AGAMEMNON.
First, indeed,
, and the gods, the local,
810
’T is right addressing — those with me the partners
In this return and right things done the city
Of Priamos: gods who, from no tongue hearing
The rights o’ the cause, for
’s fate man-slaught’rous
Into the bloody vase, not oscillating,
815
Put the vote-pebbles, while, o’ the rival vessel,
Hope rose up to the lip-edge: filled it was not.
By smoke the captured city is still conspicuous:
Até’s burnt offerings live: and, dying with them,
The ash sends forth the fulsome blasts of riches.
820
Of these things, to the gods grace many-mindful
’T is right I render, since both nets outrageous
We built them round with, and, for sake of woman,
It did the city to dust — the Argeian monster,
The horse’s nestling, the shield-bearing people
825
That made a leap, at setting of the Pleiads,
And, vaulting o’er the tower, the raw-flesh-feeding
Lion licked up his fill of blood tyrannic.
I to the gods indeed prolonged this preface;
But — as for
thy thought, I remember hearing —
830
I say the same, and thou co-pleader hast me.
Since few of men this faculty is born with —
To honour, without grudge, their friend, successful.
For moody, on the heart, a poison seated
Its burthen doubles to who gained the sickness:
835
By his own griefs he is himself made heavy,
And out-of-door prosperity seeing groans at.
Knowing, I’d call (for well have I experienced)
Fellowship’s mirror,
phantom of a shadow,
Those seeming to be mighty gracious to me:
840
While just Odusseus — he who sailed not willing —
When joined on, was to me the ready trace-horse.
This of him, whether dead or whether living,
I say. For other city-and-gods’ concernment —
Appointing common courts, in full assemblage
845
We will consult. And as for what holds seemly —
How it may lasting stay well, must be counselled:
While what has need of medicines Paionian
We, either burning or else cutting kindly,
Will make endeavour to turn pain from sickness.
850
And now into the domes and homes by altar
Going, I to the gods first raise the right-hand —
They who, far sending, back again have brought me.
And Victory, since she followed, fixed remain she!
KLUTAIMNESTRA.
Men, citizens, Argeians here, my worships!
855
I shall not shame me, consort-loving manners
To tell before you: for in time there dies off
The diffidence from people. Not from others
Learning, I of myself will tell the hard life
I bore so long as this man was ’neath
.
860
First: for a woman, from the male divided,
To sit at home alone, is monstrous evil —
Hearing the many rumours back-revenging:
And for now This to come, now That bring after
Woe, and still worse woe, bawling in the household!
865
And truly, if so many wounds had chanced on
My husband here, as homeward used to dribble
Report, he’s pierced more than a net to speak of!
While, were he dying (as the words abounded)
A triple-bodied Geruon the Second,
870
Plenty above — for loads below I count not —
Of earth a three-share cloak he’d boast of taking,
Once only dying in each several figure!
Because of suchlike rumours back-revenging,
Many the halters from my neck, above head,
875
Others than
I loosed — loosed from neck by main force!
From this cause, sure, the boy stands not beside me —
Possessor of our troth-plights, thine and mine too —
As ought Orestes: be not thou astonished!
For, him brings up our well-disposed guest-captive
880
Strophios the Phokian — ills that told on both sides
To me predicting — both of thee ’neath
The danger, and if anarchy’s mob-uproar
Should overthrow thy council; since ’t is born with
Mortals, — whoe’er has fallen, the more to kick him.
885
Such an excuse, I think, no cunning carries!
As for myself — why, of my wails the rushing
Fountains are dried up: not in them a drop more!
And in my late-to-bed eyes I have damage,
Bewailing what concerned thee, those torch-holdings
890
For ever unattended to. In dreams — why,
Beneath the light wing-beats o’ the gnat, I woke up
As he went buzzing — sorrows that concerned thee
Seeing, that filled more than their fellow-sleep-time.
Now, all this having suffered, from soul grief-free
895
I would style this man here the dog o’ the stables,
The saviour forestay of the ship, the high roof’s
Ground-prop, son sole-begotten to his father,
— Ay, land appearing to the sailors past hope,
Loveliest day to see after a tempest,
900
To the wayfaring-one athirst a well-spring,
— The joy, in short, of ’scaping all that ’s — fatal!
I judge him worth addresses such as these are
— Envy stand off! — for many those old evils
We underwent. And now, to me — dear headship! —
905
Dismount thou from this car, not earthward setting
The foot of thine, O king, that’s
’s spoiler!
Slave-maids, why tarry? — whose the task allotted
To strew the soil o’ the road with carpet-spreadings.
Immediately be purple-strewn the pathway,
910
So that to home unhoped may lead him — Justice!
As for the rest, care shall — by no sleep conquered —
Dispose things — justly (gods to aid!) appointed.
AGAMEMNON.
Offspring of Leda, of my household warder,
Suitably to my absence hast thou spoken,
915
For long the speech thou didst outstretch! But aptly
To praise — from others ought to go this favour.
And for the rest, —-not me, in woman’s fashion,
Mollify, nor — as mode of barbarous man is —
To me gape forth a groundward-falling clamour!
920
Nor, strewing it with garments, make my passage
Envied! Gods, sure, with these behoves we honour:
But, for a mortal on these varied beauties
To walk — to me, indeed, is nowise fear-free.
I say — as man, not god, to me do homage!
925
Apart from foot-mats both and varied vestures,
Renown is loud, and — not to lose one’s senses,
God’s greatest gift. Behoves we him call happy
Who has brought life to end in loved well-being.
If all things I might manage thus — brave man, I!
930
AGAMEMNON.
But if this seem so to thee — shoes, let someone
Loose under, quick — foot’s serviceable carriage!
945
And me, on these sea-products walking, may no
Grudge from a distance, from the god’s eye, strike at!
For great shame were my strewment-spoiling — riches
Spoiling with feet, and silver-purchased textures!
Of these things, thus then. But this female-stranger
950
Tenderly take inside! Who conquers mildly
God, from afar, benignantly regardeth.
For, willing, no one wears a yoke that’s servile:
And she, of many valuables, outpicked
The flower, the army’s gift, myself has followed.
955
So, — since to hear thee, I am brought about thus, —
I go into the palace — purples treading.
KLUTAIMNESTRA.
There is the sea — and what man shall exhaust it? —
Feeding much purple’s worth-its-weight-in-silver
Dye, ever fresh and fresh, our garments’ tincture;
960
At home, such wealth, king, we begin — by gods’ help —
With having, and to lack, the household knows not.
Of many garments had I vowed a treading
(In oracles if fore-enjoined the household)
Of this dear soul the safe-return-price scheming!
965
For, root existing, foliage goes up houses,
O’erspreading shadow against Seirios dog-star;
And, thou returning to the hearth domestic,
Warmth, yea, in winter dost thou show returning.
And when, too, Zeus works, from the green-grape acrid,
970
Vine — then, already, cool in houses cometh —
The perfect man his home perambulating!
Zeus, Zeus Perfecter, these my prayers perfect thou!
Thy care be — yea — of things thou mayst make perfect!
