CHORUS
antistrophe 2

Have heed of him who looketh from on high, 
The guard of woeful mortals, whosoe’er 
Unto their fellows cry, 
And find no pity, find no justice there. 
Abiding in his wrath, the suppliants’ lord 
Doth smite, unmoved by cries, unbent by prayerful word.

THE KING OF ARGOS

But if Aegyptus’ children grasp you here, 
Claiming, their country’s right, to hold you theirs 
As next of kin, who dares to counter this? 
Plead ye your country’s laws, if plead ye may, 
That upon you they lay no lawful hand.

CHORUS
strophe 3

Let me not fall, O nevermore, 
A prey into the young men’s hand; 
Rather than wed whom I abhor, 
By pilot-stars I flee this land; 
O king, take justice to thy side, 
And with the righteous powers decide!

THE KING OF ARGOS

Hard is the cause-make me not judge thereof. 
Already I have vowed it, to do nought 
Save after counsel with my people ta’en, 
King though I be; that ne’er in after time, 
If ill fate chance, my people then may say- 
In aid of strangers thou the State hast slain.

CHORUS
antistrophe 3

Zeus, lord of kinship, rules at will 
The swaying balance, and surveys 
Evil and good; to men of ill 
Gives evil, and to good men praise, 
And thou-since true those scales do sway- 
Shalt thou from justice shrink away?

THE KING OF ARGOS

A deep, a saving counsel here there needs- 
An eye that like a diver to the depth 
Of dark perplexity can pass and see, 
Undizzied, unconfused. First must we care 
That to the State and to ourselves this thing 
Shall bring no ruin; next, that wrangling hands 
Shall grasp you not as prey, nor we ourselves 
Betray you thus embracing sacred shrines, 
Nor make the avenging all-destroying god, 
Who not in hell itself sets dead men free, 
A grievous inmate, an abiding bane. 
-Spake I not right, of saving counsel’s need?

CHORUS
strophe 4

Yea, counsel take and stand to aid 
At justice’ side and mine. 
Betray not me, the timorous maid 
Whom far beyond the brine 
A godless violence cast forth forlorn.

antistrophe 4

O King, wilt thou behold- 
Lord of this land, wilt thou behold me torn 
From altars manifold? 
Bethink thee of the young men’s wrath and lust, 
Hold off their evil pride;

strophe 5

Steel not thyself to see the suppliant thrust 
From hallowed statues’ side, 
Haled by the frontlet on my forehead bound, 
As steeds are led, and drawn 
By hands that drag from shrine and altar-mound 
My vesture’s fringed lawn.

antistrophe 5

Know thou that whether for Aegyptus’ race 
Thou dost their wish fulfil, 
Or for the gods and for each holy place- 
Be thy choice good or ill, 
Blow is with blow requited, grace with grace. 
Such is Zeus’ righteous will.

THE KING OF ARGOS

Yea, I have pondered: from the sea of doubt 
Here drives at length the bark of thought ashore; 
Landward with screw and windlass haled, and firm, 
Clamped to her props, she lies. The need is stern; 
With men or gods a mighty strife we strive 
Perforce, and either hap in grief concludes. 
For, if a house be sacked, new wealth for old 
Not hard it is to win-if Zeus the lord 
Of treasure favour-more than quits the loss, 
Enough to pile the store of wealth full high; 
Or if a tongue shoot forth untimely speech, 
Bitter and strong to goad a man to wrath, 
Soft words there be to soothe that wrath away: 
But what device shall make the war of kin 
Bloodless? that woe, the blood of many beasts, 
And victims manifold to many gods, 
Alone can cure. Right glad I were to shun 
This strife, and am more fain of ignorance 
Than of the wisdom of a woe endured. 
The gods send better than my soul foretells!

LEADER OF THE CHORUS
Of many cries for mercy, hear the end.
THE KING OF ARGOS
Say on, then, for it shall not ‘scape mine ear.
LEADER
Girdles we have, and bands that bind our robes.
THE KING OF ARGOS
Even so; such things beseem a woman’s wear.
LEADER
Know, then, with these a fair device there is-
THE KING OF ARGOS
Speak, then: what utterance doth this foretell?
LEADER
Unless to us thou givest pledge secure
THE KING OF ARGOS
What can thy girdles’ craft achieve for thee?
LEADER
Strange votive tablets shall these statues deck.
THE KING OF ARGOS
Mysterious thy resolve-avow it clear.
LEADER
Swiftly to hang me on these sculptured gods!
THE KING OF ARGOS
Thy word is as a lash to urge my heart.
LEADER
Thou seest truth, for I have cleared thine eyes.
THE KING OF ARGOS

Yea, and woes manifold, invincible, 
A crowd of ills, sweep on me torrent-like. 
My bark goes forth upon a sea of troubles 
Unfathomed, ill to traverse, harbourless. 
For if my deed shall match not your demand, 
Dire, beyond shot of speech, shall be the bane 
Your death’s pollution leaves unto this land. 
Yet if against your kin, Aegyptus’ race, 
Before our gates I front the doom of war, 
Will not the city’s loss be sore? Shall men 
For women’s sake incarnadine the ground? 
But yet the wrath of Zeus, the suppliants’ lord, 
I needs must fear: most awful unto man 
The terror of his anger. Thou, old man, 
The father of these maidens, gather up 
Within your arms these wands of suppliance, 
And lay them at the altars manifold 
Of all our country’s gods, that all the town 
Know, by this sign, that ye come here to sue. 
Nor, in thy haste, do thou say aught of me. 
Swift is this folk to censure those who rule; 
But, if they see these signs of suppliance, 
It well may chance that each will pity you, 
And loathe the young men’s violent pursuit; 
And thus a fairer favour you may find: 
For, to the helpless, each man’s heart is kind.

DANAUS

To us, beyond gifts manifold it is 
To find a champion thus compassionate; 
Yet send with me attendants, of thy folk, 
Rightly to guide me, that I duly find 
Each altar of your city’s gods that stands 
Before the fane, each dedicated shrine; 
And that in safety through the city’s ways 
I may pass onwards: all unlike to yours 
The outward semblance that I wear-the race 
That Nilus rears is all dissimilar 
To that of Inachus. Keep watch and ward 
Lest heedlessness bring death: full oft, I ween, 
Friend hath slain friend, not knowing whom he slew.

THE KING OF ARGOS

Go at his side, attendants,-he saith well. 
On to the city’s consecrated shrines! 
Nor be of many words to those ye meet, 
The while this suppliant voyager ye lead.

DANAUS departs with attendants.
LEADER

Let him go forward, thy command obeying. 
But me how biddest, how assurest thou?

THE KING OF ARGOS
Leave there the new-plucked boughs, thy sorrow’s sign.
LEADER
Thus beckoned forth, at thy behest I leave them.
THE KING OF ARGOS
Now to this level precinct turn thyself.
LEADER
Unconsecrate it is, and cannot shield me.
THE KING OF ARGOS
We will not yield thee to those falcons’ greed.
LEADER
What help? more fierce they are than serpents fell.
THE KING OF ARGOS
We spake thee fair-speak thou them fair in turn.
LEADER
What marvel that we loathe them, scared in soul?
THE KING OF ARGOS
Awe towards a king should other fears transcend.
LEADER
Thus speak, thus act, and reassure my mind.
THE KING OF ARGOS

Not long thy sire shall leave thee desolate. 
But I will call the country’s indwellers, 
And with soft words th’ assembly will persuade, 
And warn your sire what pleadings will avail. 
Therefore abide ye, and with prayer entreat 
The country’s gods to compass your desire; 
The while I go, this matter to provide, 
Persuasion and fair fortune at my side.

The KING OF ARGOS departs with his retinue. The CHORUS forms to sing its prayer to Zeus.
CHORUS

strophe 1

O King of Kings, among the blest 
Thou highest and thou happiest, 
Listen and grant our prayer, 
And, deeply loathing, thrust 
Away from us the young men’s lust, 
And deeply drown 
In azure waters, down and ever down, 
Benches and rowers dark, 
The fatal and perfidious bark!

antistrophe 1

Unto the maidens turn thy gracious care; 
Think yet again upon the tale of fame, 
How from the maiden loved of thee there sprung 
Mine ancient line, long since in many a legend sung! 
Remember, O remember, thou whose hand 
Did Io by a touch to human shape reclaim. 
For from this Argos erst our mother came 
Driven hence to Egypt’s land, 
Yet sprung of Zeus we were, and hence our birth we claim.
The Suppliants by Aeschylus