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;
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,
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
αυλοί τε, πεζοὶ δ ̓ ἱππόται τ ̓ ὄπισθέ νιν,
ξὺν σφενδονητῶν ξύν τε τοξοτῶν λόχοις
δόρασίν τε καταφράκταις τε τῇδε χατέρᾳ,
κατῆγον· ὡς δ ̓ ἐσεῖδον, οὐρανὸς βοῇ
διεῤῥάγη, τὸν ἐνθάδ' ὑμνούντων θεὸν,
δοῦλον παρασχόνθ ̓ ὅστις ἦν πάντων φόβος.
ὁ δ ̓ ἀτρεμαῖος, τλησικαρδίῳ φρενί,
ὅποι νιν ἦγον, πάντα θαυμαστῷ σθένει
ἕλκων τε βαστάζων τε διετέλει χεροῖν
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 τολμῶν· δεινὰ δ ̓ ἦν ὁρᾶν πάνυ,
οὐδ ̓ ἀνθάμιλλος ἦν τις, οὐδ ̓ ἐναντίος.
στήλαιν δέ νιν μεταξὺ ταῖν διπλαῖν τέλος
ἔθεσαν ἐλινύσοντα· χὼς ἤδη καμών,
(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 τολμῶν πλέω,
τά τ' ὄμμαθ', ὡς ἵκτωρ 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, 1651
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
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