Persians
by Aeschylus
Translated by Aaron Poochigian
When all the Persian troops had gone
To conquer Greece, we old men known
As ‘The Trustees’ were left to guard
A rich, gold-glittering estate.•
Xerxes himself, High King, War Lord,
(And eldest scion of the late
Dareius) ordered us to head
The empire while he is abroad,•
Trusting in our long years of service.
For some time now I have been nervous
For him and his gold-glittering host—•
When will they ever come back home?•
The fortuneteller in my breast
Has cried out with the voice of doom
Because the whole strength of the land
Has set out eagerly yapping round
An inexperienced man, •and still
No page or courier has come
With dispatch to the capital.
From Susa, Ecbatana and the ancient
Kissian castle-keep,
They left on horseback, foot and ship,
Each marshalling his own contingent:
Artaphernes, Megabates,
Astaspes and Amistris—all
Persians who love their King. Astraddle
Horses and spurring countless bodies,
Those bowmen were a frightening sight,
So fierce in battle, so much pride.
Masistris reckoned in their number,
Artembares war-horse-tamer,
Imaios the high-minded archer,
Pharnadakes and Sosthanes
Urging his team of stallions on.
5
10
15 (13)
20
25
30 (30)
Glorious for the floods they nurture,
The streams of Nile sent Sousikanes,
Egypt’s own Pegastagon
And large Arsames who is famous
For chanting at the Memphian altar.
Among them, too, was Ariomardos
Governor of Thebes the Elder,
And those old hands at mud and fen,
Delta-goers, skillful rowers,
Innumerable rivermen.
Next went the wealthy Lydians
Who govern all the coastal clans.
With funding from gold-glittering Sardis,
Two of the High King’s officers,
Mitrogathes and brave Arkteus,
Sent tribesman forth as charioteers
To drive their countless battle-cars.
Half were twin-, half triple-poled,
But all were dreadful to behold.
Our lance-shattering anvils, then,
Tharybis, Mardon, rushing down
The slopes of holy Tmolus, led
A light-armed Mysian brigade
To clap Greece in a slavish yoke;
And gold-glittering Babylon
Dispatched its massive alloyed corps:
Men mounted on a rowing-deck
Or shooting valiance from afar.
Every saber-bearing race
In Asia has assumed its place
In Xerxes’ terrifying train—
Thus was the flower of manhood,
The best of Persia, sent abroad.
The continent that nursed them sighs and
Burns to have them home again. Their Wives
And children, mark the days,
shuddering as the time drags on.
35
40
45 (41)
50
55
60 (52)
65
70
Midsummer Night’s Dream Act II scene i by William Shakespeare • = breath marks The human mortals want their winter cheer • No night is now with hymn or carol blest • Therefore the moon the governess of floods Pale in her anger washes all the air That rheumatic diseases do abound • And thorough this distemperature we see The seasons alter; hoary-­‐headed frosts Fall in the fresh lap of the crimson rose • And on old winter’s thin and icy crown An odorous chaplet of sweet summer buds Is as in mockery set. •The spring, • the summer • The childing autumn angry winter change Their wonted liveries and the mazed world • By their increase now knows not which is which. • And this same progeny of evils comes From our debate, from our dissension We are their parents and original. Macbeth Act II scene ii By Shakespeare LADY MACBETH My husband! MACBETH I have done the deed. Didst thou not hear a noise? LADY MACBETH I heard the owl scream and the crickets cry. Did not you speak? MACBETH When? LADY MACBETH Now. MACBETH As I descended? LADY MACBETH Ay. MACBETH Hark! Who lies i' the second chamber? LADY MACBETH Donalbain. MACBETH This is a sorry sight. LADY MACBETH A foolish thought, to say a sorry sight. MACBETH There's one did laugh in's sleep, and one cried 'Murder!' That they did wake each other: I stood and heard them: But they did say their prayers, and address'd them Again to sleep. LADY MACBETH There are two lodged together. MACBETH One cried 'God bless us!' and 'Amen' the other; As they had seen me with these hangman's hands. Listening their fear, I could not say 'Amen,' When they did say 'God bless us!' LADY MACBETH Consider it not so deeply. MACBETH But wherefore could not I pronounce 'Amen'? I had most need of blessing, and 'Amen' Stuck in my throat. LADY MACBETH These deeds must not be thought After these ways; so, it will make us mad. MACBETH Methought I heard a voice cry 'Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep', the innocent sleep, Sleep that knits up the ravell'd sleeve of care, The death of each day's life, sore labour's bath, Balm of hurt minds, great nature's second course, Chief nourisher in life's feast,-­‐-­‐ LADY MACBETH What do you mean? MACBETH Still it cried 'Sleep no more!' to all the house: 'Glamis hath murder'd sleep, and therefore Cawdor Shall sleep no more; Macbeth shall sleep no more.' LADY MACBETH Who was it that thus cried? Why, worthy thane, You do unbend your noble strength, to think So brainsickly of things. Go get some water, And wash this filthy witness from your hand. Why did you bring these daggers from the place? They must lie there: go carry them; and smear The sleepy grooms with blood. MACBETH I'll go no more: I am afraid to think what I have done; Look on't again I dare not. LADY MACBETH Infirm of purpose! Give me the daggers: the sleeping and the dead Are but as pictures: 'tis the eye of childhood That fears a painted devil. If he do bleed, I'll gild the faces of the grooms withal; For it must seem their guilt. Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett ESTRAGON:He should be here. VLADIMIR:He didn't say for sure he'd come. ESTRAGON:And if he doesn't come? VLADIMIR:We'll come back tomorrow. ESTRAGON:And then the day after tomorrow. VLADIMIR:Possibly. ESTRAGON:And so on. VLADIMIR:The point is— ESTRAGON:Until he comes. VLADIMIR:You're merciless. ESTRAGON:We came here yesterday. VLADIMIR:Ah no, there you're mistaken. ESTRAGON:What did we do yesterday? VLADIMIR:What did we do yesterday? ESTRAGON:Yes. VLADIMIR:Why . . . (Angrily.) Nothing is certain when you're about. ESTRAGON:In my opinion we were here.