Page:The Dramas of Aeschylus (Swanwick).djvu/451

⁠[To the Chorus.]
The rest for you and her I will relate.
The track regaining of my former words.
On the land's verge a town, Canobos, stands,
At Neilos' very mouth and sand-bar,—there,
Zeus shall restore thy reason,—stroking thee
With touch alone of unalarming hand;
Then thou dark Epaphos shalt bear, whose name 870
Records his sacred gendering, who shall reap
All regions watered by broad-flowing Nile.
Fifth in descent from him a female race,
Fifty in number, shall return to Argos,
Not willingly, but wedlock to avoid
Of cousins; these, with passion-wingèd hearts,
Falcons that follow close on doves, shall come
Chasing unlawful wedlock, but the god
Shall grudge them such fair prey; Pelasgian soil
Shall harbour them, what time, made bold by night,
Woman's fell prowess shall o'er men prevail; 880
For every bride her spouse shall reave of life,
The two-edged weapon bathing in his neck.—
May Kypris visit in such guise my foes!—
But of the maids shall one, by love beguiled,
Her partner fail to slay;—her will's keen edge
Blunted, she will of evils twain prefer
Repute of weakness to bloodguiltness.
She shall a kingly race in Argos bear;
This to set forth at large needs lengthy speech;
But from this seed shall dauntless hero spring, 890
Bow-famous, who shall free me from these toils.