The gentler, if severely thou exact not
More strength from me than in thyself was found.
And what if love, which thou interpretest hate,
The jealousy of love, powerful of sway
In human hearts, nor less in mine toward thee,
Caused what I did? I saw thee mutable
Of fancy, feared lest one day thou wouldst leave me
As her at Timna; sought by all means therefore
How to endear, and hold thee to me firmest.
No better way I saw than by importuning
To learn thy secrets, get into my power
Thy key of strength and safety. Thou wilt say,
"Why then revealed ?"—I was assured by those
Who tempted me, that nothing was designed
Against thee but safe custody and hold.
That made for me; I knew that liberty
Would draw thee forth to perilous enterprises,
While I at home sat full of cares and fears,
Wailing thy absence in my widowed bed;
Here I should still enjoy thee, day and night,
Mine and love's prisoner, not the Philistines',
Whole to myself, unhazarded abroad,
Fearless at home of partners in my love.
μᾶλλον τύχοις, μὴ μείζον ̓ ἐκπράξας ἐμὲ
ὧν αὐτὸς εἶχες σκεπτέον δέ· μή τί μοι,
μισεῖν δοκούσῃ, ζῆλος ἐξ ἔρωτος ἦν
γεγώς, ὁ καρδίας τε καὶ φρενὸς μέδων,
ὁ ταῦτα δράσας ; κουφόνουν μαθοῦσά σε,
δείσασα δ ̓ ὡς ἂν αὐτε χηρώσαντ ̓ ἐμὲ,
ὡς πρὶν σὺ τὴν Τιμνῖτιν, ἔσπευδον τόδε,
όπως σε συνδήσαιμι δυσλύτοις πέδαις·
τὸ δ' ἠπόρουν, εἰ μή γε κεκτῄμην ποθὲν·
τὴν σὴν κρυφαίαν κλῇδα τῆς σωτηρίας.
τί δ ̓ ἦν, ἐφ ̓ ᾧ τόδ ̓ ἐκμαθοῦσ ̓ αὐδᾶν ἔτλην;
ἢ μὴν ὑπέσχονθ' οἵ με κλέπτοντες δόλῳ
ὡς μηδὲν ἐννοοῦντες εἴ γε μὴ σέθεν
φρουρᾶς ἀφύκτου δεσμά· πρὸς δ ̓ ἐμοῦ τίδ ̓ ἦν.
σὲ γὰρ σάφ ̓ ἤδη διὰ χερῶν συχνοὺς ἔχειν
ἐλεύθερον μέλλοντα κινδύνους, ἐμὲ
ἐῶντα χήραν ἐν πολυστόνῳ λέχει
ἀνδρός τε φρούδου περιδεᾶ· τὸ δ ̓ ἔμπαλιν
μένοντα, πάννυχόν τε καὶ πανήμερον
αὐτὴ καθ ̓ αὑτὴν εἶχον ἂν μόνη μόνον
φιλοῦσα, καὶ θύραθεν ἄψαυστον δύης,
ἔρωτος αἰχμάλωτον, οὐκ ἐχθροῦ τινός.
These reasons in love's law have passed for good,
Though fond and reasonless to some perhaps ;
And love hath oft, well meaning, wrought much woe,
Yet always pity or pardon hath obtained.
Be not unlike all others, not austere
As thou art strong, inflexible as steel.
If thou in strength all mortals dost exceed,
In uncompassionate anger do not so.
How cunningly the sorceress displays
Her own transgressions, to upbraid me mine!
That malice, not repentance, brought thee hither,
By this appears. I gave, thou sayest, the example,
I led the way; bitter reproach, but true;
I to myself was false ere thou to me.
Such pardon therefore as I give my folly,
Take to thy wicked deed; which when thou seest
Impartial, self-severe, inexorable,
Thou wilt renounce thy seeking, and much rather
Confess it feigned. Weakness is thy excuse,
ἔρως μὲν ἔσθ ̓ ὁ τόνδε κυρώσας λόγον,
εἰ καὶ παρ ̓ ἄλλοις ἀλογίαν ὀφλισκάνει,
ἔρως μὲν ἄκων πόλλ ̓ ἀπείργασται κακὰ,
ἀεὶ δ ̓ ἀθῷος ἐν βροτοῖσιν ἐκρίθη.
μή νυν σιδηρόφρων τε κἄκαμπτος μένει,
οἷές τ ̓ ἄρ ̓ οὔτις ἄλλος, ἐν ῥώμης λόγῳ
ἄθελκτος ἴσθι, μήδ', ἀριστεύων σθένος,
ὀργῆς ἀπηνοῦς ἆθλον ἐν θνητοῖς λάβῃς.
ΣΑΜΨΩΝ.
αὑτὴν μὲν ἥδ ̓ ἡ φαρμακὶς, πυκνῷ δόλῳ,
ἔμ ̓ ὡς ἀληθῶς κερτομοῦσ ̓, ἐμέμψατο.
κακὸν φρονοῦσα, κοὐ μεταλλαγεῖσα νοῦν,
ἥκεις· τεκμήριον δέ· καὶ γὰρ αὐτὸς ἦ,
πικρὸν τόδ', ἀψευδὲς δὲ, λοιδορεῖς ἐμὲ,
ὁ πρῶτος εἰς ἐμαυτὸν ἀδικίας τύπον
τόσης προδείξας, πρὶν σὲ τολμῆσαί ποτε.
ὅσον μὲν οὖν ἔμοιγε συγγνώμης λαχεῖν
τῆς μωρίας ἔξεστι, σῆς πανουργίας
ἔχοις ἄν· ἐξ ἐμοῦ δὲ κατ ̓ ἐμαυτοῦ δίκας
ὀρθὰς ὁρῶσα κἀπαραιτήτους νόμους,
ἃ νῦν ματεύεις, πρόφασιν ὡς θηρωμένη,
τάχ ̓ ἂν μεθείης· τῶν φρενῶν ἀῤῥωστίαν
And I believe it,-weakness to resist
Philistian gold. If weakness may excuse,
What murderer, what traitor, parricide,
Incestuous, sacrilegious, but may plead it?
All wickedness is weakness; that plea therefore
With God or man will gain thee no remission.
But love constrained thee;-call it furious rage
To satisfy thy lust; love seeks to have love.
My love how could'st thou hope, who tookest the way
To raise in me inexpiable hate,
Knowing, as needs I must, by thee betrayed?
In vain thou striv'st to cover shame with shame,
Or by evasions thy crime uncoverest more.
Since thou determinest weakness for no plea
In man or woman, though to thy own condemning,
Hear what assaults I had, what snares besides,
What sieges girt me round, ere I consented;
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