From him our race
did spring;
Creator he and
King,
Ancient of days and wisdom he, and might.
As bark before
the wind,
So, wafted by
his mind,
Moves every counsel, each device aright.
Beneath no stronger
hand
Holds he a weak
command,
No throne doth he abase him to adore;
Swift as a word,
his deed
Acts out what
stands decreed
In counsels of his heart, for evermore.
[Re-enter
DANAUS.
DANAUS
Take heart, my children: the land’s
heart is kind,
And to full issue has their voting come.
All hail, my sire; thy word brings utmost
joy.
Say, to what issue is the vote made sure,
And how prevailed the people’s crowding
hands?
DANAUS
With one assent the Argives spake their
will, And, hearing, my old heart took youthful cheer,
The very sky was thrilled when high in air The
concourse raised right hands and swore their oath:—
Free shall the maidens sojourn in this land.
Unharried, undespoiled by mortal wight: No
native hand, no hand of foreigner Shall drag them
hence; if any man use force— Whoe’er
of all our countrymen shall fail To come unto their
aid, let him go forth, Beneath the people’s
curse, to banishment. So did the king of
this Pelasgian folk Plead on behalf of us, and bade
them heed That never, in the after-time, this realm
Should feed to fulness the great enmity Of Zeus,
the suppliants’ guard, against itself!
A twofold curse, for wronging stranger-guests Who
are akin withal, confrontingly Should rise before
this city and be shown A ruthless monster, fed on
human doom. Such things the Argive people heard,
and straight, Without proclaim of herald, gave assent:
Yea, in full conclave, the Pelasgian folk Heard
suasive pleas, and Zeus through them resolved.
Arouse we now to chant our prayer
For fair return of service fair
And Argos’ kindly will.
Zeus, lord of guestright, look upon
The grace our stranger lips have won.
In right and truth, as they begun,
Guide them, with favouring hand, until
Thou dost their blameless wish fulfil!
Now may the Zeus-born gods
on high
Hear us pour forth
A votive prayer for Argos’
clan!—
Never may this Pelasgian earth,
Amid the fire-wrack, shrill the dismal
cry
On Ares, ravening lord of
fight,
Who in an alien harvest mows down man!
For lo, this land had pity
on our plight,
And unto us were merciful and leal,
To us, the piteous flock, who at Zeus’
altar kneel!
They scorned not the pleas of maidenhood,
Nor with the young men’s will hath
their will stood.
They knew right
well.
