Aeneid Translation VI.102-211

[Brackets] indicate a word that is supplied.

Bold text indicates a poetic plural translated as singular.

102. As soon as the madness departed and her raving mouth rested,

103. the hero Aeneas begins: "Not any new or unexpected

104. aspect of hardships rises for me, O maiden;

105. I have anticipated and I have accomplished all [things] before in the spirit with me*. (*spirit with me = animo mecum = probably meaning "my spirit".)

106. I pray for one thing: since the door of the infernal king,

107. and the dark swamp, after the Acheron has been poured out, is said [to be] here,

108. [I pray] that it befall [me]* to go to the sight and mouth (*you could also not supply "oro" here and interpret this as a jussive instead of an indirect command; "let it befall [me]".)

109. of my dear father; let you teach the journey and open the sacred mouths.

110. I snatched that man away through flames and a thousand following weapons

111. on these shoulders and rescued him from the middle of the enemy*; (*from the middle of the enemy = ex mediō hoste = ablative of separation.)

112. that man, having accompanied my journey with me,

113. was bearing all seas and all threats of both the sea and the sky

114. beyond the strength and destiny of old age, weak.

115. Nay even the same [man], praying, was giving orders

116. that I, suppliant, should seek you and approach your thresholds.

117. I pray, nourishing [one], pity both a son* and a father* (for you are able [to do] all [things], and (*natī, patris = both genitive with special verb "misereor, -eri".)

118. Hecate did not set you over the groves of Avernus* in vain), (*groves of Avernus = lucīs…Avernīs = dative with special verb "praeficio".)

119. if Orpheus could summon the soul of his wife,

120. relying on his Thracian harp and musical strings,

121. if Pollux redeemed his brother from an alternate death* (*alternā morte = ablative of separation.)

122. and goes and returns the road so many times. As to what [should I recall] Theseus,

123. as to what should I recall great Hercules? [There is] even a race for me* from highest Jupiter. (*"mihi [est] genus" can be translated more loosely as "I have a race".)

LINES 124 TO 170 NOT AVAILABLE.

171. But then, while he sounds through the seas with a hollow shell, by chance,

172. crazy, and he calls the gods into contests with a song,

173. jealous Triton, if it is worthy to believe, had drowned [him], having been caught,

174. among rocks in a foamy wave.

175. Therefore, all were murmuring around with a great shout,

176. especially loyal Aeneas. Then, [there is] not a delay,

177. they hurry the Sibyl's orders, weeping, and they fight to heap up an altar

178. with trees for a tomb* and to raise it to the sky**. (*dative of purpose; **dative of direction)

179. They go* into an old forest, the high stables of wild beasts, (*itur is a passive verb of traveling, so it is best translated as active with an understood subject, "they", referring to the Trojans.)

180. pitch-pines fall, a holm-oak stricken by axes resounds,

181. and ashen beams and cleavable oak is cut* with wedges, (*scinditur is singular to agree with its nearest subject, "robur", even though it technically refers to the beams as well.)

182. they roll huge ash trees from the mountains.

183. And* Aeneas, among such works, first (*"nec non" would mean "and not not", which obviously makes no sense, so we just assume the two "not"s cancel each other out.)

184. urges on his comrades and is girded with equal arms.

185. And he himself rolls these [things] over with his sad heart,

186. beholding the boundless forest, and he prays in this way by chance:

187. "If that golden bough would show itself to us

188. in a tree in such a great grove! Because alas, Misenus,

189. the prophet spoke too truly about you."

190. He had scarcely spoken those words, when by chance, twin doves

191. came flying from the sky beneath the face itself of the man,

192. and they sat* on the green soil. Then the very great hero (*sēdēre = syncopated form of "sēdērunt". This is not an infinitive.)

193. recognizes the maternal* birds and prays, happy: (*that is, the doves, which represent his mother, Venus.)

194. "Be leaders, oh, if there is any* way, and direct a course through the airs (*qua = aliqua. The "ali" is dropped because it is in a conditional clause.)

195. into the groves where the rich* bough darkens the rich* ground. (*dives and pinguem both mean "rich".)

196. And you, oh, do not fail in doubtful times,

197. divine mother." Having spoken out in this way, he repressed his footsteps,

198. observing what signs they bring*, to where they proceed* to hasten. (*ferant, pergant = indirect question.)

199. Those [birds], feeding, advanced* by flying as far as** (*prodire = historical infinitive. Translate as a perfect verb. **"tantum" and "quantum" together mean "as far as". See Equal comparison for more information.)

200. the eyes of the following [ones] might be able* to keep them in sight. (*the book parses this as "implied indirect discourse", though potential is also a plausible subjunctive use here.)

201. When they came seriously from there to the throat of stinking Avernus,

202. the quick twin [birds] raise themselves, and, having glided through the clear air*, (*"liquidum" describes "aera". "Aera" is a Greek accusative form.)

203. sit on desired seats above a tree,

204. from where the air of different color gleamed through boughs of gold.

205. Of what sort mistletoe is accustomed to be green with a new leaf

206. in the forests in the wintry cold, which its tree does not sow,

207. and [is accustomed] to surround its smooth trunk with yellow offspring,

208. such was the appearance of the leafy gold in the dark holm-oak,

209. a thin sheet was rustling from the light wind.

210. At once, eager Aeneas snatches and breaks off the

211. delaying [one], and he carries it under the roof of the prophet Sibyl.