Prooemium Aeneidis Vergilii

I was the one who played, with a slender reed pipe, a song;
And leaving the forests I provoked the neighbouring fields
to yield to the farmers, however eager they were; my singing
work was pleasing to them. But now, [of] the horrendous Martian

weapons, I sing, and the man, the first leaving Trojan coasts,
exiled by fate came to Italy and [to] the Lavinian[1] beaches.
Much was he tossed in the land and much was he tossed in the high-sea
by the Will of the gods and Juno's relentless cruelty;
He suffered much in war, until he could found a City,
bring the gods to the Latium, from where came the Latin people
and the Fathers of Alba, and the ramparts of Rising Rōmā.[2]

O Muse, remind me of the causes, by what reasons, what grieving spirit;
Why would the queen of the gods make him roll through so many misfortunes?
Why, unto such [a] pious man, would she force so numerous labours?
Tell me, Muse: Can heavenly hearts harbour so much anger?


This translation tries to preserve the aural dactylic hexameter rhythm of the original poem in Latin (some feet are enjambed).[3]
This translation includes the pre-proemium (lines 1-4), the authenticity of which is under discussion. Its inclusion is an artistic decision.


  1. /La-wee-ni-an/ β†©οΈŽ

  2. rolled 'r' β†©οΈŽ

  3. Full scansion:
    –‒‒|––|–/β€’β€’|––|–‒‒|– //
    –|–‒‒|––|––|––|–‒‒|– //
    –|–‒‒|–‒/β€’|––|–‒‒|–/–|––||
    ––|–‒‒|–/–|–‒‒|–‒‒|––||
    –‒‒|–‒‒|–/–|–‒‒|––|– //
    –|––|–‒‒|–‒‒|–‒‒|–‒‒|––||
    –‒‒|–‒‒|–/–|–‒‒|–‒‒|––||
    ––|–‒‒|–/–|–‒‒|––|––||
    –‒‒|––|–/–|–‒‒|––|––||
    ––|–‒‒|–‒/β€’|–‒‒|––|––||
    ––|–‒‒|–‒/β€’|–‒‒|––|––||
    –‒‒|–‒‒|–‒/β€’|–‒‒|–‒‒|––||
    –‒‒|–‒‒|–/–|–‒‒|–‒‒|––||
    –‒‒|–‒‒|–/β€’β€’|––|–‒‒|––||
    ––|–/–|–‒‒|––|–‒‒|––|| β†©οΈŽ