Aeschylus Persians 504.app-504-1

ATOSSA

Alas! wretched that I am for our undone host! O manifest phantom of my visions of the night, how too truly didst thou discover the horrors to me. And very sorrily did ye interpret these things. But notwithstanding, since your speech sanctions this, I would fain first of all make my prayers to the gods; then will I come, after fetching from my dwelling 2

a sacrificial cake, offerings both for earth and for the departed: over things past [recal] I well know, but it may be that something more auspicious will befal hereafter. But it behoves you to communicate faithful counsels with the faithful, touching what has taken place; and for my son, if he come hither before me, soothe ye him, and escort him into his dwelling, lest even a further ill be added over and above to our present ills 3

.

CHORUS

LE CORYPHÉE

Ah ! divinité douloureuse, de quel poids t'es-tu donc abattue sur toute la race perse !

LA REINE

Hélas ! infortunée ! notre armée est détruite ! Ah ! trop claire vision de mes songes nocturnes, certes, tu avais été vraie en me montrant ces maux. Et
vous, vous en aviez jugé trop légèrement. Pourtant, puisque c'est en ce sens que votre avis s'est prononcé, je veux d'abord prier les dieux ; ensuite à la terre et aux morts je viendrai apporter une offrande choisie dans mon
palais. Je sais qu'il s'agit du passé : mais l'avenir ne peut-il nous réserver un sort meilleur ? Pour vous, il vous convient de réunir sur les événements les fidèles avis dus à de fidèles princes. Et, si mon fils arrive ici avant que je sois de
retour, consolez-le, escortez-le vers le palais — de peur qu'à nos malheurs il n'ajoute encore un malheur ¹ .

LE CORYPHÉE

ATOSSA.

Ah me, what ſorrows for our ruin'd hoſt

640

Oppreſs my ſoul!

Ye viſions of the night

Haunting my dreams, how plainly did you ſhow

Theſe ills ?-You ſet them in too fair a light.

Yet, ſince your bidding hath in this prevail'd,

645

Firſt to the Gods with I to pour my pray'rs,

Then to the mighty dead preſent my off'rings,

Bringing libations from my houſe:

too late,

THE PERSIANS.

I know, to change the paſt; yet for the future,

650

If haply better fortune may await it.

Behoves you, on this ſad event, to guide

Your friends with faithful councils.

Shou'd

my ſon

655

Return e'er I have finiſh'd, let your voice

Speak comfort to him;

friendly to his houſe

Attend him, nor let ſorrow riſe on ſorrows.

CHORUS

STROPHE.

ATOSSA

Misera me, l'esercito è distrutto!

Oh!, visïoni dei notturni sogni,

come palese mi svelaste il danno!

600

Ahi!, male voi l'interpretaste!

Pure,

poiché prevalse la sentenza vostra,

voglio prima innalzar preci ai Celesti.

Poi nella reggia tornerò, recando

605

ai defunti ed a Gea sacri libami.

Gli eventi omai, lo so, compiuti sono:

ma piú fausto il futuro esser potrebbe.

Ora, in questo frangente, o fidi miei,

presto darete a noi fidi consigli.

610

E il figlio mio, se di me prima giunga,

consolatelo, a casa accompagnatelo,

che nuovo male non s'aggiunga ai mali.

CORIFEO

Ato.

Me miferam, ob perditum exercitum.

O'uifio confpicua infomniorum noctis.

495

Quàm ualde mihi apertè manifestaslı mala.

Vosuerò malèhæc iudicaftis.

Tamen poftquam approbatus est fermo

Veſter deos quidem primò orare uolo:

Deinde hanc terram mortuis dona

500

Acipiens accedam, libum ex ædibus meis.

Scio equidem, quomodo peractæ sint res.

Sod in reliquum fi a iquid melius fucrit,

Vos oportet his peractis,

Fidelibus fidelia conferre confilia.

505

Et meum puerum fi prius me huc uenerit,

Confolamini, mittite domum.

Ne ucrò amplius ad mala addatis malum.

Cho.

Atossa

Woe for the host, to wrack and ruin hurled!

O warning of the night, prophetic dream!

540

Thou didst foreshadow clearly all the doom,

While ye, old men, made light of woman's fears!

Ah well—yet, as your divination ruled

The meaning of the sign, I hold it good,

First, that I put up prayer unto the gods,

545

And, after that, forth from my palace bring

The sacrificial cake, the offering due

To Earth and to the spirits of the dead.

Too well I know it is a timeless rite

Over a finished thing that cannot change!

550

But yet—I know not—there may come of it

Alleviation for the after time.

You it beseems, in view of what hath happed,

T' advise with loyal hearts our loyal guards:

And to my son—if, ere my coming forth,

555

He should draw hitherward—give comfort meet,

Escort him to the palace in all state,

Lest to these woes he add another woe!

[ Exit Atossa.

Chorus

Atoſſa.

Ich Arme, weh mir! Hingemordet schwand das Heer!

O klares Traumbild, aufgeblikt in düstrer Nacht,

500

Wie deutlich hast du Böses mir geoffenbart!

Ihr aber hattet seinen Sinn ganz falsch erkannt.

Indessen, weil es euer Wort also bestimmt,

Ruf' ich vor Allem im Gebet die Götter an;

Dann hol' ich Opferbrode mir aus meinem Haus,

505

Den Abgeschiednen und der Erd' als Weihgeschenk.

Zwar weiß ich, ändert keine Kunst Vergangenes;

Doch für die Zukunft frommen uns die Gaben wohl.

Ihr aber müßt im Leide, das uns niederbeugt,

Getreu mit treuem Rathe mir zur Seite steh'n;

510

Und wenn der König etwa kommt, bevor ich selbst

Erscheine, tröstet, leitet ihn in's Haus hinein,

Damit er nicht zum Leide neues Leid gesellt!

(Atossa mit dem Boten und Gefolge ab.)

Der Chor.