iphigenia in tauris-第3章
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Of holy awe; scoff'd at his prayers; and said;…
〃These are wreck'd mariners; that take their seat
In the cleft rock through fear; as they have heard
Our prescribed rite; that here we sacrifice
The stranger。〃 To the greater part he seem'd
Well to have spoken; and we judged it meet
To seize the victims; by our country's law
Due to the goddess。 Of the stranger youths;
One at this instant started from the rock:
Awhile he stood; and wildly toss'd his head;
And groan'd; his loose arms trembling all their length;
Convulsed with madness; and a hunter loud
Then cried;…〃Dost thou behold her; Pylades?
Dost thou not see this dragon fierce from hell
Rushing to kill me; and against me rousing
Her horrid vipers? See this other here;
Emitting fire and slaughter from her vests;
Sails on her wings; my mother in her arms
Bearing; to hurl this mass of rock upon me!
Ah; she will kill me! Whither shall I fly?〃
His visage might we see no more the same;
And his voice varied; now the roar of bulls;
The howl of dogs now uttering; mimic sounds
Sent by the maddening Furies; as they say。
Together thronging; as of death assured;
We sit in silence; but he drew his sword;
And; like a lion rushing mid our herds;
Plunged in their sides the weapon; weening thus
To drive the Furies; till the briny wave
Foam'd with their blood。 But when among our herds
We saw this havoc made; we all 'gan rouse
To arms; and blew our sounding shells to alarm
The neighbouring peasants; for we thought in fight
Rude herdsmen to these youthful strangers; train'd
To arms; ill match'd; and forthwith to our aid
Flock'd numbers。 But; his frenzy of its force
Abating; on the earth the stranger falls;
Foam bursting from his mouth: but when he saw
The advantage; each adventured on and hurl'd
What might annoy him fallen: the other youth
Wiped off the foam; took of his person care;
His fine…wrought robe spread over him; with heed
The flying stones observing; warded of
The wounds; and each kind office to his friend
Attentively perform'd。 His sense return'd;
The stranger started up; and soon perceived
The tide of foes that roll'd impetuous on;
The danger and distress that closed them round。
He heaved a sigh; an unremitting storm
Of stones we pour'd; and each incited each:
Then we his dreadful exhortation heard:…
〃Pylades; we shall die; but let us die
With glory: draw thy sword; and follow me。〃
But when we saw the enemies advance
With brandish'd swords; the steep heights crown'd with wood
We fell in flight: but others; if one flies;
Press on them; if again they drive these back;
What before fled turns; with a storm of stones
Assaulting them; but; what exceeds belief;
Hurl'd by a thousand hands; not one could hit
The victims of the goddess: scarce at length;
Not by brave daring seized we them; but round
We closed upon them; and their swords with stones
Beat; wily; from their hands; for on their knees
They through fatigue had sunk upon the ground:
We bare them to the monarch of this land:
He view'd them; and without delay to the
Sent them devoted to the cleansing vase;
And to the altar。 Victims such as these;
O virgin; wish to find; for if such youths
Thou offer; for thy slaughter Greece will pay;
Her wrongs to thee at Aulis well avenged。
LEADER
These things are wonderful; which thou hast told
Of him; whoe'er he be; the youth from Greece
Arrived on this inhospitable shore。
IPHIGENIA
'Tis well: go thou; and bring the strangers hither:
What here is to be done shall be our care。
(The HERDSMAN departs。)
O my unhappy heart! before this hour
To strangers thou wast gentle; always touch'd
With pity; and with tears their tears repaid;
When Grecians; natives of my country; came
Into my hands: but from the dreams; which prompt
To deeds ungentle; showing that no more
Orestes views the sun's fair light; whoe'er
Ye are that hither come; me will you find
Relentless now。 This is the truth; my friends:
My heart is rent; and never will the wretch;
Who feels affliction's cruel tortures; bear
Good…will to those that are more fortunate。
Never came gale from Jove; nor flying bark;
Which 'twixt the dangerous rocks of the Euxine sea
Brought Helen hither; who my ruin wrought;
Nor Menelaus; that on them my foul wrongs
I might repay; and with an Aulis here
Requite the Aulis there; where I was seized;
And; as a heifer; by the Grecians slain:
My father too; who gave me birth; was priest。
Ah me! the sad remembrance of those ills
Yet lives: how often did I stroke thy cheek;
And; hanging on thy knees; address thee thus:…
〃Alas; my father! I by thee am led
A bride to bridal rites unbless'd and base:
Them; while by thee I bleed; my mother hymns;
And the Argive dames; with hymeneal strains;
And with the jocund pipe the house resounds:
But at the altar I by thee am slain;
For Pluto was the Achilles; not the son
Of Peleus; whom to me thou didst announce
The affianced bridegroom; and by guile didst bring
To bloody nuptials in the rolling car。〃
But; o'er mine eyes the veil's fine texture spread;
This brother in my hands who now is lost;
I clasp'd not; though his sister; did not press
My lips to his; through virgin modesty;
As going to the house of Peleus: then
Each fond embrace I to another time
Deferr'd; as soon to Argos to return。
If; O unhappy brother; thou art dead;
From what a state; thy father's envied height
Of glory; loved Orestes; art thou torn!…
These false rules of the goddess much I blame:
Whoe'er of mortals is with slaughter stain'd;
Or hath at childbirth given assisting hands;
Or chanced to touch aught dead; she as impure
Drives from her altars; yet herself delights
In human victims bleeding at her shrine。
Ne'er did Latona from the embrace of Jove
Bring forth such inconsistence: I then deem
The feast of Tantalus; where gods were guests;
Unworthy of belief; as that they fed
On his son's flesh delighted; and I think
These people; who themselves have a wild joy
In shedding human blood; their savage guilt
Charge on the goddess: for this truth I hold;
None of the gods is evil; or doth wrong。
(She enters the temple。)
CHORUS (singing)
strophe 1
Ye rocks; ye dashing rocks; whose brow
Frowns o'er the darken'd deeps below;
Whose wild; inhospitable wave;
From Argos flying and her native spring;
The virgin once was known to brave;
Tormented with the brize's maddening sting;
From Europe when the rude sea o'er
She pass'd to Asia's adverse shore;
Who are these hapless youths; that dare to land;
Leaving those soft; irriguous meads;
Where; his green margin fringed with reeds;
Eurotas rolls his ample tide;
Or Dirce's hallow'd waters glide;
And touch this barbarous; stranger…hating strand;
The altars where a virgin dews;
And blood the pillar'd shrine imbrues?
antistrophe 1
Did they with oars impetuous sweep
(Rank answering rank) the foamy deep;
And wing their bark with flying sails;
To raise their humble fortune their desire;
Eager to catch the rising gales;
Their bosoms with the love of gain on fire?
For sweet is hope to man's fond