 | Reverberations |  |
55
ALCESTIS.
On this day Alcestis is to die,
Bid a long farewell to earth and sun:—
Nobler deed beneath a Grecian sky,
Ev'n for love's dear sake, was never done!
Bid a long farewell to earth and sun:—
Nobler deed beneath a Grecian sky,
Ev'n for love's dear sake, was never done!
For the story tells how once King Death
Came from the dim shadowy land below,
When the dreaming World half held her breath,
Ere the Sungod raised his glittering bow.
Came from the dim shadowy land below,
When the dreaming World half held her breath,
Ere the Sungod raised his glittering bow.
Ay! when light and darkness were at strife,
Death before the lord Admetus stood.
“I am come,” he cried, “to have thy life;
Die, or give another life as good.”
Death before the lord Admetus stood.
“I am come,” he cried, “to have thy life;
Die, or give another life as good.”
Vain was prayer to friend or kinsman dear;
Father, mother, wept but turned away!
Then Alcestis rose with noble cheer,
Whispering, “I will gladly die to-day.”
Father, mother, wept but turned away!
Then Alcestis rose with noble cheer,
Whispering, “I will gladly die to-day.”
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So the pact was struck. Admetus wandered,
A forlorn and miserable man,
Through his lordly realms, where brooks meandered,
And where rivulets to rivers ran.
A forlorn and miserable man,
Through his lordly realms, where brooks meandered,
And where rivulets to rivers ran.
Hideous were the groves and spacious streams,
Hideous the pale moonshine on the wall,
Worthless all his hopes and all his dreams;
And that life of his—most vile of all.
Hideous the pale moonshine on the wall,
Worthless all his hopes and all his dreams;
And that life of his—most vile of all.
Furies, all the long and lonely night,
Smote him under heaven's upbraiding dome,
And with the first throbs of morning light,
In his guilt and weakness he went home.
Smote him under heaven's upbraiding dome,
And with the first throbs of morning light,
In his guilt and weakness he went home.
Soon Alcestis, clad in white attire,
Like a waning moon in silver cloud,
With a queenlier presence, stature higher,
Stept forth, in her pride not overproud.
Like a waning moon in silver cloud,
With a queenlier presence, stature higher,
Stept forth, in her pride not overproud.
And a bowshot from the palace door,
Set her throne towards the rising sun,
Knowing she should never see him more,
Knowing life must set ere day were done.
Set her throne towards the rising sun,
Knowing she should never see him more,
Knowing life must set ere day were done.
Then she crowned her with a wreath of flowers,
Ere she crowned her with that noble deed,—
That to perish with succeeding hours,
This to live, while hours to hours succeed.
Ere she crowned her with that noble deed,—
That to perish with succeeding hours,
This to live, while hours to hours succeed.
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Said Alcestis, “Golden king of day,
Gladdener, thou, of Gods and men divine!
For the last time do I see thy ray,
For the last time do I feel thee shine.
Gladdener, thou, of Gods and men divine!
For the last time do I see thy ray,
For the last time do I feel thee shine.
“Many a blessing have I won from thee—
Sight of vernal buds and summer bloom,
Sight of Delphi's rock, Dodona's tree,
Sense of ample splendour, gorgeous gloom;
Sight of vernal buds and summer bloom,
Sight of Delphi's rock, Dodona's tree,
Sense of ample splendour, gorgeous gloom;
“Sight of temples wherein men adore,
Dream till they grow Godlike as they dream,
Till they do great deeds, unknown before,
And behold the Gods and feel like them.
Dream till they grow Godlike as they dream,
Till they do great deeds, unknown before,
And behold the Gods and feel like them.
“Sight of my dear children, flushing face,
White round limb, red lip, and full large eye,
Of their pretty play and simple grace,
And the sight of him for whom I die.”
White round limb, red lip, and full large eye,
Of their pretty play and simple grace,
And the sight of him for whom I die.”
Here the noble lady made an end.
Then Admetus, gazing on the ground,
Stood by her, and said, “O peerless friend!
Thee alone have I still faithful found.
Then Admetus, gazing on the ground,
Stood by her, and said, “O peerless friend!
Thee alone have I still faithful found.
“Thou alone hast saved me, thou alone
Didst not fear, didst not avert thine eye”—
“Fear!” she interrupted, with quick tone;
“Should a Grecian woman fear to die?
Didst not fear, didst not avert thine eye”—
“Fear!” she interrupted, with quick tone;
“Should a Grecian woman fear to die?
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“Nay! I do not ask thy thanks or praise;
Freely, willingly, I yield my breath;
For we need not live ambrosial days,
But we ought to die a noble death.
Freely, willingly, I yield my breath;
For we need not live ambrosial days,
But we ought to die a noble death.
“Thus alone we emulate the Gods,
Thus alone grow beautiful and strong,
Meet to enter the serene abodes,
Worthy to be loved and named in song.
Thus alone grow beautiful and strong,
Meet to enter the serene abodes,
Worthy to be loved and named in song.
“Do not weep to lay me in the grave,
But be thankful for thy ransomed life.
Be thou wise and earnest, good and brave,
Soldier-hearted, though there be no strife.
But be thankful for thy ransomed life.
Be thou wise and earnest, good and brave,
Soldier-hearted, though there be no strife.
“Love our children, nourish their young soul
With the sunbeams and the sweet, warm breeze;
Let them hear the mighty waters roll,
Hear the hollow plunging of the seas.
With the sunbeams and the sweet, warm breeze;
Let them hear the mighty waters roll,
Hear the hollow plunging of the seas.
“O beloved children! this must be;
With your open looks, and fresh, white arms,
Æthra, Laon, do ye plead with me,
But in vain are all your prayers and charms.
With your open looks, and fresh, white arms,
Æthra, Laon, do ye plead with me,
But in vain are all your prayers and charms.
“Do not weep when I am dead and gone,
You will need no mother's tender care;
Father, mother, both shall live in one,
And our love shall grow more deep and rare.
You will need no mother's tender care;
Father, mother, both shall live in one,
And our love shall grow more deep and rare.
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“But the stream of life is ebbing fast,
And the outward world is waxing dim,
And a shadow o'er my eyes is cast,
O'er the earth, and round the sky's blue rim.
And the outward world is waxing dim,
And a shadow o'er my eyes is cast,
O'er the earth, and round the sky's blue rim.
“Welcome, Death! but O maternal Earth!
O soft meadows, where the violets grow!
O dear country, where I had my birth!
Must I leave you? Must I, must I go?
O soft meadows, where the violets grow!
O dear country, where I had my birth!
Must I leave you? Must I, must I go?
“Yes, I leave thee, mother Earth! I leave
All thy scented fields and singing brooks,
All the glancing lights of summer eve,
All the summer morning's calmer looks.
All thy scented fields and singing brooks,
All the glancing lights of summer eve,
All the summer morning's calmer looks.
“Mother Earth, farewell! and sacred sky,
Dropping over all thy purple folds;
And farewell, O Sun! whose central eye
All the ages and the acts beholds.
Dropping over all thy purple folds;
And farewell, O Sun! whose central eye
All the ages and the acts beholds.
“Blessed be the Gods that gave me life,
Blessed be the Gods that ask it back,
Crowning their young athlete in the strife,
Scattering flowers upon their herald's track.
Blessed be the Gods that ask it back,
Crowning their young athlete in the strife,
Scattering flowers upon their herald's track.
“But the world is fading, clasp my hand,
Kiss me, husband, children, for I go
To the still and lovely shadow-land,
Where the Elysian spirits love and know.
Kiss me, husband, children, for I go
To the still and lovely shadow-land,
Where the Elysian spirits love and know.
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“O Admetus! if I have been true,
Think of me in the glad after-time,
Tell my little daughter what to do
If fate call her to a death sublime.
Think of me in the glad after-time,
Tell my little daughter what to do
If fate call her to a death sublime.
“Yet, beloved, do not think of me,
If thou grieve to think how it befell,—
Hush, I hear His voice, He summons me:
Husband! children! take my last farewell!”
If thou grieve to think how it befell,—
Hush, I hear His voice, He summons me:
Husband! children! take my last farewell!”
Thus the gentle wife, Alcestis, died,
And Admetus and his children wept;
She, while they were grieving at her side,
With her garland and her glory slept.
And Admetus and his children wept;
She, while they were grieving at her side,
With her garland and her glory slept.
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