The Seven Against Thebes [3]
fire!
ETEOCLES
Cry not on Heaven, in impotent debate!
What saith the saw?-Good saving Strength, in verity,
Out of Obedience breeds the babe Prosperity.
CHORUS (chanting)
'Tis true: yet stronger is the power divine,
And oft, when man's estate is overbowed
With bitter pangs, disperses from his eyne
The heavy, hanging cloud!
ETEOCLES
Let men with sacrifice and augury
Approach the gods, when comes the tug of war:
Alaids must be silent and abide within.
CHORUS (chanting)
By grace of the gods we hold it, a city untamed of the spear,
And the battlement wards from the wall the foe and his aspect of
fear!
What need of displeasure herein?
ETEOCLES
Ay, pay thy vows to Heaven; I grudge them not,
But-so thou strike no fear into our men-
Have calm at heart, nor be too much afraid.
Alack, it is fresh in mine ears, the clamour and crash of the
fray,
And up to our holiest height I sped on my timorous way,
Bewildered, beset by the din!
ETEOCLES
Now, if ye hear the bruit of death or wounds,
Give not yourselves o'ermuch to shriek and scream,
For Ares ravins upon human flesh.
LEADER OF THE CHORUS
Ah, but the snorting of the steeds I hear!
ETEOCLES
Then, if thou hearest, hear them not too well
LEADER
Hark, the earth rumbles, as they close us round!
ETEOCLES
Enough if I am here, with plans prepared.
LEADER
Alack, the battering at the gates is loud!
ETEOCLES
Peace! stay your tongue, or else the town may hear!
LEADER
O warders of the walls, betray them not!
ETEOCLES
Beshrew your cries! in silence face your fate.
LEADER
Gods of our city, see me not enslaved!
ETEOCLES
On me, on all, thy cries bring slavery.
LEADER
Zeus, strong to smite, turn upon foes thy blow!
ETEOCLES
Zeus, what a curse are women, wrought by thee!
LEADER
Weak wretches, even as men, when cities fall.
What! clasping gods, yet voicing thy despair?
LEADER
In the sick heart, fear maketh prey of speech.
ETEOCLES
Light is the thing I ask thee-do my will!
LEADER
Ask swiftly: swiftly shall I know my power.
ETEOCLES
Silence, weak wretch! nor put thy friends in fear.
LEADER
I speak no more: the general fate be mine!
ETEOCLES
I take that word as wiser than the rest.
Nay, more: these images possess thy will-
Pray, in their strength, that Heaven be on our side!
Then hear my prayers withal, and then ring out
The female triumph-note, thy privilege-
Yea, utter forth the usage Hellas knows,
The cry beside the altars, sounding clear
Encouragement to friends, alarm to foes.
But I unto all gods that guard our walls,
Lords of the plain or warders of the mart
And to Ismenus' stream and Dirce's rills,
I swear, if Fortune smiles and saves our town,
That we will make our altars reek with blood
Of sheep and kine, shed forth unto the gods,
And with victorious tokens front our fanes-
Corslets and casques that once our foemen wore,
Spear-shattered now-to deck these holy homes!
Be such thy vows to Heaven-away with sighs,
Away with outcry vain and barbarous,
That shall avail not, in a general doom!
But I will back, and, with six chosen men
Myself the seventh, to confront the foe
In this great aspect of a poised war,
Return and plant them at the sevenfold gates,
Or e'er the prompt and clamorous battle-scouts
Haste to inflame our counsel with the need.
(ETEOCLES and his retinue go out.)
CHORUS (singing)
strophe 1
I mark his words, yet, dark and deep,
ETEOCLES
Cry not on Heaven, in impotent debate!
What saith the saw?-Good saving Strength, in verity,
Out of Obedience breeds the babe Prosperity.
CHORUS (chanting)
'Tis true: yet stronger is the power divine,
And oft, when man's estate is overbowed
With bitter pangs, disperses from his eyne
The heavy, hanging cloud!
ETEOCLES
Let men with sacrifice and augury
Approach the gods, when comes the tug of war:
Alaids must be silent and abide within.
CHORUS (chanting)
By grace of the gods we hold it, a city untamed of the spear,
And the battlement wards from the wall the foe and his aspect of
fear!
What need of displeasure herein?
ETEOCLES
Ay, pay thy vows to Heaven; I grudge them not,
But-so thou strike no fear into our men-
Have calm at heart, nor be too much afraid.
Alack, it is fresh in mine ears, the clamour and crash of the
fray,
And up to our holiest height I sped on my timorous way,
Bewildered, beset by the din!
ETEOCLES
Now, if ye hear the bruit of death or wounds,
Give not yourselves o'ermuch to shriek and scream,
For Ares ravins upon human flesh.
LEADER OF THE CHORUS
Ah, but the snorting of the steeds I hear!
ETEOCLES
Then, if thou hearest, hear them not too well
LEADER
Hark, the earth rumbles, as they close us round!
ETEOCLES
Enough if I am here, with plans prepared.
LEADER
Alack, the battering at the gates is loud!
ETEOCLES
Peace! stay your tongue, or else the town may hear!
LEADER
O warders of the walls, betray them not!
ETEOCLES
Beshrew your cries! in silence face your fate.
LEADER
Gods of our city, see me not enslaved!
ETEOCLES
On me, on all, thy cries bring slavery.
LEADER
Zeus, strong to smite, turn upon foes thy blow!
ETEOCLES
Zeus, what a curse are women, wrought by thee!
LEADER
Weak wretches, even as men, when cities fall.
What! clasping gods, yet voicing thy despair?
LEADER
In the sick heart, fear maketh prey of speech.
ETEOCLES
Light is the thing I ask thee-do my will!
LEADER
Ask swiftly: swiftly shall I know my power.
ETEOCLES
Silence, weak wretch! nor put thy friends in fear.
LEADER
I speak no more: the general fate be mine!
ETEOCLES
I take that word as wiser than the rest.
Nay, more: these images possess thy will-
Pray, in their strength, that Heaven be on our side!
Then hear my prayers withal, and then ring out
The female triumph-note, thy privilege-
Yea, utter forth the usage Hellas knows,
The cry beside the altars, sounding clear
Encouragement to friends, alarm to foes.
But I unto all gods that guard our walls,
Lords of the plain or warders of the mart
And to Ismenus' stream and Dirce's rills,
I swear, if Fortune smiles and saves our town,
That we will make our altars reek with blood
Of sheep and kine, shed forth unto the gods,
And with victorious tokens front our fanes-
Corslets and casques that once our foemen wore,
Spear-shattered now-to deck these holy homes!
Be such thy vows to Heaven-away with sighs,
Away with outcry vain and barbarous,
That shall avail not, in a general doom!
But I will back, and, with six chosen men
Myself the seventh, to confront the foe
In this great aspect of a poised war,
Return and plant them at the sevenfold gates,
Or e'er the prompt and clamorous battle-scouts
Haste to inflame our counsel with the need.
(ETEOCLES and his retinue go out.)
CHORUS (singing)
strophe 1
I mark his words, yet, dark and deep,