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Heracles
Mine hosts, dwellers on this Phersean soil! say, shall I find Admetus in the house?
Mine hosts, dwellers on this Phersean soil! say, shall I find Admetus in the house?
Chorus
The son of Pheres is within, Heracles. Tell me what need is bringing thee to the Thessalian land,
to visit this city of the Pheraeans?
480
The son of Pheres is within, Heracles. Tell me what need is bringing thee to the Thessalian land,
to visit this city of the Pheraeans?
480
Heracles
I am performing a labour for Tirynthian Eurystheus.
I am performing a labour for Tirynthian Eurystheus.
Chorus
And whither art thou journeying? on what wandering art thou forced to go?
And whither art thou journeying? on what wandering art thou forced to go?
Heracles
To fetch the chariot-steeds of Thracian Diomedes.
To fetch the chariot-steeds of Thracian Diomedes.
Chorus
How canst thou? art a stranger to the ways of thy host?
How canst thou? art a stranger to the ways of thy host?
Heracles
I am; for never yet have I gone to the land of the Bistones.
485
I am; for never yet have I gone to the land of the Bistones.
485
Chorus
Thou canst not master his horses without fighting.
Thou canst not master his horses without fighting.
Heracles
Still I cannot refuse these labours.
Still I cannot refuse these labours.
Chorus
Then shalt thou slay them and return, or thyself be slain and stay there.
Then shalt thou slay them and return, or thyself be slain and stay there.
Heracles
It will not be the first hard course that I have run.
It will not be the first hard course that I have run.
Chorus
And what will be thy gain, suppose thou master their lord?
490
And what will be thy gain, suppose thou master their lord?
490
Heracles
The steeds will I drive away to the Tirynthian king.
The steeds will I drive away to the Tirynthian king.
Chorus
No easy task to bit their jaws.
No easy task to bit their jaws.
Heracles
Easy enough, unless their nostrils vomit fire.
Easy enough, unless their nostrils vomit fire.
Chorus
With ravening jaws they rend the limbs of men.
With ravening jaws they rend the limbs of men.
Heracles
Thou speakest of the food of mountain beasts, not of horses.
495
Thou speakest of the food of mountain beasts, not of horses.
495
Chorus
Their mangers blood-bedabbled thou shalt see.
Their mangers blood-bedabbled thou shalt see.
Heracles
Whose son doth he who feeds them boast to be?
Whose son doth he who feeds them boast to be?
Chorus
Ares’ son, king of the golden targe of Thrace.
Ares’ son, king of the golden targe of Thrace.
Heracles
This toil again is but a piece of my ill-luck;
hard it ever is and still is growing steeper, if I with Ares’ own-begotten sons must fight, first with Lycaon, next with Cycnus, while now I am bound on this third contest to engage the horses and their master.
500
Yet shall no man ever see Alcmena’s son trembling at his foemen’s prowess.
505
507
This toil again is but a piece of my ill-luck;
hard it ever is and still is growing steeper, if I with Ares’ own-begotten sons must fight, first with Lycaon, next with Cycnus, while now I am bound on this third contest to engage the horses and their master.
500
Yet shall no man ever see Alcmena’s son trembling at his foemen’s prowess.
505
Chorus
See where Admetus, lord of this land, comes in person from the palace forth.
See where Admetus, lord of this land, comes in person from the palace forth.
Admetus
Hail! son of Zeus, from Perseus sprung.
Hail! son of Zeus, from Perseus sprung.
Heracles
Joy to thee also, Admetus, king of Thessaly.
510
Joy to thee also, Admetus, king of Thessaly.
510
Admetus
Would there were! yet thy kindly heart I know full well.
Would there were! yet thy kindly heart I know full well.
Heracles
Why dost thou appear with head shorn thus in mourning?
Why dost thou appear with head shorn thus in mourning?
Admetus
To-day I am to bury one who is dead.
To-day I am to bury one who is dead.
Heracles
Heaven avert calamity from thy children!
Heaven avert calamity from thy children!
Admetus
The children I have begotten are alive within my house.
515
The children I have begotten are alive within my house.
515
Heracles
Thy father maybe is gone; well, he was ripe to go.
Thy father maybe is gone; well, he was ripe to go.
Admetus
No, Heracles, he lives; my mother too.
No, Heracles, he lives; my mother too.
Heracles
It cannot be thy wife is dead, thy Alcestis?
It cannot be thy wife is dead, thy Alcestis?
Admetus
I can a twofold tale tell about her.
I can a twofold tale tell about her.
Heracles
Dost mean that she is dead, or living still?
520
Dost mean that she is dead, or living still?
520
Admetus
She lives, yet lives no more; that is my grief.
She lives, yet lives no more; that is my grief.
Heracles
I am no wiser yet; thy words are riddles to me.
I am no wiser yet; thy words are riddles to me.
Admetus
Knowest thou not the doom she must undergo?
Knowest thou not the doom she must undergo?
Heracles
I know she did submit to die in thy stead.
I know she did submit to die in thy stead.
Admetus
How then is she still alive, if so she promised?
525
How then is she still alive, if so she promised?
525
Heracles
Ah! weep not thy wife before the day, put that off till then.
Ah! weep not thy wife before the day, put that off till then.
Admetus
The doomed is dead; the dead no more exists.
The doomed is dead; the dead no more exists.
Heracles
Men count to be and not to be something apart.
Men count to be and not to be something apart.
Admetus
Thy verdict this, O Heracles, mine another.
Thy verdict this, O Heracles, mine another.
Heracles
Why weepest then? which of thy dear ones is the dead?
530
Why weepest then? which of thy dear ones is the dead?
530
Admetus
’Tis a woman; I spoke of a woman just now.
’Tis a woman; I spoke of a woman just now.
Heracles
A stranger, or one of thine own kin?
A stranger, or one of thine own kin?
Admetus
A stranger, yet in another sense related to my house.
A stranger, yet in another sense related to my house.
Heracles
How then came she by her death in house of thine?
How then came she by her death in house of thine?
Admetus
Her father dead, she lived here as an orphan.
535
Her father dead, she lived here as an orphan.
535
Heracles
Ah! would I had found thee free from grief, Admetus!
536
Ah! would I had found thee free from grief, Admetus!
Admetus
With what intent dost thou devise this speech?
With what intent dost thou devise this speech?
Heracles
I will seek some other friendly hearth.
I will seek some other friendly hearth.
Admetus
Never, O prince! Heaven forefend such dire disgrace!
Never, O prince! Heaven forefend such dire disgrace!
Heracles
A guest is a burden to sorrowing friends, if come he should.
540
A guest is a burden to sorrowing friends, if come he should.
540
Admetus
The dead are dead. Come in.
The dead are dead. Come in.
Heracles
To feast in a friend’s house of sorrow is shameful.
To feast in a friend’s house of sorrow is shameful.
Admetus
The guest chambers lie apart, whereto we will conduct thee.
The guest chambers lie apart, whereto we will conduct thee.
Heracles
Let me go; ten thousandfold shall be my thanks to thee.
Let me go; ten thousandfold shall be my thanks to thee.
Admetus
Thou must not go to any other hearth.
(To a Servant.) Go before, open the guest-rooms that face not these chambers, and bid my stewards see there is plenty of food; then shut the doors that lead into the courtyard; for ’tis not seemly that guests when at their meat
545
should hear the voice of weeping or be made sad.
[Exit HERACLES.
550
Thou must not go to any other hearth.
(To a Servant.) Go before, open the guest-rooms that face not these chambers, and bid my stewards see there is plenty of food; then shut the doors that lead into the courtyard; for ’tis not seemly that guests when at their meat
545
should hear the voice of weeping or be made sad.
[Exit HERACLES.
550
Chorus
What doest thou? With such calamity before thee, hast thou the heart, Admetus, to welcome visitors? What means this folly?
What doest thou? With such calamity before thee, hast thou the heart, Admetus, to welcome visitors? What means this folly?
Admetus
Well, and if I had driven him from my house and city when he came to be my guest, wouldst thou have praised me more?
No indeed! for my calamity would have been no whit less, while I should have been more churlish. And this would have been another woe to add to mine, that my house should be called no friend to guests. Yea, and I find him myself the best of hosts
555
whene’er to Argos’ thirsty land I come.
560
Well, and if I had driven him from my house and city when he came to be my guest, wouldst thou have praised me more?
No indeed! for my calamity would have been no whit less, while I should have been more churlish. And this would have been another woe to add to mine, that my house should be called no friend to guests. Yea, and I find him myself the best of hosts
555
whene’er to Argos’ thirsty land I come.
560
Chorus
Why then didst thou conceal thy present misfortune, if, as thy own lips declare, it was a friend that came?
Why then didst thou conceal thy present misfortune, if, as thy own lips declare, it was a friend that came?
Admetus
He would never have entered my house, had he known aught of my distress.
Maybe there are who think me but a fool for acting thus, and these will blame me; but my halls have never learnt to drive away or treat with scorn my guests.
565
He would never have entered my house, had he known aught of my distress.
Maybe there are who think me but a fool for acting thus, and these will blame me; but my halls have never learnt to drive away or treat with scorn my guests.
565
Alcestis. Euripides. Edward P. Coleridge (Translator). London. 1906.
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