Agamemnon
- 187
— (What time it laboured, that Achaian host,
- 188
By stay from sailing, — every pulse at length
- 189
Emptied of vital strength, —
- 190
Hard over Kalchis shore-bound, current-crost
- 191
In Aulis station, — while the winds which post
- 192
From Strumon, ill-delayers, famine-fraught,
- 193
Tempters of man to sail where harbourage is naught,
- 194
Spendthrifts of ships and cables, turning time
- 195
To twice the length, — these carded, by delay,
- 196
To less and less away
- 197
The Argeians’ flowery prime:
- 198
And when a remedy more grave and grand
- 199
Than aught before, — yea, for the storm and dearth, —
- 200
The prophet to the foremost in command
- 201
Shrieked forth, as cause of this
- 202
Adducing Artemis,
- 203
So that the Atreidai striking staves on earth
- 204
Could not withhold the tear) —
- 205
Then did the king, the elder, speak this clear.
- 206
Heavy the fate, indeed, — to disobey!
- 207
Yet heavy if my child I slay,
- 208
The adornment of my household: with the tide
- 209
Of virgin-slaughter, at the altar-side,
- 210
A father’s hands defiling: which the way
- 211
Without its evils, say?
- 212
How shall I turn fleet-fugitive,
- 213
Failing of duty to allies?
- 214
Since for a wind-abating sacrifice
- 215
And virgin blood, — ’t is right they strive,
- 216
Nay, madden with desire.
- 217
Well may it work them — this that they require!
- 218
But when he underwent necessity’s
- 219
Yoke-trace, — from soul blowing unhallowed change
- 220
Unclean, abominable, — thence—another man —
- 221
The audacious mind of him began
- 221a
Its wildest range.
- 222
For this it is gives mortals hardihood —
- 223
Some vice-devising miserable mood
- 223a
Of madness, and first woe of all the brood.
- 224
The sacrificer of his daughter — strange! —
- 225
He dared become, to expedite
- 226
Woman-avenging warfare, — anchors weighed
- 227
With such prelusive rite!
- 228
Prayings and callings Father — naught they made
- 229
Of these, and of the virgin-age, —
- 230
Captains heart-set on war to wage!
- 231
His ministrants, vows done, the father bade —
- 232
Kid-like, above the altar, swathed in pall,
- 233
Take her — lift high, and have no fear at all,
- 234
Head-downward, and the fair mouth’s guard
- 235
And frontage hold, — press hard
- 236
From utterance a curse against the House
- 238
By dint of bit-violence bridling speech.
- 239
And as to ground her saffron-vest she shed,
- 240
She smote the sacrificers all and each
- 241
With arrow sweet and piteous,
- 241a
From the eye only sped, —
- 242
Significant of will to use a word,
- 242a
Just as in pictures: since, full many a time,
- 243
In her sire’s guest-hall, by the well-heaped board
- 244
Had she made music, — lovingly with chime
- 245
Of her chaste voice, that unpolluted thing,
- 246
Honoured the third libation, — paian that should bring
- 247
Good fortune to the sire she loved so well.
- 248
What followed — those things I nor saw nor tell.
- 249
But Kalchas’ arts, — whate’er they indicate, —
- 249a
Miss of fulfilment never: it is fate.
- 250
True, justice makes, in sufferers, a desire
- 250a
To know the future woe preponderate.
- 251
But — hear before is need?
- 251a
To that, farewell and welcome! ’t is the same, indeed,
- 252
As grief beforehand: clearly, part for part,
- 253
Conformably to Kalchas’ art,
- 254
Shall come the event.
- 255
But be they as they may, things subsequent, —
- 256
What is to do, prosperity betide
- 256a
E’en as we wish it! — we, the next allied,
- 257
Sole guarding barrier of the Apian land.
- 258
I am come, reverencing power in thee,
- 259
O Klutaimnestra! For ’t is just we bow
- 260
To the ruler’s wife, — the male-seat man-bereaved.
- 261
But if thou, having heard good news, — or none, —
- 262
For good news’ hope dost sacrifice thus wide,
- 263
I would hear gladly: art thou mute, — no grudge!
- 264
Good-news-announcer, may — as is the by-word —
- 265
Morn become, truly, — news from Night his mother!
- 266
But thou shalt learn joy past all hope of hearing.
- 267
Priamos’ city have the Argeioi taken.
- 268
How sayest? The word, from want of faith, escaped me.
- 269
Troia the Achaioi hold: do I speak plainly?
- 270
Joy overcreeps me, calling forth the tear-drop.
- 271
Right! for, that glad thou art, thine eye convicts thee.
- 272
For — what to thee, of all this, trusty token?
- 273
What’s here! how else? unless the god have cheated.
- 274
Haply thou flattering shows of dreams respectest?
- 275
No fancy would I take of soul sleep-burthened.
- 276
But has there Puffed thee up some unwinged omen?
- 277
As a young maid’s my mind thou mockest grossly.
- 278
Well, at what time was — even sacked, the city?
- 279
Of this same mother Night — the dawn, I tell thee.
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