Aeneid 1.372–386

Aen. 1.372Ō dea, sī prīmā repetēns ab orīgine pergam,
et vacet annālīs nostrōrum audīre labōrum,
ante diem clausō compōnat Vesper Olympō.

'Goddess, if I should go on, tracing it back from the very beginning, and there were time to hear the chronicle of our troubles, the Evening Star would close Olympus and lay the day to rest first.

Note. pergam … vacet … compōnat: a future-less-vivid condition ('if I should go on … the Evening Star would …'). annālīs: accusative plural of annālēs, 'chronicles'. ante: adverb, 'before (I finished)'. clausō Olympō: ablative absolute; Olympus here simply means the sky.

Aen. 1.375Nōs Trōiā antīquā, sī vestrās forte per aurīs
Troiae nōmen iit, dīversa per aequora vectōs
forte suā Libycīs tempestās adpulit ōrīs.

From ancient Troy, if the name of Troy has perhaps reached your ears, carried over many seas, a storm by its own chance drove us onto the shores of Libya.

Note. Nōs … vectōs … adpulit: the object nōs stands at the start; the subject tempestās comes much later. per aurīs: -īs accusative plural. forte suā: 'by its own chance', as storms will.

Aen. 1.378Sum pius Aenēās, raptōs quī ex hoste Penātēs
classe vehō mēcum, fāmā super aethera nōtus.

I am dutiful Aeneas, who carry with me in my fleet the household gods snatched from the enemy, known by fame above the sky.

Note. Sum pius Aenēās: Aeneas introduces himself with his defining epithet, pius, 'dutiful' to gods, family and country. Penātēs: the household gods of Troy, which Aeneas is carrying to Italy.

Aen. 1.380Ītaliam quaerō patriam et genus ab Iove summō.

I seek Italy, my fatherland, and a race descended from highest Jupiter.

Note. Italy is Aeneas' patria because Dardanus, founder of the Trojan line, was said to have come from Italy. genus ab Iove summō: Dardanus was a son of Jupiter.

Aen. 1.381Bis dēnīs Phrygium cōnscendī nāvibus aequor,
mātre dea mōnstrante viam, data fāta secūtus;

With twice ten ships I set out on the Phrygian sea, my goddess mother showing the way, following the fates given to me;

Note. Bis dēnīs … nāvibus: distributive numeral, 'with twice ten ships'. mātre deā mōnstrante viam: ablative absolute. data fāta secūtus: secūtus is perfect in form but present in sense, 'following'.

Aen. 1.383vix septem convolsae undīs Eurōque supersunt.

barely seven are left, torn by the waves and the East wind.

Note. convolsae: an old spelling of convulsae. Eurō: the East wind, standing for the storm.

Aen. 1.384Ipse ignōtus, egēns, Libyae dēserta peragrō,
385Eurōpā atque Asiā pulsus.

I myself, unknown and in need, wander the deserts of Libya, driven out of Europe and Asia.'

Note. Eurōpā atque Asiā pulsus: Aeneas has been driven out of Asia (Troy) and Europe (Thrace, Crete), as Book III tells.

Aen. 1.385Nec plūra querentem
passa Venus mediō sīc interfāta dolōre est:

Venus would not let him complain any more, but broke in thus in the middle of his grief:

Note. plūra querentem: 'him complaining more'. interfāta [est]: 'she interrupted', from interfor. Note the separated passa … est at the edges.