charm or a magic soothing] when a hand so dear would have wiped away my
tears. But I must lose thee after having lost him. This struggle over my
passion is due to my honor, and this terrible duty, whose [imperious]
command is slaying me, compels me to exert myself [_lit._ labor or work]
for thy destruction. For, in fine, do not expect from my affection any
morbid [_lit._ cowardly] feelings as to thy punishment. However strongly
my love may plead in thy favor, my steadfast courage must respond to
thine. Even in offending me, thou hast proved thyself worthy of me; I
must, by thy death, prove myself worthy of thee.

_Don Rodrigo._ Defer, then, no longer that which honor commands. It
demands my head [_or_, life], and I yield it to thee; make a sacrifice
of it to this noble duty; the [death] stroke will be welcome [_lit._
sweet], as well as the doom. To await, after my crime, a tardy justice,
is to defer thine honor as well as my punishment. I should die too happy
in dying by so delightful a [death] blow!

_Chimène._ Go [i.e. no]; I am thy prosecutor, and not thy executioner.
If thou offerest me thine head, is it for me to take it; I ought to
attack it, but thou oughtest to defend it. It is from another than thee
that I must obtain it, and it is my duty [_lit._ I ought] to pursue
thee, but not to punish thee.

_Don Rodrigo._ However in my favor our love may plead, thy steadfast
courage ought to correspond to mine; and to borrow other arms to avenge
a father is, believe me, my Chimène, not the [method of] responding to
it. My hand alone was fit [_lit._ has understood how] to avenge the
insult offered to _my_ father; thy hand alone ought to take vengeance
for thine.