Yet hear me, Samson; not that I endeavour
To lessen or extenuate my offence,
But that, on the other side, if it be weighed
By itself, with aggravations not surcharged,
Or else with just allowance counterpoised,
I may, if possible, thy pardon find
The easier toward me, or thy hatred less.-
First granting, as I do, it was a weakness
In me, but incident to all our sex,
Curiosity, inquisitive, importune
Of secrets, then with like infirmity
To publish them-both common female faults—
Was it not weakness also to make known,
For importunity, that is for nought,
Wherein consisted all thy strength and safety?
To what I did thou shewedst me first the way.
But I to enemies revealed, and should not
Nor shouldest thou have trusted that to woman's frailty;
Ere I to thee, thou to thyself wast cruel.
Let weakness then with weakness come to parle,
So near related, or the same of kind;
Thine forgive mine; that men may censure thine
ὅμως δ ̓ ἄκουε τοὺς ἐμοὺς, Σάμψων, λόγους
οὐκ ἄν τι μειώσαιμ ̓ ἂν ὧν ἔδρων ψόγον
ἀλλ ̓ εἰ καλῶς ἔξεστι μετρῆσαι τάδε,
μὴ προστεθέντος, παρὰ νόμον ῥέπειν, βάρους,
ἢ καὶ δικαίοις ἀντισηκῶσαι σταθμοῖς,
ἴσως σέθεν τύχοιμ ̓ ἂν εὐμενεστέρου,
ἢ δυσμένειαν τήν γε νῦν παρειμένου.
ἥμαρτον, οὐδὲ τοῦτ ̓ ἀπαρνεῖσθαί με δεῖ,
πάθος γυναικῶν ἴδιον, ἀποκεκρυμμένα
σκαιῶς ἀνιστοροῦσα παρακαίρῳ πόθῳ,
καὶ πρὸς, τὰ δ ̓ ἄμφω κοινὰ θηλειῶν κακὰ,
ἄλλοις παραγγέλλουσα· δειλίαν δὲ σὺ
οὐκ ὤφλες, ἀργῶν πραγμάτων ἡσσημένος,
ὅθεν σθένειν ὑπῆρχεν, ἀποδείξας τίδε;
ἔγωγ ̓ ὀπαδὸς σοῦ προηγητῆρος ἦ
μαθοῦσα δ', ἐχθροῖς, οὐδ ̓ ἐχρῆν, ηὔδων ἐγώ.
σὲ δ ̓ οὐ καλῶς γυναικὶ πιστεῦσαι λέγω,
βλάψαντα σαὐτὸν, ἀδικίᾳ φθάσαντ ̓ ἐμέ.
ἐν τοισίδ ̓ οὖν ξυμβῶμεν, ὡς δ ̓ ὁμόγνιος
σφαλεὶς σφαλεῖσαν ἵλεῳ δέξαι τρόπῳ·
ἀνθ' ὧν ἂν ἐν βροτοῖσι συγγνώμης ἴσως
The gentler, if severely thou exact not
More strength from me than in thyself was found.
And what if love, which thou interpretest hate,
The jealousy of love, powerful of sway
In human hearts, nor less in mine toward thee,
Caused what I did? I saw thee mutable
Of fancy, feared lest one day thou wouldst leave me
As her at Timna; sought by all means therefore
How to endear, and hold thee to me firmest.
No better way I saw than by importuning
To learn thy secrets, get into my power
Thy key of strength and safety. Thou wilt say,
"Why then revealed?"—I was assured by those
Who tempted me, that nothing was designed
Against thee but safe custody and hold.
That made for me; I knew that liberty
Would draw thee forth to perilous enterprises,
While I at home sat full of cares and fears,
Wailing thy absence in my widowed bed;
Here I should still enjoy thee, day and night,
Mine and love's prisoner, not the Philistines',
Whole to myself, unhazarded abroad,
Fearless at home of partners in my love.
μᾶλλον τύχοις, μὴ μείζον ̓ ἐκπράξας ἐμὲ
ὧν αὐτὸς εἶχες σκεπτέον δέ· μή τί μοι,
μισεῖν δοκούσῃ, ζῆλος ἐξ ἔρωτος ἦν
γεγώς, ὁ καρδίας τε καὶ φρενὸς μέδων,
ὁ ταῦτα δράσας; κουφόνουν μαθοῦσά σε,
δείσασα δ ̓ ὡς ἂν αὐτε χηρώσαντ ̓ ἐμὲ,
ὡς πρὶν σὺ τὴν Τιμνῖτιν, ἔσπευδον τόδε,
ὅπως σε συνδήσαιμι δυσλύτοις πέδαις·
τὸ δ' ἠπόρουν, εἰ μή γε κεκτῄμην ποθὲν
τὴν σὴν κρυφαίαν κλῇδα τῆς σωτηρίας.
τί δ ̓ ἦν, ἐφ ̓ ᾧ τόδ ̓ ἐκμαθοῦσ ̓ αὐδᾶν ἔτλην;
ἢ μὴν ὑπέσχονθ' οἵ με κλέπτοντες δόλῳ
ὡς μηδὲν ἐννοοῦντες εἴ γε μὴ σέθεν
φρουρᾶς ἀφύκτου δεσμά· πρὸς δ ̓ ἐμοῦ τίδ ̓ ἦν.
σὲ γὰρ σάφ ̓ ἤδη διὰ χερῶν συχνοὺς ἔχειν
ἐλεύθερον μέλλοντα κινδύνους, ἐμὲ
ἐῶντα χήραν ἐν πολυστόνῳ λέχει
ἀνδρός τε φρούδου περιδεᾶ· τὸ δ ̓ ἔμπαλιν
μένοντα, πάννυχόν τε καὶ πανήμερον
αὐτὴ καθ ̓ αὑτὴν εἶχον ἂν μόνη μόνον
φιλοῦσα, καὶ θύραθεν ἄψαυστον δύης,
ἔρωτος αἰχμάλωτον, οὐκ ἐχθροῦ τινός.
These reasons in love's law have passed for good,
Though fond and reasonless to some perhaps ;
And love hath oft, well meaning, wrought much woe,
Yet always pity or pardon hath obtained.
Be not unlike all others, not austere
As thou art strong, inflexible as steel.
If thou in strength all mortals dost exceed,
In uncompassionate anger do not so.
How cunningly the sorceress displays
Her own transgressions, to upbraid me mine!—
That malice, not repentance, brought thee hither,
By this appears. I gave, thou sayest, the example,
I led the way; bitter reproach, but true;
I to myself was false ere thou to me,
Such pardon therefore as I give my folly,
Take to thy wicked deed; which when thou seest
Impartial, self-severe, inexorable,
Thou wilt renounce thy seeking, and much rather
Confess it feigned. Weakness is thy excuse,
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