The Seven Plays in English Verse Part 2

ISM. Of what wild enterprise? What canst thou mean?

ANT. Wilt thou join hand with mine to lift the dead?

ISM. To bury him, when all have been forbidden?

Is that thy thought?

ANT. To bury my own brother And thine, even though thou wilt not do thy part.

I will not be a traitress to my kin.

ISM. Fool-hardy girl! against the word of Creon?

ANT. He hath no right to bar me from mine own.

ISM. Ah, sister, think but how our father fell, Hated of all and lost to fair renown, Through self-detected crimes--with his own hand, Self-wreaking, how he dashed out both his eyes: Then how the mother-wife, sad two-fold name!

With twisted halter bruised her life away, Last, how in one dire moment our two brothers With internecine conflict at a blow Wrought out by fratricide their mutual doom.

Now, left alone, O think how beyond all Most piteously we twain shall be destroyed, If in defiance of authority We traverse the commandment of the King!

We needs must bear in mind we are but women, Never created to contend with men; Nay more, made victims of resistless power, To obey behests more harsh than this to-day.

I, then, imploring those beneath to grant Indulgence, seeing I am enforced in this, Will yield submission to the powers that rule, Small wisdom were it to overpa.s.s the bound.

ANT. I will not urge you! no! nor if now you list To help me, will your help afford me joy.

Be what you choose to be! This single hand Shall bury our lost brother. Glorious For me to take this labour and to die!

Dear to him will my soul be as we rest In death, when I have dared this holy crime.

My time for pleasing men will soon be over; Not so my duty toward the Dead! My home Yonder will have no end. You, if you will, May pour contempt on laws revered on High.

ISM. Not from irreverence. But I have no strength To strive against the citizens' resolve.

ANT. Thou, make excuses! I will go my way To raise a burial-mound to my dear brother.

ISM. Oh, hapless maiden, how I fear for thee!

ANT. Waste not your fears on me! Guide your own fortune.

ISM. Ah! yet divulge thine enterprise to none, But keep the secret close, and so will I.

ANT. O Heavens! Nay, tell! I hate your silence worse; I had rather you proclaimed it to the world.

ISM. You are ardent in a chilling enterprise.

ANT. I know that I please those whom I would please.

ISM. Yes, if you thrive; but your desire is bootless.

ANT. Well, when I fail I shall be stopt, I trow!

ISM. One should not start upon a hopeless quest.

ANT. Speak in that vein if you would earn my hate And aye be hated of our lost one. Peace!

Leave my unwisdom to endure this peril; Fate cannot rob me of a n.o.ble death.

ISM. Go, if you must--Not to be checked in folly, But sure unparalleled in faithful love! [_Exeunt_

CHORUS (_entering_).

Beam of the mounting Sun! I 1 O brightest, fairest ray Seven-gated Thebe yet hath seen!

Over the vale where Dirce's fountains run At length thou appearedst, eye of golden Day, And with incitement of thy radiance keen Spurredst to faster flight The man of Argos hurrying from the fight.

Armed at all points the warrior came, But driven before thy rising flame He rode, reverting his pale s.h.i.+eld, Headlong from yonder battlefield.

In snow-white panoply, on eagle wing, [_Half-Chorus_ He rose, dire ruin on our land to bring, Roused by the fierce debate Of Polynices' hate, Shrilling sharp menace from his breast, Sheathed all in steel from crown to heel, With many a plumed crest.

Then stooped above the domes, I 2 With l.u.s.t of carnage fired, And opening teeth of serried spears Yawned wide around the gates that guard our homes; But went, or e'er his hungry jaws had tired On Theban flesh,--or e'er the Fire-G.o.d fierce Seizing our sacred town Besmirched and rent her battlemented crown.

Such noise of battle as he fled About his back the War-G.o.d spread; So writhed to hard-fought victory The serpent[1] struggling to be free.

High Zeus beheld their stream that proudly rolled [_Half-Chorus_ Idly caparisoned[2] with clanking gold: Zeus hates the boastful tongue: He with hurled fire down flung One who in haste had mounted high, And that same hour from topmost tower Upraised the exulting cry.

Swung rudely to the hard repellent earth II 1 Amidst his furious mirth He fell, who then with flaring brand Held in his fiery hand Came breathing madness at the gate In eager blasts of hate.

And doubtful swayed the varying fight Through the turmoil of the night, As turning now on these and now on those Ares hurtled 'midst our foes, Self-harnessed helper[3] on our right.

Seven matched with seven, at each gate one, [_Half-Chorus_ Their captains, when the day was done, Left for our Zeus who turned the scale, The brazen tribute in full tale:-- All save the horror-burdened pair, Dire children of despair, Who from one sire, one mother, drawing breath, Each with conquering lance in rest Against a true born brother's breast, Found equal lots in death.

But with blithe greeting to glad Thebe came II 2 She of the glorious name, Victory,--smiling on our chariot throng With eyes that waken song Then let those battle memories cease, Silenced by thoughts of peace.

With holy dances of delight Lasting through the livelong night Visit we every shrine, in solemn round, Led by him who shakes the ground, Our Bacchus, Thebe's child of light.

LEADER OF CHORUS.

But look! where Creon in his new-made power, Moved by the fortune of the recent hour, Comes with fresh counsel. What intelligence Intends he for our private conference, That he hath sent his herald to us all, Gathering the elders with a general call?

_Enter_ CREON.

CREON. My friends, the n.o.ble vessel of our State, After sore shaking her, the G.o.ds have sped On a smooth course once more. I have called you hither, By special messengers selecting you From all the city, first, because I knew you Aye loyal to the throne of Laus; Then, both while Oedipus gave prosperous days, And since his fall, I still beheld you firm In sound allegiance to the royal issue.

Now since the pair have perished in an hour, Twinned in misfortune, by a mutual stroke Staining our land with fratricidal blood, All rule and potency of sovereign sway, In virtue of next kin to the deceased, Devolves on me. But hard it is to learn The mind of any mortal or the heart, Till he be tried in chief authority.

Power shows the man. For he who when supreme Withholds his hand or voice from the best cause, Being thwarted by some fear, that man to me Appears, and ever hath appeared, most vile.

He too hath no high place in mine esteem, Who sets his friend before his fatherland.

Let Zeus whose eye sees all eternally Be here my witness. I will ne'er keep silence When danger lours upon my citizens Who looked for safety, nor make him my friend Who doth not love my country. For I know Our country carries us, and whilst her helm Is held aright we gain good friends and true.

Following such courses 'tis my steadfast will To foster Thebe's greatness, and therewith In brotherly accord is my decree Touching the sons of Oedipus. The man-- Eteocles I mean--who died for Thebes Fighting with eminent prowess on her side, Shall be entombed with every sacred rite That follows to the grave the lordliest dead.

But for his brother, who, a banished man, Returned to devastate and burn with fire The land of his nativity, the shrines Of his ancestral G.o.ds, to feed him fat With Theban carnage, and make captive all That should escape the sword--for Polynices, This law hath been proclaimed concerning him: He shall have no lament, no funeral, But he unburied, for the carrion fowl And dogs to eat his corse, a sight of shame.

Such are the motions of this mind and will.

Never from me shall villains reap renown Before the just. But whoso loves the State, I will exalt him both in life and death.

CH. Son of Menoeceus, we have heard thy mind Toward him who loves, and him who hates our city.

And sure, 'tis thine to enforce what law thou wilt Both on the dead and all of us who live.

CR. Then be ye watchful to maintain my word.

CH. Young strength for such a burden were more meet.

CR. Already there be watchers of the dead.

CH. What charge then wouldst thou further lay on us?

CR. Not to give place to those that disobey.