cxx
CHORUS LEADER
Show then, poor woman, show to the whole town
The spoils of Victory you carried home!
AGAVE
Look, towers, pride of this city,
And you,
Who live in it, look.
Here's my trophy!
This is the quarry Kadmus' daughters caught
- And not with nets, or with Thessalian hooks -
But with your bare, white arms, and these our fingers!
Can, after this, men go on boasting? Men,
Who buy from armorers their barren tools?
We,
Queen of this land,
With this very hand
Gave death to him, and tore this pretty
Animal's limbs apart!
Where's my father?
Where's that old man? Let him come near and look!
Where's me son?
I have a son, his name
Is Pentheus!
I want him here! He may now be the king,
But I gave him life!
Tell him his mother
Wants him to get strong ladders, set them
Against the face of this arrogant palace
And climb up, high up,
To the very top,
And there nail this head, this lovely lion,
My trophy from the hunt,
High on the triglyphs -
Top of the palace wall, the highest
Point of this land, to challenge Cithaeron,
And for all the town to see!
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