And conquest on her banners waits no more.


XERXES

At such a fall, such troops of heroes lost,


How can my soul but sink in deep despair!

Cease thy sad strain.


CHORUS

Is all thy glory lost?


XERXES

Seest thou these poor remains of my rent robes?


CHORUS

I see, I see.


XERXES

And this ill-furnish'd quiver?


CHORUS

Wherefore preserved?


XERXES

To store my treasured arrows.


CHORUS

Few, very few.


XERXES

And few my friendly aids.


CHORUS

I thought these Grecians shrunk appall'd at arms.


XERXES

No: they are bold and daring: these sad eyes


Beheld their violent and deathful deeds.

CHORUS


The ruin, sayst thou, of thy shattered fleet?

XERXES


And in the anguish of my soul I rent

My royal robes.


CHORUS

Wo, wo!


XERXES

And more than wo.


CHORUS

Redoubled, threefold wo!


XERXES

Disgrace to me,


But triumph to the foe.

CHORUS


Are all thy powers

In ruin crush'd?


XERXES

No satrap guards me now.


CHORUS

Thy faithful friends sunk in the roaring main.


XERXES

Weep, weep their loss, and lead me to my house;


Answer my grief with grief, an ill return

Of ills for ills. Yet once more raise that strain


Lamenting my misfortunes; beat thy breast,

Strike, heave the groan; awake the Mysian strain


To notes of loudest wo; rend thy rich robes,

Pluck up thy beard, tear off thy hoary locks,


And battle thine eyes in tears: thus through the streets

Solemn and slow with sorrow lead my steps;


Lead to my house, and wail the fate of Persia.

CHORUS


Yes, once more at thy bidding shall the strain

Pour the deep sorrows of my soul;


The suff'rings of my bleeding untry plain,

And bid the Mysian measures roll.


Again the voice of wild despair

With thrilling shrieks shall pierce the air;


For high the god of war his flaming crest

Raised, with the fleet of Greece surrounded,


The haughty arms of Greece with conquest bless'd,

And Persia's withered force confounded,


Dash'd on the dreary beach her heroes slain.,

Or whelm'd them in the darken'd main.


THE END

.

• conquest [´kɔŋkwest] n.赢得；获得；占领地 (初中英语单词)
• violent [´vaiələnt] a.强暴的；猛烈的 (初中英语单词)
• triumph [´traiəmf] n.胜利 vi.得胜，战胜 (初中英语单词)
• faithful [´feiθfəl] a.忠实的；可靠的 (初中英语单词)
• pierce [piəs] v.刺穿；突破；洞察 (初中英语单词)
• greece [gri:s] n.希腊 (初中英语单词)
• anguish [´æŋgwiʃ] n.(极度的)痛苦；苦恼 (高中英语单词)
• haughty [´hɔ:ti] a.傲慢的，高傲的 (高中英语单词)
• dreary [´driəri] a.阴郁的；枯燥无味的 (高中英语单词)
• daring [´deəriŋ] a.&n.勇敢(的) (英语四级单词)
• flaming [´fleimiŋ] a.熊熊燃烧的；热情的 (英语四级单词)