Virgil, Aeneid III.437
Melphi speaks
Iunonis magnae primum prece numen adora;
The priest translates
«Before anything else, honour the power of great Juno with prayer.»
And interprets
This line tells you something simple: before you set out, make peace with whoever is working against you. There is a person, or a force, that seems to block you right now: a wary boss, a relative who disapproves, a situation that refuses to move. The temptation is to go around it, ignore it, hope it gets tired. Melphi suggests the opposite: turn to it directly, and first of all, with respect. This is not surrender; it is admitting that it carries real weight on your road. A gesture of attention, a kind word, a request made with grace can open doors that force would keep shut. Start there, and the rest of the journey will feel lighter.
The historical translations
Annibal Caro (1581)
La gran Giunone invoca: a Giunon voti
E preghi e doni e sacrifici offrisci
Devotamente; chè, lei vinta alfine,
Terrai d’Italia il desiato lito.
La gran Giunone invoca: a Giunon voti
E preghi e doni e sacrifici offrisci
Devotamente; chè, lei vinta alfine,
Terrai d’Italia il desiato lito.
Theodore C. Williams (1910)
To Juno's godhead lift thy loudest prayer;
To Juno's godhead lift thy loudest prayer;
Source
Publius Vergilius Maro, Aeneis, ed. J. B. Greenough (1900)
Virgil, Aeneid III.437