Euripides

“ Daughter of Kreon, who to Hades' halls
Hast passed, because with thee would Jason wed! ⁠1235
Medea.
Friends, my resolve is taken, with all speed
To slay my children, and to flee this land,
And not to linger and to yield my sons
To death by other hands more merciless.
They needs must die: and, since it needs must be, ⁠1240
Even I will give them death, who gave them life.
Up, gird thee for the fray, mine heart! Why loiter
To do the dread ill deeds that must be done?
Come, wretched hand of mine, grasp thou the sword ”

“ Thine is this city, thine a father's home;
Hast bliss of life and fellowship of friends.
But I, lone, cityless, and outraged thus ⁠255
Of him who kidnapped me from foreign shores,
Mother nor brother have I, kinsman none,
For port of refuge from calamity.
Wherefore I fain would win of thee this boon:—
If any path be found me, or device, ⁠260
Whereby to avenge these wrongs upon mine husband,
On her who weds, on him who gives the bride,
Keep silence. Woman quails at every peril,
Faint-heart to face the fray and look on steel ”

“ And to the happy princess-bride bear ye
And give: with gifts shall she be satisfied.
Jason.
But, fond one, why make void thine hands of these?
Deem'st thou a royal house hath lack of robes, ⁠960
Or gold, deem'st thou? Keep these and give them not.
For, if my wife esteems me aught, my wish
Will she prefer to treasures, well I wot.
Medea.
Nay, speak not so: gifts sway the Gods, they say.
Gold weigheth more with men than words untold. ⁠965
Hers fortune is; God favoureth now her cause;
Young is her power. Life would I give for ransom
Of my sons' banishment, not gold alone. ”

“ Kreon.
Soft words to hear: but lurks mine heart within
Dread lest thou plottest mischief all the while;
And all the less I trust thee than before.
The vehement-hearted woman—yea, or man—
Is easier watched-for than the silent-cunning. ⁠320
But forth with all speed: plead me pleadings none.
For this is stablished: no device hast thou
To bide with us, who art a foe to me.
Medea.
Nay,—by thy knees, and by the bride, thy child!
Kreon.
Thou wastest words; thou never shalt prevail. ⁠325
Medea. ”

“ Medea, to Iolkos' towers had sailed not
With love for Jason thrilled through all her soul,
Nor had on Pelias' daughters wrought to slay
Their sire, nor now in this Corinthian land ⁠10
Dwelt with her lord and children, gladdening
By this her exile them whose land received her,
Yea, and in all things serving Jason's weal,
Which is the chief salvation of the home,
When wife stands not at variance with her lord. ⁠15
Now all is hatred: love is sickness-stricken.
For Jason, traitor to his babes and her,
My mistress, weddeth with a child of kings,
Daughter of Kreon ruler of the land. ”

“ And brake mine heart. Undone I am; have lost
All grace of life, and long to die, my friends.
For he that was mine all,—thou know'st it well,— [4]
My lord, of all men basest hath become.
Surely, of creatures that have life and wit, ⁠230
We women are of all things wretchedest,
Who, first, must needs, as buys the highest bidder,
Thus buy a husband, and our body's master
So win—for deeper depth of ill is this.
Nay, risk is dire herein,—or shall we gain ⁠235
An evil lord or good? For change is shame
To woman, nor may she renounce her spouse. ”

“ Bring thee safe to thine home, and the dream of thine heart, ⁠760
The sweet visions that wing thy feet, may'st thou bring
To accomplishment, Aigeus, for now this thing
Hath taught me how noble thou art.
Medea.
Zeus, Justice child of Zeus, and Light of the Sun,
Over my foes triumphant now, my friends, ⁠765
Shall we become: our feet are on the path. ”

“ That each man loves self better than his neighbour,
For just cause some, and some for greed of gain?
So, for a bride's sake, these their father loves not.
Nurse.
Pass in, dear children, for it shall be well.
But thou, keep these apart to the uttermost: ⁠90
Bring them not nigh their mother angry-souled.
For late I saw her glare, as glares a bull
On these, as 'twere for mischief; nor her wrath,
I know, shall cease, until its lightning strike.
To foes may she work ill, and not to friends! ⁠95
Medea (behind the scenes) .
O hapless I!—O miseries heaped on mine head! ”

“ For nought was the childbirth-travail wasted;
⁠For nought didst thou bear them, the near and the dear,
⁠O thou who hast fled through the Pass of Fear,
From the dark-blue Clashing Crags who hast hasted
⁠Speeding thy flight!
Alas for her!—wherefore hath grim wrath stirred her
Through depths of her soul, that ruthless murder
⁠Her wrongs must requite?
For stern upon mortals the vengeance falleth
For kin's blood spilt; from the earth it calleth,
A voice from the Gods, and the slayers appalleth
⁠On whose homes it shall light. ”

“ To turn the maiden's wrath and spite aside, ⁠1150
Thus spake: "Nay, be not hostile to thy friends:
Cease from thine anger, turn thine head again,
Accounting friends whomso thy spouse accounts.
Their gifts receive, and plead thou with thy sire
To pardon these their exile:—for my sake." ”

“ Are exiles from our own land, lacking friends?"
Thus musing, was I ware that I had nursed
Folly exceeding, anger without cause.
Now then I praise thee; wise thou seem'st to me
In gaining us this kinship, senseless I, ⁠885
Who in these counsels should have been thine ally,
Have furthered all, have decked the bridal couch,
And joyed to minister unto the bride.
But we are—women: needs not harsher word.
Yet evil shouldst thou not for evil render, ⁠890
Nor pit against my folly folly of thine.
I yield, confessing mine unwisdom then,
But unto better counsels now am come. ”

“ Glad were we thralls who sorrowed for thy woes.
And straightway buzzed from ear to ear the tale
Of truce to old feuds 'twixt thy lord and thee. ⁠1140
The hand one kisseth, one the golden head
Of those thy sons: myself by joy on-drawn
Followed thy children to the women's bowers.
Now she which had our worship in thy stead,
Ere she beheld thy chariot-yoke of sons, ⁠1145
Aye upon Jason turned her yearning gaze. ”

“ Woman, wilt have the heart to slay thy sons?
Medea.
Yea: so mine husband's heart shall most be wrung.
Chorus.
But thou of wives most wretched shouldst become.
Medea.
So be it: wasted are all hindering words.
But ho! [to the Nurse] go thou and Jason bring to me— ⁠820
Thou whom I use for every deed of trust.
And look thou tell none aught of mine intent,
If thine is loyal service, thou a woman. ”

“ Thy friends!—nothing will I of friends of thine.
No whit will I receive, nor offer thou.
No profit is there in a villain's gifts.
Jason.
In any wise I call the Gods to witness
That all help would I give thee and thy sons; ⁠620
But thy good likes thee not: thy stubborn pride
Spurns friends: the more thy grief shall therefore be.
Medea.
Away!—impatience for the bride new-trapped
Consumes thee while thou loiterest at the doors!
Wed: for perchance—and God shall speed the word— ⁠625
Thine shall be bridal thou wouldst fain renounce. ”

“ In attire as a bride in the presence of phantoms from Hades uprisen;
⁠In such dread gin shall her feet be ta'en:
In the weird of death shall the hapless be whelmed, and from Doom's dark prison
⁠Shall she steal forth never again. ”

“ And from mine eyes start tears of pale dismay.
Ah may no evil worse than this befall!
Jason.
Lady, I praise this mood, yet blame not that:
'Tis nothing strange that womankind should rage
When the spouse trafficketh in alien marriage. ⁠910
But now to better thoughts thine heart hath turned,
And thou, though late, upon the victor side
Hast voted: a wise woman's deed is this. ”

“ Yea, mine: no man shall pluck them from mine hand.
Then, having brought all Jason's house to wrack,
I leave the land, fleeing my dear babes' blood, ⁠795
And having dared a deed most impious.
For unendurable are mocks of foes.
Let all go: what is life to me? Nor country
Nor home have I, nor refuge from mine ills. ”

“ Medea.
This, with a wife, or knowing not the couch?
Aigeus.
Nay, not unyoked to wedlock's bed am I.
Medea.
Now what to thee spake Phœbus touching issue?
Aigeus.
Deep words of wisdom not for man to interpret. ⁠675
Medea.
Without sin might I know the God's reply?
Aigeus.
O yea—good sooth, it needs the wise heart most.
Medea.
What said he? Say, if sin be not to hear.
Aigeus.
The wine-skin's prominent foot I should not loose.
Medea.
Till thou shouldst do what thing, or reach what land? ⁠680
Aigeus. ”

“ Ha, dost not trust me?—Or at what dost stumble?
Medea.
I trust thee: but my foes are Pelias' house
And Kreon. Oath-bound, thou couldst never yield me ⁠735
To these, when they would drag me from the land.
Hadst thou but promised, to the Gods unpledged, [9]
Thou mightest turn their friend, might'st lightly yield
To herald-summons. Strengthless is my cause:
Wealth is on their side, and a princely house. ⁠740
Aigeus. ”

“ To Pelias' hapless daughters?—Graciously
Their father's slayer would they welcome home! ⁠505
For thus it is: a foe am I become
To mine own house. Whom I should ne'er have harmed,
For grace to thee I made mine enemies.
So then midst Hellas' daughters hast thou made me
Blest in return for all: in thee have I— ⁠510
O wretched I!—a wondrous spouse and leal, [6]
If from the land cast forth I pass to exile
Forlorn of friends, alone with children lone.
A proud reproach for our new bridegroom this—
In poverty thy babes, thy saviour, wander! ”

“ When the Heroes, who sailed in the ship Argo to bring home the Golden Fleece, came to the land of Kolchis, they found that to win that treasure was a deed passing the might of mortal man, so terribly was it guarded by monsters magical, even fire-breathing bulls and an unsleeping dragon. But Aphroditê caused Medea the sorceress, daughter of Aiêtes the king of the land, to love Jason their captain, so that by her magic he overcame the bulls and the dragon. Then Jason took the Fleece, and Medea withal, for that he had pledged him to wed her in the land of Greece. ”

“ Brethren, and, knitting in one family all,
Live happy days. Thou, what wouldst thou of children? ⁠565
But me it profits, through sons to be born
To help the living. Have I planned so ill?
Not thou wouldst say it, but the lost couch galls thee.
But ye—ye women—so unreasoning are
That, wedlock-rights unmarred, ye count all well; ⁠570
But to the couch if aught untoward hap,
With the best, fairest lot are ye at feud
Most bitter. Would that mortals otherwise
Could get them babes, that womankind were not,
And so no curse had lighted upon men. ⁠575
Chorus. ”

“ Your sire hath ta'en much forethought, so help heaven. ⁠915
For ye, I ween, in this Corinthian land
Shall with your brethren stand the foremost yet.
Grow ye in strength: the rest shall by your sire,
And whatso God is gracious, be wrought out.
You may I see to goodly stature grown, ⁠920
In manhood's prime, triumphant o'er my foes.
Thou, why bedew'st thou with wan tears thine eyes,
Turning aback from them thy pallid cheek,
And dost not hear with gladness this my speech?
Medea.
'Tis nought: but o'er these children broods mine heart. ⁠925
Jason. ”

“ Of his new bride a son, for doomed is she, ⁠805
Wretch, to die wretchedly by drugs of mine.
Let none account me impotent, nor weak,
Nor meek of spirit!—Nay, in other sort,
Grim to my foes, and kindly to my friends,
For of such is the life most glorious. ⁠810
Chorus.
Since thou hast made me partner of this tale,—
Wishing to help thee, championing withal
The laws of men, I say, do thou not this.
Medea.
It cannot be but so: yet reason is
That thou say this, who art not wronged as I. ⁠815
Chorus. ”

“ To those fine robes: then was a ghastly wrestling:
For, while he laboured to upraise his knee, ⁠1215
She strained against him: if by force he haled,
Then from the bones he tare his agèd flesh.
At last refrained he, and gave up the ghost,
Ill-starred, who could no more withstand his bane. ”

“ Bid him farewell: be reconciled to friends
Ye, with your mother, from the hate o'erpast.
Truce is between us, rancour hath given place.
Clasp ye his right hand.—Woe for ambushed ills!
I am haunted by the shadow of hidden things! ⁠900
Ah children, will ye thus, through many a year
Living, still reach him loving arms? Ah me,
How swift to weep am I, how full of fear!
Feuds with your father ended—ah, so late!—
Have filled with tears these soft-relenting eyes. ⁠905
Chorus. ”