Virgil, Aeneid I.207
Melphi speaks
Durate, et vosmet rebus servate secundis.
The priest translates
«Hold out, and save yourselves for better days.»
And interprets
Melphi hands you two words: endure and preserve yourself. Gritting your teeth is not enough; you also need to protect yourself, because good days will come and you will need to be in shape to enjoy them. If you are going through a hard phase, at work or in your affections, do not spend all your energy on today’s fight. Eat well, sleep, look after the people who love you, set aside a little money and a little calm. It is the right moment to think about who you will be when the storm is over, and to look after that person starting now.
The historical translations
Annibal Caro (1581)
Soffrite, mantenetevi, serbatevi
A questo, che dal ciel si serba a voi,
Sì glorïoso e sì felice stato.
Soffrite, mantenetevi, serbatevi
A questo, che dal ciel si serba a voi,
Sì glorïoso e sì felice stato.
Theodore C. Williams (1910)
that Troy shall rise new-born! Have patience all!
And bide expectantly that golden day.”
that Troy shall rise new-born! Have patience all!
And bide expectantly that golden day.”
Source
Publius Vergilius Maro, Aeneis, ed. J. B. Greenough (1900)
Virgil, Aeneid I.207