Quid / tanti ut tum
‘merui, / concedite!" dicas
Quaeque / cadent in te
fulmina / missa /
putes?
Da breve saevitiae spatium pelagique tuaeque;
Grande morae pretium tuta futura via est.
Haec minus ut cures
; puero parcatur Iulo!
Te satis est titulum mortis habere meae.
Quid puer Ascanius, quid commeruere /
Penates?
Ignibus ereptos / obruet unda
deos?
Sed neque fers tecum, nec, quae mihi
, perfide, iactas
Presserunt / umeros sacra
paterque tuos.
Omnia mentiris; neque enim tua fallere lingua
Incipit a nobis primaque plector ego.
Si quaeras, ubi sit / formosi
mater Iuli,
Occidit a duro sola relicta / viro
.
What is of such consequence that you would then say "I merit it; forgive
me!"?
when you would think those lightning bolts which fall to be hurled at you?
Give a brief space for the relent of both you and the sea;
your safe trip will be your prize for delaying.
You may see to it less than you should, but let the boy Iulus be spared!
It is enough that you will have the label of my death.
What is little Ascanius' guilt, or your household gods
that they merit this destiny?
Have they been saved from a burning city so
that they can be lost in the sea?
Yet neither do you bear them with you, nor, faithless one,
did your father or the gods press upon your shoulders, which you boast to
me.
You deceive everyone, indeed
I was not the first to feel your deceit, nor indeed did your tongue begin
to deceive with me, and I am punished first.
If you ask, where is the mother of beautiful Iulus-
she is dead, abandoned alone by her unfeeling husband!
FROM KNOX’S COMMENTARY:
71: "What can be so important that you would be willing
to say "I deserve it; forgive me!"?" 1
74: morae pretium "worth the time spent" 1
75: ut concessive clause 1
Julus, another name for Aeneas’ son Ascanius 1
76: titulum mortis habere meae "the distinction of causing
my death" 1
77: Penates: The sacred images rescued from Troy by Aeneas
when he carried his father Anchises from the city in flames 1
79: quae mihi…jactas: "that you brag to me
about" 1
NOTE: ALL 1 INDICATE REFERENCES TO KNOX'S COMMENTARY
tanti: nominative, plural, masculine
merui: 1st person, singular, perfect, active, indicative
concedite: 2nd person, plural, present, active, imperative
quaeque: nominative, singular, feminine
cadent: 3rd person, plural, future, active, indicative
fulmina: accusative, plural, neuter
missa: perfect passive participle; accussative plural
putes: 2nd person, singular, present, active, subjunctive;
subjunctive used in understood temporal cum clause
da: 2nd person, singular, present, active, imperative
minus: comparative, singular, neuter
cures: 2nd person, singular, present, active, subjunctive;
potential subjunctive with ut
parcatur: 3rd person, singular, present, passive,
subjunctive; hortatory subjunctive after concessive ut clause
commeruere: syncopated, = commeruerent; 3rd person,
plural, perfect, active indicative; poetic usage
penates: accusative, plural, masculine; guardians of
the family, ‘household gods’
ignibus: ablative, plural, masculine; ablative of separation
with obruet ereptos: perfect passive participle; accusative,
plural, masculine
obruet: 3rd person, singular, future, active, indicative
fers: 2nd person, singular, present, active, indicative
perfide: vocative, singular, "Faithless one"
presserunt: perfect indicative active third person
plural
umeros: accusative, plural, masculine
mentiris: 2nd person, singular, present, passive,
indicative; deponent verb (passive in form but active in meaning)
plector: 1st person, singular, present, passive, indicative
quaeras: 2nd person, singular, present, active, subjunctive
sit: 2nd person, singular, present, active, subjunctive
Juli: genitive, singular, masculine
relicta: perfect passive participle; accusative, plural
viro: ablative, singular, masculine