Gaius Valerius Flaccus
1st c. AD
Trans RMBullard
Latin (Imperial Era)
VALERI FLACCI ARGONAVTICA LIBER I
Prima deum magnis canimus freta pervia natis
fatidicamque ratem,
[I now sing of the first sea voyages made by the great sons of the gods, and their fate-spoken galley,]
Scythici quae Phasidis oras
ausa sequi
[the one which, daring to pursue the shores of Scythian Phasis,]
mediosque inter iuga concita cursus
rumpere flammifero tandem consedit Olympo.
[and between the packed-in mountain chains, did it finally break the middle of its course to fiery Olympus.]
Phoebe, mone,
[Apollo, advise me,]
si Cumaeae mihi conscia vatis 5
stat casta cortina domo,
[if the chaste Cumaean bard stands in her house, by her cauldron, now aware of my presence]
si laurea digna
fronte viret,
[if she grows green with the laurel fit for her brow,]
tuque o pelagi cui maior aperti
fama,
[o you, to whom a greater story of the open sea belongs,]
Caledonius postquam tua carbasa vexit
Oceanus Phrygios prius indignatus Iulos,
[after the Caledonian Ocean troubled your fine linen, when beforehand he deemed the Iuli of Phrgia unworthy,]
eripe me populis et habenti nubila terrae, 10
[snatch me away from the people and to the one that reigns the clouds of the world,]
sancte pater,
[holy father,]
veterumque fave veneranda canenti
facta virum:
[and safeguard he who sings about the venerable deeds of older generations of men:]
versam proles tua pandit Idumen,
[You own descendents spread out in story Idumes, now poured out,]
namque potest,
[and thusly can he,]
Solymo nigrantem pulvere fratrem
spargentemque faces et in omni turre furentem.
[about his brother, who turned black from the dust of Solymus, and passing out the battle torches, did he rage about upon his tower.]
ille tibi cultusque deum delubraque genti 15
instituet,
[Let this be that well-known man to establish cults of worship to and shrines of the gods for the people,]
cum iam, genitor, lucebis ab omni
parte poli
[while, o father, you shall already shine from every region of the sky,]
neque erit Tyriae Cynosura carinae
certior aut Grais Helice servanda magistris.
[nor will the Cynosura, belonging to Tyre's keel, be more sure, or Grais of Helice to be protected by her instructors.]
seu tu signa dabis
[either you shall give omens]
seu te duce Graecia mittet
et Sidon Nilusque rates:
[or with you as your guide, Greece, and Sidon, and Niles will send its galleys:]
nunc nostra serenus 20
orsa iuves,
[now you, who are serene, will bring joy to our bears,]
haec ut Latias vox impleat urbes.
[so that this kind of speech might fill the cities of Latium.]
Haemoniam primis Pelias frenabat ab annis,
[Pelias used to bemoan Haemonia, from the very first years,]
iam gravis et longus populis metus.
[already was fear stern and long for his peoples.]
illius amnes
Ionium quicumque petunt,
[Each of his rivers sought the land of Ionia,]
ille Othryn et Haemum
atque imum felix versabat vomere Olympum. 25
[and that one, in a happy state, used to turn over Othrys and Haemos, and the very height of Olympus with his plough.]
sed non ulla quies animo fratrisque paventi
progeniem divumque minas.
[But there was no peace and quiet present in his mind, which feared the offspring of his brother, and threats from the gods.]
hunc nam fore regi
exitio vatesque canunt
[you see, the bards sing that the former would bring upon the king's destruction]
pecudumque per aras
terrifici monitus iterant;
[and they, terrified, pass there warnings through the altars of wild beasts;]
super ipsius ingens
instat fama viri
[and the tremendous glory of this very man reach to heights above,]
virtusque haud laeta tyranno. 30
[and his good qualities was no source of joy to tyrant.]
ergo anteire metus iuvenemque exstinguere pergit
Aesonium
[and so fear continues to proceed forth, and to stamp out the youth, Jason,]
letique vias ac tempora versat,
[and he traverses the paths and periods of his own destruction,]
sed neque bella videt Graias neque monstra per urbes
ulla:
[but he sees neither any wars, nor monstrous sights throughout the cities of Greece:]
