Aeneid Translation Cheat Sheet (DRAFT) by Cheetography

primus ibi ante omnes, magna comitante caterva,

Then, foremost in front of everyone, with a great crowd accomp­anying him,

et procul: "o miseri, quae tanta insania, cives?

and from a distance [shouted]: "Oh wretched citizens, what great madness [is this]?

creditis avectos hostes? aut ulla putatis

Do you believe that the enemy has sailed away? Or do you think that any

aut hoc inclusi ligno occula­tantur Achivii,

Either the Greeks are hidden away, shut up in this wood,

inspectura domos venturaque desuper urbi,

to spy on our homes and to swoop down on our city from above,

quidquid id est, timeo Danaos et dona ferent­es"

whatever it is, I fear the Greeks, even those bringing gifts."­

sic fatus validis ingentem viribus hastam

Having spoken in this way, he hurled a huge spear with his mighty strength

contorsit. stetit illa tremens, uteroque recusso

It stuck there trembling, and as the womb reverb­erated,

et, si fata deum, si mens non laeva fuisset,

And, if the pronou­nce­ments of the gods, if their intention had not been unfavo­urable,

Troiaque nunc staret, Priamique arx alta maneres.

and Troy would now stand, and you, high citadel of Priam, would remain.

ecce, manus iuvenem intera post terga revinctum

Look! In the meantime, with his hands tied behind his back,

Dardan­idae, qui se ignotum venien­tibus ultro,

he had offered himself up volunt­arily, unknown to them as they approa­ched,

obtulerat, fidens animi atque in utrumque paratus,

confident in his courage and prepared for each [outcome]

undique visendi studio Troiana iuventus

From all sides the Trojan young men rushed up, pouring round in their eagerness to watch

accipe nunc Danaum insidias et crimine ab uno

Now hear of the plots of the Greeks and learn about all of them from this one crime.

namque ut conspectu in medio turbatus, inermis

For when he, confused, unarmed, stood there in the middle of [plain] view,

"heu, quae nunc tellus­," inquit, "quae me aequora possunt

he said, "­Alas! Now which land, which seas are able

cui neque apud Danaos usquam locus et super ipsi

for whom there is no place at all among the Greeks, and in addition

quo gemitu conversi animi compressus et omnis

Our minds were transf­ormed by this groan and all violence was checked

quid-ve ferat; memoret quae sit fiducia capto.

or what [news] he brings; what trust he says there might be for a captive.

"­cuncta equidem tibi, rex fuerit quodcu­mque, fatebor

"I for my part will confess to you the whole truth, king, come what may,"

hoc primus. nec, si miserum Fortuna Sinonem

This is the first thing. If malicious Fortune made Sinon miserable,

fando aliquod si forte tuas pervenit ad aures

If by chance, in talk, some [mention of] the name of Palamedes, son of Belus, has reached your ears.

gloria, quem falsa sub proditione Pelasgi

whom the Greeks, under a false accusation of treachery,

demisere neci, nunc cassum lumine lugent:

sent down to death, now, deprived of life, they mourn:

pauper in arma pater primis huc misit ab annis.

My father, a poor man, sent me to war here from earliest manhood.

dum stabat regno incolumis regumque vigebat

While he was standing unchal­lenged in his kingship and was influe­ntial in the

gessimus. invidia postquam pellacis Ulixi

After, by the malice of deceitful Ulysses

adflictus vitam in tenebris luctuque trahebam

crushed, I was dragging out my life in darkness and in grief

nec tacui demens et me, fors si qua tulisset,

And, rash, I did not stay silent and I promised that I, if any chance would offer itself,

promisi ultorem et verbis odia aspera movi.

[would be] his avenger and with these words I stirred up hatred.