iphigenia in tauris-第6章
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Mine impious and unbless'd: if thou art saved;
And from my sister (whom I gave to thee;
Betroth'd thy bride) art bless'd with sons; my name
May yet remain; nor all my father's house
In total ruin sink。 Go then; and live:
Dwell in the mansion of thy ancestors:
And when thou comest to Greece; to Argos famed
For warrior…steeds; by this right hand I charge the
Raise a sepulchral mound; and on it place
A monument to me; and to my tomb
Her tears; her tresses let my sister give;
And say; that by an Argive woman's hand
I perish'd; to the altar's bloody rites
A hallow'd victim。 Never let thy soul
Betray my sister; for thou seest her state;
Of friends how destitute; her father's house
How desolate。 Farewell。 Of all my friends;
Thee have I found most friendly; from my youth
Train'd up with me; in all my sylvan sports
Thou dear associate; and through many toils
Thou faithful partner of my miseries。
Me Phoebus; though a prophet; hath deceived;
And; meditating guile; hath driven me far
From Greece; of former oracles ashamed;
To him resign'd; obedient to his words;
I slew my mother; and my meed is death。
PYLADES
Yes; I will raise thy tomb: thy sister's bed
I never will betray; unhappy youth;
For I will hold thee dearer when thou art dead;
Than while thou livest; nor hath yet the voice
Of Phoebus quite destroy'd thee; though thou stand
To sometimes mighty but sometimes mighty woes
Yield mighty changes; so when Fortune wills。
ORESTES
Forbear: the words of Phoebus naught avail me;
For; passing from the shrine; the virgin comes。
(IPHIGENIA enters from the temple。 She is carrying a letter。)
IPHIGENIA (to the guards)
Go you away; and in the shrine prepare
What those; who o'er the rites preside; require。
(The guards go into the temple。)
Here; strangers; is the letter folded close:
What I would further; hear。 The mind of man
In dangers; and again; from fear relieved;
Of safety when assured; is not the same:
I therefore fear lest he; who should convey
To Argos this epistle; when return'd
Safe to his native country; will neglect
My letter; as a thing of little worth。
ORESTES
What wouldst thou then? What is thy anxious thought?
IPHIGENIA
This: let him give an oath that he will bear
To Argos this epistle to those friends;
To whom it is my ardent wish to send it。
ORESTES
And wilt thou in return give him thy oath?
IPHIGENIA
That I will do; or will not do; say what。
ORESTES
To send him from this barbarous shore alive。
IPHIGENIA
That's just: how should he bear my letter else?
ORESTES
But will the monarch to these things assent?
IPHIGENIA
By me induced。 Him I will see embark'd。
ORESTES
Swear then; and thou propose the righteous oath。
IPHIGENIA
This; let him say; he to my friends will give。
PYLADES
Well; to thy friends this letter I will give。
IPHIGENIA
Thee will I send safe through the darkening rocks。
PYLADES
What god dost thou invoke to attest thy oath?
IPHIGENIA
Diana; at whose shrine high charge I hold。
PYLADES
And I heaven's potent king; the awful Jove。
IPHIGENIA
But if thou slight thy oath; and do me wrong?
PYLADES
Never may I return。 But if thou fail;
And save me not?
IPHIGENIA
Then never; while I live;
May I revisit my loved Argos more!
PYLADES
One thing; not mention'd; thy attention claims。
IPHIGENIA
If honour owes it; this will touch us both。
PYLADES
Let me in this be pardon'd; if the bark
Be lost; and with it in the surging waves
Thy letter perish; and I naked gain
The shore; no longer binding be the oath。
IPHIGENIA
Know'st thou what I will do? For various ills
Arise to those that plough the dangerous deep。
What in this letter is contain'd; what here
Is written; all I will repeat to thee;
That thou mayst bear my message to my friends。
'Gainst danger thus I guard: if thou preserve
The letter; that though silent will declare
My purport; if it perish in the sea;
Saving thyself; my words too thou wilt save。
PYLADES
Well hast thou said touching the gods and me。
Say then to whom at Argos shall I bear
This letter? What relate as heard from thee?
IPHIGENIA (reading)
This message to Orestes; to the son
Of Agamemnon; bear:…She; who was slain
At Aulis; Iphigenia; sends thee this:
She lives; but not to those who then were there。
ORESTES
Where is she? From the dead return'd to life?
IPHIGENIA
She whom thou seest: but interrupt me not。
To Argos; O my brother; ere I die;
Bear me from this barbaric land; and far
Remove me from this altar's bloody rites;
At which to slay the stranger is my charge。…
ORESTES
What shall I say? Where are we; Pylades?
IPHIGENIA
Or on thy house for vengeance will I call;
Orestes。 Twice repeated; learn the name。
ORESTES
Ye gods!
IPHIGENIA
In my cause why invoke the gods?
ORESTES
Nothing: proceed: my thoughts were wandering wide:
Strange things of thee unask'd I soon shall learn。
IPHIGENIA
Tell him the goddess saved me; in exchange
A hind presenting; which my father slew
A victim; deeming that he plunged his sword
Deep in my breast: me in this land she placed。
Thou hast my charge: and this my letter speaks。
PYLADES
O; thou hast bound me with an easy oath:
What I have sworn with honest purpose; long
Defer I not; but thus discharge mine oath。
To thee a letter from thy sister; lo;
I bear; Orestes; and I give it thee。
(PYLADES hands the letter to ORESTES。)
ORESTES
I do receive it; but forbear to unclose
its foldings; greater pleasure first to enjoy
Than words can give。 My sister; O most dear;
Astonish'd ev'n to disbelief; I throw
Mine arms around thee with a fond embrace;
In transport at the wondrous things I hear。
LEADER OF THE CHORUS
Stranger; thou dost not well with hands profane
Thus to pollute the priestess of the shrine;
Grasping her garments hallow'd from the touch。
ORESTES
My sister; my dear sister; from one sire;
From Agamemnon sprung; turn not away;
Holding thy brother thus beyond all hope。
IPHIGENIA
My brother! Thou my brother! Wilt thou not
Unsay these words? At Argos far he dwells。
ORESTES
Thy brother; O unhappy! is not there。
IPHIGENIA
Thee did the Spartan Tyndarus bring forth?
ORESTES
And from the son of Pelops' son I sprung;
IPHIGENIA
What say'st thou? Canst thou give me proof of this?
ORESTES
I can: ask something of my father's house。
IPHIGENIA
Nay; it is thine to speak; mine to attend。
ORESTES
First let me mention things which I have heard
Electra speak: to thee is known the strife
Which fierce 'twixt Atreus and Thyestes rose。
IPHIGENIA
Yes; I have heard it; for the golden ram;…
ORESTES
In the rich texture didst thou not inweave it?
IPHIGENIA
O thou most dear! Thou windest near my heart。
ORESTES
And image in the web the averted sun?
IPHIGENIA
In the fine threads that figure did I work。
ORESTES
For Aulis did thy mother bathe thy limbs?
IPHIGENIA
I know it; to unlucky spousals led。
ORESTES
Why to thy mother didst thou send thy locks?
IPHIGENIA
Devoted for my body to the tomb。
ORESTES
What I myself have seen I now as proofs
Will mention。 In thy father's house; hung