Page:Tragedies of Euripides (Way 1898) v3.djvu/66

38 And the ivy arching its bowers around him,

With the fairy chains of its greenness bound him,

To the babe with its sudden tendrils clinging,

Overmantling with shadow the Blessing-laden,

For a theme of the Bacchanal dance unto maiden

Of Thebes, and to matron evoë-singing.

(Ant. 1) There on the hallowed fountain's border

Was the dragon of Ares, a ruthless warder;

And the glare of his eyeballs fearful-flashing

Wandered in restless-roving keenness

O'er the brimming runnels, the mirrored greenness:

Then came to the spring for the lustral washing

Kadmus, and hurled at the monster, and slew it;

For he snatched a boulder, his strong arm threw it

Down on the head of the slaughterer crashing.

Then, of Pallas, the motherless Goddess, bidden,

O'er the deep-furrowed earth, in her breast to be hidden,

He scattered the teeth from the grim jaws parted.

And the travailing glebe flung up bright blossom

Of mail-clad warriors over the bosom

Of the earth: but slaughter the iron-hearted

Again with the earth their mother blent them,

And drenched with their blood the breast which had sent them

Forth, when to sun-quickened air they upstarted.