As the maids of Delos raise their song of joy, circling round the temple gates in honour of Leto's fair son, the graceful dancer; so with my old lips will sing songs of victory at thy palace-doors, song of my old age, such as sings the dying swan; for there is a goodly theme for minstrelsy; he is the son of Zeus; yet high above his noble birth tower his deeds of prowess, for his toil secured this life of calm for man, having destroyed all fearsome beasts.
(AMPHITRYON comes out of the palace as Lycus and his retinue enter.)LYCUSHa! Amphitryon, 'tis high time thou camest forth from the palace; ye have been too long arraying yourselves in the robes and trappings of the dead. Come, bid the wife and children of Heracles show themselves outside the house, to die on the conditions you yourselves offered.
AMPHITRYON
O king, thou dost persecute me in my misery and heapest insult upon me over and above the loss of my son; thou shouldst have been more moderate in thy zeal, though thou art my lord and master. But since thou dost impose death's stern necessity on me, needs must Iacquiesce and do thy will.
LYCUS
Pray, where is Megara? where are the children of Alcmena's son?
AMPHITRYON
She, I believe, so far as I can guess from outside-LYCUSWhat grounds hast thou to base thy fancy on?
AMPHITRYON
Is sitting as a suppliant on the altar's hallowed steps.
LYCUS
Imploring them quite uselessly to save her life.
AMPHITRYON
And calling on her dead husband, quite in vain.
LYCUS
He is nowhere near, and he certainly will never come.
AMPHITRYON
No, unless perhaps a god should raise him from the dead.
LYCUS
Go to her and bring her from the palace.
AMPHITRYON
By doing so I should become an accomplice in her murder.
LYCUS
Since thou hast this scruple, I, who have left fear behind, will myself bring out the mother and her children. Follow me, servants, that we may put an end to this delay of our work to our joy.
(Lycus and his servants enter the palace.)AMPHITRYON
Then go thy way along the path of fate; for what remains, maybe another will provide. Expect for thy evil deeds to find some ill thyself. Ah! my aged friends, he is marching fairly to his doom;soon will he be entangled in the snare of the sword, thinking to slay his neighbours, the villain! I will hence, to see him fall dead; for the sight of a foe being slain and paying the penalty of his misdeeds gives pleasure.
(AMPHITRYON follows Lycus into the palace.)CHORUS (singing)
Evil has changed sides; he who was erst a mighty king is now turning his life backward into the road to Hades.
Hail to thee! justice and heavenly retribution.
At last hast thou reached the goal where thy death will pay the forfeit, For thy insults against thy betters.
Joy makes my tears burst forth.
There is come a retribution, which the prince of the land never once thought in his heart would happen.
Come, old friends, let us look within to see if one we know has met the fate I hope.
LYCUS (within)
Ah me! ah me!
CHORUS (singing)
Ha! how sweet to hear that opening note of his within the house;death is not far off him now.
Hark! the prince cries out in his agony; that preludes death.
LYCUS (within)
O kingdom of Cadmus, by treachery I am perishing!
CHORUS (singing)
Thou wert thyself for making others perish; endure thy retribution; 'tis only the penalty of thy own deeds thou art paying.
Who was he, weak son of man, that aimed his silly saying at the blessed gods of heaven with impious blasphemy, maintaining that they are weaklings after all?
Old friends, our godless foe is now no more.
The house is still; let us to our dancing.
Yea, for fortune smiles upon my friends as I desire.
strophe 1
Dances and banquets now prevail throughout the holy town of Thebes. For release from tears and respite from sorrow give birth to song. The upstart king is dead and gone; our former monarch now is prince, having made his way even from the bourn of Acheron. Hope beyond all expectation is fulfilled.
antistrophe 1
To heed the right and wrong is heaven's care. 'Tis their gold and their good luck that lead men's hearts astray, bringing in their train unholy tyranny. For no man ever had the courage to reflect what reverses time might bring; but, disregarding law to gratify lawlessness, he shatters in gloom the car of happiness.
strophe 2
Deck thee with garlands, O Ismenus! break forth into dancing, ye paved streets of our seven-gated city! come Dirce, fount of waters fair; and joined with her ye daughters of Asopus, come from your father's waves to add your maiden voices to our hymn, the victor's prize that Heracles hath won. O Pythian rock, with forests crowned, and haunts of the Muses on Helicon! make my city and her walls re-echo with cries of joy; where sprang the earth-born crop to view, a warrior-host with shields of brass, who are handing on their realm to children's children, a light divine to Thebes.
antistrophe 2
All hail the marriage! wherein two bridegrooms shared; the one, a mortal; the other, Zeus, who came to wed the maiden sprung from Perseus; for that marriage of thine, O Zeus, in days gone by has been proved to me a true story beyond all expectation; and time hath shown the lustre of Heracles' prowess, who emerged from caverns 'neath the earth after leaving Pluto's halls below. To me art thou a worthier lord than that base-born king, who now lets it be plainly seen in this struggle 'twixt armed warriors, whether justice still finds favour in heaven.
(The spectres of MADNESS and IRIS appear from above. The CHORUS sees them.)Ha! see there, my old comrades! is the same wild panic fallen on us all; what phantom is this I see hovering o'er the house? Fly, fly, bestir thy tardy steps! begone! away! away! O saviour prince, avert calamity from me!
IRIS
