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第7章

eumendides-第7章

小说: eumendides 字数: 每页4000字

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  ORESTES

    O Pallas; light and safety of my home;

    Thou; thou hast given me back to dwell once more

    In that my fatherland; amerced of which

    I wandered; now shall Grecian lips say this;

    The man is Argive once again; and dwells

    Again within kiss father's wealthy hall;

    By Pallas saved; by Loxias; and by Him;

    The great third saviour; Zeus omnipotent…

    Who thus in pity for my father's fate

    Doth pluck me from my doom; beholding these;

    Confederates of my mother。 Lo; I pass

    To mine own home; but proffering this vow

    Unto thy land and people: Nevermore;

    Thro' all the manifold years of Time to be;

    Shall any chieftain of mine Argive land

    Bear hitherward his spears for fight arrayed。

    For we; though lapped in earth we then shall lie;

    By thwart adversities will work our will

    On them who shall transgress this oath of mine;

    Paths of despair and journeyings ill…starred

    For them ordaining; till their task they rue。

    But if this oath be rightly kept; to them

    Will we the dead be full of grace; the while

    With loyal league they honour Pallas' town。

    And now farewell; thou and thy city's folk…

    Firm be thine arms' grasp; closing with thy foes;

    And; strong to save; bring victory to thy spear。

                                         (ORESTES and APOLLO depart。)

  CHORUS (chanting)

        Woe on you; younger gods! the ancient right

        Ye have o'erridden; rent it from my hands。



        I am dishonoured of you; thrust to scorn!

               But heavily my wrath

    Shall on this land fling forth the drops that blast and burn;

        Venom of vengeance; that shall work such scathe

        As I have suffered; where that dew shall fall;

               Shall leafless blight arise;

    Wasting Earth's offspring;…Justice; hear my call!…

    And thorough all the land in deadly wise

    Shall scatter venom; to exude again

                In pestilence on men。

    What cry avails me now; what deed of blood;

    Unto this land what dark despite?

                Alack; alack; forlorn

      Are we; a bitter injury have borne!

      Alack; O sisters; O dishonoured brood

                Of mother Night!

  ATHENA

    Nay; bow ye to my words; chafe not nor moan:

    Ye are not worsted nor disgraced; behold;

    With balanced vote the cause had issue fair;

    Nor in the end did aught dishonour thee。

    But thus the will of Zeus shone clearly forth;

    And his own prophet…god avouched the same;

    Orestes slew: his slaying is atoned。

    Therefore I pray you; not upon this land

    Shoot forth the dart of vengeance; be appeased;

    Nor blast the land with blight; nor loose thereon

    Drops of eternal venom; direful darts

    Wasting and marring nature's seed of growth。

    For I; the queen of Athens' sacred right;

    Do pledge to you a holy sanctuary

    Deep in the heart of this my land; made just

    By your indwelling presence; while ye sit

    Hard by your sacred shrines that gleam with oil

    Of sacrifice; and by this folk adored。

  CHORUS (chanting)

        Woe on you; younger gods! the ancient right

        Ye have o'erridden; rent it from my hands。



        I am dishonoured of you; thrust to scorn!

                But heavily my wrath

    Shall on this land fling forth the drops that blast and burn;

        Venom of vengeance; that shall work such scathe

        As I have suffered; where that dew shall fall;

                Shall leafless blight arise;

    Wasting Earth's offspring;…justice; hear my call!…

    And thorough all the land in deadly wise

    Shall scatter venom; to exude again

            In pestilence on men。

    What cry avails me now; what deed of blood;

    Unto this land what dark despite?

                Alack; alack; forlorn

      Are we; a bitter injury have borne!

      Alack; O sisters; O dishonoured brood

                Of mother Night!

  ATHENA

    Dishonoured are ye not; turn not; I pray;

    As goddesses your swelling wrath on men;

    Nor make the friendly earth despiteful to them。

    I too have Zeus for champion…'tis enough…

    I only of all goddesses do know

    To ope the chamber where his thunderbolts

    Lie stored and sealed; but here is no such need。

    Nay; be appeased; nor cast upon the ground

    The malice of thy tongue; to blast the world;

    Calm thou thy bitter wrath's black inward surge;

    For high shall be thine honour; set beside me

    For ever in this land; whose fertile lap

    Shall pour its teeming firstfruits unto you;

    Gifts for fair childbirth and for wedlock's crown:

    Thus honoured; praise my spoken pledge for aye。

  CHORUS (chanting)

    I; I dishonoured in this earth to dwell;…

    Ancient of days and wisdom! I breathe forth

    Poison and breath of frenzied ire。 O Earth;

            Woe; woe for thee; for me!

    From side to side what pains be these that thrill?

    Hearken; O mother Night; my wrath; mine agony!

    Whom from mine ancient rights the gods have thrust

            And brought me to the dust…

    Woe; woe is me!…with craft invincible。

  ATHENA

    Older art thou than I; and I will bear

    With this thy fury。 Know; although thou be

    More wise in ancient wisdom; yet have

    From Zeus no scanted measure of the same;

    Wherefore take heed unto this prophecy…

    If to another land of alien men

    Ye go; too late shall ye feel longing dreep

    For mine。 The rolling tides of time bring round

    A day of brighter glory for this town;

    And thou; enshrined in honour by the halls

    Where dwelt Erechtheus; shalt a worship win

    From men and from the train of womankind;

    Greater than any tribe elsewhere shall pay。

    Cast thou not therefore on this soil of mine

    Whetstones that sharpen souls to bloodshedding;

    The burning goads of youthful hearts; made hot

    With frenzy of the spirit; not of wine。

    Nor pluck as 'twere the heart from cocks that strive;

    To set it in the breast of citizens

    Of mine; a war…god's spirit; keen for fight;

    Made stern against their country and their kin。

    The man who grievously doth lust for fame;

    War; full; immitigable; let him wage

    Against the stranger; but of kindred birds

    I hold the challenge hateful。 Such the boon

    I proffer thee…within this land of lands;

    Most loved of gods; with me to show and share

    Fair mercy; gratitude and grace as fair。

  CHORUS (chanting)

    I; I dishonoured in this earth to dwell;…

    Ancient of days and wisdom! I breathe forth

    Poison and breath of frenzied ire。 O Earth;

            Woe; woe for thee; for me!

    From side to side what pains be these that thrill?

    Hearken; O mother Night; my wrath; mine agony!

    Whom from mine ancient rights the gods have thrust

            And brought me to the dust…

    Woe; woe is me!…with craft invincible。

  ATHENA

    I will not weary of soft words to thee;

    That never mayst thou say; Behold me spurned;

    An elder by a younger deity;

    And from this land rejected and forlorn;

    Unhonoured by the men who dwell therein。

    But; if Persuasion's grace be sacred to thee;

    Soft in the soothing accents of my tongue;

    Tarry; I Dray thee; yet; if go thou wilt。

    Not rightfully wilt thou on this my town

    Sway down the scale that beareth wrath and teen

    Or wasting plague uport this folk。 'Tis thine;

    If so thou wilt; inheritress to be

    Of this my land; its utmost grace to win。

  LEADER OF THE CHORUS

    O queen; what refuge dost thou promise me?

  ATHENA

    Refuge untouched by bale: take thou my boon。

  LEADER

    What; if I take it; shall mine honour be?

  ATHENA

    No house shall prosper without grace of thine。

  LEADER

    Canst thou achieve and grant such power to me?

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