Look, how the spurted stain combines with time
To blur the many dyes that once adorned

Its pattern manifold! I now stand here,
Made glad, made sad with blood, exulting, wailing-

Hear, O thou woven web that slew my sire!
I grieve for deed and death and all my home-

Victor, pollution's damned stain for prize.
CHORUS (chanting)

Alas, that none of mortal men
Can pass his life untouched by pain!

Behold, one woe is here-
Another loometh near.

ORESTES
Hark ye and learn-for what the end shall be

For me I know not: breaking from the curb
My spirit whirls me off, a conquered prey,

Borne as a charioteer by steeds distraught
Far from the course, and madness in my breast

Burneth to chant its song, and leap, and rave-
Hark ye and learn, friends, ere my reason goes!

I say that rightfully I slew my mother,
A thing God-scorned, that foully slew my sire.

And chiefest wizard of the spell that bound me
Unto this deed I name the Pythian seer

Apollo, who foretold that if I slew,
The guilt of murder done should pass from me;

But if I spared, the fate that should be mine
I dare not blazon forth-the bow of speech

Can reach not to the mark, that doom to tell.
And now behold me, how with branch and crown

I pass, a suppliant made meet to go
Unto Earth's midmost shrine, the holy ground

Of Loxias, and that renowned light
Of ever-burning fire, to 'scape the doom

Of kindred murder: to no other shrine
(So Loxias bade) may I for refuge turn.

Bear witness, Argives, in the after time,
How came on me this dread fatality.

Living, I pass a banished wanderer hence,
To leave in death the memory of this cry.

LEADER OF THE CHORUS
Nay, but the deed is well; link not thy lips

To speech ill-starred, nor vent ill-boding words-
Who hast to Argos her full freedom given,

Lopping two serpents' heads with timely blow.
ORESTES

Look, look, alas!
Handmaidens, see-what Gorgon shapes throng up

Dusky their robes and all their hair enwound-
Snakes coiled with snakes-off, off,-I must away!

LEADER
Most loyal of all sons unto thy sire,

What visions thus distract thee? Hold, abide;
Great was thy victory, and shalt thou fear?

ORESTES
These are no dreams, void shapes of haunting ill,

But clear to sight another's hell-hounds come!
LEADER

Nay, the fresh bloodshed still imbrues thine hands,
And thencedistraction sinks into thy soul.

ORESTES
O king Apollo-see, they swarm and throng-

Black blood of hatred dripping from their eyes!
LEADER

One remedy thou hast; go, touch the shrine
Of Loxias, and rid thee of these woes.

ORESTES
Ye can behold them not, but I behold them.

Up and away! I dare abide no more.
(He rushes out.)

LEADER
Farewell then as thou mayst,-the god thy friend

Guard thee and aid with chances favouring.
CHORUS (chanting)

Behold, the storm of woe divine
That raves and beats on Atreus' line

Its great third blast hath blown.
First was Thyestes' loathly woe

The rueful feast of long ago,
On children's flesh, unknown.

And next the kingly chief's despite,
When he who led the Greeks to fight

Was in the bath hewn down.
And now the offspring of the race

Stands in the third, the saviour's place,
To save-or to consume?

O whither, ere it be fulfilled,
Ere its fierce blast be hushed and stilled,

Shall blow the wind of doom?
THE END

.

• grieve [gri:v] v.&n.(使)悲痛；哀悼 (初中英语单词)
• refuge [´refju:dʒ] v.&n.避难(所)；庇护 (初中英语单词)
• witness [´witnis] n.见证人 vt.目击 (初中英语单词)
• victory [´viktəri] n.胜利，战胜 (初中英语单词)
• thence [ðens] ad.从那里；因此 (初中英语单词)
• hatred [´heitrid] n.憎恨，敌意 (初中英语单词)
• fierce [fiəs] a.残忍的；强烈的 (初中英语单词)
• damned [dæmd] a.该死的 ad.非常，极 (高中英语单词)
• mortal [´mɔ:tl] a.致命的 n.凡人 (高中英语单词)
• madness [´mædnis] n.疯狂；狂热 (高中英语单词)
• shrine [ʃrain] n.神龛；神殿；圣地 (高中英语单词)
• renowned [ri´naund] a.有名的，有声望的 (高中英语单词)
• kindred [´kindrid] n.亲属关系；同源关系 (高中英语单词)
• throng [θrɔŋ] n.群众 v.拥挤；群集 (高中英语单词)
• distract [di´strækt] vt.使分心 (高中英语单词)
• remedy [´remidi] n.药品 vt.医治；减轻 (高中英语单词)
• wizard [´wizəd] n.术士；男巫 (英语四级单词)
• kingly [´kiŋli] a.国王的 ad.国王似地 (英语四级单词)
• untouched [ʌn´tʌtʃt] a.原样的；未触动过的 (英语六级单词)
• foretold [fɔ:´təuld] foretell过去式(分词) (英语六级单词)
• wanderer [´wɔndərə] n.流浪者 (英语六级单词)
• timely [´taimli] a.及时的；适合的 (英语六级单词)
• bloodshed [´blʌdʃed] n.流血；杀人 (英语六级单词)