In Aeneid 1.588-593, Venus tarts the hero
up
so he will be more appealing toDido:Restitit Aeneas claraque in luce
refulsit,os umerosque deo similis; namque ipsa decoramcaesariem nato
genetrix lumenque iuventaepurpureum et laetos oculis adflarat
honores:quale manus addunt ebori decus, aut ubi flavoargentum
Pariusve
lapis circumdatur auro.
Interestingly Dryden makes no mention of
purple:
The Trojan chief appear'd in open sight, August in visage, and serenely bright. His mother goddess, with her hands divine, Had form'd his curling locks, and made his temples shine, And giv'n his rolling eyes a
sparkling
grace, And breath'd a youthful vigor on his face; Like polish'd ivory, beauteous to behold, Or Parian marble, when enchas'd in
gold:
Patrick
Roper
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Date: Sun, 16 Dec 2001 08:42:19 +1300
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From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Simon Cauchi)
Subject: RE: VIRGIL: Lumen Purpureum
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Status: U
> namque ipsa decoram
> caesariem nato genetrix lumenque iuventae
> purpureum et laetos oculis adflarat honores:
>
> Interestingly Dryden makes no mention of purple:
>
> His mother goddess, with her hands divine,
> Had form'd his curling locks, and made his temples shine,
> And giv'n his rolling eyes a sparkling grace,
> And breath'd a youthful vigor on his face;
I trace back Dryden's "shine" to "lumen purpureum" and his "youthful" to
"iuventae": this isn't so much translation as free composition "based on"
Virgil (to borrow the language of film and television adaptations). Here
are some more literal versions of "namque ... honores", with asterisks
marking what I take to be the rendering of "lumen purpureum":
Lonsdale and Lee: for his own mother gave him graceful flowing locks, and
the *brilliant complexion* of youth, and inspired his eyes with a joyous
lustre
Day Lewis: for Venus herself had breathed
Beauty upon his head and the *roseate sheen* of youth on
His manhood and a gallant light into his eyes
West: His own mother had breathed upon her son and given beauty to his hair
and the sparkle of joy to his eyes, and the *glow* of youth *shone* all
about him.
I haven't yet read Davie on Hardy's Virgilian purples, but I imagine this
passage is more what Hardy had in mind in A Pair of Blue Eyes than Aen.
6.641 or Ecl. 9.40.
Simon Cauchi
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