EURIPIDES
Phaedra
I am afraid of you: I am afraid
that you will be too clever for my good.
Nurse
You are afraid of everything. What is it?
Phaedra
You surely will not tell this to Hippolytus? 520
Nurse
Come, let that be: I will arrange all well.
Only, my lady Cypris of the Sea,
be my helper you. The other plans I have
Til tell to those we love within the house;
that will suffice.
(The Nurse goes off.)
Chorus
STROPHE
Love distills desire upon the eyes, 525
love brings bewitching grace into the heart
of those he would destroy.
I pray that love may never come to me
with murderous intent,
in rhythms measureless and wild.
Not fire nor stars have stronger bolts 530
than those of Aphrodite sent
by the hand of Eros, Zeus's child.
ANTISTROPHE
In vain by Alpheus* stream, 535
in vain in the halls of Phoebus' Pythian shrine
the land of Greece increases sacrifice.
But Love the King of Men they honor not, 540
although he keeps the keys
of the temple of desire,
although he goes destroying through the world,
202