NTEREA medium Aeneas iam classe tenebat
Certus iter, fluctusque atros aquilone secabat,
Moenia respiciens, quae iam infelicis Elissae
Conlucent flammis. Quae tantum accenderit
ignem,
Causa latet; duri magno sed amore dolores
Polluto, notumque, furens quid femina possit,
Triste per augurium Teucrorum pectora ducunt.
Ut pelagus tenuere rates, nec iam amplius ulla
Occurrit tellus, maria undique et undique caelum,
Olli caeruleus supra caput adstitit imber
Noctem hiememque ferens, et inhorruit unda tenebris.
Ipse gubernator puppi Palinurus ab alta :
"Heu! quianam tanti cinxerunt aethera nimbi ?
Quidve, pater Neptune, paras?" Sic deinde locutus
Colligere arma iubet validisque incumbere remis,
Obliquatque sinus in ventum, ac talia fatur:
Magnanime Aenea, non, si mihi Iuppiter auctor
Spondeat, hoc sperem Italiam contingere caelo.
Mutati transversa fremunt et vespere ab atro
Consurgunt venti, atque in nubem cogitur aer.
Nec nos obniti contra, nec tendere tantum
Sufficimus. Superat quoniam Fortuna, sequamur,
Quoque vocat, vertamus iter. Nec litora longe
Fida reor fraterna Erycis portusque Sicanos,
Si modo rite memor servata remetior astra.
Tum pius Aeneas: Equidem sic poscere ventos
Iamdudum et frustra cerno te tendere contra.
Flecte viam velis. An sit mihi gratior ulla,
Quove magis fessas optem demittere naves,
Quam quae Dardanium tellus mihi servat Acesten,
Et patris Anchisae gremio complectitur ossa?
Haec ubi dicta, petunt portus, et vela secundi
EANWHILE Aeneas his unwavering way
Sailed on, and cut the billows dark with wind; Yet shoreward gazed, where now the death-flames shone
Of woeful Dido. What such blaze hath lit,
They know not, but the pangs of blighted love,
What woman's rage can do, these draw their hearts
Through sad foreboding.
The open main, and no more land was seen
Sea everywhere, and everywhere the sky-
When overhead a blue-black cloud of rain
Bore night and storm: the shuddering water gloomed.
The pilot Palinurus from the stern
Himself cried out: "What clouds invest the sky!
What wilt thou, Father Neptune?" Saying thus,
He bade them reef the sails, and bend the oars,
Sloped to the wind his canvas, and outspake :
"Great-souled Aeneas! Not if Jove himself
Gave warrant, could I make Italian shores
With such a sky. From the black West the winds
Rise roaring adverse; air is crushed to cloud:
No strength is ours to thwart and stem the gale.
Since Fate is mistress, let us turn our course,
And follow where she calls. Not far, methinks,
Sicilian ports, thy brother Eryx' coast,
If rightly I recall the stars I watched."
Then good Aeneas: "Yea; long since I marked The winds' exaction and thy vain revolt.
Shift the sails' tack! Were any shore more sweet?
Where would I sooner beach my sea-worn barks
Than on that land which keeps Acestes still,
And in its lap enfolds my father's bones?"
He ceased. They steer for harbour, while the sails
Intendunt Zephyri; fertur cita gurgite classis,
Et tandem laeti notae advertuntur harenae.
At procul excelso miratus vertice montis
Adventum sociasque rates occurrit Acestes,
Horridus in iaculis et pelle Libystidis ursae,
Troia Crimiso conceptum flumine mater
Quem genuit. Veterum non inmemor ille parentum
Gratatur reduces et gaza laetus agresti
Excipit, ac fessos opibus solatur amicis.
Postera cum primo stellas Oriente fugarat Clara dies, socios in coetum litore ab omni Advocat Aeneas, tumulique ex aggere fatur :
Dardanidae magni, genus alto a sanguine divom,
Annuus exactis conpletur mensibus orbis,
Ex quo reliquias divinique ossa parentis
Condidimus terra maestasque sacravimus aras.
Iamque dies, nisi fallor, adest, quem semper acerbum,
Semper honoratum-sic di voluistis-habebo.
Hunc ego Gaetulis agerem si Syrtibus exsul,
Argolicove mari deprensus et urbe Mycenae,
Annua vota tamen sollemnesque ordine pompas
Exsequerer, strueremque suis altaria donis.
Nunc ultro ad cineres ipsius et ossa parentis,
Haud equidem sine mente reor, sine numine divom,
Adsumus et portus delati intramus amicos.
Ergo agite, et laetum cuncti celebremus honorem;
Poscamus ventos, atque haec me sacra quot annis
Urbe velit posita templis sibi ferre dicatis.
Bina boum vobis Troia generatus Acestes
Dat numero capita in naves; adhibete Penates
Et patrios epulis et quos colit hospes Acestes.
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