Aeneid 6.337–383

Aen. 6.337Ecce gubernātor sēsē Palinūrus agēbat,
quī Libycō nūper cursū, dum sīdera servat,
exciderat puppī mediīs effūsus in undīs.

Look, there came the helmsman Palinurus, who on the recent voyage from Libya, while he watched the stars, had fallen from the stern, flung out into the midst of the waves.

Note. Palinūrus: Aeneas' helmsman. At the end of Book 5 the god Sleep put him to sleep at the helm and threw him into the sea, as the price Neptune had asked for the fleet's safe arrival (5.814–815, 'one life will be given for many'). Here the shade tells his own story, which differs from Book 5 in detail. Libycō … cursū: 'on the voyage from Libya', though in fact the fleet had sailed from Sicily. Some think Vergil did not live to reconcile the two versions. sēsē … agēbat: 'was making his way'. exciderat: pluperfect, 'had fallen out'.

Aen. 6.340Hunc ubi vix multā maestum cognōvit in umbrā,
sīc prior adloquitur: Quis tē, Palinūre, deōrum
ēripuit nōbīs, mediōque sub aequore mersit?

When at last he recognized him, sorrowful in the deep shadow, he spoke first: 'Which of the gods, Palinurus, snatched you from us and drowned you in the open sea?

Note. Hunc ubi … cognōvit: the subject is Aeneas. multā … in umbrā: 'in the deep shade'. Quis … deōrum: 'which of the gods'. Aeneas assumes, as in Book 5, that a god was responsible. mersit: 'drowned'.

Aen. 6.343Dīc age.

Come, tell me.

Note. Dīc age: 'come, tell me'; age is used as an interjection.

Aen. 6.343Namque mihi, fallāx haud ante repertus,
hōc ūnō respōnsō animum dēlūsit Apollo,
345quī fore tē pontō incolumem, fīnēsque canēbat
ventūrum Ausoniōs.

For Apollo, never before found false, deceived my mind with this one answer, when he foretold that you would be safe on the sea and would reach the borders of Ausonia.

Note. fallāx haud ante repertus: 'never found false before', a description of Apollo placed at the start for emphasis. hōc ūnō respōnsō: 'by this one answer'. quī … canēbat: canō of prophecy, 'foretold'. fore … incolumem … ventūrum: indirect statement, 'that you would be safe … and would come'. fīnēs … Ausoniōs: accusative of motion towards. The prophecy itself is not recorded elsewhere in the poem.

Aen. 6.346Ēn haec prōmissa fidēs est?

Is this how he keeps his promise?'

Note. Ēn: 'look!' with bitter surprise. haec: attracted into the gender of fidēs, 'is this the promised faith?'

Aen. 6.347Ille autem: Neque tē Phoebī cortīna fefellit,
dux Anchīsiadē, nec mē deus aequore mersit.

And he replied: 'The tripod of Phoebus did not deceive you, leader, son of Anchises, nor did a god drown me in the sea.

Note. Ille autem: supply ait. cortīna: properly the cauldron on top of the Delphic tripod, standing for Apollo's oracle. Anchīsiadē: Greek vocative, 'son of Anchises'. Palinurus defends the god: Apollo did not lie, because he did reach Italy, though dead. nec mē deus aequore mersit: Palinurus does not know, or does not say, that the god Sleep threw him overboard.

Aen. 6.349Namque gubernāclum multā vī forte revolsum,
350cui datus haerēbam custōs cursūsque regēbam,
praecipitāns trāxī mēcum.

For the rudder, to which I clung as its appointed keeper while I steered our course, was by chance torn away with great force, and as I fell headlong I dragged it with me.

Note. gubernāclum: syncopated form of gubernāculum, 'rudder'. multā vī … revolsum: 'torn away with great force'; revolsum is the old spelling of revulsum. cui datus haerēbam custōs: 'to which I clung, assigned as its guardian'. praecipitāns: intransitive, 'falling headlong'.

Aen. 6.351Maria aspera iūrō
nōn ūllum prō mē tantum cēpisse timōrem,
quam tua nē, spoliāta armīs, excussa magistrō,
dēficeret tantīs nāvis surgentibus undīs.

By the rough seas I swear that I felt no fear for myself so great as for your ship, lest, stripped of its gear and robbed of its helmsman, it should fail in such rising waves.

Note. Maria aspera iūrō: 'I swear by the rough seas', iūrō with a direct accusative of what is sworn by. nōn ūllum … tantum … quam: 'no fear so great … as'. cēpisse: perfect infinitive in the oath. nē … dēficeret: a clause of fearing after timōrem, 'lest it should fail'. spoliāta armīs: 'stripped of its gear', i.e. the rudder. excussa magistrō: 'robbed of its helmsman', ablative of separation.

Aen. 6.355Trīs Notus hībernās immēnsa per aequora noctēs
vexit mē violentus aquā;

For three wintry nights the violent South Wind drove me over the boundless waters;

Note. Trīs … noctēs: accusative of duration; trīs is an alternative accusative plural for trēs. hībernās: 'wintry', i.e. stormy. Notus: the South Wind. aquā: 'on the water'.

Aen. 6.356vix lūmine quārtō
prōspexī Ītaliam summā sublīmis ab undā.

barely, at the fourth dawn, lifted high on the crest of a wave, I caught sight of Italy.

Note. vix: 'scarcely'. lūmine quartō: 'on the fourth day', ablative of time. sublīmis: 'raised high'. summā … ab undā: 'from the crest of a wave'. The first syllable of Ītaliam is lengthened, as always in hexameter.

Aen. 6.358Paulātim adnābam terrae;

Little by little I swam towards land;

Note. adnābam: imperfect, 'I was swimming toward', the action not yet complete. terrae: dative with ad- in the compound.

Aen. 6.358iam tūta tenēbam,
nī gēns crūdēlis madidā cum veste gravātum
360prēnsantemque uncīs manibus capita aspera montis
ferrō invāsisset, praedamque ignāra putāsset.

I was already holding on safely, had not a cruel people attacked me with swords as I clutched, weighed down by my dripping clothes, with hooked hands at the rough rocks of the headland, and in their ignorance thought me plunder.

Note. iam tūta tenēbam: 'I was already reaching safety'; tūta is neuter plural, 'safe places'. nī … invāsisset … putāsset: pluperfect subjunctives in a past contrary-to-fact condition, with the indicative tenēbam in the main clause for vividness: 'I was already safe, had not …'. putāsset = putāvisset. gravātum … prēnsantem: participles describing mē, understood. uncīs manibus: 'with hooked hands', the fingers bent to clutch. capita aspera montis: 'the rough summits of a cliff'. ignāra: 'in ignorance', i.e. thinking him rich.

Aen. 6.362Nunc mē flūctus habet, versantque in lītore ventī.

Now the waves hold me, and the winds toss me about on the shore.

Note. versant: 'toss about'. His body lies unburied on the shore of Italy, which is why his soul cannot cross.

Aen. 6.363Quod tē per caelī iūcundum lūmen et aurās,
per genitōrem ōrō, per spēs surgentis Iūlī,
365ēripe mē hīs, invicte, malīs: aut tū mihi terram
inice, namque potes, portūsque requīre Velīnōs;

And so, by the sweet light of heaven and the air, by your father, by your hopes in growing Iulus, I beg you, unconquered one, rescue me from these evils: either throw earth on me, for you can, and look for the harbour of Velia;

Note. Quod: 'and so', a connecting relative used as an adverb. per … per … per: the formula of supplication, 'by heaven's light … by your father … by your hopes'. surgentis Iūlī: 'of Iulus as he grows up'. invicte: vocative. inice: 'throw on', i.e. scatter earth over the body, a token burial that satisfied the gods. namque potes: Aeneas could do this by sailing back. portūsque requīre Velīnōs: 'and seek the harbour of Velia', a town in Lucania that did not yet exist in Aeneas' time: Palinurus speaks as a dead man who knows the future.

Aen. 6.367aut tū, sī qua via est, sī quam tibi dīva creātrīx
ostendit— neque enim, crēdō, sine nūmine dīvom
flūmina tanta parās Stygiamque innāre palūdem—
370dā dextram miserō, et tēcum mē tolle per undās,
sēdibus ut saltem placidīs in morte quiēscam.

or, if there is some way, if your divine mother shows you one (for not, I think, without the will of the gods are you about to sail such rivers and the Stygian marsh), give your hand to a wretch and take me with you over the waves, so that at least in death I may rest in a quiet home.'

Note. aut tū: the second alternative. sī qua via est: qua is the indefinite after sī, 'any way'. sī quam: 'if any (way)'. dīva creātrīx: Venus, Aeneas' mother. neque enim … parās: a parenthesis. dīvom = dīvōrum. innāre: 'to sail upon', with accusative. tēcum: cum is attached to the pronoun. sēdibus … placidīs: 'in a quiet home', locative ablative. quiēscam: subjunctive of purpose with ut.

Aen. 6.372Tālia fātus erat, coepit cum tālia vātēs:
Unde haec, ō Palinūre, tibi tam dīra cupīdō?

So he had spoken, when the prophetess began to speak thus: 'Where does this dreadful longing of yours come from, Palinurus?

Note. Tālia fātus erat: 'he had spoken thus'. coepit cum: inverted cum, 'when the prophetess began'. Unde haec … cupīdō: supply est. dīra: 'dreadful', i.e. unholy, because it asks to break divine law.

Aen. 6.374Tū Stygiās inhumātus aquās amnemque sevērum
375Eumenidum aspiciēs, rīpamve iniussus adībis?

Will you, unburied, look upon the Stygian waters and the stern river of the Furies, or go to the bank unbidden?

Note. Stygiās … aquās amnemque sevērum Eumenidum: 'the waters of the Styx and the stern river of the Furies'. The Eumenides ('Kindly Ones') is a euphemism for the Furies. aspiciēs … adībis: future indicatives in an indignant question. iniussus: 'unbidden'.

Aen. 6.376Dēsine fāta deum flectī spērāre precandō.

Cease to hope that the decrees of the gods can be bent by prayer.

Note. Dēsine … spērāre: 'cease to hope'. fāta deum flectī: 'that the fates of the gods are bent'. precandō: gerund in the ablative, 'by praying'. This line is often quoted as a statement of Roman fatalism.

Aen. 6.377Sed cape dicta memor, dūrī sōlātia cāsūs.

But take and remember these words, a comfort for your hard fate.

Note. cape dicta memor: 'take my words and remember them'. dūrī sōlātia cāsūs: in apposition to dicta, 'as comfort for your hard lot'.

Aen. 6.378Nam tua fīnitimī, longē lātēque per urbēs
prōdigiīs āctī caelestibus, ossa piābunt,
380et statuent tumulum, et tumulō sollemnia mittent,
aeternumque locus Palinūrī nōmen habēbit.

For the neighbouring peoples, driven far and wide through their cities by signs from heaven, will appease your bones, and will raise a tomb, and offer the yearly rites at the tomb, and the place will hold the name of Palinurus for ever.'

Note. fīnitimī: the neighbouring peoples of Lucania. prōdigiīs … caelestibus: heavenly portents. Servius says a plague struck the Lucanians until they honoured Palinurus. ossa piābunt: 'will appease your bones' with funeral rites. sollemnia: the regular yearly offerings at a grave. aeternumque: adverb, 'for ever'. The headland Capo Palinuro in southern Italy still bears his name.

Aen. 6.382Hīs dictīs cūrae ēmōtae, pulsusque parumper
corde dolor trīstī: gaudet cognōmine terrae.

At these words his cares were removed and for a little while the grief was driven from his sad heart; he rejoices in the land that bears his name.

Note. ēmōtae: supply sunt. parumper: 'for a little while'. cognōmine terrae: 'in the land named after him'; cognōmine is an adjective here, 'bearing his name'. The ending is gentle irony: a name is all the comfort he gets.