Poetry Flashcards
hinc via, Tartarei quae fert Acherontis ad undas.
From here (is) the road which leads to the waves of Tartarean Acheron
turbidus hic caeno vastaque voragine gurges
Here (is) the whirlpool, thick with mud and with a vast abyss.
aestuat atque omnem Cocyto eructat harenam.
It seethes and spews out all its sands into the Cocytus
portitor has horrendus aquas et flumina servat
A dreadful ferryman guards these waters and rivers
portitor has horrendus aquas et flumina servat
A dreadful ferryman guards these waters and rivers
terribili squalore Charon, cui plurima mento
Charon, in his terrible filth, his great grey beard lies
canities inculta iacet, stant lumina flamma, 300
unkempt on his chin, his eyes in a blazing glare,
sordidus ex umeris nodo dependet amictus.
His grimy cloak hangs from a knot on his shoulders
ipse ratem conto subigit velisque ministrat
He propels the boat himself with a pole and manages the sails
et ferruginea subvectat corpora cumba,
and transports bodies in his rust-coloured boat,
iam senior, sed cruda deo viridisque senectus.
Now (he is) older, but for a god old age is fresh and green.
huc omnis turba ad ripas effusa ruebat, 305
Here the whole crowd was rushing, streaming out to the banks,
matres atque viri defunctaque corpora vita
Mothers and men and the bodies of great-hearted heroes,
magnanimum heroum, pueri innuptaeque puellae,
finished with life, boys and unmarried girls,
impositique rogis iuvenes ante ora parentum:
and young men placed on funeral pyres before the faces of their parents.
quam multa in silvis autumni frigore primo
As many as the leaves which glide and fall in the woods
lapsa cadunt folia, aut ad terram gurgite ab alto
at the first chill of autumn, or as many birds as flock together
quam multae glomerantur aves, ubi frigidus annus
to the earth over the deepest ocean, when the cold season
trans pontum fugat et terris immittit apricis.
puts them to flight across the sea and sends them to sunny lands.
stabant orantes primi transmittere cursum
They were standing, begging (to be) the first to make the crossing
tendebantque manus ripae ulterioris amore.
And they were stretching out their hands in longing for the far away shore.
navita sed tristis nunc hos nunc accipit illos,
But the sad boatman accepts now these (men), and now those,
ast alios longe summotos arcet harena.
But keeps others away, driven back far from the sand.
ergo iter inceptum peragunt fluvioque propinquant.
Therefore they continue the journey they had started, and approach the river.
navita quos iam inde ut Stygia prospexit ab unda
Now, when the boatman caught sight of them from the Stygian waters,
per tacitum nemus ire pedemque advertere ripae,
going through the silent grove and turning their feet to the bank,
sic prior adgreditur dictis atque increpat ultro:
So he challenges them straight away with (these) words and rebukes them without provocation.
‘quisquis es, armatus qui nostra ad flumina tendis,
Whoever you are, who approaches our rivers armed,
fare age, quid venias, iam istinc et comprime gressum.
Come and say why you have come and now from where you are halt your step
umbrarum hic locus est, somni noctisque soporae;
This is the place of shadows, of sleep, and of drowsy night.
corpora viva nefas Stygia vectare carina.’
It is forbidden to carry living souls in the Stygian boat.’
‘nec vero Alciden me sum laetatus euntem
‘Indeed I was not happy that I received Hercules on the lake
accepisse lacu, nec Thesea Pirithoumque,
when he came, nor Theseus and Pirithous,
dis quamquam geniti atque invicti viribus essent.
although they were sons of gods and invincible in their strength.
Tartareum ille manu custodem in vincla petivit
(Hercules) sought (to put) the guard of Tartarus in chains by force,
ipsius a solio regis traxitque trementem;
and dragged him trembling from the throne of the king himself.
hi dominam Ditis thalamo deducere adorti.’
The others attempted to carry off the wife of Hades from her bedchamber.’
quae contra breviter fata est Amphrysia vates:
In response the prophetess of Apollo spoke briefly:
‘nullae hic insidiae tales (absiste moveri),
‘Here (there are) no such tricks (don’t be troubled),
nec vim tela ferunt; licet ingens ianitor antro
nor do weapons bring violence; The huge gatekeeper, barking eternally in his cave,
aeternum latrans exsanguis terreat umbras,
is allowed to frighten the bloodless shades,
casta licet patrui servet Proserpina limen.
Proserpina is allowed to remain pure within her uncle’s threshold.
Troius Aeneas, pietate insignis et armis,
Trojan Aeneas, distinguished by his piety and his weapons,
ad genitorem imas Erebi descendit ad umbras.
is descending to his father and to the deepest ghosts of Erebus.
si te nulla movet tantae pietatis imago,
If an image of such piety doesn’t move you,
at ramum hunc’ (aperit ramum qui veste latebat)
*recognise this branch (she uncovered the branch which she was hiding in her robe)
‘adgnoscas.’ tumida ex ira tum corda residunt;
Then the rage, swelling from his heart, settled down;
nec plura his. ille admirans venerabile donum
No more [words] than these [were said]. He, admiring the sacred gift
fatalis virgae longo post tempore visum
of the fateful branch, seen after a long time,
caeruleam advertit puppim ripaeque propinquat.
turned his sky-blue boat and approached the bank.
inde alias animas, quae per iuga longa sedebant,
There he drove away the other souls, which were sitting throughout the long bench
deturbat laxatque foros; simul accipit alveo
and cleared the gangways; straightaway he accepted great Aeneas
ingentem Aenean. gemuit sub pondere cumba
The leaky boat made of skins groaned under the weight
sutilis et multam accepit rimosa paludem.
and it took in a lot of marsh water.
tandem trans fluvium incolumis vatemque virumque
At last, he delivered the prophetess and man unharmed across the river,
informi limo glaucaque exponit in ulva.
On the hideous mud and grey swamp grass.
at pater Anchises penitus convalle virenti
But father Anchises, deep in a green valley,
inclusas animas superumque ad lumen ituras
was surveying the souls [which were] shut in and were about to go to the light above,
lustrabat studio recolens, omnemque suorum
going over them with eagerness, by chance he was counting their total,
forte recensebat numerum, carosque nepotes
all his descendants,
fataque fortunasque virum moresque manusque.
and the fates and fortunes of men, and their customs and deeds.
isque ubi tendentem adversum per gramina vidit
And when he saw Aeneas coming towards him through the grass
Aenean, alacris palmas utrasque tetendit,
He eagerly stretched out both his hands
effusaeque genis lacrimae et vox excidit ore:
and with tears streaming down his cheeks, a cry escaped from his mouth:
‘venisti tandem, tuaque exspectata parenti
Have you come at last, and has your duty, awaited by your father,
vicit iter durum pietas? datur ora tueri,
overcome the harsh journey? Am I permitted to look at your face,
nate, tua et notas audire et reddere voces?
son, and to listen and to answer with familiar voices?
sic equidem ducebam animo rebarque futurum
So indeed I was considering in my mind and was thinking it would happen
tempora dinumerans, nec me mea cura fefellit.
counting the time- and my concern did not deceive me.
quas ego te terras et quanta per aequora vectum
I accept you, carried over such lands and through so many seas!
accipio! quantis iactatum, nate, periclis!
Shaken, my son, by such great dangers!
quam metui ne quid Libyae tibi regna nocerent!’
How I feared that the Libyan kingdom would harm you!’
ille autem: ‘tua me, genitor, tua tristis imago
But [Aeneas] [said]: ‘your ghost, father, your sad ghost,
saepius occurrens haec limina tendere adegit;
so often appearing, urged me to reach these doors;
stant sale Tyrrheno classes. da iungere dextram,
Our fleets are moored in the Tuscan sea. Allow me to clasp your hand,
da, genitor, teque amplexu ne subtrahe nostro.’
Allow me, father, and do not withdraw from my embrace.’
sic memorans, largo fletu simul ora rigabat.
So speaking, he was soaking his face with slow tears.
ter conatus ibi collo dare bracchia circum;
Three times he tried to wrap his hands round [the ghost’s] neck,
ter frustra comprensa manus effugit imago,
Three times the ghost, embraced in vain, escaped his hands,
par levibus ventis volucrique simillima somno.
Like the light winds, and most similar to a winged dream.
interea videt Aeneas in valle reducta
Meanwhile, in a remote valley, Aeneas sees
seclusum nemus et virgulta sonantia silvae,
a secluded grove and the rustling bushes of the forest,
Lethaeumque domos placidas qui praenatat amnem.
and the river Lethe which flows past peaceful houses.
hunc circum innumerae gentes populique volabant:
Countless tribes and peoples were flying around it-
ac veluti in pratis ubi apes aestate serena
Just like in peaceful summer when the bees in the meadows
floribus insidunt variis et candida circum
settle on various flowers and swarm around white lilies,
lilia funduntur, strepit omnis murmure campus.
The whole plain hums with their murmuring.
horrescit visu subito causasque requirit
Aeneas] trembled* at the sudden sight and asked for* explanations,
inscius Aeneas, quae sint ea flumina porro,
not knowing what those rivers in the distance are,
quive viri tanto complerint agmine ripas.
Or who the men [are] who have filled the banks in such a great mass.
dixerat Anchises natumque unaque Sibyllam
Anchises had spoken and drew his son and the Sibyl together
conventus trahit in medios turbamque sonantem,
into the middle of the gathering and the noisy crowd,
et tumulum capit unde omnis longo ordine posset
and he reached a mound from which he would be able to view those facing him
adversos legere et venientum discere vultus.
in a long line, and able to recognise the faces of [the people] approaching.
‘nunc age, Dardaniam prolem quae deinde sequatur
Come now, the glory which will follow the Trojan descendants,
gloria, qui maneant Itala de gente nepotes,
who will await from the Italian people
inlustris animas nostrumque in nomen ituras,
the noble souls who will follow in our name,
expediam dictis, et te tua fata docebo.’
I will describe with my words, and I will teach you about your fate.’
‘huc geminas nunc flecte acies, hanc aspice gentem
‘Now turn your two eyes in this direction, look at this people
Romanosque tuos. hic Caesar et omnis Iuli
and your Romans. Here is Caesar and and all of Julus’
progenies magnum caeli ventura sub axem.
descendants, who are going to go beneath the great vault of heaven.
hic vir, hic est, tibi quem promitti saepius audis,
Here is the man, here he is, whom you have so often heard promised to you.
Augustus Caesar, divi genus, aurea condet
Augustus Caesar, son of god, who will establish a golden age
saecula qui rursus Latio regnata per arva
again in Latium, throughout the fields once ruled
Saturno quondam, super et Garamantas et Indos
by Saturn; he will extend his power over the Garamantes and Indians;
proferet imperium; iacet extra sidera tellus,
His land will lie beyond the stars,
extra anni solisque vias, ubi caelifer Atlas
beyond the paths of the year and the sun, where sky-bearing Atlas
axem umero torquet stellis ardentibus aptum.
turns on his shoulder the vault (of heaven), fitted with burning stars.
huius in adventum iam nunc et Caspia regna
Even now the Caspian kingdoms and the Maeotian land
responsis horrent divum et Maeotia tellus,
shudder at the oracles of the gods and at his arrival,
et septemgemini turbant trepida ostia Nili.
And the trembling mouths of the seven-fold Nile are in turmoil.
