Home | Introduction | Persons | Geogr. | Sources | Events | Mijn blog(Nederlands) |
Religion | Subjects | Images | Queries | Links | Contact | Do not fly Iberia |
Notes Display Latin text | translated by Theodore C. Williams Book IV Chapter 13: Dido speaks to Aeneas | Next chapter Return to index Previous chapter |
But what can cheat true love? The Queen foreknew his stratagem, and all the coming change perceived ere it began. Her jealous fear counted no hour secure. That unclean tongue of Rumor told her fevered heart the fleet was fitting forth, and hastening to be gone. Distractedly she raved, and passion-tossed roamed through her city, like a Maenad roused by the wild rout of Bacchus, when are heard the third year's orgies, and the midnight scream to cold Cithaeron calls the frenzied crew. Finding Aeneas, thus her plaint she poured: Didst hope to hide it, false one, that such crime was in thy heart, -- to steal without farewell out of my kingdom? Did our mutual joy not move thee; nor thine own true promise given once on a time? Nor Dido, who will die a death of sorrow? Why compel thy ships to brave the winter stars? Why off to sea so fast through stormy skies? O, cruelty! If Troy still stood, and if thou wert not bound for alien shore unknown, wouldst steer for Troy through yonder waste of waves? Is it from me thou takest flight? O, by these flowing tears, by thine own plighted word (for nothing more my weakness left to miserable me), by our poor marriage of imperfect vow, if aught to me thou owest, if aught in me ever have pleased thee -- O, be merciful to my low-fallen fortunes! I implore, if place be left for prayer, thy purpose change! Because of thee yon Libyan savages and nomad chiefs are grown implacable, and my own Tyrians hate me. Yes, for thee my chastity was slain and honor fair, by which alone to glory I aspired, in former days. To whom dost thou in death abandon me? my guest! -- since but this name is left me of a husband! Shall I wait till fell Pygmalion, my brother, raze my city walls? Or the Gaetulian king, Iarbas, chain me captive to his car? O, if, ere thou hadst fled, I might but bear some pledge of love to thee, and in these halls watch some sweet babe Aeneas at his play, whose face should be the memory of thine own -- I were not so forsaken, lost, undone! Event: Love and Death of Dido |
296-330 At regina dolos (quis fallere possit amantem?) praesensit, motusque excepit prima futuros omnia tuta timens. eadem impia Fama furenti detulit armari classem cursumque parari. saeuit inops animi totamque incensa per urbem bacchatur, qualis commotis excita sacris Thyias, ubi audito stimulant trieterica Baccho orgia nocturnusque uocat clamore Cithaeron. tandem his Aenean compellat uocibus ultro: 'dissimulare etiam sperasti, perfide, tantum posse nefas tacitusque mea decedere terra? nec te noster amor nec te data dextera quondam nec moritura tenet crudeli funere Dido? quin etiam hiberno moliri sidere classem et mediis properas Aquilonibus ire per altum, crudelis? quid, si non arua aliena domosque ignotas peteres, et Troia antiqua maneret, Troia per undosum peteretur classibus aequor? mene fugis? per ego has lacrimas dextramque tuam te (quando aliud mihi iam miserae nihil ipsa reliqui), per conubia nostra, per inceptos hymenaeos, si bene quid de te merui, fuit aut tibi quicquam dulce meum, miserere domus labentis et istam, oro, si quis adhuc precibus locus, exue mentem. te propter Libycae gentes Nomadumque tyranni odere, infensi Tyrii; te propter eundem exstinctus pudor et, qua sola sidera adibam, fama prior. cui me moribundam deseris hospes (hoc solum nomen quoniam de coniuge restat)? quid moror? an mea Pygmalion dum moenia frater destruat aut captam ducat Gaetulus Iarbas? saltem si qua mihi de te suscepta fuisset ante fugam suboles, si quis mihi paruulus aula luderet Aeneas, qui te tamen ore referret, non equidem omnino capta ac deserta uiderer.' |