Page:Sophocles - Seven Plays, 1900.djvu/235

834–870]

Which to Death in hideous lair

The many-wreathed Hydra bare,

How shall he another day

Feel the glad warmth of Helios’ ray?—

Enfolded by the Monster-Thing

Of Lerna, while the cruel sting

Of the shagg’d Centaur’s murderous-guileful tongue

Breaks forth withal to do him painful wrong.

And she, poor innocent, who saw

Checkless advancing to the gate

A mighty harm unto her state,—

This rash young bridal without fear of law,—

Gave not her will to aught that caused this woe,

But since it came through that strange mind’s conceiving,—

That ruined her in meeting,—deeply grieving,

She mourns with dewy tears in tenderest flow.

The approaching hour appeareth great with woe:

Some guile-born misery doth Fate foreshow.

The springs of sorrow are unbound,

And such an agony disclose,

As never from the hands of foes

To afflict the life of Heracles was found.

O dark with battle-stains, world-champion spear,

That from Oechalia’s highland leddest then

This bride that followed swiftly in thy train,

How fatally overshadowing was thy fear!

But these wild sorrows all too clearly come

From Love’s dread minister, disguised and dumb.

. Am I a fool, or do I truly hear

Lament new-rising from our master’s home?

Tell!

. Clearly from within a wailing voice

Peals piteously. The house hath some fresh woe.

. Mark!

How strangely, with what cloud upon her brow,

Yon aged matron with her tidings moves!