The Thesmophoriazusae [15]
how I
suffer! great gods! how I suffer! Alas! alas! and through my own
relatives too! My misery would make Tartarus dissolve into tears!
Alas! in my terrible distress, I implore the mortal who first shaved
me and depilated me, then dressed me in this long robe, and then
sent me to this Temple into the midst of the women, to save me. Oh!
thou pitiless Fate! I am then accursed, great gods! Ah! who would
not be moved at the sight of the appalling tortures under which I
succumb? Would that the blazing shaft of the lightning would
wither.... this barbarian for me! The immortal light has no further
charm for my eyes since I have been descending the shortest path to
the dead, tied up, strangled, and maddened with pain.
(In the following scene EURIPIDES, from off stage, impersonates
Echo.)
EURIPIDES
Hail! beloved girl. As for your father, Cepheus, who has exposed
you in this guise, may the gods annihilate him.
MNESILOCHUS
And who are you whom my misfortunes have moved to pity?
EURIPIDES
I am Echo, the nymph who repeats all she hears. It was I, who last
year lent my help to Euripides in this very place. But, my child, give
yourself up to the sad laments that belong to your pitiful condition.
MNESILOCHUS
And you will repeat them?
EURIPIDES
I will not fail you. Begin.
MNESILOCHUS (singing)
"Oh! thou divine Night! how slowly thy chariot threads its way
through the starry vault, across the sacred realms of the Air and
mighty Olympus."
EURIPIDES (singing)
Mighty Olympus.
MNESILOCHUS (singing)
"Why is it necessary that Andromeda should have all the woes for
her share?
EURIPIDES (singing)
For her share.
MNESILOCHUS (speaking)
"Sad death!
EURIPIDES
Sad death!
MNESILOCHUS
You weary me, old babbler.
EURIPIDES
Old babbler.
MNESILOCHUS
Oh! you are too unbearable.
EURIPIDES
Unbearable.
MNESILOCHUS
Friend, let me talk by myself. Do please let me. Come, that's
enough.
EURIPIDES
That's enough.
MNESILOCHUS
Go and hang yourself!
EURIPIDES
Go and hang yourself!
MNESILOCHUS
What a plague!
EURIPIDES
What a plague!
MNESILOCHUS
Cursed brute!
EURIPIDES
Cursed brute!
MNESILOCHUS
Beware of blows!
EURIPIDES
Beware of blows!
SCYTHIAN
Hullo! what are you jabbering about?
EURIPIDES
What are you jabbering about?
SCYTHIAN
I shall go and call the Magistrates.
EURIPIDES
I shall go and call the Magistrates.
SCYTHIAN
This is odd!
EURIPIDES
This is odd!
SCYTHIAN
Whence comes this voice?
EURIPIDES
Whence comes this voice?
SCYTHIAN
You are mad.
EURIPIDES
You are mad.
SCYTHIAN
Ah! beware!
EURIPIDES
Ah! beware!
SCYTHIAN (to MNESILOCHUS)
Are you mocking me?
EURIPIDES
Are you mocking me?
MNESILOCHUS
No, it's this woman, who stands near you.
EURIPIDES
Who stands near you.
SCYTHIAN
Where is the hussy!
MNESILOCHUS
She's running away.
SCYTHIAN
Where are you running to?
EURIPIDES
Where are you running to?
SCYTHIAN
You shall not get away.
EURIPIDES
You shall not get away.
SCYTHIAN
You are chattering still?
EURIPIDES
You are chattering still?
SCYTHIAN
Stop the hussy.
EURIPIDES
Stop the hussy.
SCYTHIAN
What a babbling, cursed woman!
(EURIPIDES now enters, costumed as Perseus.)
EURIPIDES
"Oh! ye gods! to what barbarian land has my swift flight taken me?
I am Perseus; I cleave the plains of the air with my winged feet,
and I am carrying the Gorgon's head to Argos."
SCYTHIAN
What, are you talking about the head of Gorgos, the scribe?
EURIPIDES
suffer! great gods! how I suffer! Alas! alas! and through my own
relatives too! My misery would make Tartarus dissolve into tears!
Alas! in my terrible distress, I implore the mortal who first shaved
me and depilated me, then dressed me in this long robe, and then
sent me to this Temple into the midst of the women, to save me. Oh!
thou pitiless Fate! I am then accursed, great gods! Ah! who would
not be moved at the sight of the appalling tortures under which I
succumb? Would that the blazing shaft of the lightning would
wither.... this barbarian for me! The immortal light has no further
charm for my eyes since I have been descending the shortest path to
the dead, tied up, strangled, and maddened with pain.
(In the following scene EURIPIDES, from off stage, impersonates
Echo.)
EURIPIDES
Hail! beloved girl. As for your father, Cepheus, who has exposed
you in this guise, may the gods annihilate him.
MNESILOCHUS
And who are you whom my misfortunes have moved to pity?
EURIPIDES
I am Echo, the nymph who repeats all she hears. It was I, who last
year lent my help to Euripides in this very place. But, my child, give
yourself up to the sad laments that belong to your pitiful condition.
MNESILOCHUS
And you will repeat them?
EURIPIDES
I will not fail you. Begin.
MNESILOCHUS (singing)
"Oh! thou divine Night! how slowly thy chariot threads its way
through the starry vault, across the sacred realms of the Air and
mighty Olympus."
EURIPIDES (singing)
Mighty Olympus.
MNESILOCHUS (singing)
"Why is it necessary that Andromeda should have all the woes for
her share?
EURIPIDES (singing)
For her share.
MNESILOCHUS (speaking)
"Sad death!
EURIPIDES
Sad death!
MNESILOCHUS
You weary me, old babbler.
EURIPIDES
Old babbler.
MNESILOCHUS
Oh! you are too unbearable.
EURIPIDES
Unbearable.
MNESILOCHUS
Friend, let me talk by myself. Do please let me. Come, that's
enough.
EURIPIDES
That's enough.
MNESILOCHUS
Go and hang yourself!
EURIPIDES
Go and hang yourself!
MNESILOCHUS
What a plague!
EURIPIDES
What a plague!
MNESILOCHUS
Cursed brute!
EURIPIDES
Cursed brute!
MNESILOCHUS
Beware of blows!
EURIPIDES
Beware of blows!
SCYTHIAN
Hullo! what are you jabbering about?
EURIPIDES
What are you jabbering about?
SCYTHIAN
I shall go and call the Magistrates.
EURIPIDES
I shall go and call the Magistrates.
SCYTHIAN
This is odd!
EURIPIDES
This is odd!
SCYTHIAN
Whence comes this voice?
EURIPIDES
Whence comes this voice?
SCYTHIAN
You are mad.
EURIPIDES
You are mad.
SCYTHIAN
Ah! beware!
EURIPIDES
Ah! beware!
SCYTHIAN (to MNESILOCHUS)
Are you mocking me?
EURIPIDES
Are you mocking me?
MNESILOCHUS
No, it's this woman, who stands near you.
EURIPIDES
Who stands near you.
SCYTHIAN
Where is the hussy!
MNESILOCHUS
She's running away.
SCYTHIAN
Where are you running to?
EURIPIDES
Where are you running to?
SCYTHIAN
You shall not get away.
EURIPIDES
You shall not get away.
SCYTHIAN
You are chattering still?
EURIPIDES
You are chattering still?
SCYTHIAN
Stop the hussy.
EURIPIDES
Stop the hussy.
SCYTHIAN
What a babbling, cursed woman!
(EURIPIDES now enters, costumed as Perseus.)
EURIPIDES
"Oh! ye gods! to what barbarian land has my swift flight taken me?
I am Perseus; I cleave the plains of the air with my winged feet,
and I am carrying the Gorgon's head to Argos."
SCYTHIAN
What, are you talking about the head of Gorgos, the scribe?
EURIPIDES