I ask—if ask I may:—I may, I trow,
Who am your lord, make question as I will:—
How long seek ye to lengthen out your lives?
What hope, what help from imminent death expect ye?
Trust ye that he, the sire of these, who lies 145
In Hades, yet shall come? How basely ye
Upraise a mourning that ye needs must die!—
Thou, who through Hellas scatteredst empty vaunts
That Zeus thy couch-mate fathered a new god,
And thou, that thou wast named a hero's wife! 150
What mighty exploit by thy lord was wrought
In that he killed a hydra of the fen,
Or that Nemean lion?—which he snared,
Yet saith he slew with grip of strangling arms!
By these deeds would ye triumph?—for their sake 155
Must they die not, these sons of Herakles?—
That thing of nought, who won him valour's name
Battling with beasts, a craven in all else,
Who never to his left arm clasped the shield,
Nor within spear-thrust came; but with his bow, 160
The dastard's tool, was ever at point to flee!
Bows be no test of manhood's valiancy.
Who bideth steadfast in the ranks, calm-eyed
Facing the spear's swift furrow—a man is he!
Greybeard, no ruthlessness hath this my part, 165
But heedfulness: well know I that 1 slew
Kreon, this woman's sire, and hold his throne.
Therefore I would not these should grow to man,
Left to avenge them on me for my deeds.
Amphitryon.
For Zeus's part—his own son's birth let Zeus 170
Defend: but, Herakles, to me it falls
