Stasimon 3
[Episode]
Tightly the pincers shall grip the neck
Chorus
of him who feasts upon his guest; for soon will he lose the light of his eye by fire; already the brand, a tree’s huge limb,
610
lurks amid the embers charred.
615
Oh! come ye then and work his doom, pluck out the maddened Cyclops’ eye, that he may rue his drinking.
And I too fain would leave the Cyclops’ lonely land and see king Bromius, ivy-crowned, the god I sorely miss. Ah! shall I ever come to that?
620
Odysseus
(leaving the cave cautiously.) Silence, ye cattle! I adjure you;
close your lips; make not a sound! I’ll not let a man of you so much as breathe or wink or clear his throat, that yon pest awake not, until the sight in the Cyclops’ eye has passed through the fiery ordeal.
625
Chorus
Silent we stand with ’bated breath.
Odysseus
In then, and mind your fingers grip the brand, for it is splendidly red-hot.
630
Chorus
Thyself ordain who first must seize the blazing bar and burn the Cyclops’ eye out, that we may share alike whate’er betides.
First Half-Chorus
Standing where I am before the door, I am too far off to thrust the fire into his eye.
635
Second Half-Chorus
I have just gone lame.
First Half-Chorus
Why, then, thou art in the same plight as I; for somehow or other I sprained my ankle, standing still.
Odysseus
Sprained thy ankle, standing still?
640
Second Half-Chorus
Yes, and my eyes are full of dust or ashes from somewhere or other.
640
Odysseus
These are sorry fellows, worthless as allies.
Chorus
Because I feel for my back and spine, and express no wish to have my teeth
knocked out, I am a coward, am I? Well, but I know a spell of Orpheus, a most excellent one, to make the brand enter his skull of its own accord, and set alight the one-eyed son of Earth.
645
Odysseus
Long since I knew thou wert by nature such an one,
and now I know it better; I must employ my own friends; but, though thou bring no active aid, cheer us on at any rate, that I may find my friends emboldened by thy encouragement. [Exit Odysseus.
650
Chorus
That will I do; the Carianἐν τῷ Καρὶ κινδυνεύειν to run a risk in the person of the Carian. Latin experimentum facere in corpore vili, i.e. to let some one, whose life is less valuable, run the risk instead of doing so oneself. The Carians, being the earliest mercenaries, were commonly selected for any very dangerous enterprise and so this proverb arose. shall run the risk for us;
and as far as encouragement goes, let the Cyclops smoulder.
655
What ho! my gallants, thrust away, make haste and burn his eye-brow off, the monster’s guest-devouring. Oh! singe and scorch
the shepherd of Aetna; twirl the brand and drag it round and be careful lest in his agony he treat thee to some wantonness.
660
Cyclops
(Bellowing in the cave.) Oh! oh! my once bright eye is burnt to cinders now.
Chorus
Sweet indeed the triumph-song; pray sing it to us, Cyclops.
Cyclops
(from within.) Oh! oh! once more; what outrage on me and what ruin! But never shall ye escape this rocky cave unpunished, ye worthless creatures; for I will stand in the entrance of the cleft and fit my hands into it thus. [Staggering to the entrance.
665
Chorus
Why dost thou cry out, Cyclops?
Chorus
Thou art indeed a sorry sight.
670
