Page:Sophocles - Seven Plays, 1900.djvu/219

281–316]

Whence they, o’erweening with their evil tongue,

Are now all dwellers in the house of death,

Their ancient city a captive;—but these women

Whom thou beholdest, from their blest estate

Brought suddenly to taste of piteous woe,

Come to thy care. This task thy wedded lord

Ordained, and I, his faithful minister,

Seek to perform. But, for his noble self,

When with pure hands he hath done sacrifice

To his Great Father for the victory given,

Look for his coming, lady. This last word

Of all my happy speech is far most sweet.

. Now surety of delight is thine, my Queen,

Part by report and part before thine eye.

. Yea, now I learn this triumph of my lord,

Joy reigns without a rival in my breast.

This needs must run with that in fellowship.

Yet wise consideration even of good

Is flecked with fear of what reverse may come.

And I, dear friends, when I behold these maids,

Am visited with sadness deep and strange.

Poor friendless beings, in a foreign land

Wandering forlorn in homeless orphanhood!

Erewhile, free daughters of a freeborn race,

Now, snared in strong captivity for life.

O Zeus of battles, breaker of the war,

Ne’er may I see thee turn against my seed

So cruelly; or, if thou meanest so,

Let me be spared that sorrow by my death!

Such fear in me the sight of these hath wrought.

Who art thou, of all damsels most distressed?

Single or child-bearing? Thy looks would say,

A maid, of no mean lineage. Lichas, tell,

Who is the stranger-nymph? Who gave her birth?

Who was her sire? Mine eye hath pitied her

O’er all, as she o’er all hath sense of woe.

. What know I? Why should’st thou demand? Perchance

Not lowest in the list of souls there born.

. How if a princess, offspring of their King?