Oedipus King of Thebes
When the death-cloud hung close to her brow,
Ye have banished the wound and the fire,
Oh! come to us now!
[_They tell of the Pestilence._
Wounds beyond telling; my people sick unto death;
And where is the counsellor, where is the sword of thought?
And Holy Earth in her increase perisheth:
The child dies and the mother awaketh not.
I-e! I-e!
We have seen them, one on another, gone as a bird is gone,
Souls that are flame; yea, higher,
Swifter they pass than fire,
To the rocks of the dying Sun.
[_They end by a prayer to_ ATHENA,
Their city wasteth unnumbered; their children lie
Where death hath cast them, unpitied, unwept upon.
The altars stand, as in seas of storm a high
Rock standeth, and wives and mothers grey thereon
Weep, weep and pray.
Lo, joy-cries to fright the Destroyer; a flash in the dark they rise,
Then die by the sobs overladen.
Send help, O heaven-born Maiden,
Let us look on the light of her eyes!
[Sidenote: vv. 190-217]
[_To_ ZEUS, _that he drive out the Slayer,_
And Ares, the abhorred
Slayer, who bears no sword,
But shrieking, wrapped in fire, stands over me,
Make that he turn, yea, fly
Broken, wind-wasted, high
Down the vexed hollow of the Vaster Sea;
Or back to his own Thrace,
To harbour shelterless.
Where Night hath spared, he bringeth end by day.
Him, Him, O thou whose hand
Beareth the lightning brand,
O Father Zeus, now with thy thunder, slay and slay!
[_To_ APOLLO, ARTEMIS, _and_ DIONYSUS.
Where is thy gold-strung bow,
O Wolf-god, where the flow
Of living shafts unconquered, from all ills
Our helpers? Where the white
Spears of thy Sister's light,
Far-flashing as she walks the wolf-wild hills?
And thou, O Golden-crown,
Theban and named our own,
O Wine-gleam, Voice of Joy, for ever more
Ringed with thy Maenads white,
Bacchus, draw near and smite,
Smite with thy glad-eyed flame the God whom Gods abhor.
[_During the last lines_ OEDIPUS _has
come out from the Palace._
OEDIPUS.
Thou prayest: but my words if thou wilt hear
And bow thee to their judgement, strength is near
[Sidenote: vv. 218-245]
For help, and a great lightening of ill.
Thereof I come to speak, a stranger still
To all this tale, a stranger to the deed:
(Else, save that I were clueless, little need
Had I to cast my net so wide and far:)
Howbeit, I, being now as all ye are,
A Theban, to all Thebans high and low
Do make proclaim: if any here doth know
By what man's hand died Laius, your King,
Labdacus' son, I charge him that he bring
To me his knowledge. Let him feel no fear
If on a townsman's body he must clear
Our guilt: the man shall suffer no great ill,
But pass from Thebes, and live where else he will.
[_No answer._
Is it some alien from an alien shore
Ye know to have done the deed, screen him no more!
Good guerdon waits you now and a King's love
Hereafter.
Hah! If still ye will not move
But, fearing for yourselves or some near friend,
Reject my charge, then hearken to what end
Ye drive me.--If in this place men there be
Who know and speak not, lo, I make decree
That, while in Thebes I bear the diadem,
No man shall greet, no man shall shelter them,
Nor give them water in their thirst, nor share
In sacrifice nor shrift nor dying prayer,
But thrust them from our doors, the thing they hide
Being this land's curse. Thus hath the God replied
This day to me from Delphi, and my sword
I draw thus for the dead and for God's word.
[Sidenote: vv. 246-273]
And lastly for the murderer, be it one
Hiding alone or more in unison,
I speak on him this curse: even as his soul
Is foul within him let his days be foul,
And life unfriended grind him till he die.
More: if he ever tread my hearth and I
Know it, be every curse upon my head
That I have spoke this day.
All I have said
I charge ye strictly to fulfil and make
Perfect, for my sake, for Apollo's sake,
And this land's sake, deserted of her fruit
And cast out from her gods. Nay, were all mute
At Delphi, still 'twere strange to leave the thing
Unfollowed, when a true man and a King
Lay murdered. All should search. But I, as now
Our fortunes fall--his crown is on my brow,
His wife lies in my arms, and common fate,
Had but his issue been more fortunate,
Might well have joined our children--since this red
Chance hath so stamped its heel on Laius' head,
I am his champion left, and, as I would
For mine own father, choose for ill or good
This quest, to find the man who slew of yore
Labdacus' son, the son of Polydore,
Son of great Cadmus whom Agenor old
Begat, of Thebes first master. And, behold,
For them that aid me not, I pray no root
Nor seed in earth may bear them corn nor fruit,
No wife bear children, but this present curse
Cleave to them close and other woes yet worse.
Enough: ye other people of the land,
[Sidenote: vv. 274-289]
Whose will is one with mine, may Justice stand
Your helper, and all gods for evermore.
[_The crowd disperses._
LEADER.
O King, even while thy curse yet hovers o'er
My head, I answer thee. I slew him not,
Nor can I shew the slayer. But, God wot,
If Phoebus sends this charge, let Phoebus read
Its meaning and reveal who did the deed.
OEDIPUS.
Aye, that were just, if of his grace he would
Reveal it. How shall man compel his God?
LEADER.
Second to that, methinks, 'twould help us most ...
OEDIPUS.
Though it be third, speak! Nothing should be lost.
LEADER.
To our High Seer on earth vision is given
Most like to that High Phoebus hath in heaven.
Ask of Tiresias: he could tell thee true.
OEDIPUS.
That also have I thought for. Aye, and two
Heralds have sent ere now. 'Twas Creon set
Me on.--I marvel that he comes not yet.
[Sidenote: vv. 290-301]
LEADER.
Our other clues are weak, old signs and far.
OEDIPUS.
What signs? I needs must question all that are.
LEADER.
Some travellers slew him, the tale used to be.
OEDIPUS.
The tale, yes: but the witness, where is he?
LEADER.
The man hath heard thy curses. If he knows
The taste of fear, he will not long stay close.
OEDIPUS.
He fear my words, who never feared the deed?
LEADER.
Well, there is one shall find him.--See, they lead
Hither our Lord Tiresias, in whose mind
All truth is born, alone of human kind.
[_Enter_ TIRESIAS _led by a young disciple. He is an old
blind man in a prophet's robe, dark, unkempt and
sinister in appearance._
OEDIPUS.
Tiresias, thou whose mind divineth well
All Truth, the spoken and the unspeakable,
[Sidenote: vv. 302-321]
The things of heaven and them that walk the earth;
Our city ... thou canst see, for all thy dearth
Of outward eyes, what clouds are over her.
In which, O gracious Lord, no minister
Of help, no champion, can we find at all
Save thee. For Phoebus--thou hast heard withal
His message--to our envoy hath decreed
One only way of help in this great need:
To find and smite with death or banishing,
Him who smote Laius, our ancient King.
Oh, grudge us nothing! Question every cry
Of birds, and all roads else of prophecy
Thou knowest. Save our city: save thine own
Greatness: save me; save all that yet doth groan
Under the dead man's wrong! Lo, in thy hand
We lay us. And, methinks, no work so grand
Hath man yet compassed, as, with all he can
Of chance or power, to help his fellow man.
TIRESIAS (_to himself_).
Ah me!
A fearful thing is knowledge, when to know
Helpeth no end. I knew this long ago,
But crushed it dead. Else had I never come.
OEDIPUS.
What means this? Comest thou so deep in gloom?
TIRESIAS.
Let me go back! Thy work shall weigh on thee
The less, if thou consent, and mine on me.
[Sidenote: vv. 322-336]
OEDIPUS.
Prophet, this is not lawful; nay, nor kind
To Thebes, who feeds thee, thus to veil thy mind.
TIRESIAS.
'Tis that I like not thy mind, nor the way
It goeth. Therefore, lest I also stray....
[_He moves to go off._ OEDIPUS _bars his road._
OEDIPUS.
Thou shalt not, knowing, turn and leave us! See,
We all implore thee, all, on bended knee.
TIRESIAS.
All without light!--And never light shall shine
On this dark evil that is mine ... and thine.
OEDIPUS.
What wilt thou? Know and speak not? In my need
Be false to me, and let thy city bleed?
TIRESIAS.
I will not wound myself nor thee. Why seek
To trap and question me? I will not speak.
OEDIPUS.
Thou devil!
[_Movement of_ LEADER _to check him._
Nay; the wrath of any stone
Would rise at him. It lies with thee to have done
And speak. Is there no melting in thine eyes!
[Sidenote: vv. 337-351]
TIRESIAS.
Naught lies with me! With thee, with thee there lies,
I warrant, what thou ne'er hast seen nor guessed.
OEDIPUS (_to_ LEADER, _who tries to calm him._)
How can I hear such talk?--he maketh jest
Of the land's woe--and keep mine anger dumb?
TIRESIAS.
Howe'er I hold it back, 'twill come, 'twill come.
OEDIPUS.
The more shouldst thou declare it to thy King.
TIRESIAS.
I speak no more. For thee, if passioning
Doth comfort thee, on, passion to thy fill!
[_He moves to go._
OEDIPUS.
'Fore God, I am in wrath; and speak I will,
Nor stint what I see clear. 'Twas thou, 'twas thou,
Didst plan this murder; aye, and, save the blow,
Wrought it.--I know thou art blind; else I could swear
Thou, and thou only, art the murderer.
TIRESIAS (_returning_).
So?--I command thee by thine own word's power,
To stand accurst, and never from this hour
[Sidenote: vv. 352-363]
Speak word to me, nor yet to these who ring
Thy throne. Thou art thyself the unclean thing.
OEDIPUS.
Thou front of brass, to fling out injury
So wild! Dost think to bate me and go free?
TIRESIAS.
I am free. The strong truth is in this heart.
OEDIPUS.
What prompted thee? I swear 'twas not thine art.
TIRESIAS.
'Twas thou. I spoke not, save for thy command.
OEDIPUS.
Spoke what? What was it? Let me understand.
TIRESIAS.
Dost tempt me? Were my words before not plain!
OEDIPUS.
Scarce thy full meaning. Speak the words again.
TIRESIAS.
Thou seek'st this man of blood: Thyself art he.
OEDIPUS.
'Twill cost thee dear, twice to have stabbed at me!
[Sidenote: vv. 364-377]
TIRESIAS.
Shall I say more, to see thee rage again?
OEDIPUS.
Oh, take thy fill of speech: 'twill all be vain.
TIRESIAS.
Thou livest with those near to thee in shame
Most deadly, seeing not thyself nor them.
OEDIPUS.
Thou think'st 'twill help thee, thus to speak and speak?
TIRESIAS.
Surely, until the strength of Truth be weak.
OEDIPUS.
'Tis weak to none save thee. Thou hast no part
In truth, thou blind man, blind eyes, ears and heart.
TIRESIAS.
More blind, more sad thy words of scorn, which none
Who hears but shall cast back on thee: soon, soon.
OEDIPUS.
Thou spawn of Night, not I nor any free
And seeing man would hurt a thing like thee.
TIRESIAS.
God is enough.--'Tis not my doom to fall
By thee. He knows and shall accomplish all.
[Sidenote: vv. 378-402]
OEDIPUS (_with a flash of discovery_).
Ha! Creon!--Is it his or thine, this plot?
TIRESIAS.
'Tis thyself hates thee. Creon hates thee not.