A poem by Aeschylus (c. 525 – c. 456 Before Christ )
CASSANDRA
Phoebus Apollo!
CHORUS
Hark!
The lips at last unlocking.
CASSANDRA
Phoebus! Phoebus!
CHORUS
Well, what of Phoebus, maiden? though a name
‘Tis but disparagement to call upon
In misery.
CASSANDRA
Apollo! Apollo! Again!
Oh, the burning arrow through the brain!
Phoebus Apollo! Apollo!
CHORUS
Seemingly
Possessed indeed–whether by–
CASSANDRA
Phoebus! Phoebus!
Through trampled ashes, blood, and fiery rain,
Over water seething, and behind the breathing
War-horse in the darkness–till you rose again,
Took the helm–took the rein–
CHORUS
As one that half asleep at dawn recalls
A night of Horror!
CASSANDRA
Hither, whither, Phoebus? And with whom,
Leading me, lighting me–
CHORUS
I can answer that–
CASSANDRA
Down to what slaughter-house!
Foh! the smell of carnage through the door
Scares me from it–drags me toward it–
Phoebus Apollo! Apollo!
CHORUS
One of the dismal prophet-pack, it seems,
That hunt the trail of blood. But here at fault–
This is no den of slaughter, but the house
Of Agamemnon.
CASSANDRA
Down upon the towers,
Phantoms of two mangled children hover–and a famished man,
At an empty table glaring, seizes and devours!
CHORUS
Thyestes and his children! Strange enough
For any maiden from abroad to know,
Or, knowing–
CASSANDRA
And look! in the chamber below
The terrible Woman, listening, watching,
Under a mask, preparing the blow
In the fold of her robe–
CHORUS
Nay, but again at fault:
For in the tragic story of this House–
Unless, indeed the fatal Helen–No
woman–
CASSANDRA
No Woman–Tisiphone! Daughter
Of Tartarus–love-grinning Woman above,
Dragon-tailed under–honey-tongued, Harpy-clawed,
Into the glittering meshes of slaughter
She wheedles, entices him into the poisonous
Fold of the serpent–
CHORUS
Peace, mad woman, peace!
Whose stony lips once open vomit out
Such uncouth horrors.
CASSANDRA
I tell you the lioness
Slaughters the Lion asleep; and lifting
Her blood-dripping fangs buried deep in his mane,
Glaring about her insatiable, bellowing,
Bounds hither–Phoebus Apollo, Apollo, Apollo!
Whither have you led me, under night alive with fire,
Through the trampled ashes of the city of my sire,
From my slaughtered kinsmen, fallen throne, insulted shrine,
Slave-like to be butchered, the daughter of a royal line!
A few random poems:
- Dead On Arrival by Preethi Saravanakumar
- Matrimony by Mike Yuan
- Robert Burns: A Waukrife Minnie:
- Paralipomemnon
- Back I Go to My Prison by Ms Tabzeer Yaseen
- Sonnet LVI by William Shakespeare
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- Robert Burns: Duncan Davison :
- Вера Павлова – В ранец тетрадки собраны
- The Hour Before Dawn by William Butler Yeats
- I Don’t Know If History Repeats Itself by Yehuda Amichai
- Владимир Маяковский – Реклама Мосполиграф
- I’ve dreamt of dreaming ’bout you by Vinko Kalinić
- Омар Хайям – Миг придёт, и смерть исторгнет жадно
- A Sea-Shore Grave. To M. J. L. by Sidney Lanier
External links
Bat’s Poetry Page – more poetry by Fledermaus
Talking Writing Monster’s Page –
Batty Writing – the bat’s idle chatter, thoughts, ideas and observations, all original, all fresh
Poems in English
- Sorrow’s Importunity poem – Alfred Austin
- Songs From “Prince Lucifer” I – Grave-Digger’s Song poem – Alfred Austin
- Songs From “Prince Lucifer” II – Mother-Song poem – Alfred Austin
- Songs From “Prince Lucifer” I – Grave-Digger’s Song poem – Alfred Austin
- Since We Must Die poem – Alfred Austin
- “`Shepherd swains that feed your flocks” poem – Alfred Austin
- Shelley’s Death poem – Alfred Austin
- Shelley’s Death poem – Alfred Austin
- “Sadder than lark when lowering” poem – Alfred Austin
- Sacred And Profane Love poem – Alfred Austin
- “`Roses crimson, roses white” poem – Alfred Austin
- On Returning To England poem – Alfred Austin
- Resignation poem – Alfred Austin
- Primacy Of Mind poem – Alfred Austin
- Primacy Of Mind poem – Alfred Austin
- Polyphemus poem – Alfred Austin
- Poet’s Corner poem – Alfred Austin
- Poet’s Corner poem – Alfred Austin
- Pax Britannica poem – Alfred Austin
- Outside The Village Church poem – Alfred Austin
More external links (open in a new tab):
Doska or the Board – write anything
Search engines:
Yandex – the best search engine for searches in Russian (and the best overall image search engine, in any language, anywhere)
Qwant – the best search engine for searches in French, German as well as Romance and Germanic languages.
Ecosia – a search engine that supposedly… plants trees
Duckduckgo – the real alternative and a search engine that actually works. Without much censorship or partisan politics.
Yahoo– yes, it’s still around, amazingly, miraculously, incredibly, but now it seems to be powered by Bing.
Parallel Translations of Poetry
The Poetry Repository – an online library of poems, poetry, verse and poetic works
Aeschylus (525 Before Christ to 456 B.C.) was an ancient Greek author of Greek tragedy, and is often described as the father of tragedy. Academics’ knowledge of the genre begins with his work, and understanding of earlier Greek tragedy is largely based on inferences made from reading his surviving plays. According to Aristotle, he expanded the number of characters in the theatre and allowed conflict among them.