Robert Fagles - The Libation Bearers (Lines 377-426) lyrics

ORESTES: That thrills his ear, that arrow lands! Zeus, Zeus, force up from the earth destruction, late but true to the mark, to the reckless heart, the k**ing hand -for parents of revenge revenge be done. LEADER: And the ripping cries of triumph mine to sing when the man is stabbed, the woman dies- why hide what's deep inside me, black wings beating, storming the spirit's prow-hurricane, slashing hatred! ELECTRA: Both fists at once come down, come down- Zeus, crush their skulls! k**! k**! Now give the land some faith, I beg you, from these ancient wrongs bring forth our rights. Hear me, Earth, and all you lords of d**h. CHORUS: It is the law: when the blood of slaughter wets the ground it wants more blood. Slaughter cries for the Fury of those long dead to bring destruction on destruction churning in its wake! ORESTES: Sweet Earth, how long? -great lords of d**h, look on, you mighty curses of the dead. Look on the last of Atreus' children, here, the remnant helpless, cast from home... god, where to turn? LEADER: And again my pulses race and leap, I can feel your sobs, and hope becomes despair and the heart goes dark to hear you -then the anguish ebbs, I see you stronger, hope and the light come on me. ELECTRA: What hope? -what force to summon, what can help? What but the pain we suffer, bred by her? So let her fawn. She can never soothe her young wolves- Mother dear, you bred our wolves' raw fury. LEADER AND CHORUS: I beat and beat the dirge like a Persian mourner, hands clenched tight and the blows are coming thick and fast, you can see the hands shoot out, now hand over hand and down -the head pulsates, blood at the temples pounding to explode! ELECTRA: Reckless, brutal mother -oh dear god!- The brutal, cruel cortege, the warlord stripped of his honour guard and stripped of mourning rites -you dared entomb your lord unwept, unsung. ORESTES: Shamed for all the world, you mean -dear god, my father degraded so! Oh she'll pay, she'll pay, by the gods and these bare hands -just let me take her life and die!