[_Here commences, with mournful Oriental music, and with violent gesticulations, a great National Wail over the misfortunes of the Persian people._ STROPHE I. XERXES. I am the man! I am the man! The father of shame! the fount of disgrace! Weep me! weep me! once a king, Now to my country an evil thing, A curse to my race! CHORUS. To meet thy returning, A voice of deep mourning, A tune evil-aboding, A cry spirit-goading, {328} Of a Maryandine wailer,[n30] Thou shalt hear, thou shalt hear, O King, with many a tear! ANTISTROPHE I. XERXES. Lift ye, lift ye, the piercing cry! Tune ye, tune ye, the doleful lay! For the ancient god of the Persian race, That bless'd our fathers, hath turned his face From Xerxes away! CHORUS. A cry spirit-piercing, The dark tale rehearsing, Of ocean red-heaving, The slaughtered receiving, The cry of a city that wails for her children Thou shalt hear, thou shalt hear, O King, with many a tear! STROPHE II. XERXES. Ares was strong on the side of the foe, The Ionian foe! Bristling with ships he worked our woe. His scythe did mow, The sea, the land, And laid us low On the dismal strand. LEADER OF CHORUS.[n31] Lift, O lift, the earnest cry! Ask, and he will make reply. CHORUS. Where is all thy troop of friends, That marched with thee away, away? Where is the might of Pharandaces, Susas and Pelagon, where be they? Where is Datamas, where Agdabatus, Psammis, and Susiscánes, say? All that marched from Ecbatana's halls, Where be they? where be they? ANTISTROPHE II. XERXES. From a Tyrian ship they leapt on shore, To leap no more. On the shore of Salamis drenched in gore, The stony shore, They made their bed, To rise no more, The dead! the dead! {329} LEADER OF CHORUS. Lift, O lift the earnest cry, Ask, and he will make reply! CHORUS. Ah! say, where is Pharnúchus, where? Cariomardus, where is he? Where the chief Seualces, where Aelæus of noble degree? Memphis, Tharybis, and Masistris, Hystæchmas, and Artembares, say? All the brave that journeyed to Hellas, Where be they? where be they? STROPHE III. XERXES. Ah me! ah me! They looked on Ogygian Athens,[f34] and straight With one fell swoop down came the Fate, And we left them there with gasp and groan, On the shore of the stranger strewn. CHORUS. Didst thou leave him there to lie, Batanóchus' son, thy faithful eye?[f35] Him didst thou leave on Salamis' shores Who counted thy thousands by tens and by scores The strong Oebáres and Parthus, were they Left to be lashed by the hostile spray? The Persian princes--woe! woe! woe! Hast thou left to the flood and the foe?