Book I Lines 12-33

Urbs antiqua fuit (Tyrii tenuere coloni)
Kathargo, Italiam contra Tiberinaque longe
ostia, dives opum studiisque asperrima belli;
quam Juno fertur terris magis omnibus unam 15
posthabita coluisse Samo: hic ilius arma,
hic currus fuit; hoc regnum dea gentibus esse,
si qua fata sinant, jam tum tenditque fovetque.

The city of Carthage was an ancient city
(Tyrian Colonists held it) eternally facing
Italy and the Tiber's mouth, rich in resources
and most fierce in pursuit of war; which alone 15
Juno is said to have cherished more than every land
Samos having been esteemed less: here were her arms,
here was the chariot; the goddess at that time strived
and desired that this city be the ruling power
of all nations if any one of the fates allowed it.

Progeniem sed enim Trojano a sanguine duci
audierat Tyrias olim quae verteret arces; 20
hinc populum late regem belloque superbum
venturum excidio Libyae: sic volvere Parcas.

But she had heard that as the fates would have it
a race was being derived from Trojan blood which
will destroy the Tyrian citadel at sometime; 20
this nation haughty in war would be coming
for the destruction of Libya, thence reigning far
and wide.

Id metuens veterisque memor Satunia belli,
prima quod ad Trojam pro caris gesserat Argis
(necdum etiam causae irarum saevique dolores 25
exciderant animo; manet alta mente repostum
judicium Paridis spretaeque injuria formae
et genus invisum et rapti Ganymedis honores)
his accensa super jactatos aequore toto
Troas, relliquias Danaum atque immitis Achilli, 30
acerbat longe Latio, multosque per annos
errabant acti fatis maria omnia circum.

Juno mindful of this and unforgetting of the ancient war,
as leader of the beloved Argives in war against Troy 25
the causes of her anger and her fierce passion had not yet even
perished from her mind; the judgement of Paris having been stored
away, remained deep in her mind as well as the injury to her rejected
form and the odious race and the honors of the stolen Ganymede)
enraged by these things the goddess kept the Trojans, those remnants
of the Greeks and fierce Achilles, having been tossed about the waves 30
sea long from Italy, and they wandered for many years having been
driven by the fates around the entire sea.
Of so great effort was it to establish a new Roman Nation.

Book I Lines 1-11

Arma virumque cano, Trojae qui primus ab oris
Italiam fato profugus Lavinaque venit
litora--multum ille et terris jactatus et alto
vi superum, saevae memorem Junonis ob iram,
multa quoque et bello passus, dum conderet urbem 5
inferretque deos Latio--genus unde Latinum
Albanique patres atque altae moenia Romae.

Musa, mihi causas memora, quo numine laeso
quidve dolens regina deum tot volvere casus
insignem pietate virum, tot adire labores 10
impulerit. Tantaene animis caelestibus irae?


I sing of wars and a man, the first who came from Trojan Borders
to Italy and Lavinan shores a fugitive of fate
--this man was tossed a great deal throughout the lands and over the deep
by the force of the gods, on account of the unrelenting anger of fierce Juno,
and he also endured many wars, while establishing a city 5
and bringing the gods to Latium--from whence comes the Latin race
and the Alban fathers and also the high walls of Rome.

Muse, remember for me the causes, by which the divinity having been offended
or resenting what did the queen of the gods force this man
distinguised in piety to undergo so much misfortune, to encounter so much hardship 10
Is the heavenly anger so great?