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Nurse
There now! thou art thyself again, but e’en yet refusest to aid thy children and preserve thy life.
There now! thou art thyself again, but e’en yet refusest to aid thy children and preserve thy life.
Phaedra
My babes I love, but there is another storm that buffets me.
315
My babes I love, but there is another storm that buffets me.
315
Nurse
Daughter, are thy hands from bloodshed pure?
Daughter, are thy hands from bloodshed pure?
Phaedra
My hands are pure, but on my soul there rests a stain.
My hands are pure, but on my soul there rests a stain.
Nurse
The issue of some enemy’s secret witchery?
The issue of some enemy’s secret witchery?
Phaedra
A friend is my destroyer, one unwilling as myself.
A friend is my destroyer, one unwilling as myself.
Nurse
Hath Theseus wronged thee in any wise?
320
Hath Theseus wronged thee in any wise?
320
Phaedra
Never may I prove untrue to him
1
Never may I prove untrue to him
1
Nurse
Then what strange mystery is there that drives thee on to die?
Then what strange mystery is there that drives thee on to die?
Phaedra
O, let my sin and me alone! ’tis not ’gainst thee I sin.
O, let my sin and me alone! ’tis not ’gainst thee I sin.
Nurse
Never willingly! and, if I fail, ’twill rest at thy door.
Never willingly! and, if I fail, ’twill rest at thy door.
Phaedra
How now? thou usest force in clinging to my hand.
325
How now? thou usest force in clinging to my hand.
325
Nurse
Yea, and I will never loose my hold upon thy knees.
Yea, and I will never loose my hold upon thy knees.
Phaedra
Alas for thee! my sorrows, shouldst thou learn them, would recoil on thee.
Alas for thee! my sorrows, shouldst thou learn them, would recoil on thee.
Nurse
What keener grief for me than failing to win thee?
What keener grief for me than failing to win thee?
Phaedra
’Twill be death to thee; though to me that brings renown.
2
’Twill be death to thee; though to me that brings renown.
2
Nurse
And dost thou then conceal this boon despite my prayers?
330
And dost thou then conceal this boon despite my prayers?
330
Phaedra
I do, for ’tis out of shame I am planning an honourable escape.
I do, for ’tis out of shame I am planning an honourable escape.
Nurse
Tell it, and thine honour shall the brighter shine.
Tell it, and thine honour shall the brighter shine.
Phaedra
Away, I do conjure thee; loose my hand.
Away, I do conjure thee; loose my hand.
Nurse
I will not, for the boon thou shouldst have granted me is denied.
I will not, for the boon thou shouldst have granted me is denied.
Phaedra
I will grant it out of reverence for thy holy sup- pliant touch.
335
I will grant it out of reverence for thy holy sup- pliant touch.
335
Nurse
Henceforth I hold my peace; ’tis thine to speak from now.
Henceforth I hold my peace; ’tis thine to speak from now.
Phaedra
Ah! hapless mother,
3
what a love was thine!
Ah! hapless mother,
3
what a love was thine!
Nurse
Her love for the bull? daughter, or what meanest thou?
Her love for the bull? daughter, or what meanest thou?
Phaedra
And woe to thee! my sister,
4
bride of Dionysus.
And woe to thee! my sister,
4
bride of Dionysus.
Nurse
What ails thee, child? speaking ill of kith and kin.
340
What ails thee, child? speaking ill of kith and kin.
340
Phaedra
Myself the third to suffer! how am I undone!
Myself the third to suffer! how am I undone!
Nurse
Thou strik’st me dumb! Where will this history end?
Thou strik’st me dumb! Where will this history end?
Phaedra
That
love has been our curse from time long past.
That
love has been our curse from time long past.
Nurse
I know no more of what I fain would learn.
I know no more of what I fain would learn.
Phaedra
Ah! would thou couldst say for me what I have to tell.
345
Ah! would thou couldst say for me what I have to tell.
345
Nurse
I am no prophetess to unriddle secrets.
I am no prophetess to unriddle secrets.
Phaedra
What is it they mean when they talk of people being in
love?
What is it they mean when they talk of people being in
love?
Nurse
At once the sweetest and the bitterest thing, my child.
At once the sweetest and the bitterest thing, my child.
Phaedra
I shall only find the latter half.
I shall only find the latter half.
Nurse
Ha! my child, art thou in love?
350
Ha! my child, art thou in love?
350
Phaedra
The Amazon’s son, whoever he may be,—
The Amazon’s son, whoever he may be,—
Nurse
Mean’st thou Hippolytus?
Mean’st thou Hippolytus?
Phaedra
’Twas thou, not I, that spoke his name.
’Twas thou, not I, that spoke his name.
Nurse
O heavens! what is this, my child? Thou hast ruined me. Outrageous! friends; I will not live and bear it;
hateful is life, hateful to mine eyes the light. This body I resign, will cast it off, and rid me of existence by my death. Farewell, my life is o’er. Yea, for the chaste have wicked passions, ’gainst their will maybe, but still they have. Cypris, it seems, is not a goddess after all,
355
but something greater far, for she hath been the ruin of my lady and of me and our whole family.
360
O heavens! what is this, my child? Thou hast ruined me. Outrageous! friends; I will not live and bear it;
hateful is life, hateful to mine eyes the light. This body I resign, will cast it off, and rid me of existence by my death. Farewell, my life is o’er. Yea, for the chaste have wicked passions, ’gainst their will maybe, but still they have. Cypris, it seems, is not a goddess after all,
355
but something greater far, for she hath been the ruin of my lady and of me and our whole family.
360
Hippolytus. Euripides. Edward P. Coleridge (Translator). London. 1906.
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