第38章 BOOK VI(2)

As when tame geese within a pen gaze up On him who casts them corn, and round his feet Throng hissing uncouth love, and his heart warms As he looks down on them; so thronged the sons Of Troy, as on fierce-heart Eurypylus They gazed; and gladdened was his aweless soul To see those throngs: from porchways women looked Wide-eyed with wonder on the godlike man.

Above all men he towered as on he strode, As looks a lion when amid the hills He comes on jackals. Paris welcomed him, As Hector honouring him, his cousin he, Being of one blood with him, who was born Of Astyoche, King Priam's sister fair Whom Telephus embraced in his strong arms, Telephus, whom to aweless Hercules Auge the bright-haired bare in secret love.

That babe, a suckling craving for the breast, A swift hind fostered, giving him the teat As to her own fawn in all love; for Zeus So willed it, in whose eyes it was not meet That Hercules' child should perish wretchedly.

His glorious son with glad heart Paris led Unto his palace through the wide-wayed burg Beside Assaracus' tomb and stately halls Of Hector, and Tritonis' holy fane.

Hard by his mansion stood, and therebeside The stainless altar of Home-warder Zeus Rose. As they went, he lovingly questioned him Of brethren, parents, and of marriage-kin;

And all he craved to know Eurypylus told.

So communed they, on-pacing side by side.

Then came they to a palace great and rich:

There goddess-like sat Helen, clothed upon With beauty of the Graces. Maidens four About her plied their tasks: others apart Within that goodly bower wrought the works Beseeming handmaids. Helen marvelling gazed Upon Eurypylus, on Helen he.

Then these in converse each with other spake In that all-odorous bower. The handmaids brought And set beside their lady high-seats twain;

And Paris sat him down, and at his side Eurypylus. That hero's host encamped Without the city, where the Trojan guards Kept watch. Their armour laid they on the earth;

Their steeds, yet breathing battle, stood thereby, And cribs were heaped with horses' provender.

Upfloated night, and darkened earth and air;

Then feasted they before that cliff-like wall, Ceteian men and Trojans: babel of talk Rose from the feasters: all around the glow Of blazing campfires lighted up the tents:

Pealed out the pipe's sweet voice, and hautboys rang With their clear-shrilling reeds; the witching strain Of lyres was rippling round. From far away The Argives gazed and marvelled, seeing the plain Aglare with many fires, and hearing notes Of flutes and lyres, neighing of chariot-steeds And pipes, the shepherd's and the banquet's joy.

Therefore they bade their fellows each in turn Keep watch and ward about the tents till dawn, Lest those proud Trojans feasting by their walls Should fall on them, and set the ships aflame.

Within the halls of Paris all this while With kings and princes Telephus' hero son Feasted; and Priam and the sons of Troy Each after each prayed him to play the man Against the Argives, and in bitter doom To lay them low; and blithe he promised all.

So when they had supped, each hied him to his home;

But there Eurypylus laid him down to rest Full nigh the feast-hall, in the stately bower Where Paris theretofore himself had slept With Helen world-renowned. A bower it was Most wondrous fair, the goodliest of them all.

There lay he down; but otherwhere their rest Took they, till rose the bright-throned Queen of Morn.

Up sprang with dawn the son of Telephus, And passed to the host with all those other kings In Troy abiding. Straightway did the folk All battle-eager don their warrior-gear, Burning to strike in forefront of the fight.

And now Eurypylus clad his mighty limbs In armour that like levin-flashes gleamed;

Upon his shield by cunning hands were wrought All the great labours of strong Hercules.

Thereon were seen two serpents flickering Black tongues from grimly jaws: they seemed in act To dart; but Hercules' hands to right and left -- Albeit a babe's hands -- now were throttling them;

For aweless was his spirit. As Zeus' strength From the beginning was his strength. The seed Of Heaven-abiders never deedless is Nor helpless, but hath boundless prowess, yea, Even when in the womb unborn it lies.

Nemea's mighty lion there was seen Strangled in the strong arms of Hercules, His grim jaws dashed about with bloody foam:

He seemed in verity gasping out his life.

Thereby was wrought the Hydra many-necked Flickering its dread tongues. Of its fearful heads Some severed lay on earth, but many more Were budding from its necks, while Hercules And Iolaus, dauntless-hearted twain, Toiled hard; the one with lightning sickle-sweeps Lopped the fierce heads, his fellow seared each neck With glowing iron; the monster so was slain.

Thereby was wrought the mighty tameless Boar With foaming jaws; real seemed the pictured thing, As by Aleides' giant strength the brute Was to Eurystheus living borne on high.

There fashioned was the fleetfoot stag which laid The vineyards waste of hapless husbandmen.

The Hero's hands held fast its golden horns, The while it snorted breath of ravening fire.

Thereon were seen the fierce Stymphalian Birds, Some arrow-smitten dying in the dust, Some through the grey air darting in swift flight.

At this, at that one -- hot in haste he seemed -- Hercules sped the arrows of his wrath.

Augeias' monstrous stable there was wrought With cunning craft on that invincible targe;

And Hercules was turning through the same The deep flow of Alpheius' stream divine, While wondering Nymphs looked down on every hand Upon that mighty work. Elsewhere portrayed Was the Fire-breathing Bull: the Hero's grip On his strong horns wrenched round the massive neck:

The straining muscles on his arm stood out:

The huge beast seemed to bellow. Next thereto Wrought on the shield was one in beauty arrayed As of a Goddess, even Hippolyta.