Episode 04: The Dream

Now we meet the Queen, who comes onto the stage in a golden carriage
to tell the Chorus about her troubling dreams.

PERSIANS | The Podcast
Europe’s oldest play - in Europe’s oldest language.
As part of Dublin Theatre Festival 2020, PERSIANS | The Podcast
explores a project with an ancient future.

Supported by The Arts Council - An Comhairle Ealaoin.

QUEEN:

Ever since my son raised up the horde
To cross the world and to destroy the Greeks, 
I have been visited by nightly dreams. 
But last night’s was the most vivid I have seen. 
Two beautifully-dressed women appeared to me, 
One in Persian robes, one in Greek. 
Both were obviously very tall, larger than life, 
both utterly beautiful, both human - sisters. 
One lived in Greece, her homeland, 
for that was her lot, the other lived here, 
in this barbarian country. 

A fight seemed to be brewing between them, 
as I saw it. My son learned of this conflict, 
and he tried to restrain these women, 
calming them, putting their necks beneath his yoke:
One of them bore it with pride, the bridle in her mouth, 
but the other, well, she fought. She tore the harness 
from the chariot, dragged it along with her bare hands,
and smashed the yoke, cleaving it in two. 

My son fell from his chariot. 
Worse still, Darius was there, watching, 
and when Xerxes saw this, he tore his robes to rags. 

That’s what I saw during the night. 
I got up, and washed my hands in the spring
to cast away the horror of the dream. 

I went to make a sacrifice, 
to honour the gods that might avert such horror. 
And then I saw an eagle, trying for shelter
at Apollo’s hearth. My dear ones, I was dumb with terror. 
Next a hawk swooped down, a flash of wings
and ripped the eagle’s head off with its claws. 

The eagle could do nothing, 
offered itself up without a fight. 
These things were as awful to see
as they now sound to you that hear them. 

But you should know: if my son succeeds, 
his honour will be greatest of them all. 
But if he fails, he still remains your king. 

CHORUS:

Mother, we answer you, 
we do not want to frighten you
or to give you any false hope. 

If you have seen a bad omen, 
pray to the gods, ask them to avert bad fortune, 
and to bless you, and your child, and your people. 

Then, you must pour out libations
to the earth and to the dead. 
Ask your husband Darius,
who appeared to you in the night,
to intervene for us, 
to send up blessings from the underworld
to you, your son and us here in the light. 
to keep bad fortune in the depths below. 

This is our advice, from our prophetic hearts. 
All will be well.

(English translation by Conor Hanratty)