Richard Fagle - The Libation Bearers (Lines 574 - 412) lyrics

CHORUS: Marvels, the Earth breeds many marvels, terrible marvels overwhelm us. The heaving arms of the sea embrace and swarm with savage life. And high in the no man's land of night torches hang like swords. The hawk on the wing, the beast astride the fields can tell of the whirlwind's fury roaring strong. Oh but a man's high daring spirit, who can account for that? Or woman's desperate pa**ion daring past all bounds? She couples with every form of ruin known to mortals. Woman, frenzied, driven wild with lust, twists the dark, warm harness of wedded love - tortures man and beast! Well you know, you with a sense of truth recall Althaia, the heartless mother who k**ed her son, ai! what a scheme she had - she rushed his destiny, lit the bloody torch preserved from the day he left her loins with a cry - the life of the torch paced his, burning on till Fate burned out his life. There is one more in the tales of hate: remember Scylla, the girl of slaughter seduced by foes to take her father's life. The gift of Minos, a choker forged in gold turned her head and Nisos' immortal lock she cut as he slept away his breath... ruthless b**h, now Hermes takes her down. Now that I call to mind old wounds that never heal - Stop, it's time for the wedded love-in-hate, for the curse of the halls, the woman's brazen cunning bent on her lord in arms, her warlord's power - Do you respect such things? I prize the hearthstone warmed by faith, a woman's temper nothing bends to outrage.