Yea, save us, the maidenly troop, from the doom and despair of the slave, For the crests of the foemen come onward, their rush is the rush of a wave Rolled on by the War-god's breath! almighty one, hear us and save From the grasp of the Argives' might! to the ramparts of Cadmus they crowd, And, clenched in the teeth of the steeds, the bits clink horror aloud And seven high chieftains of war, with spear and with panoply bold, Are set, by the law of the lot, to storm the seven gates of our hold!
antistrophe 1
Be near and befriend us, O Pallas, the Zeus-born maiden of might!
O lord of the steed and the sea, be thy trident uplifted to smite In eager desire of the fray, Poseidon! and Ares come down, In fatherly presence revealed, to rescue Harmonia's town!
Thine too, Aphrodite, we are! thou art mother and queen of our race, To thee we cry out in our need, from thee let thy children have grace!
Ye too, to scare back the foe, be your cry as a wolf's howl wild, Thou, O the wolf-lord, and thou, of she-wolf Leto the child!
strophe 2
Woe and alack for the sound, for the rattle of cars to the wall, And the creak of the griding axles! O Hera, to thee is our call!
Artemis, maiden beloved! the air is distraught with the spears, And whither doth destiny drive us, and where is the goal of our fears?
antistrophe 2
The blast of the terrible stones on the ridge of our wall is not stayed, At the gates is the brazen clash of the bucklers-Apollo to aid!
Thou too, O daughter of Zeus, who guidest the wavering fray To the holy decision of fate, Athena! be with us to-day!
Come down to the sevenfold gates and harry the foemen away!
strophe 3
O gods and O sisters of gods, our bulwark and guard! we beseech That ye give not our war-worn hold to a rabble of alien speech!
List to the call of the maidens, the hands held up for the right,antistrophe 3Be near us, protect us, and show that the city is dear in your sight!
Have heed for her sacrifice holy, and thought of her offerings take, Forget not her love and her worship, be near her and smite for her sake!
(ETEOCLES and his retinue re-enter.)
ETEOCLES (addressing the CHORUS)
Hark to my question, things detestable!
Is this aright and for the city's weal, And helpful to our army thus beset, That ye before the statues of our gods Should fling yourselves, and scream and shriek your fears?
Immodest, uncontrolled! Be this my lot-
Never in troublous nor in peaceful days To dwell with aught that wears a female form!
Where womankind has power, no man can house, Where womankind feeds panic, ruin rules Alike in house and city! Look you now-Your flying feet, and rumour of your fears, Have spread a soulless panic on our walls, And they without do go from strength to strength, And we within make breach upon ourselves!
Such fate it brings, to house with womankind.
Therefore if any shall resist my rule Or man, or woman, or some sexless thing-The vote of sentence shall decide their doom, And stones of execution, past escape, Shall finish all.Let not a woman's voice Be loud in council! for the things without, A man must care; let women keep within-Even then is mischief all too probable!
Hear ye? or speak I to unheeding ears?
CHORUS (chanting)
Ah, but I shudder, child of Oedipus!
I heard the clash and clang!
The axles rolled and rumbled; woe to us, Fire-welded bridles rang!
Say-when a ship is strained and deep in brine, Did eer a seaman mend his chance, who left The helm, t' invoke the image at the prow?
CHORUS (chanting)
Ah, but I fled to the shrines, I called to our helpers on high, When the stone-shower roared at the portals!
I sped to the temples aloft, and loud was my call and my cry, Look down and deliver, Immortals!
ETEOCLES
Ay, pray amain that stone may vanquish steel!
Where not that grace of gods? ay, ay-methinks, When cities fall, the gods go forth from them!
CHORUS (chanting)
Ah, let me die, or ever I behold The gods go forth, in conflagration dire!
The foemen's rush and raid, and all our hold Wrapt in the burning fire!
ETEOCLES
Cry not on Heaven, in impotent debate!
What saith the saw?-Good saving Strength, in verity, Out of Obedience breeds the babe Prosperity.
CHORUS (chanting)
'Tis true: yet stronger is the power divine, And oft, when man's estate is overbowed With bitter pangs, disperses from his eyne The heavy, hanging cloud!
ETEOCLES
Let men with sacrifice and augury Approach the gods, when comes the tug of war:
Alaids must be silent and abide within.
CHORUS (chanting)
By grace of the gods we hold it, a city untamed of the spear, And the battlement wards from the wall the foe and his aspect of fear!
What need of displeasure herein?
ETEOCLES
Ay, pay thy vows to Heaven; I grudge them not, But-so thou strike no fear into our men-Have calm at heart, nor be too much afraid.
Alack, it is fresh in mine ears, the clamour and crash of the fray, And up to our holiest height I sped on my timorous way, Bewildered, beset by the din!
ETEOCLES
Now, if ye hear the bruit of death or wounds, Give not yourselves o'ermuch to shriek and scream, For Ares ravins upon human flesh.
LEADER OF THE CHORUS
Ah, but the snorting of the steeds I hear!
ETEOCLES
Then, if thou hearest, hear them not too well LEADERHark, the earth rumbles, as they close us round!
ETEOCLES
Enough if I am here, with plans prepared.
LEADER
Alack, the battering at the gates is loud!
ETEOCLES
Peace! stay your tongue, or else the town may hear!
LEADER
O warders of the walls, betray them not!
ETEOCLES
Beshrew your cries! in silence face your fate.
LEADER
Gods of our city, see me not enslaved!
ETEOCLES
On me, on all, thy cries bring slavery.
LEADER
Zeus, strong to smite, turn upon foes thy blow!
ETEOCLES
Zeus, what a curse are women, wrought by thee!
LEADER
Weak wretches, even as men, when cities fall.
What! clasping gods, yet voicing thy despair?
LEADER
In the sick heart, fear maketh prey of speech.
ETEOCLES
Light is the thing I ask thee-do my will!
LEADER
Ask swiftly: swiftly shall I know my power.
ETEOCLES
Silence, weak wretch! nor put thy friends in fear.
LEADER
I speak no more: the general fate be mine!
ETEOCLES