"Invocation To The Mews"

Heaven’s dark clouds of doubt in man’s confused desires,

Cymothoë and Triton working together thrust the ships

from the sharp reefs and tempers of rising waves.

Neptune himself raises them with his trident

gliding like weightless winds in the air,

calming the swollen sea in peace

and gave them a new king,

who by fixed agreement

Juno offered his thoughts.

“I hate sailing Tyrrhenian seas,

King Aeolus in his vast cave of gales

bringing Troy’s conquered gods to Italy.”

Neptune greatly troubled a vision on high

churning vast this ancient stormy tempest,

too deep these waters welled below

as he raised his face upon the sea,

to calm the angry waves.

Seeing Aeneas’s fleet

scattered over the ocean,

the Trojans in the breakers

crying to the East and West winds,

calm for running waves crashing down.

There the will of other gods, by cruel Juno

we sing of arms and this man now exiled by fate,

the first ship from the coast of Troy returning to Italy.

Hurled about endlessly on land and sea the Lavinian shores

which brought his gods to Latium from these old Latin people,

born noble stock on the walls of Rome’s lords of Alba Longa.

Tell me the cause how were they offended by divinity,

the Queen of Heaven grieved to drive a man insane

noted for virtue to face and endure such dangers,

can there be such anger in the minds of god’s?

As often rebellion breaks out in a great nation,

the common rabble soon raging with stones

and fiery torches fly a frenzy of weapons.

God standing and listening attentively

with words in hand that soothes a heart

gazing over the water caring for their souls.

They are silent now standing in awe of repentance

saved in his chariots drawn by white horses in the sky.

Agamemnon’s dream marching the army on Troy

like very gods in my sight the scene by Zeus,

sits with prophetic words of comfort

these lips are stricken into silence

murmuring love of the heart.

Beneath a breast is shaken

on this old black earth

an array of horsemen,

led away into Troy-land

hooves muted like thunder.

“My body pale beside the blue sea,

Helen, forsaking my lordly husband

resigned within a passionless marriage,

these fears the tenuous flame suffuses

now shining love that never dies inside.

Oh! Handsome Trojan prince my Paris

lovers in war tragedy forgotten there,

Menelaus and you in single combat

solemn oaths sworn by both sides,

abiding the outcome of the duel

never refuse this final verdict.

Saved by goddess Aphrodite

sincerely devoted to you,

now gone before me

armed in battle -

Victorious .”


67 - Lines.