inter quas Phoenissa Dido
Among these women, Phoenician Dido,
recens a vulnere
fresh from her wound,
errabat silva in magna;
was wandering in a large wood;
quam Troius heros ut primum iuxta stetit
as soon as the Trojan hero stood near her
agnovitque per umbras obscuram,
and recognised her dimly through the shadows,
lunam, qui
like the moon which a person
aut videt aut vidisse putat
either sees or thinks he has seen
primo surgere mense per nubila
rising among the clouds at the beginning of the month,
demisit lacrimas
he shed tears
dulcique adfatus amore est:
and addressed her with sweet love:
'infelix Dido,
'Unfortunate Dido,
verus mihi nuntius ergo venerat
was the message that had come to me true, then,
exstinctam ferroque extrema secutam?
that you were dead and had sought the end by means of a sword?
funeris heu tibi causa fui?
Alas, was I the cause of death for you?
per sidera iuro,
I swear by the stars
per superos
by the gods above,
et si qua fides
and if there is any honour
tellure sub ima est,
beneath the lower world,
invitus, regina,
unwillingly, o queen,
tuo de litore cessi.
did I depart from your shore.
sed iussa deum,
But the orders of the gods,
me quae nunc cogunt
which compel me now
has ire per umbras,
to go through these shadows,
per loca senta situ
through places rough with neglect
noctemque profundam,
and through deep night,
imperiis egere suis;
drove me by their commands;
nec credere quivi
nor could I believe
tibi me ferre
that I was bringing upon you
hunc tantum discessu dolorem.
this grief so great by my departure.
siste gradum
Stay thy step
teque aspectu ne subtrahe nostro.
and do not remove thyself from my sight.
quem fugis?
Whom do you flee?
extremum fato
This is the last word
quod te adloquor hoc est.'
I am fated to speak to you.'
talibus Aeneas lenibat dictis
With such words Aeneas tried to soothe
ardentem et torva tuentem animum
her blazing mind and savage looks,
lacrimasque ciebat.
and raised tears.
illa aversa
Turned away, she
solo fixos oculos tenebat
kept her eyes fixed on the ground
nec vultum movetur
and did not change her expression
magis incepto sermone
as a result of the speech he had begun any more
quam si dura silex
than if she were hard flint
aut stet Marpesia cautes.
or Marpesian marble standing there.
tandem corripuit sese
Finally, she rushed away
atque inimica refugit
and fled back in hostile fashion
in nemus umbriferum,
into a shady grove,
coniunx ubi pristinus illi Sychaeus
where her former husband Sychaeus
respondet curis aequatque amorem.
responded to her cares and equalled her love.
nec minus Aeneas casu percussus iniquo
Aeneas, no less stricken by her unjust fate,
prosequitur lacrimis longe
followed her a long way with his tears
et miseratur euntem.
and pitied her as she went.