Aeneid 4.630–658

Aen. 4.630Haec ait, et partīs animum versābat in omnīs,
invīsam quaerēns quam prīmum abrumpere lūcem.

So she spoke, and turned her mind every way, seeking to break off the hated light of life as soon as she could.

Note. partīs … in omnīs: accusative plural in -īs, 'in every direction'. invīsam … lūcem: 'the hated light', i.e. life. quam prīmum: 'as soon as possible'.

Aen. 4.632Tum breviter Barcēn nūtrīcem adfāta Sychaeī;

Then she spoke briefly to Barce, the nurse of Sychaeus;

Note. Barcēn: Greek accusative. adfāta: from the deponent adfor, 'address'.

Aen. 4.633namque suam patriā antīquā cinis āter habēbat:
Annam cāra mihi nūtrīx hūc siste sorōrem;

for black ashes held her own nurse, in her old homeland: 'Dear nurse, bring my sister Anna here to me;

Note. namque suam … cinis āter habēbat: explains why she addresses her husband's nurse: her own nurse was dead and buried in Tyre (patriā antīquā, 'in her old homeland', ablative of place). Annam … siste: 'bring Anna (here)'.

Aen. 4.635dīc corpus properet fluviālī spargere lymphā,
et pecudēs sēcum et mōnstrāta piācula dūcat:
sīc veniat;

tell her to hurry to sprinkle her body with river water and to bring with her the animals and the offerings for atonement as she was shown: let her come so;

Note. dīc … properet: indirect command without ut, 'tell her to hurry'. fluviālī … lymphā: purification with running water before a rite. pecudēs … piācula: animals and offerings for atonement. sīc veniat: jussive, 'let her come thus'.

Aen. 4.637tūque ipsa piā tege tempora vittā.

and you yourself, cover your temples with a holy headband.

Note. vittā: a woollen headband worn by those taking part in a sacrifice.

Aen. 4.638Sacra Iovī Stygiō, quae rīte incepta parāvī,
perficere est animus, fīnemque impōnere cūrīs,
640Dardaniīque rogum capitis permittere flammae.

I mean to complete the rites to Stygian Jupiter, which I have duly begun and prepared, to put an end to my sorrows, and to give the pyre of the Dardanian to the flames.'

Note. Iovī Stygiō: 'Stygian Jupiter', i.e. Pluto, the Jupiter of the underworld. est animus: 'it is my intention'. Dardaniī … capitis: 'of the Dardanian', Aeneas referred to as a 'head', i.e. person; she means his effigy.

Aen. 4.641Sīc ait: illa gradum studiō celerābat anīlī.

So she spoke: the old woman hurried her step with an old woman's eagerness.

Note. celerābat gradum: 'quickened her step'. studiō … anīlī: 'with an old woman's eagerness', touching because the old nurse hurries to help with what she thinks is a harmless rite.

Aen. 4.642At trepida, et coeptīs immānibus effera Dīdō,
sanguineam volvēns aciem, maculīsque trementīs
interfūsa genās, et pallida morte futūrā,
645interiōra domus inrumpit līmina, et altōs
cōnscendit furibunda rogōs, ēnsemque reclūdit
Dardanium, nōn hōs quaesītum mūnus in ūsūs.

But Dido, trembling and wild with her monstrous undertaking, rolling her bloodshot eyes, her trembling cheeks flecked with spots, and pale with coming death, bursts into the inner part of the house, climbs the high pyre in frenzy, and unsheathes the Dardanian sword, a gift not sought for such a use.

Note. coeptīs immānibus effera: 'wild with her monstrous undertaking'. sanguineam volvēns aciem: 'rolling her bloodshot eyes'. maculīs … interfūsa genās: 'her cheeks flecked with spots', accusative of respect. pallida morte futūrā: 'pale with death to come'. nōn hōs quaesītum mūnus in ūsūs: 'a gift not sought for this use'; the sword was a present from Aeneas.

Aen. 4.648Hīc, postquam Īliacās vestēs nōtumque cubīle
cōnspexit, paulum lacrimīs et mente morāta,
650incubuitque torō, dīxitque novissima verba:
Dulcēs exuviae, dum fāta deusque sinēbant,
accipite hanc animam, mēque hīs exsolvite cūrīs.

Here, when she saw the Trojan clothes and the familiar bed, after pausing a little in tears and thought, she lay down on the couch and spoke her last words: 'Dear relics, while fate and the god allowed, receive this soul and free me from these sorrows.

Note. Īliacās vestēs: Aeneas' clothes. paulum lacrimīs et mente morāta: 'having paused a little in tears and thought'. novissima verba: 'her last words'. Dulcēs exuviae: vocative, 'sweet relics'. dum fāta deusque sinēbant: 'while fate and the god allowed', i.e. while they were happy together.

Aen. 4.653Vīxī, et, quem dederat cursum fortūna, perēgī,
et nunc magna meī sub terrās ībit imāgō.

I have lived, and finished the course that fortune gave, and now a great image of me will go beneath the earth.

Note. Vīxī: 'I have lived', a Roman way of saying 'my life is over'. quem dederat cursum fortūna: the relative clause comes before its noun. magna meī … imāgō: 'a great image of me', her shade, which goes to the underworld.

Aen. 4.655Urbem praeclāram statuī;

I have founded a famous city;

Note. Dido's short epitaph: founding Carthage, building its walls, avenging her husband.

Aen. 4.655mea moenia vīdī;

I have seen my walls;

Note. mea moenia: 'my walls', the walls Aeneas had envied in Book 1.

Aen. 4.656ulta virum, poenās inimīcō ā frātre recēpī;

I avenged my husband and punished my hostile brother;

Note. ulta virum: 'having avenged my husband'; her brother Pygmalion had murdered Sychaeus. poenās … recēpī: 'I exacted punishment', by escaping with his treasure.

Aen. 4.657fēlīx, heu nimium fēlīx, sī lītora tantum
numquam Dardaniae tetigissent nostra carīnae!

happy, alas, too happy, if only the Dardanian ships had never touched our shores!'

Note. fēlīx, heu nimium fēlīx: the repetition makes the regret heavier. sī … tetigissent: a contrary-to-fact wish with the pluperfect subjunctive. Dardaniae … carīnae: 'the Dardanian keels', i.e. ships.