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SAMSON AGONISTES.

SAMSON.

LITTLE onward lend thy guiding hand

To these dark steps, a little further on;

For yonder bank hath choice of sun or shade.

There I am wont to sit, when any chance

Relieves me from my task of servile toil,

Daily in the common prison else enjoined me;
Where I, a prisoner chained, scarce freely draw
The air imprisoned also, close and damp,
Unwholesome draught. But here I feel amends,

The breath of heaven fresh blowing, pure and sweet,

With day-spring born; here leave me to respire.

This day a solemn feast the people hold

To Dagon their sea-idol, and forbid

ΙΟ

ΣΑΜΨΩΝ ΑΓΩΝΙΣΤΗΣ.

ΣΑΜΨΩΝ.

Σε χειραγωγὸς ὀμματοστερῆ βάσιν

πρόσω τί μοι ποίμαινε· τήνδ' ὄχθην κάτα

ἔστιν τὰ καύματ ̓ ἀνταμείβεσθαι σκιᾶς,
καὶ δὴ τύχῃ λυθέντα τοῦ καθ ̓ ἡμέραν
πόνου, κάθησθαι· δουλίαις γὰρ ἄλλοτε
πέδαις βιασθείς, κοινὸν εἰληχὼς βάρος,
δύσοσμ ̓, ἐν εὐρώεντι δεσμωτηρίῳ,
μιάσμαθ ̓ ἕλκω ξυμπαθόντος ἀέρος.
ἀλλ ̓ ἐνθάδ ̓ ἀντίμισθον ἡδύπνουν τόδε
οὐράνιον αὔρας νεογενοῦς ἄημά μοι
ἑωθιναῖς ἀκτῖσι σύμφυτον γάνος
πάρεστ ̓ ἄχραντον· ὧδ ̓ ἐλινῦσαι θέλω.
τῷ γὰρ Δάγωνι, τῷ θαλασσίῳ θεῷ,
τανῦν ἑορτάζοντες οἱ ταύτῃ βροτοὶ

ΙΟ

Laborious works-unwillingly this rest

Their superstition yields me-hence, with leave
Retiring from the popular noise, I seek

This unfrequented place to find some ease

Ease to the body some, none to the mind
From restless thoughts, that, like a deadly swarm
Of hornets armed, no sooner found alone

But rush upon me thronging, and present
Times past, what once I was, and what am now.
O, wherefore was my birth from Heaven foretold
Twice by an Angel? who at last, in sight

Of both my parents, all in flames ascended
From off the altar, where an offering burned,
As in a fiery column charioting

His godlike presence, and from some great act
Or benefit revealed to Abraham's race.

Why was my breeding ordered and prescribed,

As of a person separate to God,

Designed for great exploits, if I must die

Betrayed, captived, and both my eyes put out,

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δύσοιστον ἀπεκήρυξαν ἐν πόλει κόπον ἄκοντες οὖν, τὸ θεῖον εὐλαβούμενοι,

ἐωσί μ ̓ ὧδε, δημίου κραυγῆς ἄπο,

χώραν προσελθεῖν ἄβροτον, ἄμπαυλάν τινα,
ἤν πως τύχῃ γε, σώματος κακῶν ἔχειν·
οὐ γάρ ποτ' οὐδὲ σμικρὸν ἡ ̓ν φρεσὶν δύη
λωφᾶν δύναιτ' ἂν, θανασίμων σφηκῶν τρόπον
ἐπεγχυθεῖσα τῷδε τῷ παναθλίῳ
ἄπαυστος, οἰωθέντι περιτυχοῦσ ̓ ἀεὶ,
τὰ δὴ παλαιὰ παραβαλοῦσα τοῖσι νῦν.
φεῦ· τί γὰρ μεγίστου σεμνὸς ἄγγελος Θεοῦ
δισσοῖσι τἀμὰ προὔννεπεν μαντεύμασι
γενέθλι ̓, ἀθρούντοιν δὲ τοῖν γεννητόροιν
διφρηλάτης ὡς, πυρφόρῳ καλύμματι
ἀγαστὸς, οἷον οὐ κατ ̓ ἄνθρωπον γεγὼς,
ἀπ ̓ ὦρτο βωμοῦ τοῦ καθιερωμένου,
εἰ μὴ γέρας τι τοῦ Θεοῦ τῇ πατρίδι
τῇ 'μῇ προδεικνύς; κἀμὲ τῷ Θεῷ τροφοὶ
ἐχώρισαν τάξαντες, ὡς ἔργοις ἔπι
ῥητοῖσι, μηδὲ τοῦ τυχόντος ἐκτελεῖν,
εἰ δὴ πέπρωται παρακεκρουσμένον θανεῖν
δοῦλόν τε, δισσῶν τ ̓ ὀμμάτων ἀχηνίᾳ,

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Made of my enemies the scorn and gaze,

To grind in brazen fetters under task

With this Heaven-gifted strength? O glorious strength,

Put to the labour of a beast, debased

Lower than bondslave! Promise was that I

Should Israel from Philistian yoke deliver.

Ask for this great deliverer now, and find him

Eyeless in Gaza, at the mill with slaves,

Himself in bonds under Philistian yoke.

Yet stay, let me not rashly call in doubt
Divine prediction. What if all foretold

Had been fulfilled but through mine own default !
Whom have I to complain of but myself?

Who, this high gift of strength committed to me,

In what part lodged, how easily bereft me,
Under the seal of silence could not keep,
But weakly to a woman must reveal it,
O'ercome with importunity and tears.

O impotence of mind, in body strong!

But what is strength without a double share

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