The trachiniae

 The trachiniae characters in the play

 [ scene:- at trachis, before the house of heracles .

 Deianeira there is a saying among men, put forth of old, that thou canst not rightly judge whether a mortal's lot is good or evil, ere he die. but i,

 [ hyllus comes in from the side. ]

 Deianeira my child, my son, wise words may fall, it seems, from humble lips this woman is a slave, but hath spoken in the spirit of the free.

 [ a messenger enters. ]

 Messenger queen deianeira, i shall be the first of messengers to free thee from fear. know that alcmena's son lives and triumphs, and from battle brin

 [ iole maintains her silence. ]

 Lichas it will be unlike her former behaviour, then, i can tell thee, if she opens her lips: for she hath not uttered one word, but hath ever been tra

 [ enter lichas ]

 Lichas lady, what message shall i bear to heracles? give me thy commands, for, as thou seest, i am going.

 [ exit messenger , as lichas and deianeira go into the house. ]

 Chorus [ singing ]

 [ lichas enters from the house. ]

 Lichas what are thy commands? give me my charge, daughter of oeneus for already i have tarried over long.

 [ lichas departs with the casket and deianeira retires into the house. ]

 Chorus [ singing ]

 [ deianeira comes out of the house in agitation. ]

 Deianeira friends, how i fear that i may have gone too far in all that i have been doing just now!

 [ enter hyllus ]

 Hyllus o mother, would that one of three things had befallen thee! would that thou wert dead, - or, if living, no mother of mine, - or that some new a

 [ deianeira moves towards the house. ]

 Leader [ to deianeira ] why dost thou depart in silence? knowest thou not that such silence pleads for thine accuser?

 [ deianeira goes in the house. ]

 Hyllus let her depart. a fair wind speed her far from my sight! why should the name of mother bring her a semblance of respect, when she is all unlike

 [ exit hyllus , into the house. ]

 Chorus [ singing ]

 [ enter nurse , from the house. ]

 Nurse ah, my daughters, great, indeed, were the sorrows that we were to reap from the gift sent to heracles!

 [ enter hyllus and an old man , with attendants, bearing heracles upon a litter. ]

 Hyllus woe is me for thee, my father, woe is me for thee, wretched that i am! whither shall i turn? what can i do? ah me!

 [ the attendants raise heracles on the litter and move slowly off, as hyllus chants to the chorus in the closing lines. ]

 No man foresees the future but the present is fraught with mourning for us, and with shame for the powers above, and verily with anguish beyond compa

No man foresees the future; but the present is fraught with mourning for us, and with shame for the powers above, and verily with anguish beyond compare for him who endures this doom.

Maidens, come ye also, nor linger at the house; ye who have lately seen a dread death, with sorrows manifold and strange: and in all this there is nought but Zeus.