What is English translation for the opening lines of Virgil's Aeneid?

Answer 1

Here are lines 1-33 of the translation I did for my AP Latin class at the beginning of last summer. It's pretty awkward at the beginning, but it gets smoother.

Of men and weapons, I sing, who came first from the mouth of Troy

to the shores of Italy and Lavinia, made fugitive by fate,

much thrown about on land and sea by the powers of those above

on behalf of raging Juno's memorable anger, much continuing also

through war, until he should build a city,

and bring into Latium his gods, from whence came the Latin race,

the forefathers of Albania, and the tall walls of Rome.

Muse, be mindful to me, the cause; wherein injured in divine will

or wherefore did the suffering queen of the gods want to throw out such

a man of remarkable piety, to turn to so many misfortunes, to go

through so many labours. Is the anger of the gods so great?

There was an ancient city, home of Tyrian farmers, Carthage

opposite Italy and the Tiber's far away mouths, rich

in resources and most severe in the enthusiasms of war;

which Juno loved more than any one land,

holding Samos less dear; here was that weapon,

here was the chariot; the goddess, even now, tends and nurtures

this place to be the kingdom for the races, if the fates allow in any way.

But for she had heard that a progeny was being lead from the blood of Trojans,

which someday might overturn the Tyrian citadels;

this people from widely ruling kingdoms and arrogant in war

should come forth for Lybia's downfall: so unrolled Parca.

The daughter of Saturn, fearing this and mindful of the old war

which she had first fought at Troy for her dear Argos--

not yet had even the cause of her anger and her furious suffering

fell out of her mind: buried in her mind remained the judgment of Paris

and the insult to her injured, spurned form,

the race having been envied, and honors due to the plundered Ganymede,

hereby inflamed yet more, she kept of the Trojans, having been thrown out

far from Latium, on the whole sea, relinquished by Greeks and the merciless Achilles,

and kept them far from Latium, and through many years they wandered,

driven by fates around all the seas.

So great was the effort to found the Roman race!

Answer 2

The opening lines of Virgil's Aeneid in English are: "Arms and the man I sing, who fated by the gods, fled from Troy's destruction to Italy's shore."