Your wife has disappeared, taken up into the folds of the unseen air; she is hidden in heaven, and as she left the hallowed cave where we were keeping her, she said this: Miserable Phrygians, and all the Achaeans! On my account you were dying by the banks of Skamandros,through Hera’s contrivance, for you thought that Paris had Helen when he didn’t. But I, since I have stayed my appointed time, and kept the laws of fate, will now depart into the sky, my father; but the unhappy daughter of Tyndareus,guilty in no way, has borne an evil name without reason.Catching sight of HelenWelcome, daughter of Leda, were you here after all? I was just announcing your departure up to the hidden starry realms, not knowing that you had a winged body. I will not let you mock us like this again,for you gave your fill of trouble to your husband and his allies in Ilion.MenelaosThis is the meaning of that; her words have turned out to be true. O longed-for day, that has given you to my arms!HelenO Menelaos, dearest of men, the time was long, but delight is just now ours.With joy I have found my husband, friends, I have embraced my dear one, after long days of blazing light.MenelaosAnd I have found you; but I have many questions about t; now I do not know what to begin with first.

HelenI am so happy, the hair rises on my head and my tears run down. I fling my arms around your neck,dear husband, to have my delight.MenelaosO dearest sight! I have no fault to find: I have my wife, the daughter of Zeus and Leda; your brothers on their snow-white steedsblessed you, blessed you at an earlier time, while torches blazed, but the god who took you from my home is driving us on to another fortune, better than this. An evil that was good brought you together with me, your husbandafter a long time, but may I still benefit by my good luck.ChorusMay you benefit indeed, and I join in the same prayer; for when there are two, it is not possible for one to be unhappy and the other not.HelenMy dear friends, I no longer sigh or grieve over what is past.I have my husband, for whom I have been waiting to come from Troy for many years.MenelaosYou have me, and I have you; although it was hard to live through so many days, I now understand the actions of the goddess. My joy is tearful; it has moredelight than sorrow.HelenWhat can I say? What mortal could ever have hoped for this? I hold you to my heart, little as I ever thought to.MenelaosAnd I hold you, whom we thought to have gone to Ida’s city and the unhappy towers of Ilion.By the gods, how were you taken from my home?HelenAh! ah! You are setting out on a bitter beginning. Ah! ah! You are asking about a bitter tale.MenelaosSpeak; all gifts from the gods should be heard.HelenI detest the story I am now to introduce.MenelaosTell it anyway. It is sweet to hear of troubles.HelenNot to the bed of the young barbarian, on the wings of oars, on the wings of desire for lawless marriage—MenelaosWhat god or fate tore you from your country?HelenAh, my husband! The son of Zeus, of Zeus, brought me to the Nile.MenelaosAmazing! Who sent you there? O dreadful story!