Hīs dictīs impensō animum flammāvit amōre
spemque dedit dubiae mentī solvitque pudōrem.55
Prīncipiō dēlūbra adeunt pācemque per ārās
exquīrunt; mactant lēctās dē mōre bidentīs
lēgiferae Cererī Phoebōque patrīque Lyaeō,
Iūnōnī ante omnīs, cui vincla iugālia cūrae.
ipsa tenēns dextrā pateram pulcherrima Dīdō60
candentis vaccae media inter cornua fundit,
aut ante ōra deum pinguīs spatiātur ad ārās,
īnstauratque diem dōnīs, pecudumque reclūsīs
pectoribūs inhiāns spīrantia cōnsulit exta.
Heu, vātum ignārae mentēs! Quid vōta furentem,65
quid dēlūbra iuvant? Ēst mollīs flamma medullās
intereā et tacitum vīvit sub pectore vulnus.
Ūritur īnfēlīx Dīdō tōtāque vagātur
urbe furēns, quālis coniectā cerva sagittā,
quam procul incautam nemora inter Crēsia fīxit70
pāstor agēns tēlīs līquitque volātile ferrum
nescius: illa fugā silvās saltūsque peragrat
Dictaeōs; haeret laterī lētālis harundō.
Nunc media Aenēān sēcum per moenia dūcit
Sīdoniāsque ostentat opēs urbemque parātam,75
incipit effārī mediāque in vōce resistit;
nunc eadem lābente diē convīvia quaerit,
Īliacōsque iterum dēmēns audīre labōrēs
exposcit pendetque iterum nārrantis ab ōre.
Post ubi dīgressī, lūmenque obscūra vicissim80
lūna premit suādentque cadentia sīdera somnōs,
sōla domō maeret vacuā strātīsque relictīs
incubat. Illum absēns absentem auditque videtque,
aut gremiō Ascanium genitōris imāgine capta
dētinet, īnfandum sī fallere possit amōrem.85
Nōn coeptae adsurgunt turrēs, nōn arma iuventūs
exercet portūsve aut prōpugnācula bellō
tūta parant: pendent opera interrupta minaeque
mūrōrum ingentēs aequātaque māchina caelō.