After Cannae

[dhampyresa]

Remember that time I translated La Trebbia by José-Maria de Heredia? Probably not, but today I translated the other Hannibal/Second Punic War-related poem Heredia wrote, Après Cannes, this time I even managed to keep the rhyming in. Without further ado, said poem!


Après Cannes, by José-Maria de HEREDIA

Un des consuls tué, l'autre fuit vers Linterne
Ou Venuse. L'Aufide a débordé, trop plein
De morts et d'armes. La foudre au Capitolin
Tombe, le bronze sue et le ciel rouge est terne.

En vain le Grand Pontife a fait un lectisterne
Et consulté deux fois l'oracle sibyllin ;
D'un long sanglot l'aïeul, la veuve, l'orphelin
Emplissent Rome en deuil que la terreur consterne.

Et chaque soir la foule allait aux aqueducs,
Plèbe, esclaves, enfants, femmes, vieillards caducs
Et tout ce que vomit Subure et l'ergastule ;

Tous anxieux de voir surgir, au dos vermeil
Des monts Sabins où luit l'oeil sanglant du soleil,
Le Chef borgne monté sur l'éléphant Gétule.


After Cannae, by José-Maria de HEREDIA, translation by yours truly

One of the consuls dead, the other fleeing towards Linternum,
Or Venuse. The Aufidus spilled over, too full
Of dead and weapons. Lightning at the hill Capitolium
Strikes, bronze sweats and the red sky is dull.

In vain has the Great Pontiff a lectisternium held,
And twice the Sibylline Books consulted;
With one long sob the old, the orphaned, the widowed
Fill mourning Rome who terror beheld.

And each evenings to the aqueducts the crowd went,
Plebs, slaves, children, women, old men bent
And from Subura and Ergastula spewed forth all.

All anxious to see appear, from the ruby side
Of the Sabine Hills where shines the sun's bloody eye,
Atop his elephant, the one-eyed General.

(I changed things around a little to keep it rhyming.)