dedicates his youth
To single life; marriage is not for him â
Which proves him a true Amazonian.
PHAEDRA : Ah, let him never leave the white hillsides,
The rugged rocks down which he lightly leaps,
Across the mountains and through thickest woods
I mean to follow him.
NURSE :Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â And will he stop
To pay attention to your blandishments?
Will he exchange his virgin exercises
For the illicit rites of Venus? Will
His hatred cease for you, when, very like,
It is for hate of you he hates all women?
No prayers can ever turn that man.
PHAEDRA :Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â He is
A creature of the wild; have we not known
Wild creatures to be overcome by love?
NURSE : Heâll run from you â
PHAEDRA :Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â â run, even through the sea,
Iâll follow still.
NURSE :Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Do you forget your father?
PHAEDRA : No, nor my mother.
NURSE :Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â But he hates all women.
PHAEDRA : The less Iâll fear a rival.
NURSE :Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â And your husband
Will soon be here.
PHAEDRA :Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â What, with Peirithous?
NURSE : Your father will be here.
PHAEDRA :Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â He will have pity,
The father of Ariadne.
NURSE :Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Oh, by this heart
Worn out with age and care, these silvered hairs,
This breast you loved, I do implore you, child,
To stop this folly. Be your own best friend;
The wish for health is half the remedy.
PHAEDRA : Well, have your way. Shame and nobility
Live in me still. If love will not obey,
It must be vanquished; honour shall be kept
Unstained. One way, then, only one way out
Of danger still remains. Iâll join my husband.
By death I shall avert transgression.
NURSE :Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â No!
That is too rash; restrain that impulse, child!
Hold these hot thoughts in check. Yourself to say
That you deserve to die, is proof enough
That you deserve to live.
PHAEDRA :Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â But I must die,
Of that I am resolved. The manner, how,
Is yet to find. A noose? A sword? A leap
Precipitate from the high rock of Pallas?
NURSE : Leap to your death? Shall these old bones allow it?
Curb that wild will. No one returns from death.
PHAEDRA : No one that means to die, and ought to die,
Can be forbidden to die. This hand must fight
To save my honour.
NURSE :Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Mistress, only joy
Of my spent age, hear me: is your heart heavy
With this immoderate passion? Then ignore
The tongue of reputation. Reputation
Takes no account of truth; it often harms
The innocent, and treats the guilty well.
This is what you must do, try out the strength
Of that perverse austerity. Iâll do it;
Iâll speak to the young savage presently
And bend the stiffness of his stubborn will.
CHORUS
O daughter of
To single life; marriage is not for him â
Which proves him a true Amazonian.
PHAEDRA : Ah, let him never leave the white hillsides,
The rugged rocks down which he lightly leaps,
Across the mountains and through thickest woods
I mean to follow him.
NURSE :Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â And will he stop
To pay attention to your blandishments?
Will he exchange his virgin exercises
For the illicit rites of Venus? Will
His hatred cease for you, when, very like,
It is for hate of you he hates all women?
No prayers can ever turn that man.
PHAEDRA :Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â He is
A creature of the wild; have we not known
Wild creatures to be overcome by love?
NURSE : Heâll run from you â
PHAEDRA :Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â â run, even through the sea,
Iâll follow still.
NURSE :Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Do you forget your father?
PHAEDRA : No, nor my mother.
NURSE :Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â But he hates all women.
PHAEDRA : The less Iâll fear a rival.
NURSE :Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â And your husband
Will soon be here.
PHAEDRA :Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â What, with Peirithous?
NURSE : Your father will be here.
PHAEDRA :Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â He will have pity,
The father of Ariadne.
NURSE :Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Oh, by this heart
Worn out with age and care, these silvered hairs,
This breast you loved, I do implore you, child,
To stop this folly. Be your own best friend;
The wish for health is half the remedy.
PHAEDRA : Well, have your way. Shame and nobility
Live in me still. If love will not obey,
It must be vanquished; honour shall be kept
Unstained. One way, then, only one way out
Of danger still remains. Iâll join my husband.
By death I shall avert transgression.
NURSE :Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â No!
That is too rash; restrain that impulse, child!
Hold these hot thoughts in check. Yourself to say
That you deserve to die, is proof enough
That you deserve to live.
PHAEDRA :Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â But I must die,
Of that I am resolved. The manner, how,
Is yet to find. A noose? A sword? A leap
Precipitate from the high rock of Pallas?
NURSE : Leap to your death? Shall these old bones allow it?
Curb that wild will. No one returns from death.
PHAEDRA : No one that means to die, and ought to die,
Can be forbidden to die. This hand must fight
To save my honour.
NURSE :Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Mistress, only joy
Of my spent age, hear me: is your heart heavy
With this immoderate passion? Then ignore
The tongue of reputation. Reputation
Takes no account of truth; it often harms
The innocent, and treats the guilty well.
This is what you must do, try out the strength
Of that perverse austerity. Iâll do it;
Iâll speak to the young savage presently
And bend the stiffness of his stubborn will.
CHORUS
O daughter of
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