Page:The Dramas of Aeschylus (Swanwick).djvu/451

Rh [To the Chorus.]

The rest for you and her I will relate.

The track regaining of my former words.

On the land's verge a town, Canobos, stands,

At Neilos' very mouth and sand-bar,—there,

Zeus shall restore thy reason,—stroking thee

With touch alone of unalarming hand;

Then thou dark Epaphos shalt bear, whose name

Records his sacred gendering, who shall reap

All regions watered by broad-flowing Nile.

Fifth in descent from him a female race,

Fifty in number, shall return to Argos,

Not willingly, but wedlock to avoid

Of cousins; these, with passion-wingèd hearts,

Falcons that follow close on doves, shall come

Chasing unlawful wedlock, but the god

Shall grudge them such fair prey; Pelasgian soil

Shall harbour them, what time, made bold by night,

Woman's fell prowess shall o'er men prevail;

For every bride her spouse shall reave of life,

The two-edged weapon bathing in his neck.—

May Kypris visit in such guise my foes!—

But of the maids shall one, by love beguiled,

Her partner fail to slay;—her will's keen edge

Blunted, she will of evils twain prefer

Repute of weakness to bloodguiltness.

She shall a kingly race in Argos bear;

This to set forth at large needs lengthy speech;

But from this seed shall dauntless hero spring,

Bow-famous, who shall free me from these toils.