Page:Tragedies of Seneca (1907) Miller.djvu/141

Rh With mighty passion, I must be insane. Why rav'st thou not, O Juno? Me, Oh, me, Ye sisters, first of sanity deprive, That something worthy of a stepdame's wrath I may prepare. Let all my hate be changed To favor. Now I pray that he may come To earth again, and see his sons unharmed; May he return with all his old-time strength. Now have I found a day when Hercules May help me with his strength that I deplore. Now let him equally o'ercome himself And me; and let him, late escaped from death, Desire to die. Now let it profit me That he is born of Jove. I'll stand by him And nicely poise his hand, that so his darts May with more deadly aim be hurled. I'll guide The madman's arms. And so at last I help Alcides in his wars. The crime complete, Then let his father to the heavens admit Those guilty hands. Now must the attack begin. The day is breaking, and with saffron light The rising sun dispels the gloom of night.

Chorus: Now scattered and with paling light The stars gleam in the sinking west; Now vanquished night collects her fires, Whose shining band at the day's return The star of morning drives away. High up in the frozen northern sky, The Arcadian Bears with their seven-fold stars, Their course completed, hail the dawn. Now borne along by his azure steeds The sun looks forth from Oeta's ridge; With whose light suffused, the clustering grapes In the vineyards to Theban Bacchus dear Flush rosy red. The waning moon Fades out of sight, to return again. Hard Toil awakens, at whose knock The doors of men are opened wide,