With　words　of　well…placed　counsel　teach　his　youth
  To　curb　that　pride；　which　from　the　gods　calls　down
  Destruction　on　his　head。　（To　ATOSSA）　And　thou；　whose　age
  The　miseries　of　thy　Xerxes　sink　with　sorrow；
  Go　to　thy　house；　thence　choose　the　richest　robe；
  And　meet　thy　son；　for　through　the　rage　of　grief
  His　gorgeous　vestments　from　his　royal　limbs
  Are　foully　rent。　With　gentlest　courtesy
  Soothe　his　affliction；　for　is　duteous　ear；
  I　know；　will　listen　to　thy　voice　alone。
  Now　to　the　realms　of　darkness　I　descend。
  My　ancient　friends；　farewell；　and　mid　these　ills
  Each　day　in　pleasures　battle　your　drooping　spirits；
  For　treasured　riches　naught　avail　the　dead。
  （The　GHOST　OF　DARIUS　vanishes　into　the　tomb。）
  LEADER
  These　many　present；　many　future　ills
  Denounced　on　Persia；　sink　my　soul　with　grief。
  ATOSSA
  Unhappy　fortune；　what　a　tide　of　ills
  Bursts　o'er　me！　Chief　this　foul　disgrace；　which　shows
  My　son　divested　of　his　rich　attire；
  His　royal　robes　all　rent；　distracts　my　thoughts。
  But　I　will　go；　choose　the　most　gorgeous　vest；
  And　liaste　to　meet　my　son。　Ne'er　in　his　woes
  Will　I　forsake　whom　my　soul　holds　most　dear。
  （ATOSSA　departs　as　the　CHORUS　begins　its　song。）
  CHORUS
  strophe　1
  Ye　powers　that　rule　the　skies；
  Memory　recalls　our　great；　our　happy　fate；
  Our　well…appointed　state；
  The　scenes　of　glory　opening　to　our　eyes；
  When　this　vast　empire　o'er
  The　good　Darius；　with　each　virtue　bless'd
  That　forms　a　monarch's　breast；
  Shielding　his　subjects　with　a　father's　care
  Invincible　in　war；
  Extended　like　a　god　his　awful　power；
  Then　spread　our　arms　their　glory　wide；
  Guarding　to　peace　her　golden　reign：
  Each　tower'd　city　saw　with　pride
  Safe　from　the　toils　of　war　her　homeward…marching　train。
  antistrophe　1
  Nor　Haly's　shallow　strand
  He　pass'd；　nor　from　his　palace　moved　his　state；
  He　spoke；　his　word　was　Fate。
  What　strong…based　cities　could　his　might　withstand？
  Not　those　that　lift　their　heads
  Where　to　the　sea　the　floods　of　Strymon　pass；
  Leaving　the　huts　of　Thrace；
  Nor　those；　that　far　the　extended　ocean　o'er
  Stand　girt　with　many　a　tower；
  Nor　where　the　Hellespont　his　broad　wave　spreads；
  Nor　the　firm　bastions'　rampired　might；
  Whose　foot　the　deep　Propontis　laves；
  Nor　those；　that　glorying　in　their　height
  Frown　o'er　the　Pontic　sea；　and　shade　his　darken'd　waves。
  strophe　2
  Each　sea…girt　isle　around
  Bow'd　to　this　monarch：　humbled　Lesbos　bow'd；
  Paros；　of　its　marble　proud；
  Naxos　with　vines；　with　olives　Samos　crown'd：
  Him　Myconos　adored；
  Chios；　the　seat　of　beauty；　Andros　steep；
  That　stretches　o'er　the　deep
  To　meet　the　wat'ry　Tenos；　him　each　bay
  Bound　by　the　Icarian　sea；
  Him　Melos；　Gnidus；　Rhodes　confess'd　their　lord；
  O'er　Cyprus　stretch'd　his　sceptred　hand：
  Paphos　and　Solos　own'd　his　power；
  And　Salamis；　whose　hostile　strand；
  The　cause　of　all　our　wo；　is　red　with　Persian　gore。
  antistrophe　2
  Ev'n　the　proud　towns；　that　rear'd
  Sublime　along　the　lonian　coast　their　towers；
  Where　wealth　her　treasures　pours；
  Peopled　from　Greece；　his　prudent　reign　revered。
  With　such　unconquer'd　might
  His　hardy　warriors　shook　the　embattled　fields；
  Heroes　that　Persia　yields；
  And　those　from　distant　realms　that　took　their　way；
  And　wedged　in　close　array
  Beneath　his　glitt'ring　banners　claim'd　the　fight。
  But　now　these　glories　are　no　more：
  Farewell　the　big　war's　plumed　pride：
  The　gods　have　crush'd　this　trophied　power；
  Sunk　are　our　vanquish'd　arms　beneath　the　indignant　tide。
  （XERXES　enters；　with　a　few　followers。　His　royal　raiment　is　torn；
  The　entire　closing　scene　is　sung　or　chanted。）
  XERXES
  Ah　me；　how　sudden　have　the　storms　of　Fate；
  Beyond　all　thought；　all　apprehension；　burst
  On　my　devoted　head！　O　Fortune；　Fortune！
  With　what　relentless　fury　hath　thy　hand
  Hurl'd　desolation　on　the　Persian　race！
  Wo　unsupportable！　The　torturing　thought
  Of　our　lost　youth　comes　rushing　on　my　mind；
  And　sinks　me　to　the　ground。　O　Jove；　that
  Had　died　with　those　brave　men　that　died　in　fight　I
  CHORUS
  O　thou　afflicted　monarch；　once　the　lord
  Of　marshall'd　armies；　of　the　lustre　beam'd
  From　glory's　ray　o'er　Persia；　of　her　sons
  The　pride；　the　grace；　whom　ruin　now　hath　sunk
  In　blood！　The　unpeopled　land　laments　her　youth
  By　Xerxes　led　to　slaughter；　till　the　realms
  Of　death　are　gorged　with　Persians；　for　the　flower
  Of　all　the　realm；　thousands；　whose　dreadful　bows
  With　arrowy　shower　annoy'd　the　foe；　are　fall'n。
  XERXES
  Your　fall；　heroic　youths；　distracts　my　soul。
  CHORUS
  And　Asia　sinking　on　her　knee；　O　king；
  Oppress'd；　with　griefs　oppress'd；　bends　to　the　earth。
  XERXES
  And　I；　O　wretched　fortune；　I　was　born
  To　crush；　to　desolate　my　ruin'd　country！
  CHORUS
  I　have　no　voice；　no　swelling　harmony；
  No　descant；　save　these　notes　of　wo；
  Harsh；　and　responsive　to　the　sullen　sigh；
  Rude　strains；　that　unmelodious　flow；
  To　welcome　thy　return。
  XERXES
  Then　bid　them　flow；　bid　the　wild　measures　flow
  Hollow；　unmusical；　the　notes　of　grief；
  They　suit　my　fortune；　and　dejected　state。
  CHORUS
  Yes；　at　thy　royal　bidding　shall　the　strain
  Pour　the　deep　sorrows　of　my　soul；
  The　suff'rings　of　my　bleeding　country　plain；
  And　bid　the　mournful　measures　roll。
  Again　the　voice　of　wild　despair
  With　thrilling　shrieks　shall　pierce　the　air；
  For　high　the　god　of　war　his　flaming　crest
  Raised；　with　the　fleet　of　Greece　surrounded；
  The　haughty　arms　of　Greece　with　conquest　bless'd；
  And　Persia's　wither'd　force　confounded；
  Dash'd　on　the　dreary　beach　her　heroes　slain；
  Or　whelm'd　them　in　the　darken'd　main。
  XERXES
  To　swell　thy　griefs　ask　ev'ry　circumstance。
  CHORUS
  Where　are　thy　valiant　friends；　thy　chieftains　where？
  Pharnaces；　Susas；　and　the　might
  Of　Pelagon；　and　Dotamas？　The　spear
  Of　Agabates　bold　in　fight？
  Psammis　in　mailed　cuirass　dress'd；
  And　Susiscanes'　glitt'ring　crest？
  XERXES
  Dash'd　from　the　Tyrian　vessel　on　the　rocks
  Of　Salamis　they　sunk；　and　smear'd　with　gore
  The　heroes　on　the　dreary　strand　are　stretch'd。
  CHORUS
  Where　is　Pharnuchus？　Ariomardus　where；
  With　ev'ry　gentle　virtue　graced？
  Lilaeus；　that　from　chiefs　renown'd　in　war
  His　high…descended　lineage　traced？
  Where　rears　Sebalces　his　crown…circled　head：
  Where　Tharybis　to　battles　bred；
  Artembares；　Hystaechmes　bold；
  Memphis；　Masistress　sheath'd　in　gold？
  XERXES
  Wretch　that　I　am！　These　on　the　abhorred　town
  Ogygian　Athens；　roll'd　their　glowing　eyes
  Indignant；　but　at　once　in　the　fierce　shock
  Of　battle　fell；　dash'd　breathless　on　the　ground。
  CHORUS
  There　does　the　son　of　Batanochus　lie；
  Through　whose　rich　veins　the　unsullied　blood
  Of　Susamus；　down　from　the　lineage　high
  Of　noble　Mygabatas　flow'd：
  Alpistus；　who　with　faithful　care
  Number'd　the　deep'ning　files　of　war；
  The　monarch's　eye；　on　the　ensanguined　plain
  Low　is　the　mighty　warrior　laid？
  Is　great　Aebares　'mong　the　heroes　slain；
  And　Partheus　number'd　with　the　dead？…
  Ah　me！　those　bursting　groans；　deep…charged　with　wo；
  The　fate　of　Persia's　princes　show。
  XERXES
  To　my　grieved　memory　thy　mournful　voice；
  Tuned　to　the　saddest　notes　of　wo；　recalls
  My　brave　friends　lost；　and　my　rent　heart　returns
  In　dreadful　symphony　the　sorrowing　strain。
  CHORUS
  Yet　once　more　shall　I　ask　thee；　yet　once　more；
  Where　is　the　Mardian　Xanthes'　might；
  The　daring　chief；　that　from　the　Pontic　shore
  Led　his　strong　phalanx　to　the　fight？
  Anchares　where；　whose　high…raised　shield
  Flamed　foremost　in　the　embattled　field？
  Where　the　high　leaders　of　thy　mail…clad　horse；
  Daixis　and　Arsaces　where？
  Where　Cigdadatas　and　Lythimnas'　force；
  Waving　untired　his　purple　spear？
  XERXES
  Entomb'd；　I　saw　them　in　the　earth　entomb'd；
  Nor　did　the　rolling　car　with　solemn　state
  Attend　their　rites：　I　follow'd：　low　they　lie
  （Ah　me；　the　once　great　leaders　of　my　host！
  Low　in　the　earth；　without　their　honours　lie。
  CHORUS
  O　wo；　wo；　wo！　Unutterable　wo
  The　demons　of　revenge　have　spread；
  And　Ate　from　her　drear　abode　below