Virgil, Aeneid IX.641
Melphi speaks
Macte nova virtute, puer: sic itur ad astra,
The priest translates
«Well done for your new courage, boy: this is the way to the stars,»
And interprets
This verse is an encouragement, and it has come to you on purpose. Perhaps you have just faced your first real test: an exam, an interview, a first step in love or in a new trade, and you wonder whether it truly counts. Melphi tells you that it does: the first act of courage matters, and that is where the road upward begins. This is not the moment to belittle yourself or to hide behind modesty. It is the right time to accept a compliment and to recognise the step you have taken. Just be careful about one thing: a first success is a beginning, not a finish line, and the climb is still long.
The historical translations
Annibal Caro (1581)
Ahi buon fanciullo, in cui vertù s’avanza!
Così vassi a le stelle. Or ben tu mostri
Ahi buon fanciullo, in cui vertù s’avanza!
Così vassi a le stelle. Or ben tu mostri
Theodore C. Williams (1910)
“Hail to thy maiden prowess, boy! This way
the starward path to dwelling-place divine.
“Hail to thy maiden prowess, boy! This way
the starward path to dwelling-place divine.
Source
Publius Vergilius Maro, Aeneis, ed. J. B. Greenough (1900)
Virgil, Aeneid IX.641