THE BACCHAE
Project Gutenberg EPUB3 edition
Euripides and Murray, Gilbert
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 Gods' high banquet, when Gleams the grape-blood, flashed to heaven; Yea, and in the feasts of men Comes his crownèd 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 God 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.
Dionysus.
No glory is therein, nor yet disgrace. Thou hast heard of Tmolus, the bright hill of flowers?
Pentheus.
Surely; the ridge that winds by Sardis' towers
Dionysus.
Thence am I; Lydia was my fatherland.
Pentheus.
And whence these revelations, that thy band Spreadeth in Hellas?
Dionysus.
Their intent and use Dionysus oped to me, the Child of Zeus.
Pentheus (brutally).
Is there a Zeus there, that can still beget Young Gods?
Dionysus.
Nay, only He whose seal was set Here in thy Thebes on Semelê.
Pentheus.
What way Descended he upon thee? In full day Or vision of night?
Dionysus.
Most clear he stood, and scanned My soul, and gave his emblems to mine hand.
Pentheus.
What like be they, these emblems?
Dionysus.
That may none Reveal, nor know, save his Elect alone.
Pentheus.
And what good bring they to the worshipper?