Page:Tragedies of Euripides (Way 1896) v2.djvu/373

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HELEN.
317

Thee, father, I thy son Theoklymenus hail.
Ho ye, my men, the hounds and hunting-nets
Unto the palace kennels take away. 1170
[Exeunt attendants.
Many a time have I reproached myself
That I have punished not yon knaves with death!
Lo, now I hear of some Greek openly
Come to my land, eluding all my guards,—
Some spy, or one that prowls to kidnap hence 1175
Helen. Die shall he, so he but be caught.
Ha!
Lo, all my plans, meseemeth, have I found
Frustrate!—for Tyndareus' child hath left her seat
By the tomb void, and from the land hath sailed!
What ho! unbar the gates!—loose from the stalls 1180
The steeds, mine henchmen!—bring the chariots forth,
That not for pains untried by me the wife
I long for may escape the land unmarked.
Nay, hold your hands! I see whom we would chase
There in the palace standing, nowise fled. 1185
Re-enter Helen.
Thou, why hast thou attired thee in dark robes,
Thy white cast off, and from thy queenly head
Hast thou with sweep of steel thy tresses shorn,
And wettest with fast-streaming[1] tears thy cheeks
Weeping? Mourn'st thou by visions of the night 1190
Soul-shaken,[2] or for some dread inward voice
Heard, is thy spirit thus distraught with grief?

  1. ↑ Or, as others interpret, "with tears of wan-hued grief."
  2. ↑ Reading σεσεισμένη.
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