tides, far as his father Daunus' ancient town. Note 1: omnipotent = Jupiter |
653-688 Forte ratis celsi coniuncta crepidine saxi expositis stabat scalis et ponte parato, qua rex Clusinis aduectus Osinius oris. huc sese trepida Aeneae fugientis imago conicit in latebras, nec Turnus segnior instat exsuperatque moras et pontis transilit altos. uix proram attigerat, rumpit Saturnia funem auulsamque rapit reuoluta per aequora nauem. tum leuis haud ultra latebras iam quaerit imago, sed sublime uolans nubi se immiscuit atrae, illum autem Aeneas absentem in proelia poscit; obuia multa uirum demittit corpora morti, cum Turnum medio interea fert aequore turbo. respicit ignarus rerum ingratusque salutis et duplicis cum uoce manus ad sidera tendit: 'omnipotens genitor, tanton me crimine dignum duxisti et talis uoluisti expendere poenas? quo feror? unde abii? quae me fuga quemue reducit? Laurentisne iterum muros aut castra uidebo? quid manus illa uirum, qui me meaque arma secuti? quosque (nefas) omnis infanda in morte reliqui et nunc palantis uideo, gemitumque cadentum accipio? quid ago? aut quae iam satis ima dehiscat terra mihi? uos o potius miserescite, uenti; in rupes, in saxa (uolens uos Turnus adoro) ferte ratem saeuisque uadis immittite syrtis, quo nec me Rutuli nec conscia fama sequatur.' haec memorans animo nunc huc, nunc fluctuat illuc, an sese mucrone ob tantum dedecus amens induat et crudum per costas exigat ensem, fluctibus an iaciat mediis et litora nando curua petat Teucrumque iterum se reddat in arma. ter conatus utramque uiam, ter maxima Iuno continuit iuuenemque animi miserata repressit. labitur alta secans fluctuque aestuque secundo et patris antiquam Dauni defertur ad urbem. |