Which without help of eye might be assayed,
To heave, pull, draw or break, he still performed,
All with incredible, stupendous force,
None daring to appear antagonist.
At length for intermission sake they led him
Between the pillars; he his guide requested
(For so from such as nearer stood we heard)
As over-tired to let him lean a while
With both his arms on those two massy pillars,
That to the arched roof gave main support.
He unsuspicious led him; which when Samson
Felt in his arms, with head a while inclined,
And eyes fast fixed he stood, as one who prayed,
Or some great matter in his mind revolved.
At last with head erect thus cried aloud :
"Hitherto, Lords, what your commands imposed
I have performed, as reason was, obeying,
Not without wonder or delight beheld;
Now of my own accord such other trial
I mean to shew you of my strength, yet greater,
As with amaze shall strike all who behold."
This uttered, straining all his nerves he bowed;
φέρων τ ̓ ἀναῤῥηγνύς θ ̓, ὅσ ̓ ὀμμάτων ἄτερ
ἔξεστι τολμᾶν· δεινὰ δ ̓ ἦν ὁρᾶν πάνυ,
οὐδ ̓ ἀνθάμιλλος ἦν τις, οὐδ ̓ ἐναντίος.
στήλαιν δέ νιν μεταξὺ ταῖν διπλαῖν τέλος
ἔθεσαν ἐλινύσοντα· χὼς ἤδη καμὼν,
(τὸ δ ̓ ἦν ἀκοῦσαι τῶν παραστάντων πάρα,)
ᾔτησε τοὺς ἄγοντας, ὥστε κίονας
δισσοῖσι δισσοὺς ξυλλαβεῖν βραχίοσιν,
οἳ δὴ βεβαίων ὑποδοχαῖς στηριγμάτων
ὀροφὰς δόμων σώζουσι κοιλογαστόρων
οἱ δ ̓ οὐχ ὑποπτεύοντες ἤγαγον· τὰ δὲ
μάρψας, κάρα τ ̓ ἔνευσε πρὶν τολμᾶν πλέω,
τά τ' ὄμμαθ', ὡς ἕκτωρ τις, ἤ τιν ̓ ἐν φρενὸς
στρωφῶν βάθει δυσέκλυτ ̓, ἐστηρίζετο.
τέλος δ ̓ ἀναβλέπων τε καὶ λαμπρὸν βοῶν
τάδ ̓ εἶπ'· ἄνακτες, μέχρι τοῦδ ̓ εἰργασμένος
τά μοι τεταγμέν', ὡς μάλ ̓ εἰκὸς ἦν, κυρῶ.
τὰ δ ̓ ἀσμένοις ἦν, οὐδ ̓ ἄνευ θάμβους, ἰδεῖν.
νῦν αὐτόβουλος ἐννοῶ τοιαῦτα δὴ
δεῖξαι τεκμήρι, εἰς ὑπερβολὴν, σθένους,
οἳ ἂν τὸν εἰσορῶντα καταπλήξαι φόβῳ.
ὡς οὖν ὀρεινὰ δυσπνόῳ σαλεύματα
As with the force of winds and waters pent
When mountains tremble, those two massy pillars
With horrible convulsion to and fro
He tugged, he shook, till down they came and drew
The whole roof after them, with burst of thunder,
Upon the heads of all who sat beneath,
Lords, ladies, captains, counsellors, or priests,
Their choice nobility and flower, not only
Of this but each Philistian city round,
Met from all parts to solemnize this feast.
Samson, with these immixed, inevitably
Pulled down the same destruction on himself;
The vulgar only scaped who stood without.
Oh, dearly-bought revenge, yet glorious!
Living or dying thou hast fulfilled
The work for which thou wast foretold
To Israel; and now liest victorious
Among thy slain self-killed,
Not willingly, but tangled in the fold
τυφῷ τε κλεισθέντων τε χειμάῤῥων μένει, αἰνοῖσιν ἑλκηθμοῖσι κιόνων βάθρα
ἔσεισεν ἔνθα κἄνθα καὶ διέσπασε
τὰ δ' αἶψα συνθλιβέντα καταπεσόντα τε
ἐπὶ πᾶσιν αὐτὴν ἐγκατέσκηψεν στέγην
τοῖς ἡμένοισι, κοιράνοις γυναιξί τε,
ταγοῖς θυηπόλοις τε καὶ βουληφόροις,
ὅσοι παρῆσαν τῶν Φιλιστίνων πρόμοι
οὐ γὰρ πόλεως ξυνῆλθον ἐκ ταύτης μόνον,
οἱ δ ̓ ἀμφὶ ταύτην πάντοθεν, τοῖς οἷς θεοῖς
ῥέζοντες ἔννομ ̓· ἐν δὲ τῇ ξυνῇ φθορᾷ
αὑτῷ τὸν αὐτὸν ἐνέβαλεν Σάμψων μόρον.
ὁ δῆμος, ἔξω τυγχάνων, ἐν ἀσφαλεῖ.
φεῦ μάλα πολλοῦ γ ̓ ἀντιδοθείσας
ποινὰς πράξας, ἀλλ ̓ ἐρικυδεῖς,
ἔργον τελέσας τὸ προκηρυχθὲν
τοῖσιν Εβραίοις· νῦν δὲ τριακτὴρ
ἐν τεθνεώσιν κεῖσαι τεθνεώς,
ἄκων μάλα δή, τῆς γὰρ ἀνάγκης
ἄρκυες εἷλον στεῤῥοῖς πλέγμασιν·
ἧς κατ' ἐφετμὰς μόρον εἴληχας
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