Agamemnon

Perseus Greek · Perseus Greek · 1,735 sections

894
Seeing, that filled more than their fellow-sleep-time.
895
Now, all this having suffered, from soul grief-free
896
I would style this man here the dog o’ the stables,
897
The saviour forestay of the ship, the high roof’s
898
Ground-prop, son sole-begotten to his father,
899
— Ay, land appearing to the sailors past hope,
900
Loveliest day to see after a tempest,
901
To the wayfaring-one athirst a well-spring,
902
— The joy, in short, of ’scaping all that ’s — fatal!
903
I judge him worth addresses such as these are
904
— Envy stand off! — for many those old evils
905
We underwent. And now, to me — dear headship! —
906
Dismount thou from this car, not earthward setting
907
The foot of thine, O king, that’s Ilion’s spoiler!
908
Slave-maids, why tarry? — whose the task allotted
909
To strew the soil o’ the road with carpet-spreadings.
910
Immediately be purple-strewn the pathway,
911
So that to home unhoped may lead him — Justice!
912
As for the rest, care shall — by no sleep conquered —
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Dispose things — justly (gods to aid!) appointed.
914
Offspring of Leda, of my household warder,
915
Suitably to my absence hast thou spoken,
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For long the speech thou didst outstretch! But aptly
917
To praise — from others ought to go this favour.
918
And for the rest, —-not me, in woman’s fashion,
919
Mollify, nor — as mode of barbarous man is —
920
To me gape forth a groundward-falling clamour!
921
Nor, strewing it with garments, make my passage
922
Envied! Gods, sure, with these behoves we honour:
923
But, for a mortal on these varied beauties
924
To walk — to me, indeed, is nowise fear-free.
925
I say — as man, not god, to me do homage!
926
Apart from foot-mats both and varied vestures,
927
Renown is loud, and — not to lose one’s senses,
928
God’s greatest gift. Behoves we him call happy
929
Who has brought life to end in loved well-being.
930
If all things I might manage thus — brave man, I!
931
Come now, this say, nor feign a feeling to me!
932
With feeling, know indeed, I do not tamper!
933
Vowed’st thou to the gods, in fear, to act thus?
934
If any, I well knew resolve I outspoke.
935
What think’st thou Priamos had done, thus victor?
936
On varied vests — I do think — he had passaged.
937
Then, do not, struck with awe at human censure ....
938
Well, popular mob-outcry much avails too.
939
Ay, but the unenvied is not the much valued.
940
Sure, ’t is no woman’s part to long for battle.
941
Why, to the prosperous, even suits a beating.
942
What? thou this beating us in war dost prize too?
943
Persuade thee! power, for once, grant me — and willing!
944
But if this seem so to thee — shoes, let someone
945
Loose under, quick — foot’s serviceable carriage!
946
And me, on these sea-products walking, may no
947
Grudge from a distance, from the god’s eye, strike at!
948
For great shame were my strewment-spoiling — riches
949
Spoiling with feet, and silver-purchased textures!
950
Of these things, thus then. But this female-stranger
951
Tenderly take inside! Who conquers mildly
952
God, from afar, benignantly regardeth.
953
For, willing, no one wears a yoke that’s servile:
954
And she, of many valuables, outpicked
955
The flower, the army’s gift, myself has followed.
956
So, — since to hear thee, I am brought about thus, —
957
I go into the palace — purples treading.
958
There is the sea — and what man shall exhaust it? —
959
Feeding much purple’s worth-its-weight-in-silver
960
Dye, ever fresh and fresh, our garments’ tincture;
961
At home, such wealth, king, we begin — by gods’ help —
962
With having, and to lack, the household knows not.
963
Of many garments had I vowed a treading
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(In oracles if fore-enjoined the household)
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Of this dear soul the safe-return-price scheming!
966
For, root existing, foliage goes up houses,
967
O’erspreading shadow against Seirios dog-star;
968
And, thou returning to the hearth domestic,
969
Warmth, yea, in winter dost thou show returning.
970
And when, too, Zeus works, from the green-grape acrid,
971
Vine — then, already, cool in houses cometh —
972
The perfect man his home perambulating!
973
Zeus, Zeus Perfecter, these my prayers perfect thou!
974
Thy care be — yea — of things thou mayst make perfect!
975
Wherefore to me, this fear —
976
Groundedly stationed here
977
Fronting my heart, the portent-watcher — flits she?
978
Wherefore should prophet-play
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The uncalled and unpaid lay,
980
Nor — having spat forth fear, like bad dreams — sits she
981
On the mind’s throne beloved — well-suasive Boldness?
982
For time, since, by a throw of all the hands,
983
The boat’s stern-cables touched the sands,
984
Has past from youth to oldness, —
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When under Ilion rushed the ship-borne bands.
988
And from my eyes I learn —
989
Being myself my witness — their return.
990
Yet, all the same, without a lyre, my soul,
991
Itself its teacher too, chants from within
992
Erinus’ dirge, not having now the whole
993
Of Hope’s dear boldness: nor my inwards sin —
994
The heart that’s rolled in whirls against the mind
995
Justly presageful of a fate behind.

Perseus Greek. CTS URN tlg0085.tlg005.perseus-eng4. Via the Perseus Digital Library / Open Greek and Latin TEI corpora. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0. Source.