Lectitō › Vergil › Aeneid, Book 4
Aeneid 4.437–449
The unmoved oak
Vergil, Aeneid IV. Latin text with a sentence-by-sentence English translation, notes and vocabulary.
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Read in LectitōAen. 4.437Tālibus ōrābat, tālīsque miserrima flētūs
fertque refertque soror: sed nūllīs ille movētur
flētibus, aut vōcēs ūllās tractābilis audit;
With such words she was pleading, and her most unhappy sister carries such tearful pleas back and forth; but he is not moved by any tears, nor does he listen to any words with a yielding mind;
Note. ōrābat: imperfect, of repeated pleading. fertque refertque: 'carries and carries back'. nūllīs … flētibus: 'by no tears'. tractābilis: 'open to persuasion'.
Aen. 4.440fāta obstant, placidāsque virī deus obstruit aurīs.
the fates stand in the way, and a god blocks the man's gentle ears.
Note. fāta obstant: 'the fates stand in the way'. placidās … aurīs: proleptic, 'blocks his ears (so that they remain) unmoved'; accusative plural in -īs.
Aen. 4.441Ac, velut annōsō validam cum rōbore quercum
Alpīnī Boreae nunc hinc nunc flātibus illinc
ēruere inter sē certant;
And as when the Alpine north winds, blowing now from this side, now from that, compete with one another to uproot an oak strong with the hardness of its years;
Note. The oak simile (441–449). ac velut … cum: 'and as when'. annōsō validam … rōbore: 'strong with ancient timber'. Alpīnī Boreae: 'Alpine north winds'. ēruere … certant: 'compete to uproot'. inter sē: 'with each other'.
Aen. 4.443it strīdor, et altae
cōnsternunt terram concussō stīpite frondēs;
there is a roaring, and as the trunk is shaken the high leaves strew the ground;
Note. it strīdor: 'there comes a creaking'. altae … frondēs: 'the high leaves'. concussō stīpite: ablative absolute, 'as the trunk is shaken'. cōnsternunt: 'strew'.
Aen. 4.445ipsa haeret scopulīs, et, quantum vertice ad aurās
aetheriās, tantum rādīce in Tartara tendit:
haud secus adsiduīs hinc atque hinc vōcibus hērōs
tunditur, et magnō persentit pectore cūrās;
the tree itself clings to the rocks, and as far as it reaches with its top towards the airs of heaven, so far it reaches with its root towards Tartarus: just so the hero is battered on this side and that by constant pleas, and feels the pain deeply in his great heart;
Note. ipsa: the oak. quantum … tantum: 'as far as … so far'. vertice … radīce: ablatives, 'with its top … with its root'. Tartara: Greek-style neuter plural. haud secus: 'not otherwise', applying the simile. adsiduīs … vōcibus: the pleas of Anna, and through her Dido. hērōs: Aeneas. tunditur: 'is battered'. persentit pectore cūrās: he feels deeply; the oak simile does not make him heartless.
Aen. 4.449mēns immōta manet;
his mind remains unmoved;
Note. mēns immōta manet: 'his mind stays unmoved', like the oak's roots.
Aen. 4.449lacrimae volvuntur inānēs.
the tears roll down in vain.
Note. lacrimae volvuntur inānēs: 'the tears roll down in vain'. Whose tears? Aeneas', Dido's, Anna's? Vergil leaves it open, and the ambiguity has been argued over since Servius; many readers take them as Aeneas'.
Vocabulary
| tālis, -e | such |
| ōrō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | speak; beg, pray |
| que, enclitic conj. | and |
| miser, misera, miserum | wretched, unhappy |
| flētus, -ūs m. | weeping |
| ferō, ferre, tulī, lātus | bear, bring |
| referō, referre, rettulī, relātus | bring or carry back, return; pedem referre, to draw back, retire, retreat; grātiam referre, see grātia |
| soror, -ōris, f. | sister |
| sed, conj. | but |
| nūllus, -a, -um | not any, none, no |
| ille, illa, illud, dem. pron. | that; he, she, it, they; ille ... hīc, see hīc |
| moveō, movēre, mōvī, mōtus | move |
| aut, conj. | or; aut ... aut, either ... or |
| vōx, vōcis, f. | voice; word |
| ūllus, -a, -um | any |
| tractābilis, -e | manageable; that can be handled |
| audiō, -īre, -īvī, -ītus | hear; listen or attend to |
| fātum, -ī, n. | destiny, fate |
| obstō, -stāre, -stitī | stand in the way, block, oppose (+ dat.) |
| placidus, -a, -um | calm, gentle |
| vir, virī, m. | man |
| deus, -ī, m. | god |
| obstruō, -struere, -strūxī, -strūctus | build against, block up |
| auris, -is, f. | ear |
| atque, ac (conj.) | and; after comparisons: as, than (ac only before consonants) |
| velut | even or just as, as |
| annōsus, -a, -um | full of years, aged, old |
| validus, -a, -um | strong |
| cum, conj. | when, while, after; since; although |
| rōbur, rōboris, n. | oak |
| quercus, -ūs f. | oak tree |
| Alpīnus, -a, -um | of the Alps, Alpine |
| nunc, adv. | now |
| hinc, adv. | from this place, hence |
| flātus, -ūs m. | blowing, blast, breath |
| illinc, adv. | from there, on that side |
| ēruō, -ere, -ruī, -rutus | dig out; overthrow, destroy |
| inter, prep, with acc. | among, between |
| suī, sibi, sē or sēsē, reflexive pron. | himself, herself, itself, themselves |
| certō, adv. | with certainty, for certain, certainly |
| eō, īre, iī, itus | go |
| strīdor, -ōris m. | creaking, shrieking |
| et, conj. | and; et ... et, both ... and |
| altus, -a, -um | high, deep; altum, -ī, n., the deep |
| cōnsternō, -ere, -strāvī, -strātus | cover, strew, lay over |
| terra, -ae, f. | land, earth |
| concutiō, -ere, -cussī, -cussus | shake violently; shake, weaken |
| stīpes, -itis m. | stake, post, tree trunk |
| frōns, frondis f. | leafy branch, foliage |
| ipse, ipsa, ipsum, intensive pron. | self, himself, herself, itself, themselves; often to be rendered by very |
| haereō, haerēre, haesī, haesūrus | stick; hesitate |
| scopulus, -ī m. | rock, crag, reef |
| quantum, adv. | how much? how? |
| vertex, -icis m. | top of the head, crown; summit |
| ad, prep. with acc. | to, toward; at, near; for |
| aura, -ae, f. | air, breeze |
| aetherius, -a, -um | of the upper air, heavenly |
| tantum, adv. | so much or far, only |
| rādīx, -īcis f. | root; (of a hill) foot |
| in, prep. with acc. and abl. | with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on |
| tendō, -ere, tetendī, tentum | stretch out; hold out |
| haud, adv. | not at all, by no means, not |
| secus (prep. + acc.) | beside, along |
| assiduus, -a, -um | constant, unremitting |
| hērōs, -ōis m. | hero, demigod; great man |
| tundō, -ere, tutudī, tūnsum | beat, strike |
| magnus, -a, -um | large, big, great, mighty; loud |
| persentiō, -īre, -sēnsī, -sēnsus | perceive clearly; feel deeply |
| pectus, pectoris, n. | breast |
| cūra, -ae f. | care, concern (cūrae esse: to be a concern) |
| mēns, mentis f. | mind, spirit |
| immōtus, -a, -um | unmoved, unchanging |
| maneō, manēre, mānsī, mānsus | remain |
| lacrima, -ae, f. | tear |
| volvō, -ere, volvī, volūtus | roll, turn over; ponder (multa sēcum volvere) |
| inānis, -e | empty |