CHORUS

Of these twain do thou vouchsafe to bestow the one boon on this damsel, and the other on me, and disdain thou not my request. To her tell the rest of her wanderings, and to me him that is to deliver thee ; for this I long [to hear].

PROMETHEUS

Seeing that ye are eagerly bent upon it, I will not oppose your wishes, so as not to utter every thing as much as ye desire. To thee in the first place, Io, will I describe thy mazy wanderings, which do thou engrave on the recording tablets of thy mind.

When thou shalt have crossed the stream that is the boundary of the Continents, to the ruddy realms of mom where walks the sun

. . . . . . . having passed over the roaring swell of the sea, until thou shalt reach the Gorgonian plains of Cisthene, where dwell the Phorcides, three swanlike aged damsels, that possess one eye in common, that have but a single tooth, on whom ne'er doth the sun glance with his rays, nor the nightly moon. And hard by are three winged sisters of these, the snake-tressed Gorgons, abhorred of mortals, whom none of human race can look upon and retain the breath of life

. Such is this caution

which I mention to thee. Now lend an ear to another hideous spectacle; for be on thy guard against the keenranged hounds of Jupiter that never bark, the gryphons, and the cavalry host of one-eyed Arimasprans, who dwell on the banks of the gold-gushing fount, the stream of Pluto: go not thou nigh to these. And thou wilt reach a far-distant land, a dark tribe, who dwell close upon the fountains of the sun, where is the river Aethiops. Along the banks of this wend thy way, until thou shalt have reached the cataract where from the Bybline mountains the Nile pours forth his hallowed, grateful stream. This will guide thee to the triangular land of the Nile; where at length, To, it is ordained for thee and thy children after thee to found the distant colony. And if aught of this is obscurely uttered, and hard to be understood, question me anew, and learn it thoroughly and clearly: as for leisure, I have more than I desire.

CHORUS

PROMÉTHÉE

Je te l'offre, choisis : dois-je t'apprendre exactement le reste de tes maux ou qui sera mon libérateur ?

LE CORYPHÉE

De ces grâces, veuille donc lui accorder l'une, l'autre sera pour moi : ne dédaigne pas nos vœux. A Io révèle la suite de ses erreurs ; à moi, qui sera
ton libérateur ; car c'est là mon envie.

PROMÉTHÉE

Si tel est votre ardent désir, je ne me refuserai pas à vous révéler tout ce que vous demandez. A toi d'abord, Io, je dirai les erreurs de ta course tourbillonnante : inscris-les aux tablettes fidèles de ta mémoire.

PROMÉTHÉE

Quand tu auras franchi le courant qui sert de limite aux continents vers le Levant où flamboient les pas du Soleil ¹ en traversant le fracas de la mer, jusqu'au moment où tu atteindras les champs gorgonéens de Kisthène, séjour des
Phorkides, trois vierges antiques, au corps de cygne, qui n'ont qu'un même œil, une seule dent, et qui jamais n'obtiennent un regard ni du soleil rayonnant ni du croissant des nuits. Près d'elles sont trois sœurs ailées à
toison de serpents, les Gorgones, horreur des mortels, que nul humain ne saurait regarder sans expirer aussitôt. Tel est l'avertissement que d'abord je te donne. Mais apprends à connaître le péril d'un autre spectacle : garde-toi des chiens de Zeus, au bec aigu, qui n'aboient point,
des Griffons ² ; et aussi de l'armée montée des Arimaspes à l'œil unique, qui habitent sur les bords du fleuve Pluton, qui charrie l'or. D'aucun de ceux-là n'approche ; et tu arriveras alors en un pays éloigné, celui d'un peuple noir, établi près des eaux du Soleil, au pays du fleuve Aithiops.
Suis-en la berge jusqu'à l'heure où tu atteindras la « Descente », le point où, du haut des monts de Biblos, le Nil déverse ses eaux saintes et salutaires. C'est lui qui te conduira au pays en triangle où le Destin a
réservé à Io et à sa descendance la fondation de sa lointaine colonie. Si quelque point te reste trouble, embarrassant, reprends-le, instruis-toi avec précision. J'ai du loisir ici, plus que je n'en souhaite.

LE CORYPHÉE

Si tu as encore à lui révéler un fait
nouveau — ou oublié — de ses erreurs vagabondes, dis-

LE CORYPHÉE

le. Si tu as

CHORUS.

The first to her, to me this other grace

Vouchſafe, nor my requeſt treat with diſdain.

To her impart what toils remain; to me

795

Him that ſhall free thee; this I moſt deſire.

PROMETHEUS.

This your requeſt I ſhall not be averſe

To gratify, and tell you all you wiſh.

First for thy various wand'rings: Mark my words,

And grave them on the tablet of thy heart.

800

When thou ſhalt paſs the flood, the common bound

Of either continent, direct thy ſteps

Right to the firey portals of the eaſt,

PROMETHEUS.

The' ſun's bright walk, along the roaring beach,

Till thou ſhalt come to the gorgonian plains

805

Of Ciſthine, where dwell the ſwanlike forms

Of Phorcys' daughters, bent and white with age; h

One common eye have these, one common tooth,

And never does the ſun with chearful ray

Viſit them darkling, nor the moon's pale orb

810

That ſilvers o'er the night.

The Gorgons nigh,

Their ſiſters these, ſpread their broad wings, and wreath

Their horrid hair with ſerpents, fiends abhor'd,

Whom never mortal cou'd behold, and live.

815

Be therefore warn'd, and let it profit thee

To learn what else deteſtable to ſight

Lies in thy way, and dang'rous.

Shun the Gryphins,

Those dumb and rav'nous dogs of Jove. Avoid

820

The Arimaſpian troops, whoſe frowning foreheads

Glare with one blazing eye; along the banks,

Where Pluto rolls his ſtreams of gold, they rein i

Their foaming ſteeds; approach them not, but seek

A land far diſtant, where the tawny race k

825

Dwell near the fountains of the ſun, and where

The Nigris pours his duſky waters; wind

Along his banks, till thou ſhalt reach the fall

Where from the mountains with Papyrus crown'd

The venerable Nile impetuous pours

830

His headlong torrent; he ſhall guide thy ſteps

To those irriguous plains, whoſe triple ſides

His arms ſurround;

there have the Fates decreed

Thee and thy ſons to form the lengthen'd line. -

835

Is ought imperfect, ought obſcure? Reſume

Th' inquiry, and be taught with greater clearncss:

+ I have more leiſure than I wiſh to have.

CHORUS.

CORIFEA

Di queste grazie una a costei concedi,

e l'altra a me, né favellar t'incresca:

degli error' suoi di' a questa il resto; e a me

chi ti libererà; ché ciò desidero.

905

PROMETEO

Poi che voi lo bramate, io rifiutarmi

non saprei di narrar ciò che chiedete:

a te dapprima narrerò, fanciulla,

i lunghi errori ed i travagli; e scrivilo

del pensiero tuo nei solchi mèmori.

910

Poscia che il gorgo, ai continenti limite,

attraversato avrai, verso le plaghe

tutte fiamma, che il sole all'alba preme,

corri, e traversa il sonito del mare,

sin che tu non pervenga al pian di Cístene

915

gorgonio, ove dimora hanno le Fòrcidi,

le tre fanciulle annose. Elle figura

han di cigno, e un solo occhio in tre posseggono,

e un dente sol. Né coi suoi raggi il sole

le guarda mai, né la notturna luna.

920

Le Gorgoni son qui presso; le tre

loro alate sorelle, a cui dal capo

guizzano serpi: aborrono esse gli uomini;

né può mortale alcuno serbare alito

di vita, ove le scorga: il loro asilo

925

di schivar t'ammonisco. Altro spettacolo

orrido ascolta ancor. Dai grifi guàrdati,

muti cani di Giove adunchi rostri,

e dall'equestre stuol degli Arimaspi,

ch'àn solo un occhio, ed abitano i pressi

930

del Plutone, che volge oro nei flutti.

Non accostarti ad essi. E giungerai

ad una estrema landa, a un popol negro

che del sol presso le sorgenti vive,

dov'è l'Etíope fiume. Or tu trascinati

935

lungo le rive, sin che tu sia giunta

ad una frana, dove il Nilo gitta

giú dai monti Biblini, l'onda sacra

soave a bere. Ed esso t'addurrà

al tricuspide suol niliaco, dove

940

è per te fato e per i figli tuoi,

la remota colonia, Io, stabilire.

Se men facile o balba per te suona

di ciò ch'io dissi alcuna parte, addoppia

pur la dimanda, e chiaro apprendi il tutto:

945

tempo n'ho molto più ch'io non desideri.

CORIFEA

Cho.

Horum partim huic, partim mihi gratiam

Dare velis, neq; sermones contemne,

Huicq; narra reliquum errorem:

Mihi verò, qui te soluet. hoc enim cupio.

785

Pro.

Postquam cupitis, non aduersabor:

Omnia quæ vultis, vobis narrabo.

Tibi primò, Io, multiuagum errorem dicam,

Quem tu tabulis memoribus mentium scribes.

Quando transibis fluentum, terminum Asiæ

790

Ad solis ortum, flammeâs solis vias,

Murmur maris transiens ibis, donec exeâs

Ad Gorgoneos campos Sistinis, ubi detestatæ

Phorcydes habitant, puellæ validæ,

Tres cygniformes, communem oculum possidentes,

795

Vnidentes, quos neq; sol respicit

Radijs, neq; nocturna luna unquam:

Prope sunt hæ tres sorores alatæ,

Dracontinis pilis, Gorgones mortalibus invisæ:

Quas qui mortalium viderit, non amplius vivet,

800

Hoc tibi vitandum esse dico,

Aliud audi triste spectaculum:

Acutum os habentes, Iouis longè clamantes canes

Aduncos vitabis, unoculumq; exercitum

Bellicosum equitantem, qui aurifluum

805

Habitat circa meatum Plutonis,

Ad hunc non ibis: remotæ terræ

Venies ad nigram nationem, quæ iuxta solis

Fontes habitat: ibi fluvius Æthiops est.

Huius ad ripas ito, donec traijcias:

810

PROMETHEVS.

Traiectum, inde à montibus Biblinis

Mittit venerandum Nilus potatu bonus fluentum:

Ipse te deducet in Triquetram terram

Nilotim, cuius longam coloniam

Constitutum est tibi & filijs tuis condere,

815

Horum si quid tibi incognitum, & inuetu difficile est,

Rursus interroga, & disce apertè.

Plus enim mihi est otij, quàm vellem.

Cho.

Chorus

Nay! of the two, vouchsafe her wish to her

And mine to me, deigning a truth to each—

To her, reveal her future wanderings—

To me, thy future saviour, as I crave!

Prometheus

I will not set myself to thwart your will

860

Withholding aught of what ye crave to know.

First to thee, Io, will I tell and trace

Thy scared circuitous wandering—mark it well,

Deep in retentive tablets of the soul.

When thou hast overpast the ferry's flow

865

That sunders continent from continent,

Straight to the eastward and the flaming face

Of dawn, and highways trodden by the sun,

Pass, till thou come unto the windy land

Of daughters born to Boreas: beware

870

Lest the strong spirit of the stormy blast

Snatch thee aloft, and sweep thee to the void,

On wings of raving wintry hurricane!

Wend by the noisy tumult of the wave,

Until thou reach the Gorgon-haunted plains

875

Beside Cisthene. In that solitude

Dwell Phorcys' daughters, beldames worn with time,

Three, each swan-shapen, single-toothed, and all

Peering thro' shared endowment of one eye;

Never on them doth the sun shed his rays,

880

Never falls radiance of the midnight moon.

But, hard by these, their sisters, clad with wings,

Serpentine-curled, dwell, loathed of mortal men,—

The Gorgons!—he of men who looks on them

Shall gasp away his life. Of such fell guard

885

I bid thee to beware. Now, mark my words

When I another sight of terror tell—

Beware the Gryphon pack, the hounds of Zeus,

As keen of fang as silent of their tongues!

Beware the one-eyed Arimaspian band

890

That tramp on horse-hoofs, dwelling by the ford

Of Pluto and the stream that flows with gold:

Keep thou aloof from these. To the world's end

Thou comest at the last, the dark-faced tribe

That dwell beside the sources of the sun,

895

Where springs the river, Aethiopian named.

Make thou thy way along his bank, until

Thou come unto the mighty downward slope

Where from the overland of Bybline hills

Nile pours his hallowed earth-refreshing wave.

900

He by his course shall guide thee to the realm

Named from himself, three-angled, water-girt;

There, Io, at the last, hath Fate ordained,

For thee and for thy race, the charge to found,

Far from thy native shore, a new abode.

905

Lo, I have said: if aught hereof appear

Hard to thy sense and inarticulate,

Question me o'er again, and soothly learn—

God wot, I have too much of leisure here!

Chorus

Die Chorführerin.

Von Beidem woll' ihr Eines, mir das Andere

Gewähren: laß die Bitte nicht vergeblich sein!

780

Ihr melde denn, welch weit'res Irrsal ihrer harrt,

Mir, wer dich einst erlöse: sehnend wünsch' ich das.

Prometheus.

Weil ihr es wünschet, widerstreb' ich länger nicht,

Und offenbar' euch Alles, was ihr wissen wollt.

Erst, Jo, meld' ich deine vielbewegte Flucht;

785

Sie schreib' in Tafeln deines Sinns getreu dir ein.

Wenn du den Sund durchschwammest, der die Festen trennt,

Zeuch, wo des Ostes Sonnenbahn sich flammend hebt,

Hindurch die Meereswogen, bis du hingelangst

Zu Gorgoneierfluren, nach Kisthene, wo

790

Des Phorkys Töchter hausen, hochbetagte Frau'n,

Drei, schwanengleich, gemeinsam Eines Auges froh

Und Eines Zahnes, welche nie der Sonne Strahl

Beglänzt, und nie des Mondes nächtlich Aug' erblickt;

Und ihnen nah die Schwestern, drei geflügelte

795

Gorgonen, schlangenhaarig, grimm von Menschenhaß,

Bei deren Anblick jeder Hauch des Lebens stirbt.

Zu deiner Hut verkünd' ich solches dir voraus.

Noch andern Anblick grauser Art vernimm von mir.

Hab' Acht vor jenen Greifen, Zeus' scharfzahnigen,

800

Stimmlosen Hunden und den rossetummelnden

Einäugigen Arimaspen, die des Pluto Strom

Umwohnen, der in goldnem Sand die Welle rollt.

Komm ihnen ja nicht nahe! Dann ein fernes Land

Erreichst du, jenes schwarze Volk an Helios'

805

Urborne, wo des Aethiops Gewässer strömt.

An dessen Ufer wandre, bis du hingelangst

Zum Wassersturze, wo von Byblos' Höh'n herab

Des Neilos Flut den süßen heil'gen Strom ergießt.

Der wird den Weg dir weisen in's dreiseitige

810

Nilland, wo dir und deiner Kinder Stamm dereinst

Die ferne Wohnung, Jo, dein Geschick bestimmt.

Blieb irgend etwas dunkel dir und räthselbaft,

So frage nochmals, und vernimm ein klares Wort;

Denn reich're Muße ward mir, als ich wünschen mag.

815

Die Chorführerin.