1340

τοὺς ἀμπλακόντας

ἀδημονοῦντας ἀνεκφεύκτους

τὸ τεταγμένον οἱ θεήλατον δρᾷ.

θαμὰ δὲ βάσανος ὅσιον ἑλοῦσ ̓

ἄνδρα τινα, δοκιμάσασα τὸ ταλασίφρον νιν, τὸ λυπεῖσθαι λέγω, σωτῆρ ̓ αὐτὸν ἑαυτῷ παρέχει τύχας ἄπ ̓ ἢ τυράννων

σοὶ τῇδ ̓ ἂν ἦν καὶ θατέρᾳ, ὑπὲρ βροτοὺς ἐῤῥωμένῳ, Σάμψων· σὺ δ ̓ ὄσσων βλάβαις λάχοις ἐνὶ τούτοις ἂν οἶσι στέφανος τὸ καρτερῆσαι. φρενὶ δὲ πολύπονον ἡμέραν πολύθυτον ἔλαχες, ὡς τόσον χερσὶν οὐπώποτ ̓ ἤντληκας μόγον ἔτι δ ̓ ἐκ τούτων, ὡς μὲν ἔοικεν,

κάκ ̓ ἂν γένοιτο μείζω.

καὶ γάρ τιν' ἄλλον δεῦρο πορευόμενον

λεύσσω, ποδῶν λαιψηροδρόμοις μελέταις σπερχθέντ' ἰδεῖν, καὶ

σκῆπτρόν τι νωμῶντα δαίδαλον.

1350

1360

Comes on amain, speed in his look.

By his habit I discern him now
A public officer, and now at hand.

His message will be short and voluble.

OFFICER.

Hebrews, the prisoner Samson here I seek.

CHORUS.

His manacles remark him, there he sits.

OFFICER.

Samson, to thee our lords thus bid me say:
This day to Dagon is a solemn feast,
With sacrifices, triumph, pomp, and games:
Thy strength they know surpassing human rate,
And now some public proof thereof require
To honour this great feast, and great assembly.
Rise therefore with all speed, and come along,
Where I will see thee heartened and fresh clad,
To appear as fits before the illustrious lords.

SAMSON.

Thou knowest I am a Hebrew, therefore tell them,

1310

Our law forbids at their religious rites

My presence; for that cause I cannot come.

1320

ὅστις ποτ ̓ ἐστὶ, σχῆμ ̓ ἐσιδὼν ἔμαθον, ὡς γὰρ παρόντος αἰδῶ.

τῶν ἐν τέλει μοι φαίνεται, καὶ σύντομος ῥήματα καὶ ταχύφωνος ἔσται.

ΚΗΡΥΞ.

ἥκω τὸν αἰχμάλωτον, Εβραιοι, μέτα.

ΧΟΡΟΣ.

ἐκεῖ σφὲ θάσσοντ ̓ ἔστι δεσμώτην τ' ἰδεῖν.

ΚΗΡΥΞ.

ἅνακτες ἀγγέλλουσί σοι, Σάμψων, τάδε·
Δάγωνι μὲν θύουσι τῇδ ̓ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ,
ἀγῶσι δ ̓ εὐπόμπῳ τε καυχῶνται χαρᾷ
καὶ δὴ μαθόντες σ ̓ οὐ κατ ̓ ἀνθρώπου μέτρον
σθένοντα, φανερὸν τοῦδε τάσσουσιν τέκμαρ,
ἄγαλμ ̓ ἑορτῇ, τῇ τε νῦν πανηγύρει.

ἄγ ̓ οὖν, ἐγερθεὶς ἄοκνος, ὥς σ ̓ ἂν εὐσταλῆ
φαιδρόν τε δείξω τοῖσι κοιράνοις, ὅπου.

ΣΑΜΨΩΝ.

Ἑβραῖός εἰμι, τοῦτο γὰρ σάφ' οἶσθα σύ πρὸς ταῦτα μηδ ̓ ἔχειν με πατρῴῳ νόμῳ ἱεροῖς παρεῖναι τῶν σε πεμψάντων, φράσον.

1370

OFFICER.

This answer, be assured, will not content them.

SAMSON.

Have they not sword-players, and every sort
Of gymnic artists, wrestlers, riders, runners,
Jugglers and dancers, antics, mummers, mimics,
But they must pick me out, with shackles tired,
And over-laboured at their public mill,

To make them sport with blind activity?

Do they not seek occasion of new quarrels

On my refusal to distress me more,

Or make a game of my calamities?

Return the way thou cam'st, I will not come.

OFFICER.

Regard thyself; this will offend them highly.

SAMSON.

Myself? my conscience and internal peace.
Can they think me so broken, so debased
With corporal servitude, that my mind ever
Will condescend to such absurd commands?
Although their drudge, to be their fool or jester,

1330

ΚΗΡΥΞ.

ἀλλ ̓ ἴσθι μὴ μέλλοντας αἰνέσειν τάδε.

ΣΑΜΨΩΝ.

οὔκουν ὑπάρχουσ ̓ οἱ ξιφῶν εὖ τ ̓ εἰδότες,

κωμῳδολοιχοῦντές τε καὶ πάλης ἴδρεις,
δρομεῖς ξὺν ὀρχησταῖσιν, ἱπποβάμονες,
γυμναστικοὶ μῖμοί τε, παντοῖον γένος;
τί δεῖ νιν ἐν μυλῶνι δεσμίοις τ ̓ ἐμὲ
πόνοις ἀπειπόντ ̓ ἐκκριθέντα δεικνύναι,
ἄθλοις γελωτοποιὸν ὧδ ̓ ἀνόμματον ;
ζητοῦσ ̓ ἀφορμὰς τοῦ πάλιν διχοστατεῖν,
ἐμ ̓ οἷα μὴ κλύοντα πημαίνειν πλέον,
κακοῖς ἐφυβρίζοντες· ἀλλ ̓ ἄπελθε σὺ,
ᾗ καὶ προσῆλθες· οὐκ ἐμοὶ πορευτέον.

ΚΗΡΥΞ.

σαυτοῦ προκήδου· κάρθ ̓ ὑβριστικὸν τόδε.

ΣΑΜΨΩΝ.

ἐμοῦγ ̓· ἐπεὶ ξύνοιδα τἄλυπον φρονῶν.

ἆρ ̓ οὐχὶ πάντως ταῖσι τῶν μελῶν δύαις
κατεαγόθ ̓ ἡγοῦνται με κἀπεφθαρμένον,
τοίων ἐφετμῶν ἀτοπίᾳ μὲ ὑπεικαθεῖν ;
αἰσχρόν με, πρὸς τῷ δουλίων πόνων κυρεῖν,

1380

1390