Aeneid 1.579–612

Aen. 1.579Hīs animum arrēctī dictīs et fortis Achātēs
580et pater Aenēās iamdūdum ērumpere nūbem
ārdēbant.

Their spirits roused by these words, both brave Achates and father Aeneas had long been burning to break out of the cloud.

Note. animum arrēctī: 'roused in spirit', another accusative of respect. ērumpere nūbem: 'to burst out of the cloud'.

Aen. 1.581Prior Aenēān compellat Achātēs:
Nāte dea, quae nunc animō sententia surgit?

Achates speaks to Aeneas first: 'Son of a goddess, what plan now rises in your mind?

Note. Prior: 'first'. Aenēān: Greek accusative. Nāte deā: 'son of a goddess' — deā is ablative of origin.

Aen. 1.583omnia tūta vidēs, classem sociōsque receptōs.

You see that all is safe, the fleet and our comrades recovered.

Aen. 1.584Ūnus abest, mediō in flūctū quem vīdimus ipsī
585submersum;

One is missing, whom we ourselves saw sunk in the middle of the waves;

Note. Ūnus abest: Orontes, whose ship sank before Aeneas' eyes in the storm.

Aen. 1.585dictīs respondent cētera mātris.

everything else matches your mother's words.'

Note. dictīs … mātris: Venus had told Aeneas that his ships and men were safe.

Aen. 1.586Vix ea fātus erat, cum circumfūsa repente
scindit sē nūbēs et in aethera pūrgat apertum.

He had scarcely spoken when the cloud poured round them suddenly parts and clears into the open sky.

Note. Vix … cum: 'scarcely … when'. circumfūsa: 'poured around them'. sē scindit: 'parts'. aethera: Greek accusative of aethēr.

Aen. 1.588Restitit Aenēās clārāque in lūce refulsit,
ōs umerōsque deō similis;

Aeneas stood there and shone in the bright light, like a god in face and shoulders;

Note. ōs umerōsque: accusative of respect, 'in face and shoulders'. deō similis: similis with the dative.

Aen. 1.589namque ipsa decōram
590caesariem nātō genetrīx lūmenque iuventae
purpureum et laetōs oculīs adflārat honōrēs:
quāle manūs addunt eborī decus, aut ubi flāvō
argentum Pariusve lapis circumdatur aurō.

for his mother herself had breathed on her son beautiful hair and the radiant light of youth, and a happy lustre into his eyes: such beauty as hands add to ivory, or when silver or Parian marble is set in yellow gold.

Note. nātō: dative, 'on her son'. adflārat: syncopated pluperfect (= adflāverat), 'had breathed on'. The simile compares Venus' work to an artist's: ivory given colour, silver or Parian marble set in gold. Parius lapis: marble from the island of Paros.

Aen. 1.594Tum sīc rēgīnam adloquitur, cūnctīsque repente
595imprōvīsus ait: Cōram, quem quaeritis, adsum,
Trōius Aenēās, Lybicīs ēreptus ab undīs.

Then he speaks to the queen, and, unforeseen by all, suddenly says: 'Here in front of you is the man you are looking for, Trojan Aeneas, snatched from the Libyan waves.

Note. imprōvīsus: 'unforeseen'. Cōram … adsum: 'I am here before you'.

Aen. 1.597Ō sōla īnfandōs Troiae miserāta labōrēs,
quae nōs, reliquiās Danaum, terraeque marisque
omnibus exhaustōs iam cāsibus, omnium egēnōs,
600urbe, domō, sociās, grātēs persolvere dignās
nōn opis est nostrae, Dīdō, nec quicquid ubīque est
gentis Dardaniae, magnum quae sparsa per orbem.

O you who alone have pitied the unspeakable sufferings of Troy, who make us, the remnant left by the Greeks, worn out now by every disaster on land and sea, in need of everything, partners in your city and your home: to pay you fitting thanks, Dido, is not in our power, nor in the power of whatever remains anywhere of the Dardanian race, which is scattered through the wide world.

Note. A long address. sōla … miserāta: 'you who alone have pitied'. quae nōs … sociās: 'who make us partners'. reliquiās Danaum: 'what the Greeks left of us'. omnium egēnōs: 'in need of everything'. grātēs persolvere … nōn opis est nostrae: 'to pay thanks is not within our power', a genitive of characteristic. quicquid … est gentis Dardaniae: 'whatever there is of the Dardanian race'.

Aen. 1.603Dī tibi, sī qua piōs respectant nūmina, sī quid
usquam iūstitia est et mēns sibi cōnscia rēctī,
605praemia digna ferant.

May the gods, if any powers have regard for the devout, if there is any justice anywhere and a mind conscious of what is right, give you a worthy reward.

Note. Dī … ferant: optative (wishing) subjunctive. sī qua … nūmina: sī quis (indefinite) with the noun. mēns sibi cōnscia rēctī: 'a mind aware of what is right'.

Aen. 1.605Quae tē tam laeta tulērunt
saecula?

What happy ages bore you?

Note. Quae … saecula: interrogative adjective with its noun at the end of the next line.

Aen. 1.606Quī tantī tālem genuēre parentēs?

What great parents brought such a woman into the world?

Aen. 1.607In freta dum fluviī current, dum montibus umbrae
lūstrābunt convexa, polus dum sīdera pāscet,
semper honōs nōmenque tuum laudēsque manēbunt,
610quae mē cumque vocant terrae.

While rivers run into the sea, while shadows move over the curved slopes of the mountains, while the sky feeds the stars, your honour and your name and your praises will always remain, whatever lands call me.'

Note. dum … dum … dum: 'as long as', with future indicatives. montibus umbrae lūstrābunt convexa: the shadows of the mountains moving over the hollows as the sun moves. polus … sīdera pāscet: in ancient belief the sky 'fed' the stars. quae mē cumque: tmesis (splitting) of quaecumque, 'whatever lands'.

Aen. 1.610Sīc fātus, amīcum
Īlionēa petit dextrā, laevāque Serestum,
post aliōs, fortemque Gyān fortemque Cloanthum.

So speaking, he grasps his friend Ilioneus with his right hand and Serestus with his left, then the others, brave Gyas and brave Cloanthus.

Note. dextrā … laevā: 'with his right hand … with his left'. Īlionēa: Greek accusative. Gyān: Greek accusative of Gyas.