Page:Four Plays of Aeschylus (Cookson).djvu/97

Rh Uttered in an ancient tongue:

Hearest thou the shades among?

All ye gods of souls earth-bound,

Hearken! Earth, break up thy sod!

Grant us sight from thy dark ground

Of Susa's son and Persia's god!

To such an ample spirit ne'er

Persian earth gave sepulchre.

Dear was the man; dear is his burial-mound!

A power sleeps here, whose influence shall not fade!

Oh, where he sits sole King 'mong Kings discrowned,

Aidoneus, dim Aidoneus, speed Darius' shade!

In wantonness of heart he ne'er made war,

Nor lost a world wasting the lives of men;

They hailed him their God-given counsellor;—

God-given he was, and great was Persia's glory then.

Old majesty! Great Padishah!

Come forth, and from thy barrow high,

Show the white plume of thy tiar,

Thy buskin dipped in crocus-dye!

Unclouded spirit, morning-clear—,

King—Sire—Darius! reappear!

Griefs thy glory never knew,

Lord of our Lord, thy coming stay.

A mist hath fallen of Stygian hue;

Persia's youth is cast away!

Unclouded spirit, morning-clear,

King—Sire—Darius! reappear!