Page:Four Plays of Aeschylus (Cookson).djvu/29

Rh

Ægyptus. Now thou know'st my ancient line,

Stretch forth the hand of succour to raise up

Argives, that here have taken sanctuary.

Anciently, I do verily believe,

A common tie unites ye to this land.

But how had ye the courage to forsake

The house of your fathers? What so sore mischance

Hath fallen on ye?

King of the Pelasgians!

Calamity is as a ruffling breeze

That glances through a thousand shifting forms;

Nor is there anywhere on earth a place

Where thou could 'st point and say, 'Here sorrow's wing

Keeps darkly constant to its native hue.'

For which of us in fancy ever dreamed

Of this unlocked for flight; or that a ship

Whereon we sailed should touch this Argive strand

Wherewith we had affinity of old;

Or that in distant Egypt wedlock scorned,

Unhappied by the hymenaeal choir,

Should be the cause of consequence so strange?

What is the boon thou sayest thou dost crave

Here in the name of these Gods of festival,

Your branches fresh-plucked all with white enwound?