Page:Sophocles - Seven Plays, 1900.djvu/113

1301–1337]

My mother for his mate: a princess she,

Born of Laomedon; Alcmena’s son

Gave her to grace him—a triumphant meed.

Thus royally descended and thus brave,

Shall I renounce the brother of my blood,

Or suffer thee to thrust him in his woes

Far from all burial, shameless that thou art?

Be sure that, if ye cast him forth, ye’ll cast

Three bodies more beside him in one spot;

For nobler should I find it here to die

In open quarrel for my kinsman’s weal,

Than for thy wife—or Menelaüs’, was ’t?

Consider then, not my case, but your own.

For if you harm me you will wish some day

To have been a coward rather than dare me.

. Hail, Lord Odysseus! thou art come in time

Not to begin, but help to end, a fray.

. What quarrel, sirs? I well perceived from far

The kings high-voicing o’er the valiant dead.

. Yea, Lord Odysseus, for our ears are full

Of this man’s violent heart-offending talk.

. What words have passed? I cannot blame the man

Who meets foul speech with bitterness of tongue.

. My speech was bitter, for his deeds were foul.

. What deed of his could harm thy sovereign head?

. He boldly says this corse shall not be left

Unburied, but he’ll bury it in our spite.

. May I then speak true counsel to my friend,

And pull with thee in policy as of yore?

. Speak, I were else a madman; for no friend

Of all the Argeians do I count thy peer.

. Then hear me in Heaven’s name! Be not so hard

Thus without ruth tombless to cast him forth;

Nor be so vanquished by a vehement will,

That to thy hate even Justice’ self must bow.

I, too, had him for my worst enemy,

Since I gained mastery o’er Pelides’ arms.