The House of Atreus, page 18 by Aeschylus
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yours to learn By clear interpreters her specious word. Turn to me, herald--tell me if anon The second well-loved lord of Argos comes? Hath Menelaus safely sped with you?
HERALD
Alas--brief boon unto my friends it were, To flatter them, for truth, with falsehoods fair!
CHORUS
Speak joy, if truth be joy, but truth, at worst-- loo plainly, truth and joy are here divorced.
HERALD
The hero and his bark were rapt away Far from the Grecian fleet? 'tis truth I say.
CHORUS
Whether in all men's sight from Ilion borne, Or from the fleet by stress of weather torn?
HERALD
Full on the mark thy shaft of speech doth light, And one short word hath told long woes aright.
CHORUS
But say, what now of him each comrade saith? What their forebodings, of his life or death?
HERALD
Ask me no more: the truth is known to none, Save the earth-fostering, all-surveying Sun,
CHORUS
Say, by what doom the fleet of Greece was driven? How rose, how sank the storm, the wrath of heaven?
HERALD
Nay, ill it were to mar with sorrow's tale The day of blissful news. The gods demand Thanksgiving sundered from solicitude. If one as herald came with rueful face To say, The curse has fallen, and the host Gone down to death; and one wide wound has reached The city's heart, and out of many homes Many are cast and consecrate to death, Beneath the double scourge, that Ares loves, The bloody pair, the fire and sword of doom-- If such sore burden weighed upon my tongue, 'Twere fit to speak such words as gladden fiends. But--coming as he comes who bringeth news Of safe return from toil, and issues fair, To men rejoicing in a weal restored-- Dare I to dash good words with ill, and say How the gods' anger smote the Greeks in storm? For fire and sea, that erst held bitter feud, Now swore conspiracy and pledged their faith, Wasting the Argives worn with toil and war. Night and great horror of the rising wave Came o'er