Virgil, Aeneid VI.95-96
Melphi speaks
Tu ne cede malis, sed contra audentior ito,
qua tua te Fortuna sinet.
The priest translates
«Do not give way to your troubles, but go against them all the more boldly, by whatever road your Fortune allows you.»
And interprets
This is one of the most encouraging answers Melphi can give you. If you feel surrounded by difficulties, at home, at work or in your health, the line does not hide them: they are there, and they are serious. But it tells you not to back away. Rather, precisely because the troubles grow, your courage must grow one step beyond them. Notice the second half, though: by the road Fortune leaves open to you. This is not about breaking walls with your head, but about finding the opening that exists and walking through it with resolve. Now is the time to stop enduring passively and start moving, with boldness and judgment together.
The historical translations
Ma ’l tuo cor non paventi, anzi con l’animo,
Supera le fatiche e gl’infortunii;
Oh! yield not to thy woe, but front it ever,
And follow boldly whither Fortune calls.