LITMIR.BIZ

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Stoop to the bitter North:

       Or searching twice or thrice

       Along the rocky walls,

       She marks the columned ice

       Of frozen waterfalls:

       But still the darkened cave

       Grew darker as she shone,

       Wherein was Rhea gone 250

       Her child to bear and save.

      [They dance.

      Then danced the Dactyls and Curêtes wild,

       And drowned with yells the cries of mother and child;

       Big-armed Damnámeneus gan prance and shout:

       And burly Acmon struck the echoes out:

       And Kermis leaped and howled: and Titias pranced

       And broad Cyllenus tore the air and danced:

       While deep within the shadowed cave at rest

       Lay Rhea, with her babe upon her breast.

      {11}

      INACHUS.

      If any here there be whose impure hands 260

       Among pure hands, or guilty heart among

       Our guiltless hearts be stained with blood or wrong,

       Let him depart!

       If there be any here in whom high Zeus

       Seeing impiety might turn away,

       Now from our sacrifice and from his sin

       Let him depart!

      Semichorus of maidens.

      I have chosen to praise

       Hêra the wife, and bring

       A hymn for the feast on marriage days 270

       To the wife of the gods' king.

       How on her festival

       The gods had loving strife,

       Which should give of them all

       The fairest gift to the wife.

       But Earth said, Fair to see

       Is mine and yields to none,

       I have grown for her joy a sacred tree,

       With apples of gold thereon.

      Then Hêra, when she heard what Earth had given, 280

       Smiled for her joy, and longed and came to see:

       On dovewings flying from the height of heaven,

       Down to the golden tree:

       As tired birds at even

       Come flying straight to house

       On their accustomed boughs.

       'Twas where, on tortured hands

       Bearing the mighty pole.

       Devoted Atlas stands:

       And round his bowed head roll 290{12}

       Day-light and night, and stars unmingled dance,

       Nor can he raise his glance.

      She saw the rocky coast

       Whereon the azured waves

       Are laced in foam, or lost

       In water-lighted caves;

       The olive island where,

       Amid the purple seas,

       Night unto Darkness bare

       The four Hesperides: 300

       And came into the shade

       Of Atlas, where she found

       The garden Earth had made

       And fenced with groves around.

       And in the midst it grew

       Alone, the priceless stem,

       As careful, clear and true

       As graving on a gem.

       Nature had kissèd Art

       And borne a child to stir 310

       With jealousy the heart

       Of heaven's Artificer.

       From crown to swelling root

       It mocked the goddess' praise,

       The green enamelled sprays,

       The emblazoned golden fruit.

      [They dance

      And 'neath the tree, with hair and zone unbound,

       The fair Hesperides aye danced around,

       And Ægle danced and sang 'O welcome, Queen!'

       And Erytheia sang 'The tree is green!' 320

       And Hestia danced and sang 'The fruit is gold!'

       And Arethusa sang 'Fair Queen, behold!'

       And all joined hands and danced about the tree,

       And sang 'O Queen, we dance and sing for thee!'{13}

       In. If there be any here who has complaint

       Against our rule or claim or supplication,

       Now in the name of Zeus let it appear,

       Now let him speak!

      Prometheus re-enters.

      Pr. All hail, most worthy king, such claim have I.

       In. May grace be with thee, stranger; speak thy mind.

       Pr. To Argos, king of Argos, at thy house 331

       I bring long journeying to an end this hour,

       Bearing no idle message for thine ears.

       For know that far thy fame has reached, and men

       That ne'er have seen thee tell that thou art set

       Upon the throne of virtue, that goodwill

       And love thy servants are, that in thy land

       Joy, honour, trust and modesty abide

       And drink the air of peace, that kings must see

       Thy city, would they know their peoples' good 340

       And stablish them therein by wholesome laws.

       But one thing mars the tale, for o'er thy lands

       Travelling I have not seen from morn till eve,

       Either from house or farm or labourer's cot,

       In any village, nor this town of Argos

       A blue-wreathed smoke arise: the hearths are cold,

       This altar cold: I see the wood and cakes

       Unbaken—O king, where is the fire?

       In. If hither, stranger, thou wert come to find

       That which thou findest wanting, join with us 350

       Now in our sacrifice, take food within,

       And having learnt our simple way of life

       Return unto thy country whence thou camest.

       But hast thou skill or knowledge of this thing,

       How best it may be sought, or by what means

       Hope to be reached, O speak! I wait to hear.

       Pr. There is, O king, fire on the earth this day.

       In. On earth there is fire thou sayest!

       Pr. There is fire.{14}

       In. On earth this day!

       Pr. There is fire on earth this day.

       In. This is a sacred place, a solemn hour, 360

      

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