Euripides' HELEN Complete

Translated by E. Coleridge.

Euripides Bilingual Anthology  Studies  Euripides in Print

90 pages - You are on Page 62

Theoclymenus: All hail, my father's tomb! I buried thee, Proteus,
at the place where men go out, that I might often greet thee; and
so, ever as I go out and in, I, thy son Theoclymenus call on thee,
father. Ho! servants, to the palace take my hounds and hunting nets!
How often have I blamed myself for never punishing those miscreants
with death! I have just heard that son of Hellas has come openly to
my land, escaping the notice of the guard, a spy maybe or a would-be
thief of Helen; death shall be his lot if only I can catch him. Ha!
I find all my plans apparently frustrated, the daughter of Tyndareus
has deserted her seat at the tomb and sailed away from my shores.
Ho! there, undo the bars, loose the horses from their stalls, bring
forth my chariot, servants, that the wife, on whom my heart is set,
may not get away from these shores unseen, for want of any trouble
I can take. Yet stay; for I see the object of my pursuit is still
in the palace, and has not fled. (Helen enters from the palace, clad
in the garb of mourning.) How now, lady, why hast thou arrayed thee
in sable weeds instead of white raiment, and from thy fair head hast
shorn thy tresses with the steel, bedewing thy cheeks the while with
tears but lately shed? Is it in response to visions of the night that
thou art mourning, or, because thou hast heard some warning voice
within, art thus distraught with grief?

Helen: My lord,-for already I have learnt to say that name,--I am
undone; my luck is gone; I cease to be.

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