A storm at sea

[wolfinthewood]

from Richard Stanyhurst's translation of the first four books of Virgil's Aeneid

We leave Crete country; and our sails unwrapped uphoysing,
With wooden vessel the rough seas deeply we furrow.
When we fro land-harbours to main seas giddy did enter,
Voided of all coast-sight, with wild floods roundly bebayed,
A watery cloud glooming, full above me clampered, appeared,
A sharp storm menacing, from sight beams sunny rejecting;
The flaws with rumbling, the wrought floods angry do jumble;
Up swell the surges, in chafe sea plashy we tumble;
With the rain is daylight through darkness musty bewrapped,
And thundering lightbolts from tornclouds fiery be flashing.
We do miss our passage through fell floods boisterous erring,
Our pilot eke, Palinure, through dimness cloudy bedusked,
In points of compass doth stray with palpable error.
Three days in darkness from bright beams sunny repelled,
And three nights parted from lightening starry we wandered.
The fourth day following, the shore, near settled, appeared,
And hills uppeaking; and smoke swift steamed to the skyward.

Richard Stanyhurst (1547-1618)

published 1582
translation of Virgil, Aeneid, III 190–206


tag: sea travel

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