Four Plays of Aeschylus Part 5

Not long thy sire shall leave thee desolate.

But I will call the country's indwellers, And with soft words th' a.s.sembly will persuade, And warn your sire what pleadings will avail.

Therefore abide ye, and with prayer entreat The country's G.o.ds to compa.s.s your desire; The while I go, this matter to provide, Persuasion and fair fortune at my side.

[Exit the KING OF ARGOS.

CHORUS

O King of Kings, among the blest Thou highest and thou happiest, Listen and grant our prayer, And, deeply loathing, thrust Away from us the young men's l.u.s.t, And deeply drown In azure waters, down and ever down, Benches and rowers dark, The fatal and perfidious bark!

Unto the maidens turn thy gracious care; Think yet again upon the tale of fame, How from the maiden loved of thee there sprung Mine ancient line, long since in many a legend sung!

Remember, O remember, thou whose hand Did Io by a touch to human shape reclaim.

For from this Argos erst our mother came Driven hence to Egypt's land, Yet sprung of Zeus we were, and hence our birth we claim.

And now have I roamed back Unto the ancient track Where Io roamed and pastured among flowers, Watched o'er by Argus' eyes, Through the lush gra.s.ses and the meadow bowers.

Thence, by the gadfly maddened, forth she flies Unto far lands and alien peoples driven And, following fate, through paths of foam and surge, Sees, as she goes, the cleaving strait divide Greece, from the Eastland riven.

And swift through Asian borders doth she urge Her course, o'er Phrygian mountains' sheep-clipt side; Thence, where the Mysian realm of Teuthras lies Towards Lydian lowlands hies, And o'er Cilician and Pamphylian hills And ever-flowing rills, And thence to Aphrodite's fertile sh.o.r.e, [5]

[Footnote: 5: Cyprus.]

The land of garnered wheat and wealthy store And thence, deep-stung by wild unrest, By the winged fly that goaded her and drave, Unto the fertile land, the G.o.d-possest, (Where, fed from far-off snows, Life-giving Nilus flows, Urged on by Typho's strength, a fertilizing wave) She roves, in hara.s.sed and dishonoured flight Scathed by the blasting pangs of Hera's dread despite.

And they within the land With terror shook and wanned, So strange the sight they saw, and were afraid- A wild twy-natured thing, half heifer and half maid.

Whose hand was laid at last on Io, thus forlorn, With many roamings worn?

Who bade the hara.s.sed maiden's peace return?

Zeus, lord of time eterne.

Yea, by his breath divine, by his unscathing strength, She lays aside her bane, And softened back to womanhood at length Sheds human tears again.

Then, quickened with Zeus' veritable seed, A progeny she bare, A stainless babe, a child of heavenly breed.

Of life and fortune fair.

His is the life of life-so all men say,- His is the seed of Zeus.

Who else had power stern Hera's craft to stay, Her vengeful curse to loose?

Yea, all from Zeus befell!

And rightly wouldst thou tell That we from Epaphus, his child, were born: Justly his deed was done; Unto what other one, Of all the G.o.ds, should I for justice turn?

From him our race did spring; Creator he and King, Ancient of days and wisdom he, and might.

As bark before the wind, So, wafted by his mind, Moves every counsel, each device aright.

Beneath no stronger hand Holds he a weak command, No throne doth he abase him to adore; Swift as a word, his deed Acts out what stands decreed In counsels of his heart, for evermore.

[Re-enter DANAUS.

DANAUS

Take heart, my children: the land's heart is kind, And to full issue has their voting come.

CHORUS

All hail, my sire; thy word brings utmost joy.

Say, to what issue is the vote made sure, And how prevailed the people's crowding hands?

DANAUS

With one a.s.sent the Argives spake their will, And, hearing, my old heart took youthful cheer, The very sky was thrilled when high in air The concourse raised right hands and swore their oath:- Free shall the maidens sojourn in this land.

Unharried, undespoiled by mortal wight: No native hand, no hand of foreigner Shall drag them hence; if any man use force- Whoe'er of all our countrymen shall fail To come unto their aid, let him go forth, Beneath the people's curse, to banishment.

So did the king of this Pelasgian folk Plead on behalf of us, and bade them heed That never, in the after-time, this realm Should feed to fulness the great enmity Of Zeus, the suppliants' guard, against itself!

A twofold curse, for wronging stranger-guests Who are akin withal, confrontingly Should rise before this city and be shown A ruthless monster, fed on human doom.

Such things the Argive people heard, and straight, Without proclaim of herald, gave a.s.sent: Yea, in full conclave, the Pelasgian folk Heard suasive pleas, and Zeus through them resolved.

CHORUS

Arouse we now to chant our prayer For fair return of service fair And Argos' kindly will.

Zeus, lord of guestright, look upon The grace our stranger lips have won.

In right and truth, as they begun, Guide them, with favouring hand, until Thou dost their blameless wish fulfil!

Now may the Zeus-born G.o.ds on high Hear us pour forth A votive prayer for Argos' clan!- Never may this Pelasgian earth, Amid the fire-wrack, shrill the dismal cry On Ares, ravening lord of fight, Who in an alien harvest mows down man!

For lo, this land had pity on our plight, And unto us were merciful and leal, To us, the piteous flock, who at Zeus' altar kneel!

They scorned not the pleas of maidenhood, Nor with the young men's will hath their will stood.

They knew right well.

Th' unearthly watching fiend invincible, The foul avenger-let him not draw near!

For he, on roofs ill-starred, Defiling and polluting, keeps a ghastly ward!

They knew his vengeance, and took holy heed To us, the sister suppliants, who cry To Zeus, the lord of purity: Therefore with altars pure they shall the G.o.ds revere.

Thus, through the boughs that shade our lips, fly forth in air, Fly forth, O eager prayer!

May never pestilence efface This city's race, Nor be the land with corpses strewed, Nor stained with civic blood!

The stem of youth, unpluckt, to manhood come, Nor Ares rise from Aphrodite's bower, The lord of death and bane, to waste our youthful flower.

Long may the old Crowd to the altars kindled to consume Gifts rich and manifold- Offered to win from powers divine A benison on city and on shrine: Let all the sacred might adore Of Zeus most high, the lord Of guestright and the hospitable board, Whose immemorial law doth rule Fate's scales aright: The garners of earth's store Be full for evermore, And grace of Artemis make women's travail light; No devastating curse of fell disease This city seize; No clamour of the State arouse to war Ares, from whom afar Shrinketh the lute, by whom the dances fail- Ares, the lord of wail.

Swarm far aloof from Argos' citizens All plague and pestilence, And may the Archer-G.o.d our children spare!

May Zeus with foison and with fruitfulness The land's each season bless, And, quickened with Heaven's bounty manifold, Teem grazing flock and fold.

Beside the altars of Heaven's hallowing Loud let the minstrels sing, And from pure lips float forth the harp-led strain in air!

And let the people's voice, the power That sways the State, in danger's hour Be wary, wise for all; Nor honour in dishonour hold, But-ere the voice of war be bold- Let them to stranger peoples grant Fair and unb.l.o.o.d.y covenant- Justice and peace withal; And to the Argive powers divine The sacrifice of laurelled kine, By rite ancestral, pay.

Among three words of power and awe, Stands this, the third, the mighty law- Your G.o.ds, your fathers deified, Ye shall adore. Let this abide For ever and for aye.

DANAUS

Dear children, well and wisely have ye prayed; I bid you now not shudder, though ye hear New and alarming tidings from your sire.

From this high place beside the suppliants' shrine The bark of our pursuers I behold, By divers tokens recognized too well.

Lo, the spread canvas and the hides that screen The gunwale; lo, the prow, with painted eyes That seem her onward pathway to descry, Heeding too well the rudder at the stern That rules her, coming for no friendly end.

And look, the seamen-all too plain their race- Their dark limbs gleam from out their snow-white garb; Plain too the other barks, a fleet that comes All swift to aid the purpose of the first, That now, with furled sail and with pulse of oars Which smite the wave together, comes aland.

But ye, be calm, and, schooled not scared by fear, Confront this chance, be mindful of your trust In these protecting G.o.ds. And I will hence, And champions who shall plead your cause aright Will bring unto your side. There come perchance Heralds or envoys, eager to lay hand And drag you captive hence; yet fear them not; Foiled shall they be. Yet well it were for you (If, ere with aid I come, I tarry long), Not by one step this sanctuary to leave.

Farewell, fear nought: soon shall the hour be born When he that scorns the G.o.ds shall rue his scorn CHORUS

Ah but I shudder, father!-ah, even now, Even as I speak, the swift-winged ships draw nigh!

I shudder, I shiver, I perish with fear: Overseas though I fled, Yet nought it avails; my pursuers are near!

DANAUS

Children, take heart; they who decreed to aid Thy cause will arm for battle, well I ween.

CHORUS

But desperate is Aegyptus' ravening race, With fight unsated; thou too know'st it well.

In their wrath they o'ertake us; the prow is deep-dark In the which they have sped, And dark is the bench and the crew of the bark!

DANAUS

Yea but a crew as stout they here shall find, And arms well steeled beneath a noon-day sun.

CHORUS

Ah yet, O father, leave us not forlorn!

Alone, a maid is nought, a strengthless arm.

With guile they Pursue me, with counsel malign, And unholy their soul; And as ravens they seize me, unheeding the shrine!

DANAUS

Fair will befall us, children, in this chance, If thus in wrath they wrong the G.o.ds and you.

CHORUS

Alas, nor tridents nor the sanct.i.ty Of shrines will drive them, O my sire, from us!

Unholy and daring and cursed is their ire, Nor own they control Of the G.o.ds, but like jackals they glut their desire!

DANAUS