Have no fears as to my caution. The bow shall pass into no hands but yours and mine. Give it to me, and may good luck accompany it! Philoctetes There, take it boy. And humble yourself before the jealous gods, so that the bow may not prove baneful for you, as it did for me and for him who owned it before me. Neoptolemus O gods, grant this to the two of us! And grant us a voyage prosperous and unimpeded, to whatever goal the god may deem right and that our mission provides! Philoctetes Futile, I fear, are your prayers, boy. Look, once again the dark blood is oozing drop by drop from deep in the wound, and I look for worse to come. Ah, me, oh, oh! Cursed foot, what torment you cause me! It creeps on me, it is coming near! Ah, misery! Now you know my condition. Do not flee, no! Oh, alas! Odysseus of Cephallene, once my friend, would that this anguish might stick to you, and pierce your chest! Ah, me! Ah, me! O you twin marshalls, Agamemnon, and you, Menelaus, may your flesh instead of mine nourish this plague, and for as long! Oh, Ah, me! O Death, Death, though I am always summoning you day after day, why do you never come? O son, noble youth, seize me, burn me up, true friend, in that fire famed as Lemnian. I, too, once deemed it lawful to do that very service for the son of Zeus, in return for which I received these same arms, which are now in your keeping. What do you say, boy, what do you say? Why this silence? Where are your thoughts, son? Neoptolemus My heart has long been aching for your load of pain. Philoctetes Stop, then, and take courage; this visitor comes sharply, but goes quickly. Yet, I beg you, do not leave me alone. Neoptolemus Take heart, we will remain. Philoctetes Will you? Neoptolemus Be sure of it. Philoctetes Indeed, I do not think it right to put you under oath. Neoptolemus Rest assured; it is not lawful for me to leave without you. Philoctetes Give me your hand in pledge! Neoptolemus I give it—to stay. Philoctetes Now take me there, over there! Neoptolemus Where do you mean? Philoctetes Up there! Neoptolemus What is this new delirium? Why do you gaze at the dome above us? Philoctetes Let me go, let me go! Neoptolemus Where will you go, if I do so? Philoctetes Let me go, I say! Neoptolemus I will not. Philoctetes You will kill me, if you touch me further. Neoptolemus There, then, I release you—if in fact you believe it is for the better.