καταπατοῦντος μεγασθενῆ περ, ὑπέροπλα· σύχν ̓ ὡς λέοντ ̓ ὄρμενον ἔτρεσ ̓ Ασκαλωνίτας χαλκεόνωτος ἐν μά χαις, πτήξας πόδα δεινὸν, ἔμπειρος πολεμιστὴς πήληχ. ὑψίλοφον κόνει περιπεσὼν ἐμόλυνεν. τὸ δ ̓ αὖθις, ὧν πᾶς πέρι τὰ νῦν θροεῖ, τοὺς χιλίους ἐν Ῥαμαιληχίῳ φονεύσας, ὄνου λαβὼν σιαγόν ̓, ἔστινον ξίφος, ἄωτον ἀπέταμε χθονός βίᾳ δὲ πυκνὰς ᾤχετ ̓ ἀναφέρων πρόῤῥιζον αὐτοῖς πύλας μοχλοῖσι σταθμοισί τ' Αζης, ἐς Εβρέαν ἕδραν γιγάντων, τὸ δ ̓ οὐ πάρεργον ἦν, ἀλλ ̓ ὥς τιν ̓ ἄστρα φασὶ βάρβαροι φέρειν. τίν ̓ οὖν κακῶν κάκιστά σοι; δεσμῶν πέπονθας πλέω, δεσμὰ δεσμῶν, ἀμαυρὸς ἀεί. κλῃσθεὶς αὐτὸς ἐν αὐτῷ κακῶν ἔξοχα πάσχει εἰσὶν, οἵ γε δεδορκότες ψυχᾶς ὄμμα μάταιοι 150 160 Imprisoned now indeed, In real darkness of the body, dwells, To incorporate with gloomy night; Puts forth no visual beam, O mirror of our fickle state, Since man on earth, unparalleled ! The rarer thy example stands, By how much, from the top of wondrous glory, To lowest pitch of abject fortune thou art fallen : For him I reckon not in high estate, Whom long descent of birth, Or the sphere of fortune, raises; But thee whose strength, while virtue was her mate, Might have subdued the earth, Universally crowned with highest praises. SAMSON. I hear the sound of words; their sense the air Dissolves unjointed ere it reach my ear. CHORUS. He speaks, let us draw nigh-Matchless in might, The glory late of Israel, now the grief! 160 170 κλαίουσ ̓ ἀφεγγές· σὺ δ ̓ οὖν οὐ μάταν, ἔργῳ δύαισιν ἀλααῖς σώματος βιασθείς· νύκτ ̓ ἐνδέδυκας, φεῦ, διανταῖον κνέφας φρενῶν δὲ φῶς ἀνόμματον· τοιαῦτ ̓ ἰδεῖν ἔφυ τἀνθρώπινα ὑπερβέβηκας δ ̓ ὅσ ̓ ἦν τὰ πρόσθεν, ἀφ ̓ ὑψιπύργων ὃς ἐκπεσὼν ἑδρῶν τανῦν ἐφάνθης ἐπ ̓ ἐσχάτοις τύχας, ῥώμαν ἄριστος, οἷος οὐκ ἄλλος, τὸ πρίν. τιμὰν ἐμοῦ γ ̓ ἂν οὐ λάβοι γένος παλαιὸν κλυτὸς, ἢ τροπαΐσιν τύχας προκόψας, σὺ δ', ὃν δόξα περιστε φὴς ἀνήγαγεν, ὦ τ ̓ ἂν ἔ δωκεν ΐς, ἀρετὰ ξύνοικος, βροτῶν βασιλεύειν. ΣΑΜΨΩΝ. ἤκουσα φωνήν· ὃν δ ̓ ἐσήμῃνεν λόγον, ἄναρθρος ἐῤῥύηκε, πρίν γ ̓ ὤτων θιγεῖν. ΧΟΡΟΣ. ἡμᾶς προσελθεῖν, τοῦδε βάζοντος, χρεών. φεύ, φεῦ, κράτιστε, κῦδος Εβραίοις πάλαι, 170 180 We come, thy friends and neighbours not unknown, 180 From Eshtaol and Zora's fruitful vale, To visit or bewail thee: or, if better, Counsel or consolation we may bring, Salve to thy sores; apt words have power to swage The tumours of a troubled mind, And are as balm to festered wounds. SAMSON. Your coming, friends, revives me; for I learn Now of my own experience, not by talk, Yet that which was the worst now least afflicts me, 190 νῦν τοὔμπαλιν δακρυτὸς, ἥκομεν σέθεν ΣΑΜΨΩΝ. ζωήν τιν', ὑμῶν μοι προσελθόντων, νέαν κόμμ' ἐγχαραχθὲν οἷς τὰ πλεῖστ ̓ εἶχον φίλοις. 190 200 |