CRIERESS Worldly clamour Pass away! Silence, Silence, While we pray; To the Twain, the Home-bestowers, Holy Parent, holy Daughter, And to Wealth, and Heavenly Beauty, And to Earth the foster-mother, And to Hermes and the Graces, That they to this important high debate Grant favour and success, Making it useful to the Athenian State, And to ourselves no less. And O, that she who counsels best to-day About the Athenian nation, And our own commonwealth of women, may Succeed by acclamation. These things we pray, and blessings on our cause. Sing Paean, Paean, ho! with merry loud applause.
CHORUS We in thy prayers combine, And we trust the Powers Divine Will on these their suppliants smile, Both Zeus the high and awful, And the golden-lyred Apollo From the holy Delian isle. And thou, our Mighty Maiden, Lance of gold, and eye of blue, Of the God-contested city, Help us too: And the many-named, the Huntress, Gold-fronted Leto’s daughter; And the dread Poseidon ruling
CHORUS Over Ocean’s stormy water; Come from the deep where fishes Swarm, and the whirlwinds rave; And the Oreads of the mountain, And the Nereids of the wave. Let the Golden Harp sound o’er us And the Gods with favour crown This Parliament of Women, The free and noble matrons Of the old Athenian town.
CRIERESS O yes! O yes! Pray ye the Olympian Gods—and Goddesses, And all the Pythian Gods—and Goddesses, And all the Delian Gods—and Goddesses, And all the other Gods—and Goddesses, Whoso is disaffected, ill-disposed Towards this commonwealth of womankind, Or with Euripides, or with the Medes Deals to the common hurt of womankind, Or aims at tyranny, or fain would bring The Tyrant back; or dares betray a wife For palming off a baby as her own; Or tells her master tales against her mistress; Or does not bear a message faithfully; Or, being a suitor, makes a vow, and then Fails to perform; or, being a rich old woman, Hires for herself a lover with her wealth; Or, being a girl, takes gifts and cheats the giver; Or, being a trading man or trading woman, Gives us short measure in our drinking-cups;—
CRIERESS Perish that man, himself and all his house; But pray the Gods—and Goddesses—to order To all the women always all things well.
CHORUS We also pray, And trust it may Be done as thou premisest, And hope that they Will win the day Whose words are best and wisest. But they who fain Would cheat for gain, Their solemn oaths forgetting, Our ancient laws And noble cause And mystic rites upsetting; Who plot for greed, Who call the Mede With secret invitation, I say that these The Gods displease, And wrong the Athenian nation. O Zeus most high In earth and sky, All-powerful, all-commanding, We pray to Thee, Weak women we, But help us notwithstanding.
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