Oedipus King of Thebes Part 22

LEADER.

And now how fares he? Doth the storm abate?

[Sidenote: vv. 1287-1308]

MESSENGER.

He shouts for one to open wide the gate And lead him forth, and to all Thebes display His father's murderer, his mother's.... Nay, Such words I will not speak. And his intent Is set, to cast himself in banishment Out to the wild, not walk 'mid human breed Bearing the curse he bears. Yet sore his need Of strength and of some guiding hand. For sure He hath more burden now than man may endure.

But see, the gates fall back, and that appears Which he who loathes shall pity--yea, with tears.

[OEDIPUS _is led in, blinded and bleeding. The Old Men bow down and hide their faces; some of them weep._

CHORUS.

Oh, terrible! Oh, sight of all This life hath crossed, most terrible!

Thou man more wronged than tongue can tell, What madness took thee? Do there crawl Live Things of Evil from the deep To leap on man? Oh, what a leap Was His that flung thee to thy fall!

LEADER.

O fallen, fallen in ghastly case, I dare not raise mine eyes to thee; Fain would I look and ask and see, But shudder sickened from thy face.

OEDIPUS.

Oh, pain; pain and woe!

Whither? Whither?

[Sidenote: vv. 1308-1328]

They lead me and I go; And my voice drifts on the air Far away.

Where, Thing of Evil, where Endeth thy leaping hither?

LEADER.

In fearful ends, which none may hear nor say.

OEDIPUS.

[_Strophe._

Cloud of the dark, mine own For ever, horrible, Stealing, stealing, silent, unconquerable, Cloud that no wind, no summer can dispel!

Again, again I groan, As through my heart together crawl the strong Stabs of this pain and memories of old wrong.

LEADER.

Yea, twofold hosts of torment hast thou there, The stain to think on and the pain to bear.

OEDIPUS.

[_Antistrophe._

O Friend, thou mine own Still faithful, minister Steadfast abiding alone of them that were, Dost bear with me and give the blind man care?

Ah me! Not all unknown Nor hid thou art. Deep in this dark a call Comes and I know thy voice in spite of all.

LEADER.

O fearful sufferer, and could'st thou kill Thy living orbs? What G.o.d made blind thy will?

[Sidenote: vv. 1329-1351]

OEDIPUS.

[_Strophe._

'Tis Apollo; all is Apollo, O ye that love me, 'tis he long time hath planned These things upon me evilly, evilly, Dark things and full of blood.

I knew not; I did but follow His way; but mine the hand And mine the anguish. What were mine eyes to me When naught to be seen was good?

LEADER.

'Tis even so; and Truth doth speak in thee.

OEDIPUS.

To see, to endure, to hear words kindly spoken, Should I have joy in such?

Out, if ye love your breath, Cast me swift unto solitude, unbroken By word or touch.

Am I not charged with death, Most charged and filled to the brim With curses? And what man saith G.o.d hath so hated him?

LEADER.

Thy bitter will, thy hard calamity, Would I had never known nor looked on thee!

OEDIPUS.

[_Antistrophe._

My curse, my curse upon him, That man whom pity held in the wilderness, Who saved the feet alive from the blood-fetter And loosed the barb thereof!

[Sidenote: vv. 1351-1377]

That babe--what grace was done him, Had he died shelterless, He had not laid on himself this grief to bear, And all who gave him love.

LEADER.

I, too, O Friend, I had been happier.

OEDIPUS.

Found not the way to his father's blood, nor shaken The world's scorn on his mother, The child and the groom withal; But now, of murderers born, of G.o.d forsaken, Mine own sons' brother; All this, and if aught can fall Upon man more perilous And elder in sin, lo, all Is the portion of Oedipus.

LEADER.