That Gentiles in their parables condemn
To their abyss and horrid pains confined.
Be penitent, and for thy fault contrite,
But act not in thy own affliction, son.
Repent the sin, but if the punishment
Thou canst avoid, self-preservation bids;
Or the execution leave to high disposal,
And let another hand, not thine, exact
Thy penal forfeit from thyself. Perhaps
God will relent, and quit thee all his debt;
Who ever more approves and more accepts
(Best pleased with humble and filial submission)
Him who, imploring mercy, súes for life,
Than who, self-rigorous, chooses death as due;
Which argues over-just, and self-displeased
For self-offence, more than for God offended.
Reject not then what offered means. Who knows
But God hath set before us to return thee
Home to thy country and his sacred house,
και βάρβαροι δε νερτέροισιν εν βύθους πέδας τε πολυδάκρυτά τ' αθλήσαι πάθη τοιούσδ' έκριναν, μυθοποιoύντες καλώς.
κλαίειν πρέπει γαρ οίσιν ήμαρτες, τέκνον, αλλ' ου τα σαυτού πήματ' αυτόν εκτελεϊν ταύτα στενάζειν έστι, την δ' όπισθόπουν δίκην αλύξας, σαυτόν αν σώζοις" καλώς ή το μέδοντι τήνδε την ποινήν έα, μηδ' αυτόχειρ, δράσας περ, εν μέρει πάθης. 520 τι δήθ' ; ο Δαίμων πάν τόδ' άν χρέος πρόφρων τάχ αν μεθείη, κάρτ' εν ευνοία τρέφων νούν τον ταπεινόν, οίος εν παισιν πρέπει ουδ' αν προείλεθ' ος δίκην αυτοκτόνος υπερθoρών απέθανε, τόνδε δ' ος Θεόν το ζην παραιτησάμενος απέλαβεν λιταίς. κείνος γάρ αυτού μάλλον ή Θεού βλάβας έτισεν αυτόκλητος: άσμενος μεν ουν δέχoυ τα σοι προκείμενο, ως ημίν ίσως Θεού τόδ' επιτρέψαντος, εις πόλιν σε σην 530 άγειν κατελθόνθ', ιερόν εις ναού βάθρον.
Where thou mayest bring thy offerings, to avert
His further ire, with prayers and vows renewed ?
SAMSON.
His pardon I implore; but as for life,
To what end should I seek it? when in strength
All mortals I excelled, and great in hopes,
With youthful courage, and magnanimous thoughts
Of birth from Heaven foretold, and high exploits,
Full of divine instinct, after some proof
Of acts indeed heroic, far beyond
The sons of Anak, famous now and blazed,
Fearless of danger, like a petty god
I walked about, admired of all and dreaded
On hostile ground, none daring my affront.
Then, swollen with pride, into the snare I fell
Of fair fallacious looks, venereal trains,
Softened with pleasure and voluptuous life;
At length to lay my head and hallowed pledge
Of all my strength in the lascivious lap
Of a deceitful concubine, who shore me
Like a tame wether, all my precious fleece,
Then turned me out ridiculous, despoiled,
Shaven, and disarmed among mine enemies.
όπου σε προστρόπαιον έξεσται πάλιν δεινόν λιταϊσιν αποκαθήρασθαι κότον.
ΣΑΜΨΩΝ. ξύμφημι καυτός, ώστε συγγνώμης τυχεϊν: ουχ, ώστ' ακερδές ζήν έπει νέος πάλαι πάντων προεϊχον σώματος ρώμη βροτών, θράσει το μεγαλόθυμος ηβώσης φρενός, γεγώς τ' αριστεύων τε προγνόντος Θεού, έδειξα κλεινών Ανακιδών υπέρτερα έργ', οίον ήρως, ενθέω ψυχής μένει: ως γαρ θεός τις, ώς γ' εν ανθρώποις δοκεϊν, άφοβος εφοίτων, περιβόητος, ουδ' έτλη ουδείς μ' υβρίζων κερτομεϊν, εχθρός περ ών. αλλ' ευπροσώπου δολοφόνους μαγεύμασιν έρωτος ηδονής τε περιπεσών πάγαις, τρυφή τ' αχρεία καρδίας τ' όγκο σφριγών, όσιόν τε κράτα και σθένους εχέγγυον έν της απίστου παλλακής κόλπους φόβην ρίψας, το πάν απώλεσ' εύμαλλον γάνος, οίος κτιλος τις τιθασος αποκεκαρμένος. δράσασα δ', εχθρούς αυτίχ ήδ' έδωκέ με, γυμνόν τε και γελαστόν εξεωσμένον.
CHORUS.
Desire of wine and all delicious drinks,
Which many a famous warrior overturns,
Thou couldest repress; nor did the dancing ruby,
Sparkling, out-poured, the flavour, or the smell,
Or taste, that cheers the hearts of gods and men,
Allure thee from the cool crystalline stream.
SAMSON.
Wherever fountain or fresh current flowed
Against the eastern ray, translucent, pure
With touch ethereal of Heaven's fiery rod,
I drank, from the clear milky juice allaying
550 Thirst, and refreshed; nor envied them the grape Whose heads that turbulent liquor fills with fumes.
CHORUS.
O madness! to think use of strongest wines
And strongest drinks our chief support of health;
When God with these forbidden made choice to rear
His mighty champion, strong above compare,
Whose drink was only from the liquid brook.
SAMSON.
But what availed this temperance, not complete
Against another object more enticing ?
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