The Bacchae of Euripides Part 2

Demeter one is named; she is the Earth-- Call her which name thou will!--who feeds man's frame With sustenance of things dry. And that which came Her work to perfect, second, is the Power From Semele born. He found the liquid shower Hid in the grape. He rests man's spirit dim From grieving, when the vine exalteth him.

He giveth sleep to sink the fretful day In cool forgetting. Is there any way With man's sore heart, save only to forget?

Yea, being G.o.d, the blood of him is set Before the G.o.ds in sacrifice, that we For his sake may be blest.--And so, to thee, That fable shames him, how this G.o.d was knit Into G.o.d's flesh? Nay, learn the truth of it, Cleared from the false.--When from that deadly light Zeus saved the babe, and up to Olympus' height Raised him, and Hera's wrath would cast him thence, Then Zeus devised him a divine defence.

A fragment of the world-encircling fire He rent apart, and wrought to his desire Of shape and hue, in the image of the child, And gave to Hera's rage. And so, beguiled By change and pa.s.sing time, this tale was born, How the babe-G.o.d was hidden in the torn Flesh of his sire. He hath no shame thereby.

A prophet is he likewise. Prophecy Cleaves to all frenzy, but beyond all else To frenzy of prayer. Then in us verily dwells The G.o.d himself, and speaks the thing to be.

Yea, and of Ares' realm a part hath he.

When mortal armies, mailed and arrayed, Have in strange fear, or ever blade met blade, Fled maddened, 'tis this G.o.d hath palsied them.

Aye, over Delphi's rock-built diadem Thou yet shalt see him leaping with his train Of fire across the twin-peaked mountain-plain, Flaming the darkness with his mystic wand, And great in h.e.l.las.--List and understand, King Pentheus! Dream not thou that force is power; Nor, if thou hast a thought, and that thought sour And sick, oh, dream not thought is wisdom!--Up, Receive this G.o.d to Thebes; pour forth the cup Of sacrifice, and pray, and wreathe thy brow.

Thou fearest for the damsels? Think thee now; How toucheth this the part of Dionyse To hold maids pure perforce? In them it lies, And their own hearts; and in the wildest rite Cometh no stain to her whose heart is white.

Nay, mark me! Thou hast thy joy, when the Gate Stands thronged, and Pentheus' name is lifted great And high by Thebes in clamour; shall not He Rejoice in his due meed of majesty?

Howbeit, this Cadmus whom thou scorn'st and I Will wear His crown, and tread His dances! Aye, Our hairs are white, yet shall that dance be trod!

I will not lift mine arm to war with G.o.d For thee nor all thy words. Madness most fell Is on thee, madness wrought by some dread spell, But not by spell nor leechcraft to be cured!

CHORUS.

Grey prophet, worthy of Phoebus is thy word, And wise in honouring Bromios, our great G.o.d.

CADMUS.

My son, right well Teiresias points thy road.

Oh, make thine habitation here with us, Not lonely, against men's uses. Hazardous Is this quick bird-like beating of thy thought Where no thought dwells.--Grant that this G.o.d be naught, Yet let that Naught be Somewhat in thy mouth; Lie boldly, and say He Is! So north and south Shall marvel, how there sprang a thing divine From Semele's flesh, and honour all our line.

[_Drawing nearer to_ PENTHEUS.

Is there not blood before thine eyes even now?

Our lost Actaeon's blood, whom long ago His own red hounds through yonder forest dim Tore unto death, because he vaunted him Against most holy Artemis? Oh, beware, And let me wreathe thy temples. Make thy prayer With us, and walk thee humbly in G.o.d's sight.

[_He makes as if to set the wreath on_ PENTHEUS' _head_.

PENTHEUS.

Down with that hand! Aroint thee to thy rite, Nor smear on me thy foul contagion!

[_Turning upon_ TEIRESIAS.

This Thy folly's head and prompter shall not miss The justice that he needs!--Go, half my guard, Forth to the rock-seat where he dwells in ward O'er birds and wonders; rend the stone with crow And trident; make one wreck of high and low, And toss his bands to all the winds of air!

Ha, have I found the way to sting thee, there?

The rest, forth through the town! And seek amain This girl-faced stranger, that hath wrought such bane To all Thebes, preying on our maids and wives.

Seek till ye find; and lead him here in gyves, Till he be judged and stoned, and weep in blood The day he troubled Pentheus with his G.o.d!

[_The guards set forth in two bodies_; PENTHEUS _goes into the Castle_.

TEIRESIAS.

Hard heart, how little dost thou know what seed Thou sowest! Blind before, and now indeed Most mad!--Come, Cadmus, let us go our way, And pray for this our persecutor, pray For this poor city, that the righteous G.o.d Move not in anger.--Take thine ivy rod And help my steps, as I help thine. 'Twere ill, If two old men should fall by the roadway. Still, Come what come may, our service shall be done To Bacchios, the All-Father's mystic son.

O Pentheus, named of sorrow! Shall he claim From all thy house fulfilment of his name, Old Cadmus?--Nay, I speak not from mine art, But as I see--blind words and a blind heart!

[_The two Old Men go off towards the Mountain._

CHORUS.

_Some Maidens._

Thou Immaculate on high; Thou Recording Purity; Thou that stoopest, Golden Wing, Earthward, manward, pitying, Hearest thou this angry King?

Hearest thou the rage and scorn 'Gainst the Lord of Many Voices, Him of mortal mother born, Him in whom man's heart rejoices, Girt with garlands and with glee, First in Heaven's sovranty?

For his kingdom, it is there, In the dancing and the prayer, In the music and the laughter, In the vanishing of care, And of all before and after; In the G.o.ds' high banquet, when Gleams the grape-blood, flashed to heaven; Yea, and in the feasts of men Comes his crowned slumber; then Pain is dead and hate forgiven!

_Others._

Loose thy lips from out the rein; Lift thy wisdom to disdain; Whatso law thou canst not see, Scorning; so the end shall be Uttermost calamity!

'Tis the life of quiet breath, 'Tis the simple and the true, Storm nor earthquake shattereth, Nor shall aught the house undo Where they dwell. For, far away, Hidden from the eyes of day, Watchers are there in the skies, That can see man's life, and prize Deeds well done by things of clay.

But the world's Wise are not wise, Claiming more than mortal may.

Life is such a little thing; Lo, their present is departed, And the dreams to which they cling Come not. Mad imagining Theirs, I ween, and empty-hearted!

_Divers Maidens._

Where is the Home for me?

O Cyprus, set in the sea, Aphrodite's home In the soft sea-foam, Would I could wend to thee; Where the wings of the Loves are furled, And faint the heart of the world.

Aye, unto Paphos' isle, Where the rainless meadows smile With riches rolled From the hundred-fold Mouths of the far-off Nile, Streaming beneath the waves To the roots of the seaward caves.

But a better land is there Where Olympus cleaves the air, The high still dell Where the Muses dwell, Fairest of all things fair!

O there is Grace, and there is the Heart's Desire.

And peace to adore thee, thou Spirit of Guiding Fire!

A G.o.d of Heaven is he, And born in majesty; Yet hath he mirth In the joy of the Earth, And he loveth constantly Her who brings increase, The Feeder of Children, Peace.

No grudge hath he of the great; No scorn of the mean estate; But to all that liveth His wine he giveth, Griefless, immaculate; Only on them that spurn Joy, may his anger burn.

Love thou the Day and the Night; Be glad of the Dark and the Light; And avert thine eyes From the lore of the wise, That have honour in proud men's sight.

The simple nameless herd of Humanity Hath deeds and faith that are truth enough for me!

[_As the Chorus ceases, a party of the guards return, leading in the midst of them_ DIONYSUS, _bound_. _The_ SOLDIER _in command stands forth, as_ PENTHEUS, _hearing the tramp of feet, comes out from the Castle_.

SOLDIER.

Our quest is finished, and thy prey, O King, Caught; for the chase was swift, and this wild thing Most tame; yet never flinched, nor thought to flee, But held both hands out unresistingly-- No change, no blanching of the wine-red cheek.

He waited while we came, and bade us wreak All thy decree; yea, laughed, and made my hest Easy, till I for very shame confessed And said: 'O stranger, not of mine own will I bind thee, but his bidding to fulfil Who sent me.'

And those prisoned Maids withal Whom thou didst seize and bind within the wall Of thy great dungeon, they are fled, O King, Free in the woods, a-dance and glorying To Bromios. Of their own impulse fell To earth, men say, fetter and manacle, And bars slid back untouched of mortal hand.

Yea, full of many wonders to thy land Is this man come. . . . Howbeit, it lies with thee!

PENTHEUS.

Ye are mad!--Unhand him. Howso swift he be, My toils are round him and he shall not fly.

[_The guards loose the arms of_ DIONYSUS; PENTHEUS _studies him for a while in silence, then speaks jeeringly_. DIONYSUS _remains gentle and unafraid_.

Marry, a fair shape for a woman's eye, Sir stranger! And thou seek'st no more, I ween!

Long curls, withal! That shows thou ne'er hast been A wrestler!--down both cheeks so softly tossed And winsome! And a white skin! It hath cost Thee pains, to please thy damsels with this white And red of cheeks that never face the light!

[DIONYSUS _is silent_.

Speak, sirrah; tell me first thy name and race.