ΜΑΝΩΣ.

φρενῶν σπαραγμὸς τοῦτο τἀσαφές· φράσον.

ΑΓΓΕΛΟΣ.

ξυνελὼν λέγω τἄλγιστα· παῖς τέθνηχ ̓ ὁ σός.

ΜΑΝΩΣ.

1640

εὖ δὴ λέγεις ἄλγιστα· φροῦδον οἴχεται τό μοι δοκηθὲν, ὡς ἐλευθεροῦντί νιν. θάνατος δὲ, πάντων ὃς κακῶν ἀπαλλαγὴ, καὶ τόνδ' ὅλως ἐῤῥύσαθ'· ὧν δ ̓ ἀνειλόμην ἀνεμωλίων γεννήματ ̓ ἐλπίδων νέα ἀπῆλθεν ἔκβολ ̓, ὡς τὸ χεῖμ ̓, ὀπισθόπουν, πάχνῃ τὰ πρωτόλεια τῶν μηνῶν δάκνει. πρὶν δ ̓ ὑπερέχειν μ' ἀλγοῦντα, σήμηνον τὸ πᾶς. θάνατος βροτοῖσιν αἶσχος ἢ κῦδος φέρει. τίς τὸν κτανόντα πάντας, ὡς σὺ φῂς, κτανών; τίς εὔχεται Σάμψωνα καιρίαν βαλών ;

MANOAH.

Self-violence? what cause

Brought him so soon at variance with himself

Among his foes?

MESSENGER.

Inevitable cause,

At once both to destroy and be destroyed.
The edifice, where all were met to see him,
Upon their heads and on his own he pulled.

MANOAH.

Oh, lastly over-strong against thyself!

A dreadful way thou tookest to thy revenge.

More than enough we know; but while things yet

Are in confusion, give us, if thou canst,

Eye-witness of what first or last was done,

Relation more particular and distinct.

MESSENGER.

Occasions drew me early to this city,

And, as the gates I entered with sun-rise,
The morning trumpets festival proclaimed,
Through each high street. Little I had dispatched,
When all abroad was rumoured that this day
Samson should be brought forth, to shew the people
Proof of his mighty strength in feats and games.

1590

1600

ΜΑΝΩΣ.

αὐτοκτόνος

πῶς ἦν, ἐν ἐχθροῖς αὐτὸς ἔχθιστος φανείς;

ΑΓΓΕΛΟΣ.

θνήσκων γὰρ ἐθανάτωσεν, οὐδ ̓ ἄλυξις ἦν. τὸ δῶμα πᾶσιν εἰς θέαν ἠθροισμένοις αὑτῷ τ ̓ ἐφείλκυσ ̓, ἐγκατασκήπτων ὁμοῦ.

ΜΑΝΩΣ.

αὐτὸς τὸ σαυτοῦ πῆμα τῷ σθένει λαβὼν
δεινόν τιν εἵλου, φεῦ, τρόπον τιμωρίας.
ἡμῖν δὲ, καίπερ καταμαθοῦσι καὶ λίαν,
σὺ ταῦτα, πάντων τῶνδ ̓ ἅτ ̓ αὐτόπτης γεγώς,
σκεθρῶς διηγοῦ, πρὶν καταστῆναι πόλιν.

ΑΓΓΕΛΟΣ.

ἔγωγε ταύτας, ὄρθριος μολών, πύλας

ἔτυχον ἐσελθών· ἐν δὲ τῷδ ̓ ἑωθινὴ
ἔδειξ ̓ ἑορτὴν κατὰ μέσην σάλπιγξ πόλιν.
καμοὶ τὰ πράγματ ̓ οὔτι προὔκοψεν πολὺ,
πρὶν δημόθρουν με πάντοθεν κιχεῖν φάτιν
ὡς σήμερον Σάμψωνα μέλλοιεν, σθένος
δείξοντα παμμέγιστον ἐξάγειν τάχα,
ἀγῶνας ἀθλήσοντα, πάνδημον θέαν.

1660

I sorrowed at his captive state, but minded

Not to be absent at that spectacle.

The building was a spacious theatre,

Half-round, on two main pillars vaulted high,
With seats where all the lords, and each degree

Of sort, might sit in order to behold;

The other side was open, where the throng

On banks and scaffolds under sky might stand;

1610

I among these aloof obscurely stood.

The feast and noon grew high, and sacrifice

Had filled their hearts with mirth, high cheer, and wine,

When to their sports they turned. Immediately

Was Samson, as a public servant, brought,

In their state livery clad; before him pipes

And timbrels; on each side went armed guards,
Both horse and foot, before him and behind
Archers and slingers, cataphracts and spears.
At sight of him the people with a shout
Rifted the air, clamouring their god with praise,
Who had made their dreadful enemy their thrall.
He patient, but undaunted, where they led him
Came to the place; and what was set before him,

1620

κείνῳ μὲν οὖν παθόντι συμπαθὼν ὅμως,
τὸν νοῦν προσεῖχον τῇδε τῇ θεωρία.
θέατρον ἦν μὲν τῇδε παιγνίᾳ μέγα,
τὸ δ ̓ ἡμικύκλιον κίοσίν τ' ἠρείδετο,
ἤμπισχέ θ ̓ ἁψίς· ἐν δὲ παντοῖοί τινες
στοιχηδὸν ἐθεάσαντο, συνθέτοις ἕδραις·
ἑτέρωθι δ ̓, ὄχθαις βήμασίν θ ̓ ὑπαίθριος
λεως, ἐν ᾧ καὶ χωρὶς ὢν ἐλάνθανον.
αὐτοὶ δὲ κωμάζοντες, ἐν μεσημβρίᾳ,
ἤδη δ ̓ ὑπερπλησθέντες εὐοίνου βορᾶς
θύοντες, εὔφρονές τε, τῶν προκειμένων
εἴχοντο, δέσμιόν τε δημίᾳ στολῇ

Σάμψωνα μετεπέμψαντο. κύμβαλ ̓ ἦν πάρος
αὐλοί τε, πεζοὶ δ ̓ ἱππόται τ ̓ ὄπισθέ νιν,
ξὺν σφενδονητῶν ξύν τε τοξοτῶν λόχοις
δόρασίν τε καταφράκταις τε τῇδε χατέρα,
κατῆγον· ὡς δ ̓ ἐσεῖδον, οὐρανὸς βοῇ
διεῤῥάγη, τὸν ἐνθάδ' ὑμνούντων θεὸν,
δοῦλον παρασχόνθ ̓ ὅστις ἦν πάντων φόβος.
ὁ δ ̓ ἀτρεμαῖος, τλησικαρδίῳ φρενὶ,
ὅποι νιν ἦγον, πάντα θαυμαστῷ σθένει
ἕλκων τε βαστάζων τε διετέλει χεροῖν

1670

1680

1690