O Jove, thou lord of gods and men, since ‘t is from thee
The rites of hospitality proceed, ordain
That this may be a day of joy to us of Tyre
And these the Trojan exiles; let its fame go down
To our descendants. May the god of wine and joy,
And fost’ring Juno grace and celebrate the day.
The entire company repeats the invocation in unison. When they have finished, all bow and Dido pours forth the libation upon the table. Touching the cup to her lips, she passes it to the guests of honor.
While the cup is passing about, Iopas and his chorus sing.
Song of Iopas (suggested by 740-746)
[For music, see p. [72]]