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82 Aeschylus [1026-1065]
XERXES
No: they are bold and daring: these sad eyes
Beheld their violent and deathful deeds.
CHORUS
The ruin, sayst thou, of thy shattered fleet?
XERXES
And in the anguish of my soul I rent
My royal robes.
Wo, wo!
CHORUS
CHORUS
Redoubled, threefold wo!
But triumph to the foe.
In ruin crush'd?
XERXES
And more than wo.
XERXES
Disgrace to me,
CHORUS
Are all thy powers
XERXES
No satrap guards me now.
CHORUS
Thy faithful friends sunk in the roaring main.
XERXES
Weep, weep their loss, and lead me to my house;
Answer my grief with grief, an ill return
Of ills for ills. Yet once more raise that strain
Lamenting my misfortunes; beat thy breast,
Strike, heave the groan; awake the Mysian strain
To notes of loudest wo; rend thy rich robes,
Pluck up thy beard, tear off thy hoary locks,
And bathe thine eyes in tears: thus through the streets
Solemn and slow with sorrow lead my steps;
Lead to my house, and wail the fate of Persia.