So to be handed down from heir to heir.
Thus shalt thou hold this land inviolate

From the dread Dragon's brood. [4] The justest State
By countlesswanton neighbors may be wronged,

For the gods, though they tarry, mark for doom
The godless sinner in his mad career.

Far from thee, son of Aegeus, be such fate!
But to the spot--the god within me goads--

Let us set forth no longer hesitate.
Follow me, daughters, this way. Strange that I

Whom you have led so long should lead you now.
Oh, touch me not, but let me all alone

Find out the sepulcher that destiny
Appoints me in this land. Hither, this way,

For this way Hermes leads, the spirit guide,
And Persephassa, empress of the dead.

O light, no light to me, but mine erewhile,
Now the last time I feel thee palpable,

For I am drawing near the final gloom
Of Hades. Blessing on thee, dearest friend,

On thee and on thy land and followers!
Live prosperous and in your happy state

Still for your welfare think on me, the dead.
[Exit THESEUS followed by ANTIGONE and ISMENE]

CHORUS
(Str.)

If mortal prayers are heard in hell,
Hear, Goddess dread, invisible!

Monarch of the regions drear,
Aidoneus, hear, O hear!

By a gentle, tearless doom
Speed this stranger to the gloom,

Let him enter without pain
The all-shrouding Stygian plain.

Wrongfully in life oppressed,
Be he now by Justice blessed.

(Ant.)
Queen infernal, and thou fell

Watch-dog of the gates of hell,
Who, as legends tell, dost glare,

Gnarling in thy cavernous lair
At all comers, let him go

Scathless to the fields below.
For thy master orders thus,

The son of earth and Tartarus;
In his den the monster keep,

Giver of eternal sleep.
[Enter MESSENGER]

MESSENGER
Friends, countrymen, my tidings are in sum

That Oedipus is gone, but the event
Was not so brief, nor can the tale be brief.

CHORUS
What, has he gone, the unhappy man?

MESSENGER
Know well

That he has passed away from life to death.
CHORUS

How? By a god-sent, painless doom, poor soul?
MESSENGER

Thy question hits the marvel of the tale.
How he moved hence, you saw him and must know;

Without a friend to lead the way, himself
Guiding us all. So having reached the abrupt

Earth-rooted Threshold with its brazen stairs,
He paused at one of the converging paths,

Hard by the rocky basin which records
The pact of Theseus and Peirithous.

Betwixt that rift and the Thorician rock,
The hollow pear-tree and the marble tomb,

Midway he sat and loosed his beggar's weeds;
Then calling to his daughters bade them fetch

Of running water, both to wash withal
And make libation; so they clomb the steep;

And in brief space brought what their father bade,
Then laved and dressed him with observance due.

But when he had his will in everything,
And no desire was left unsatisfied,

It thundered from the netherworld; the maids
Shivered, and crouching at their father's knees

Wept, beat their breast and uttered a long wail.
He, as he heard their sudden bitter cry,

Folded his arms about them both and said,
"My children, ye will lose your sire today,

For all of me has perished, and no more
Have ye to bear your long, long ministry;

A heavy load, I know, and yet one word
Wipes out all score of tribulations--_love_.

And love from me ye had--from no man more;
But now must live without me all your days."

So clinging to each other sobbed and wept
Father and daughters both, but when at last

Their mourning had an end and no wail rose,
A moment there was silence; suddenly

A voice that summoned him; with sudden dread
The hair of all stood up and all were 'mazed;

For the call came, now loud, now low, and oft.
"Oedipus, Oedipus, why tarry we?

Too long, too long thy passing is delayed."
But when he heard the summons of the god,

He prayed that Theseus might be brought, and when
The Prince came nearer: "O my friend," he cried,

"Pledge ye my daughters, giving thy right hand--
And, daughters, give him yours--and promise me

Thou never wilt forsake them, but do all
That time and friendship prompt in their behoof."

And he of his nobility repressed
His tears and swore to be their constant friend.

This promise given, Oedipus put forth
Blind hands and laid them on his children, saying,

"O children, prove your true nobility
And hence depart nor seek to witness sights

Unlawful or to hear unlawful words.
Nay, go with speed; let none but Theseus stay,

Our ruler, to behold what next shall hap."
So we all heard him speak, and weeping sore

We companied the maidens on their way.
After brief space we looked again, and lo

The man was gone, evanished from our eyes;
Only the king we saw with upraised hand

Shading his eyes as from some awful sight,
That no man might endure to look upon.

A moment later, and we saw him bend
In prayer to Earth and prayer to Heaven at once.

But by what doom the stranger met his end
No man save Theseus knoweth. For there fell

No fiery bold that reft him in that hour,
Nor whirlwind from the sea, but he was taken.

It was a messenger from heaven, or else
Some gentle, painless cleaving of earth's base;

For without wailing or disease or pain
He passed away--and end most marvelous.

And if to some my tale seems foolishness
I am content that such could count me fool.

CHORUS
Where are the maids and their attendant friends?

MESSENGER
They cannot be far off; the approaching sound

Of lamentation tells they come this way.
[Enter ANTIGONE and ISMENE]

ANTIGONE
(Str. 1)

Woe, woe! on this sad day
We sisters of one blasted stock

must bow beneath the shock,
Must weep and weep the curse that lay

On him our sire, for whom
In life, a life-long world of care

'Twas ours to bear,
In death must face the gloom

That wraps his tomb.
What tongue can tell

That sight ineffable?
CHORUS

What mean ye, maidens?
ANTIGONE

All is but surmise.
CHORUS

Is he then gone?
ANTIGONE

Gone as ye most might wish.
Not in battle or sea storm,

But reft from sight,
By hands invisible borne

To viewless fields of night.
Ah me! on us too night has come,

The night of mourning. Wither roam
O'er land or sea in our distress

Eating the bread of bitterness?
ISMENE

I know not. O that Death
Might nip my breath,

And let me share my aged father's fate.
I cannot live a life thus desolate.

CHORUS
Best of daughters, worthy pair,

What heaven brings ye needs must bear,
Fret no more 'gainst Heaven's will;

Fate hath dealt with you not ill.
ANTIGONE

(Ant. 1)
Love can turn past pain to bliss,

What seemed bitter now is sweet.
Ah me! that happy toil is sweet.

The guidance of those dear blind feet.
Dear father, wrapt for aye in nether gloom,

E'en in the tomb
Never shalt thou lack of love repine,

Her love and mine.
CHORUS

His fate--
ANTIGONE

Is even as he planned.
CHORUS

How so?
ANTIGONE

He died, so willed he, in a foreign land.
Lapped in kind earth he sleeps his long last sleep,

And o'er his grave friends weep.
How great our lost these streaming eyes can tell,

This sorrow naught can quell.

• hither [´hiðə] ad.到此处 (初中英语单词)
• blessing [´blesiŋ] n.祝福 (初中英语单词)
• prosperous [´prɔspərəs] a.繁荣的；顺利的 (初中英语单词)
• welfare [´welfeə] n.福利(事业) (初中英语单词)
• goddess [´gɔdis] n.女神 (初中英语单词)
• monster [´mɔnstə] n.怪物 a.大得异常的 (初中英语单词)
• eternal [i´tə:nəl] a.永远的；永恒的 (初中英语单词)
• unhappy [ʌn´hæpi] a.不幸的；不快乐的 (初中英语单词)
• marvel [´mɑ:vəl] n.令人惊异的事；奇迹 (初中英语单词)
• marble [´mɑ:bəl] n.大理石 a.大理石的 (初中英语单词)
• running [´rʌniŋ] a.奔跑的；流动的 (初中英语单词)
• mourning [´mɔ:niŋ] n.悲伤；治丧；戴孝 (初中英语单词)
• prince [´prins] n.王子；亲王；君主 (初中英语单词)
• constant [´kɔnstənt] a.坚定的；坚贞的 (初中英语单词)
• witness [´witnis] n.见证人 vt.目击 (初中英语单词)
• endure [in´djuə] vt.忍耐，忍受；坚持 (初中英语单词)
• messenger [´mesindʒə] n.使者；送信人 (初中英语单词)
• attendant [ə´tendənt] n.随员 a.伴随的 (初中英语单词)
• invisible [in´vizəbəl] a.看不见的；无形的 (初中英语单词)
• worthy [´wə:ði] a.有价值的；值得的 (初中英语单词)
• countless [´kauntlis] a.无数的 (高中英语单词)
• mortal [´mɔ:tl] a.致命的 n.凡人 (高中英语单词)
• tidings [´taidiŋz] n.消息，音信 (高中英语单词)
• threshold [´θreʃhəuld] n.门槛；入门；开端 (高中英语单词)
• prompt [prɔmpt] a.敏捷的 vt.促使 (高中英语单词)
• nobility [nəu´biliti, nə-] n.高贵；贵金属性 (高中英语单词)
• wither [´wiðə] v.(使)枯萎(衰弱) (高中英语单词)
• naught [nɔ:t] n.无；零 (高中英语单词)
• wanton [´wɔntən, ´wɑ:n-] a.顽皮的 n.&vi.荡妇 (英语四级单词)
• sinner [´sinə] n.罪人 (英语四级单词)
• empress [´empris] n.女皇；皇后 (英语四级单词)
• drawing [´drɔ:iŋ] n.画图；制图；图样 (英语四级单词)
• brazen [´breizən] a.黄铜制的；无耻的 (英语四级单词)
• observance [əb´zə:vəns] n.遵守；惯例；仪式 (英语四级单词)
• forsake [fə´seik] vt.遗弃，抛弃，摒绝 (英语四级单词)
• whirlwind [´wə:l,wind] n.旋风；猛烈的势力 (英语四级单词)
• lamentation [,læmen´teiʃən] n.悲痛，哀悼，痛哭 (英语四级单词)
• guidance [´gaidəns] n.向导，指导，领导 (英语四级单词)
• sepulcher [´sepəlkə] n.坟墓；石墓 (英语六级单词)
• infernal [in´fə:nəl] a.地狱的，恶魔似的 (英语六级单词)
• calling [´kɔ:liŋ] n.点名；职业；欲望 (英语六级单词)
• weeping [´wi:piŋ] a.&n.哭泣(的) (英语六级单词)
• nether [´neðə] a.下面的；地下的 (英语六级单词)