CHOROS.

Who may he have been that named thus wholly with exactitude —

(Was he someone whom we see not, by forecastings of the future

Guiding tongue in happy mood?)

— Her with battle for a bridegroom, on all sides contention-wooed,

Helena? Since — mark the suture! —

685

Ship’s-Hell, Man’s-Hell, City’s-Hell,

From the delicately-pompous curtains that pavilion well,

Forth, by favour of the gale

Of earth-born Zephuros did she sail.

Many shield-bearers, leaders of the pack,

690

Sailed too upon their track,

Theirs who had directed oar,

Then visible no more,

To Simois’ leaf-luxuriant shore —

For sake of strife all gore!

695

To Ilion Wrath, fulfilling her intent,

This marriage-care — the rightly named so — sent:

700

In after-time, for the tables’ abuse

And that of the hearth-partaker Zeus,

Bringing to punishment

Those who honoured with noisy throat

The honour of the bride, the hymenseal note

705

Which did the kinsfolk then to singing urge.

But, learning a new hymn for that which was,

The ancient city of Priamos

Groans probably a great and general dirge,

Denominating Paris

710

The man that miserably marries: —

She who, all the while before,

A life, that was a general dirge

For citizens’ unhappy slaughter, bore.

And thus a man, by no milk’s help,

Within his household reared a lion’s whelp

That loved the teat

In life’s first festal stage:

Gentle as yet,

720

A true child-lover, and, to men of age,

A thing whereat pride warms;

And oft he had it in his arms

Like any new-born babe, bright-faced, to hand

Wagging its tail, at belly’s strict command.

725

But in due time upgrown,

The custom of progenitors was shown:

For-thanks for sustenance repaying

With ravage of sheep slaughtered —

730

It made unbidden feast;

With blood the house was watered,

To household came a woe there was no staying:

Great mischief many-slaying!

From God it was-some priest

Of Até, in the house, by nurture thus increased.

At first, then, to the city of Ilion went

A soul, as I might say, of windless calm —

740

Wealth’s quiet ornament,

An eyes’-dart bearing balm,

Love’s spirit-biting flower.

But — from the true course bending —

She brought about, of marriage, bitter ending:

745

Ill-resident, ill-mate, in power

Passing to the Priamidai — by sending

Of Hospitable Zeus —

Erinus for a bride, — to make brides mourn, her dower.

Spoken long ago

750

Was the ancient saying

Still among mortals staying:

Man’s great prosperity at height of rise

Engenders offspring nor unchilded dies;

And, from good fortune, to such families,

755

Buds forth insatiate woe.

Whereas, distinct from any,

Of my own mind I am:

For ’t is the unholy deed begets the many,

Resembling each its dam.

760

Of households that correctly estimate,

Ever a beauteous child is born of Fate.

But ancient Arrogance delights to generate

Arrogance, young and strong mid mortals’ sorrow,

Or now, or then, when comes the appointed morrow.

765

And she bears young Satiety;

And, fiend with whom nor fight nor war can be,

Unholy Daring — twin black Curses

Within the household, children like their nurses.

But Justice shines in smoke-grimed habitations,

And honours the well-omened life;

While, — gold-besprinkled stations

Where the hands’ filth is rife,

775

With backward-turning eyes

Leaving, — to holy seats she hies,

Not worshipping the power of wealth

Stamped with applause by stealth:

And to its end directs each thing begun.

780

Approach then, my monarch, of Troia the sacker, of Atreus the son!

How ought I address thee, how ought I revere thee, — nor yet overhitting

Nor yet underbending the grace that is fitting?

Many of mortals hasten to honour the seeming-to-be —

785

Passing by justice: and, with the ill-faring, to groan as he groans all are free.

But no bite of the sorrow their liver has reached to:

They say with the joyful, — one outside on each, too,

As they force to a smile smileless faces.

But whoever is good at distinguishing races

790

In sheep of his flock — it is not for the eyes

Of a man to escape such a shepherd’s surprise,

As they seem, from a well-wishing mind,

In watery friendship to fawn and be kind.

Thou to me, then, indeed, sending an army for Helena’s sake,

795

(I will not conceal it) wast — oh, by no help of the Muses! — depicted

Not well of thy midriff the rudder directing. — convicted

Of bringing a boldness they did not desire to the men with existence at stake.

But now — from no outside of mind, nor unlovingly — gracious thou art

To those who have ended the labour, fulfilling their part;

800

And in time shalt thou know, by inquiry instructed,

Who of citizens justly, and who not to purpose, the city conducted.

CHORUS

Thus hath she spoken, as beseems 2

a clear interpreter. to you that learn. But do thou tell me, Herald! I ask about Menelaus, whether he too returning and preserved will come back along with you, a chieftain beloved by this land 3

.

HERALD TALTHYBIUS

I cannot tell pleasant falsehoods, that my friends can enjoy for any length of time.

CHORUS

How then mightest thou, while telling good things, tell true 4

? But 'tis full plain that these two things are severed.

HERALD TALTHYBIUS

The man is vanished from the Grecian armament, himself and vessel: I tell no falsehood.

CHORUS

Was it when he was putting to sea from Ilion before your eyes, or did a tempest, a common bane, tear him away rom the host?

HERALD TALTHYBIUS

Thou hast hit the mark like a capital archer, and hast expressed in brief a long sorrow.

CHORUS

Was a rumour bruited by the rest of the mariners that he survived or had perished?

HERALD TALTHYBIUS

No one knows, so as to report clearly except the sun that nurtures earth's nature.

CHORUS

Why! How dost thou say that the tempest came upon the naval armament, and ended through the wrath of heaven 5

?

HERALD TALTHYBIUS

HERALD, CHORUS. CHORUS.

This, for thy information, hath ſhe ſpoken

With dignity and truth.

710

Now tell me, herald,

Of Sparta’s king wiſh I to queſtion thee,

The pride of Greece: returns he ſafe with you?

HERALD.

Never can I eſteem a falſehood honeſt,

Tho’ my friends long enjoy the ſweet deluſion.

715

CHORUS.

What then if thou relate an honest truth?

From this diſtinction the conjecture’s eaſy.

HERALD.

Him from the Grecian fleet our eyes have loſt,

The hero and his ſhip. This is the truth.

CHORUS.

Chanc’d this, when in your ſight he weigh’d from Troy;

720

Or in a storm, that rent him from the fleet?

HERALD.

Rightly is thy conjecture aim’d, in brief

Touching the long recital of our loſs.

CHORUS.

How deem’d the other mariners of this;

That the ſhip periſh’d, or rode out the ſtorm?

725

HERALD.

Who, ſave yon' ſun the regent of the earth,

Can give a clear and certain information?

CHORUS.

How ſaid’ſt thou then a storm, not without loſs,

Wing’d with Heav’n’s fury, toſt the ſhatter’d fleet,

HERALD.

CORIFEO

all'araldo

A te che intendi, favellò costei

come ad acuto interprete s' addice.

Or dimmi, araldo: Menelao, diletto

signor di questa terra, è ritornato?

710

E' sano e salvo? Lo vedrem fra noi?

ARALDO

Non credo io, no, che di menzogne belle

colgan gli amici lungo tempo il frutto.

CORIFEO

Oh! Possa dir buone novelle, e vere;

ché divise dal ver, ben poco celansi!

715

ARALDO

Dall'esercito acheo sparve l'eroe:

egli e il suo legno: non ti dico il falso.

CORIFEO

Salpò solo da Troia? O insiem vi colse

la burrasca, e da voi lui separò ?

ARALDO

Hai, come arciero, colto a mezzo il segno:

720

in pochi motti un dolor grande hai chiuso.

CORIFEO

E qual fama di lui corse fra gli altri

navichieri? Che vivo o morto fosse ?

ARALDO

Niuno lo sa, che certo il dica, tranne

il sol, che nutre ogni terrestre forza.

725

CORIFEO

E per l'ira dei Numi piombò, dici,

la burrasca sui legni, e li distrusse ?

ARALDO

Herold.

575 Trägt nicht die heut'ge Sonne jedem Land und Meer

625

mit ihrem Lichte diese Siegesbotschaft zu:

„Das Heer von Argos, endlich Herr von Ilios

geworden, nagelt den Hellenengöttern heut

an ihre Tempel alter Herrlichkeit Trophä'n"?

580 Wer dies vernimmt, der beut Bewunderung dem Heer

630

und seinen Führern, Preis zumal dem höchsten Zeus,

der das hinausgeführet. Aus ist mein Bericht.

Chorführer.

Gern laß' ich mich von dir belehren, denn an Glück

glauben zu lernen wird der Mensch niemals zu alt.

585 Doch nächstes Anrecht hat des Königs Ehgemahl

635

Chorus.

So has she spoken—be it yours to learn

By clear interpreters her specious word.

Turn to me, herald—tell me if anon

The second well-loved lord of Argos comes?

730

Hath Menelaus safely sped with you?

Herald.

Alas—brief boon unto my friends it were,

To flatter them, for truth, with falsehoods fair!

Chorus.

Speak joy, if truth be joy, but truth, at worst—

Too plainly, truth and joy are here divorced.

735

Herald.

The hero and his bark were rapt away

Far from the Grecian fleet: 'tis truth I say.

Chorus.

Whether in all men's sight from Ilion borne,

Or from the fleet by stress of weather torn?

Herald.

Full on the mark thy shaft of speech doth light,

740

And one short word hath told long woes aright.

Chorus.

But say, what now of him each comrade saith?

What their forebodings, of his life or death?

Herald.

Ask me no more: the truth is known to none,

Save the earth-fostering, all-surveying Sun.

745

Chorus.

Say, by what doom the fleet of Greece was driven?

How rose, how sank the storm, the wrath of heaven?

Herald.

Der Chorführer.

Sie hat's geziemend dargelegt, du hörtest es

590

Durch offen klare Deuter, durch ihr eignes Wort.

Doch sprich, o Herold, melde von Menelaos mir,

Ob er sich heimgewendet, ob er glücklich auch

Mit euch zurückkehrt, dieses Landes lieber Fürst.

Der Herold.

Unmöglich ist mir's, schöne Lügen kundzuthun,

595

Daß sich die Freunde lange freu'n an ihrer Frucht.

Der Chorführer.

O daß du träfst das Wahre, wenn du Frohes sagst!

Denn Beides, abgesondert, bleibt nicht leicht verhüllt.

Der Herold.

Verschwunden ist er aus Achäa's Heer, der Mann,

Er sammt dem Schiffe. Keine Lüge sag' ich dir.

600

Der Chorführer.

Und fuhr er, Allen sichtbar, ab von Ilion?

Niß ihn ein Sturm vom Heere, der euch alle traf?

Der Herold.

Du zieltest recht, dem wackern Bogenschüßen gleich,

Und sprachst ein langes Leiden aus in kurzem Wort.

Der Chorführer.

Kam nicht von andern Schiffern euch vielleicht Bericht

605

Von seinem Leben oder ob er unterging?

Der Herold.

Nein, keiner weiß es, daß er's klar verkündigte,

Als der des Erdreichs Leben nährt, der Sonnengott.

Der Chorführer.

Und wie begann denn, welches Ende nahm der Sturm,

Den Argos' Schiffervolke Götterzorn erregt?

610

Der Herold.