The altars of all the Gods Drip with the blood of slain beasts:
Nothing, nothing avails.
(From the women's quarters in the left wing of the Palace comes a woman in tears. She is not a slave, but one of the personal attendants on the Queen.)But now from the house comes one of her women servants, all in tears. What now shall I learn? (To the weeping Servant) It is well to weep when our lords are in sorrow-but tell us, we would know, is she alive, is she dead?
SERVANT
You may say she is both alive and dead.
LEADER
How can the same man be dead and yet behold the light?
SERVANT
She gasps, she is on the verge of death.
LEADER
Ah, unhappy man! For such a husband what loss is such a wife!
SERVANT
The King will not know his loss until he suffers it.
LEADER
Then there is no hope that her life may be saved?
SERVANT
The fated day constrains her.
LEADER
Are all things befitting prepared for her?
SERVANT
The robes in which her lord will bury her are ready.
LEADER
Then let her know that she dies gloriously, the best of women beneath the sun by far!
SERVANT
How should she not be the best! Who shall deny it? What should the best among women be? How better might a woman hold faith to her lord than gladly to die for him? This the whole city knows, but you will marvel when you hear what she has done within the house. When she knew that the last of her days was come she bathed her white body in river water, she took garments and gems from her rooms of cedar wood, and clad herself nobly; then, standing before the hearth-shrine, she uttered this prayer:
'O Goddess, since now I must descend beneath the earth, for the last time I make supplication to you: and entreat you to protect my motherless children. Wed my son to a fair bride, and my daughter to a noble husband. Let not my children die untimely, as I their mother am destroyed, but grant that they live out happy lives with good fortune in their own land!'
To every altar in Admetus's house she went, hung them with garlands. offered prayer, cut myrtle boughs-unweeping, unlamenting;nor did the coming doom change the bright colour of her face.
Then to her marriage-room she went, flung herself down upon her bed, and wept, and said:
'O my marriage-bed, wherein I loosed my virgin girdle to him for whom I die! Farewell! I have no hatred for you. Only me you lose.
Because I held my faith to you and to my lord-I must die. Another woman shall possess you, not more chaste indeed than I, more fortunate perhaps.'
She fell upon her knees and kissed it, and all the bed was damp with the, tide of tears which flooded to her eyes. And when she was fulfilled of many tears, drooping she rose from her bed and made as if to go, and many times she turned to go and many times turned back, and flung herself once more upon the bed.
Her children clung to their mother's dress, and wept; and she clasped them in her arms and kissed them turn by turn, as a dying woman.
All the servants in the house wept with compassion for their Queen, But she held out her hand to each, and there was none so base to whom she did not speak, and who did not reply again.
Such is the misery in Admetus's house. If he had died, he would be nothing now; and, having escaped, he suffers an agony he will never forget.
LEADER
And does Admetus lament this woe-since he must be robbed of so noble a woman?
SERVANT
He weeps, and clasps in his arms his dear bedfellow, and cries to her not to abandon him, asking impossible things. For she pines, and is wasted by sickness. She falls away, a frail burden on his arm; and yet, though faintly, she still breathes, still strives to look upon the sunlight, which she shall never see hereafter-since now for the last time she looks upon the orb and splendour of the sun II go, and shall announce that you are here; for all men are not so well-minded to their lords as loyally to stand near them in misfortunes, but you for long have been a friend to both my lords.
(She goes back into the women's quarters of the Palace. The CHORUS now begins to sing.)FIRST SEMI-CHORUS
O Zeus, What end to these woes?
What escape from the Fate Which oppresses our lords?
SECOND SEMI-CHORUS
Will none come forth?
Must I shear my hair?
Must we wrap ourselves In black mourning folds?
FIRST SEMI-CHORUS
It is certain, O friends, it is certain?
But still let us cry to the Gods;
Very great is the power of the Gods.
CHORUS
O King, O Healer, Seek out appeasement To Admetus's agony!
Grant this, Oh, grant it!
Once before did you find it;
Now once more Be the Releaser from death.
The Restrainer of blood-drenched Hades!
SECOND SEMI-CHORUS
Alas!
O son of Pheres.
What ills shall you suffer Being robbed of your spouse!
FIRST SEMI-CHORUS
At sight of such woes Shall we cut our throats?
Shall we slip A dangling noose round our necks?
CHORUS
See! See!
She comes From the house with her lord!
Cry out, Oh, lament.
O land of Pherae, For the best of women Fades away in her doom Under the earth, To dark Hades!
(From the central door of the Palace comes a splendid but tragical procession. Preceded by the royal guards, ADMETUS enters, supporting ALCESTIS. The two children, a boy and a girl, cling to their mother's dress. There is a train of attendants and waiting women, who bring a low throne for the fainting ALCESTIS.)LEADER OF THE CHORUS (chanting)
Never shall I say that we ought to rejoice in marriage, but rather weep; this have I seen from of old and now I look upon the fate of the King, who loses the best of wives, and henceforth until the end his life shall be intolerable.
ALCESTIS (chanting)
Sun, and you, light of day, Vast whirlings of swift cloud!
ADMETUS
The sun looks upon you and me, both of us miserable, who have wrought nothing against the Gods to deserve death.
ALCESTIS (chanting)
O Earth, O roof-tree of my home, Bridal-bed of my country, Iolcus!
ADMETUS
Rouse up, O unhappy one, and, do not leave me! Call upon the mighty Gods to pity!
ALCESTIS (starting up and gazing wildly in terror, chanting)I see the two-oared boat, I see the boat on the lake!
And Charon, Ferryman of the Dead, Calls to me, his hand on the oar:
'Why linger? Hasten! You delay me!'
Angrily he urges me.