Racine: Phaedra

CEDIPUS REX 55
Why, when the monster with her song was here,
Spak'st thou no word our countrymen to help?
And yet the riddle lay above the ken
Of common men, and called for prophet's skill.
And this thou show'dst thou had'st not, nor by bird,
Nor any God made known ; but then I came,
I, CEdipus, who nothing know, and slew her,
With mine own counsel winning, all untaught
By flight of birds. And now thou would'st expel me,
And think'st to take thy stand by Creon's throne.
But, as I think, both thou and he that plans
With thee, will hunt this mischief to your cost
And but that I must think of thee as old.
Thou had'st learnt wisdom, suflfering what thou plann'st.
Chorus.—Far as we dare to guess, we think his words,
And thine, O CEdipus, in wrath are said.
Not such as these we need, but this to see.
How best to solve the God's great oracles.
Teiresias.—King though thou be, I claim an equal right
To make reply. That power, at least, is mine
For I am not thy slave, but Loxias' ;
Nor shall I stand on Creon's patronage
And this I say, since thou my blindness mock'st.
That thou, though seeing, failest to perceive
Thy evil plight, nor where thou liv'st, nor yet
With whom thou dwellest. Know'st thou even this.
Whence thou art sprung? All ignorant thou sinn'st
Against thine own, beneath, and on the earth
And soon a two-edged Curse from sire and mother,
With foot of fear, shall chase thee forth from us.
Now seeing all things clear, then all things dark.
And will not then each creek repeat thy wail,
Each valley of Kithseron echoing ring.
When thou discern'st the marriage, fatal port.
To which thy prosp'rous voyage brought thy bark ?
And other ills, in countless multitude.
Thou see'st not yet, shall make thy lot as one
With sire's and child's. Vent forth thy wrath then loud,
> The special name of Apollo as the " prophetes " of Zeus, and therefore the
cuardian of all seers and propnets.
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