メロスは激怒した。必ず、かの邪智暴虐の王を除かなければならぬと決意した。メロスには政治がわからぬ。メロスは、村の牧人である。笛を吹き、羊と遊んで暮して来た。けれども邪悪に対しては、人一倍に敏感であった。
Melos was enraged. He resolved that he must eliminate that wickedly tyrannical king. Melos did not understand politics. Melos was a shepherd of the village. He had lived blowing his flute and playing with sheep. However, he was twice as sensitive to evil as others.
妹の結婚衣装を買うため、シラクスの市にやって来たメロスは、町全体の様子がひどく暗く、静まり返っていることに気づいた。老爺から事情を聞くと、ディオニス王が人間不信に陥り、次々と罪のない人々、さらには自らの親族までも処刑しているという。この暴挙を許すべからずと憤慨したメロスは、そのまま王の城に忍び込んだが、巡邏の警吏に捕らえられてしまった。
Having come to the city of Syracuse to buy a wedding dress for his younger sister, Melos noticed that the atmosphere of the entire town was terribly dark and hushed. Hearing the circumstances from an old man, he learned that King Dionysius had fallen into a state of distrust of humanity and was executing innocent people one after another, and even his own relatives. Indignant that this outrage should not be permitted, Melos sneaked into the king's castle just as he was, but was captured by patrolling officers.
王の前に引き出されたメロスは、王の疑い深い性格を真っ向から非難した。王は冷笑し、メロスを処刑すると宣言した。しかしメロスは、処刑される前に妹の結婚式だけは挙げさせてほしいと懇願した。三日後の日暮れまでに必ず戻ってくると約束し、その身代わりとして、無二の親友であるセリヌンティウスを人質として差し出したのである。
Brought before the king, Melos directly condemned the king's suspicious nature. The king sneered and declared that he would execute Melos. However, Melos implored to be allowed at least to hold his sister's wedding before being executed. He promised to return without fail by sunset three days later, and as a substitute, he offered his incomparable best friend, Selinuntius, as a hostage.
王は、メロスが戻ってくるはずがないと高を括り、セリヌンティウスを殺してメロスの偽善を暴くつもりで、この条件を承諾した。メロスは村へ走り、徹夜で準備を整え、無事に妹の結婚式を済ませた。そして翌日、約束の時間を守るために雨の中を再びシラクスへと向かって走り出した。
The king, assuming that Melos would not possibly return and intending to kill Selinuntius to expose Melos's hypocrisy, accepted this condition. Melos ran to his village, made preparations through the night, and successfully finished his sister's wedding. Then the next day, to keep his promise at the appointed time, he started running back toward Syracuse in the rain.
道中、濁流に橋を流されたり、山賊に襲われたりと、幾多の困難がメロスの行く手を阻んだ。体力も気力も尽き果て、一度は約束を破って逃げ出そうという誘惑にかられた。しかし、自分を信じて待つ友の命と、人間の信実を守るために、メロスは力を振り絞って走り続けた。疲労の極みに達しながらも、ただひたすらに前へ進んだのである。
On the way, numerous difficulties blocked Melos's path, such as the bridge being washed away by a muddy torrent and being attacked by bandits. His physical strength and willpower exhausted, he was once tempted to break his promise and run away. However, for the life of the friend who trusted and waited for him, and to protect human truth, Melos summoned all his strength and continued to run. Reaching the limit of exhaustion, he simply moved forward single-mindedly.
ついに日暮れ近く、メロスは刑場に到着した。処刑の直前でセリヌンティウスを救い出したメロスは、自らの心の迷いを友に告白し、友もまた一度だけメロスを疑ったと打ち明けた。二人の熱い抱擁と真の友情を目の当たりにした群衆は涙し、狂王ディオニスすらもその真実に心を打たれたのである。
Finally, near sunset, Melos arrived at the execution ground. Melos, who rescued Selinuntius just before the execution, confessed his inner hesitation to his friend, and his friend also confessed that he had doubted Melos just once. The crowd wept at witnessing the two men's warm embrace and true friendship, and even the mad king Dionysius was moved by that truth.