And wilt thou then among the Argives go,
Equipped with my arms?
Odys. Speak thou not a word
To me, who stand in very act to go.
Phil. And thou, Achilles' son, shall I remain
Without a word from thee? Dost thou thus go?
Odys. [To Neoptolemos.] Go thou, and look not on
him, lest, though noble,
Thou ruin our success.
Phil. [To Chorus.] And will ye leave,
Ο strangers, will ye leave me, pitying not?1070
Chor. [To Philoctetes.] This youth is our commander,
and whate'er
He speaks to thee, the same we also say.
Neop. [To Chorus, pointing to Odysseus.] I shall be
told, I know, by our chief here,
That I am piteous and of melting mood;
Yet, spite of this, remain, if so he will,
At least a while, until the sailors put
Our sailing gear in order, and we have made
Due prayers unto the Gods. So he, [pointing to
Philoctetes] perchance,
Meantime may cherish better thoughts of us.
Now then, let us depart, and ye, be quick,
When we shall call you, to proceed with us.1080
Stroph. I.
Phil. Ο cave of hollow rock,
Now hot, now icy cold,
And I was doomed, ah me!
To leave thee never more;
But e'en in death thou still wilt be to me
My one true helping friend.
