CHORUS

O black Night, mother, dost thou behold these things?

ORESTES

Now is it for me the moment of the noose, or to see the light.

CHORUS

But for us to perish, or to extend our honours rather.

APOLLO

Count rightly the casting out of the votes, strangers, reverencing justice in the division; for from one suffrage being absent arises great calamity, and one vote cast in, raises up an house.

MINERVA

This man has escaped the doom of blood: for the number of the votes is equal.

ORESTES

O Pallas, O thou who hast preserved my house, and me deprived of my native land, you in truth have restored me to my home; and one of the Greeks will say the man again is 2

an Argive, and dwells among his paternal possessions," by the will of Pallas and of Loxias and of the third preserver Jove who rules all things, who paying respect to my father's fate preserves me beholding these defenders of the cause of my mother. But I to this country and to your people hereafter, for all time however long having made an oath, now depart home, that no helmsman of the land having come hither shall bear against you the well-prepared spear. For we ourselves being then in the tomb, to those who violate my present oaths, will, by calamities not to be avoided, render­ ing their march full of dismay and evil omens, cause them to repent of their toil. But to those who assist and honour ever this city of Pallas with confederate spear, to them we will be kindly disposed. And farewell both thou [O goddess], and the people who inhabit the city, may you possess a contest not to be avoided by your enemies, both the source of safety and of victory with the spear.

CHORUS

ORESTE.

O Phoibos Apollon, que sera la sentence ?

LE CORYPHÉE.

O sombre Nuit, ma mère, vois-tu ce qui se passe ?

ORESTE.

Me faudra-t-il me pendre ou voir encore le jour ?

LE CORYPHÉE.

Devrons-nous disparaître ou garder nos honneurs ?

APOLLON.

Comptez exactement les suffrages qui tombent, étrangers; en les triant, veillez à éviter la fraude.
Un suffrage qui manque provoque un désastre, comme une voix de plus relève une maison.

ATHÉNA.

Cet homme est absous du crime de meurtre : le nombre des voix des deux parts est égal.

ORESTE.

O Pallas, toi qui viens de sauver ma maison,
j'avais perdu jusqu'au sol de mes pères, et tu me l'as rendu. Et l'on dira dans la Grèce : « Le voici de nouveau citoyen d'Argos et maître de son patrimoine, grâce à Pallas et grâce à Loxias » — et grâce à l'arbitre suprême, au
dieu Sauveur ¹ , qui, ayant égard au meurtre paternel et voyant celles-ci plaider pour ma mère, m'accorde le salut. Mais à ce pays, à ton peuple, pour l'avenir et la durée sans fin des jours, voici, moi, le serment que je fais, au moment
de rentrer dans ma demeure : Jamais un roi placé au gou-

[ORESTE]

vernail d'Argos ne portera en ces lieux des armes vouées au triomphe. Moi-même alors du fond de mon tombeau ² , à ce transgresseur de la foi qu'ici je te jure, par d'irrémé-
diables revers, décourageant sa marche et plaçant sur sa route des présages de deuil, je me chargerai de faire regretter son entreprise. Mais, en revanche, si mes serments sont observés, si mon pays à la cité de Pallas ne cesse de rendre l'hommage de ses armes alliées, alors je lui serai clément.
Adieu donc ! adieu, Pallas, adieu, peuple d'Athènes, puissent tes attaques, irrésistibles à tes ennemis, sauver ta ville et glorifier tes armes!

LE CHOEUR.

Ah!

CHORUS.

O Night, dark mother, thro' thy ſable gloom

Seeſt thou theſe things? Now on the doubtful

edge

840

Of black deſpair I ſtand, or joyful light,

Driv'n out with infamy, or grac'd with honours.

APOLLO.

Now, ſtrangers, count the lots with righteous

heed,

And with impartial juſtice ſever them.

845

One ſhell miſplac'd haply brings ruin, one

May raiſe again a deſolated houſe.

MINERVA.

He is abſolv'd, free from the doom of blood,

For equal are the numbers of the ſhells.

ORESTES.

O thou, whoſe tutelary pow'r preſerv'd

850

The honours of my houſe, thou, Goddeſs, thou

Haſt to his country and his native rites

Reſtor'd this exile; and each Greek ſhall ſay,

This Argive to his father's throne returns,

So Pallas wills, and Phœbus, and the God

855

All-pow'rful to protect: my father's death

He mark'd ſevere, and looks indignant down

On thoſe that patronize my mother's cauſe.

Firſt to this country, and to this thy people

Thro' time's eternal courſe I pledge my faith,

860

And bind it with an oath: now to my houſe

I bend my ſteps: never may chieftain thence

Advance againſt this land with ported ſpear.

If any ſhall hereafter violate

My oath now made, tho' then theſe mould'ring

865

bones

Reſt in the ſilent tomb, my ſhade ſhall raiſe

Invincible diſtreſs, diſaſters, toils,

To thwart them, and obſtruct their lawleſs march,

Till in diſmay repentant they abhor

870

Their enterprize.

But to the ſocial pow'rs,

That reverence this thy ſtate, and lift the lance

In its defence, benevolent ſhall be

My gentler influence.

875

Hail, Goddeſs; Hail

Ye guardians of the city: be your walls

Impregnable, and in the ſhock of war

May conqueſt grace the ſpear that aids your cauſe!

CHORUS.

CORIFEA

Ed io t'esorto che d'onor non frodi

questa dura d'Atene ospite schiera.

755

APOLLO

Di temere io t'impongo i miei responsi

che son di Giove, e non li renda sterili.

EUMENIDI

D'omicidî t'impacci: a te non spetta:

né l'oracolo tuo sarà piú sacro.

APOLLO

Anche mio padre mal si consigliò,

760

che d'Issíone udí le prime preci?

CORIFEA

Anche in Fere, per te, le Parche un giorno

vita perenne diedero ai mortali.

APOLLO

Giusto non è far bene a chi ti venera,

massime allor ch'ei di soccorso indige?

765

CORIFEA

Le antiche leggi da te son distrutte :

le antiche Dee di loro epule privi.

APOLLO

Presto, sconfitta nella causa, innocuo

vomirai sui nemici il tuo veleno.

CORIFEA

Tu cianci! Ove io la causa perda, infesta

770

a questo suol sarà la torma nostra.

APOLLO

Fra i Numi antichi, fra i novelli Numi,

tu vai priva d'onore: io vincerò.

CORIFEA

Giovine Iddio, tu me conculchi annosa:

ma se infierire contro Atene io debba

775

non so che fine abbia la causa attendo.

ATENA

È la mia volta: a me l'ultimo voto.

In favore d'Oreste io lo darò.

Madre non ho che generata m'abbia;

e il costume virile, approvo, tranne

780

che stringer nozze, con gran cuore, in tutto.

Figlia son di mio padre: e a cuor la sorte

mai d'una donna non avrò, che uccise

lo sposo suo, custode della casa.

Anche se i voti siano pari, Oreste

785

vince la causa. O voi, giudici, cui

l'ufficio spetta, rovesciate l'urne.

ORESTE

Cho.

O nox nigra mater uides ſanè hæc,

Ore.

Nunc mihi laquei finis, aut lucem uidere.

710

Cho.

Nobis eiſcere, aut primos honores distribuere.

Ap.

Mittite eiectiones rectè ſuffragiorum ò hoſpites.

Non enim iniusticia afficere cultores in diuiſione licet.

Sententia abſente detrimentum fit magnum,

Iaciens ſuffragium unum domum direxit.

715

Mi.

Vir iste effugit cauſam ſanguinis,

Aequalis est sortis numeratio.

Or.

O Pallas, ò ſeruatrix mearum ædium,

Et terra paterna priuati, tu

Conſtituſti me, & aliquis Græcorum dicet

720

Argiuus uir rurſus in rebus

Habitat paternis Palladis Loxiæq;

Gratia, & omnia perficientis tertij

Seruatoris qui reueritus est paternum fatum

Seruat me matris has patronas uidens.

725

Ego huic regioni & tuo exercitui

In reliquum omne tempus plenam

Iurans in fœdere sanciendō, nunc abeo domum,

Ne aliquem uirum gubernatorem terræ

Venientem emittat ornata hasta.

730

Nos ipſi exiſtentes in ſepulchris tunc,

His nunc mea iuramenta tranſgredientibus,

Impotentibus agemus malis actionibus,

Vias ignauas & ab auibus meatus

Ponentes, tanquam illis curæ sit labor.

735

Dirigentibus uerò hanc urbem Palladis

Honorantibus ipſam ſemper ſocia hasta,

Ipſis nos ſumus propitij.

Vale & tu & patronus populus,

Certamen inuitabile aduerſarijs habes,

740

Salutemq; uictori ſuam hasta.

Cho.

Chorführerin.

745 Urmutter, schaust du die Entscheidung, schwarze

Nacht?

Orestes.

Jetzt gilt es; Leben oder Henkerstod für mich.

Chorführerin.

Für uns Zerstörung oder Fortbestand des Rechts.

Apollon.

Sorgfältig zählt die Steine, die der Urne Schofs

entrollen, ihr Athener, und die Sonderung

vollziehet treu und ehrlich. Groſses Unheil kann

750 durch Unbedacht entstehen: einer Stimme Fall

entscheidet über eines ganzen Hauses Glück.

Athena.

Der Schuld des Mordes ist der Angeklagte quitt.

Ergeben hat sich eine gleiche Stimmenzahl.

Orestes.

Athena, mein und meines Hauses Retterin,

755 hab' Dank, du führst mich in das Vaterland zurück,

das ich verloren hatte. Durch ganz Hellas fliegt

die Kunde 'Bürger ist Orestes wiederum

von Argos, in des Vatererbes Vollbesitz.

Athena und Apollon haben das erwirkt

760 und drittens er, der dritt' und letzt und beste stets,

Zeus der allmächt'ge Retter'. Rettung schuf er mir,

Chor.

780

Chorus.

O Night, dark mother mine, dost mark these things?

Orestes.

Now shall my doom be life, or strangling cords.

860

Chorus.

And mine, lost honour or a wider sway.

Apollo.

O stranger judges, sum aright the count

Of votes cast forth, and, parting them, take heed

Ye err not in decision. The default

Of one vote only bringeth ruin deep,

865

One, cast aright, may stablish house and home.

Athena.

Behold, this man is free from guilt of blood,

For half the votes condemn him, half set free!

Orestes.

O Pallas, light and safety of my home,

Thou, thou hast given me back to dwell once more

870

In that my fatherland, amerced of which

I wandered; now shall Grecian lips say this,

The man is Argive once again, and dwells

Again within his fathers' wealthy hall,

By Pallas saved, by Loxias, and by Him,

875

The great third saviour, Zeus omnipotent—

Who thus in pity for my father's fate

Doth pluck me from my doom, beholding these,

Confederates of my mother. Lo, I pass

To mine own land, but proffering this vow

880

To thine and to thy people: Nevermore,

Thro' all the manifold years of Time to be,

Shall any chieftain of mine Argive land

Bear hitherward his spears for fight arrayed.

For we, though lapped in earth we then shall lie,

885

By thwart adversities will work our will

On them who shall transgress this oath of mine,

Paths of despair and journeyings ill-starred

For them ordaining, till their task they rue.

But if this oath be rightly kept, to them

890

Will we the dead be full of grace, the while

With loyal league they honour Pallas' town.

And now farewell, thou and thy city's folk—

Firm be thine arms' grasp, closing with thy foes,

And, strong to save, bring victory to thy spear.

895

[ Exit Orestes, with Apollo.

Chorus.

Die Chorführerin.

O schwarze Nacht, o meine Mutter, siehst du das?

715

Orestes.

Nun Tod von Henkershänden oder Leben mir!

Die Chorführerin.

Und uns Vernichtung oder Ehre fürderhin!

Apollon.

Zählt doch genau der ausgeworfnen Steine Zahl,

Und scheuet Unrecht, Freunde, bei der Sonderung.

Das Fehlen Einer Stimme bringt ein großes Leid;

720

Hervorgeschüttelt rettet oft Ein Stein das Haus.

Athene.

Schuldlos erkannt ist dieser Mann im Blutgericht;

Denn gleich von beiden Seiten ist der Loose Zahl.

(Sie legt ihren Stimmstein zu den freisprechenden. Apollon entfernt sich unbemerkt.)

Orestes.

O Pallas, o, du meines Hauses Retterin!

Du hast der Heimaterde mich Vertriebenen

725

Zurückgegeben, und in Hellas heißt es nun:

„Argeier ist er wiederum, der Mann, und wohnt

Im Vatererbe, wie's Athene's Huld gefügt

Und Phöbos' und des dritten allvollendenden

Erretters," der, von meines Vaters Loos gerührt,

730

Mich rettet vor der Mutter Rechtsanwälten hier!

Ich kehre nun in meiner Ahnen Haus zurück,

Und schwöre diesem Lande noch und deinem Volk

Für aller Zukunft unermeßlich ferne Zeit:

Nie soll ein Mann, der meines Landes Steuer führt,

735

Mit blankem Speere feindlich zieh'n in dieses Land!

Denn ich, in Grabes Schooße dann, will jenen selbst,

Der meinen Eid mißachtet, den ich eben schwur,

Mit schwerem Unheil strafen, dem er nicht entrinnt;

Unmuth und Zeichen böser Art bereit' ich ihm

740

Auf allen Pfaden, daß des Kampfs ihn reuen soll!

Doch wird der Schwur gehalten, wird Athene's Stadt

Von ihnen stets mit bundestreuem Speer geehrt,

So werd' ich ihnen doppelt hold und gnädig sein.

Nun fahre wohl, o Göttin, sammt dem Volk der Stadt:

745

Den Feinden unentrinnbar steht im Sturm der Schlacht,

Die Freunde schirmend, eurem Speer zum Siegesruhm!

(Orestes geht ab.)

Chor

Chorgesang.