Video The Libation Bearers Lines 860 915 de Aeschylus 2025 Lyrics Lyrics

Aeschylus - The Libation Bearers Lines 860 915 Lyrics

The women scatter; a wounded servant of Aegisthus enters.
Look, the die is cast, the battle's done.

servant:
Ai, Ai, all over, master's dead - Aie, a third, last salute. Aegisthus is no more.
Rushing at a side door, struggling to work it open.
Open up, wrench the bolts on the women's doors.
Faster! A strong young arm it takes,
but not to save him now, he's finished.
What's the use?
Look - wake up!
No good, I call to the deaf, to sleepers... a waste of breath. Where are you, Clytaemnestra?
What are you doing?

Leader: Her head is ripe for lopping on the block.
She's next, and justice wields the axe.
(The door opens, and clytaemnestra comes forth).

clytaemnestra:
What now? Why this shouting up and down the halls?

servant: The dead are cutting down the quick, I tell you!

clytaemnestra: Ah, a riddle. I do well at riddles.
By cunning we die, precisely as we killed.
Hand me the man-axe, someone, hurry
(The servant dashes out)
Now we will see. Win all or lose all,
we have come to this - the crisis of our lives.
(The main doors open; Orestes, sword in hand, is standing over the
body of AEGISTHUS, with PYLADES
close behind him).
ORESTES:
It's you I want. This one's had enough.

clytaemnestra: Gone, my violent one - Aegisthus, very dear.

Orestes: You love your man? Then lie in the same grave. You can never be unfaithful to the
dead.
(Pulling her towards Aegisthus' body).

clytaemnestra: Wait, my son - no respect for this, my child? The breast you held, drowsing
away the hours, soft gums tugging the milk mat made you grow?
(ORESTES turns to PYLADES).

ORESTES:
What will I do, Pylades? - I dread to kill my mother!

pyladbs: What of the future? What of the Prophet God Apollo, the Delphic voice, the faith
and oaths we swear? Make all mankind your enemy, not the gods.

Orestes:
O you win me over - good advice.
(Wheeling on clytabmnestra, thrusting her towards Aegisthus).
This way -
I want to butcher you - right across his body!
In life you thought he dwarfed my father - Die! -go down with him forever!
You love this man, the man you should have loved you hated.
clytaemnestra: I gave you life. Let me grow old with you.

Orestes: What - kill my father, then you'd live with me?

clytaemnestra: Destiny had a hand in mat, my child.

Orestes: This too: destiny is handing you your death.

clytaemnestra: You have no fear of a mother's curse, my son?

Orestes: Mother? You flung me to a life of pain.

clytaemnestra: Never flung you, placed you in a comrade's house.

Orestes: - Disgraced me, sold me, a freeborn father's son.

clytaemnestra: Oh? then name the price I took for you.

Orestes: I am ashamed to mention it in public.

clytaemnestra: Please, and tell your father's failings, too.

Orestes: Never judge him - he suffered, you sat here at home.

clytaemnestra: It hurts women, being kept from men, my son.
Orestes: Perhaps... but the man slaves to keep them safe at home.

clytaemnestra: - I see murder in your eyes, my child - mother's murder!

Orestes: You are the murderer, not I - and you will kill yourself.

clytaemnestra: Watch out - the hounds of a mother's curse will hunt you
down.

Orestes: But how to escape a father's if I fail?

clytaemnestra: I must be spilling live tears on a tomb of stone.

Orestes: Yes, my father's destiny - it decrees your death.

clytaemnestra: Ai - you are the snake I bore - I gave you life!

Orestes:
Yes!