SAMSON.

I thought where all thy circling wiles would end;

In feigned religion, smooth hypocrisy.

But had thy love, still odiously pretended,

Been, as it ought, sincere, it would have taught thee

Far other reasonings, brought forth other deeds.

I, before all the daughters of my tribe

And of my nation, chose thee from among

My enemies, loved thee, as too well thou knewest,

Too well; unbosomed all my secrets to thee,
Not out of levity, but overpowered

By thy request, who could deny thee nothing;
Yet now am judged an enemy. Why then
Didst thou at first receive me for thy husband,
Then, as since then, thy country's foe professed?
Being once a wife, for me thou wast to leave
Parents and country; nor was I their subject,
Nor under their protection but my own,

Thou mine, not theirs. If aught against my life

880

ΣΑΜΨΩΝ.

ἢ κάρτ ̓ ἔλεξας προσδοκῶντί μοι τάδε·
θεῶν γὰρ ευσχημόν τι καὶ πλαστὸν σέβας
ἔσθ', οὗ γ ̓ ἔκυρσαν σῶν δόλων περιστροφαί.
εἰ δ ̓ ὃν προτείνεις, ὡς ἐχρῆν, ἀκήρατος
ἔρως ὑπῆρχε, τῶνδε διαφέροντά σ ̓ ἂν
ἐδίδαξεν ἔργα καὶ λόγοις ἐνουθέτει.

σὲ δὴ πρὸ πασῶν τῆς ἐμῆς πάτρας κορῶν
ἐμφυλίων τε, κἀκ γένους ἐξειλόμην
ἐχθροῦ· πόθου γὰρ, ᾧ κατειχόμην, σέθεν,
ἄγαν κατέγνως τὴν ἄγαν προθυμίαν,
ὥστ ̓ ἐκκαλύψαι ταν φρεσὶν κειμήλια,
οὐχ ὡς ἀνοίας ἔνοχος, ἀλλ ̓ ἡσσημένος
σοῦ λιπαρούσης, ᾗ τὸ πᾶν ὑπεικτέον.
νῦν ταῦτα δράσας ἐχθρὸς ὢν ἐφηυρέθην.
τί δή μ' ἐδέξω νυμφικαῖς εὐναῖς τότε,
ἐχθρόν γε τῆς σῆς νῦν τε καὶ πάλαι πάτρας;
σὲ δ ̓ εἰσάπαξ δάμαρτα, τὴν πόλιν τ ̓ ἔδει
παρ' οὐδὲν, ἀντ ̓ ἐμοῦγε, καὶ γεννήτορας
ἄγειν· ἐκείνων δ ̓ οὐκ ἐμοὶ κλύειν θέμις,
σοῦ γὰρ φύλαξ καὶ τοῦδε τἀνδρὸς αὐτὸς ἦ.
πρὸς ταῦθ ̓ ὅ σ' αἰτῶν οἶσιν ἂν μ' εἴη κτανεῖν

910

920

Thy country sought of thee, it sought unjustly,

Against the law of nature, law of nations;

No more thy country, but an impious crew
Of men conspiring to uphold their state.

By worse than hostile deeds, violating the ends
For which our country is a name so dear;

Not therefore to be obeyed. But zeal moved thee;
To please thy gods thou didst it. Gods unable

To acquit themselves and prosecute their foes
But by ungodly deeds, the contradiction

Of their own deity, gods cannot be;

Less therefore to be pleased, obeyed, or feared.
These false pretexts and varnished colours failing,
Bare in thy guilt how foul must thou appear!

DALILA.

In argument with men a woman ever

Goes by the worse, whatever be her cause.

SAMSON.

For want of words no doubt, or lack of breath

Witness when I was worried with thy peals.

890

900

φύσεως ὑπερβέβηκε καὶ βροτῶν νόμους. οἱ δ ̓ ἐκπεσόντες τῶν πολιτείας ὅρων, δεινοῖς ἐπ ̓ ἔργοις ξυνομόσαντες ἐκδίκως, οἷς οὐδ ̓ ἂν ἐξείη ποτ ̓ ἐν μάχῃ δορὸς ῥυσιπτόλει, κάλλιστα τῆς πάτρας γέρα φθείρουσ ̓, ἐρασμίαν τ ̓ ἐν ἀνθρώποις χάριν μὴ δὴ τοιούτους ἀξιοῦν τιμῆς λαχεῖν. μῶν σοῖς θεοῖς ἀρεστὰ ταῦτ ̓ ἐσπούδασας; ἀλλ ̓ οἵ γε μὴ σθένουσι μηδ' αὐτοὶ μένειν, ἢ πού γε δή τιν ̓ ἐχθρὸν ἀνατρέπειν βίᾳ, μὴ οὐ δύσθεόν τι δρῶντες, οἷά τ ̓ ἂν θεοῖς οὔπως ξυνᾴδοι, τούσδε γ ̓ οὐ θεοὺς λέγω, οὐδ ̓ ἂν τρόπῳ νιν προσκύσαιμ ̓ ἂν εὐσεβεῖ. σκήψει σφαλεῖσ ̓ οὖν χρωμάτων πεπλασμένων, αἰσχρὰν ἐφάνθης ὑπερέχουσ ̓ ἀλιτρίαν.

ΔΗΛΙΛΗ.

ἢ μὴν ἀνὴρ, δίκαιον εἴτ ̓ ἐκτὸς δίκης, ἀεὶ γυναικὸς, ἐν λόγων μάχῃ, κρατεῖ. ΣΑΜΨΩΝ.

ἐπῶν γὰρ, ἤ ποθ' οἵνεκα σμικρᾶς πνοῆς εὖ σοῦ τόδ ̓ ἤδη καταβοώμενος πάλαι.

930

940

DALILA.

I was a fool, too rash, and quite mistaken
In what I thought would have succeeded best.

Let me obtain forgiveness of thee, Samson;
Afford me place to shew what recompense
Toward thee I intend for what I have misdone,
Misguided; only what remains past cure

Bear not too sensibly, nor still insist

To afflict thyself in vain. Though sight be lost,
Life yet hath many solaces, enjoyed

Where other senses want not their delights,

At home, in leisure and domestic ease,

Exempt from many a care and chance, to which
Eye-sight exposes daily men abroad.

I to the lords will intercede, not doubting

Their favourable ear, that I may fetch thee

From forth this loathsome prison-house, to abide
With me, where my redoubled love and care,
With nursing diligence, to me glad office,

May ever tend about thee to old age,

With all things grateful cheered, and so supplied,

910

920

That, what by me thou hast lost, thou least shalt miss.