[Antistrophe I.]
Ah, the old tears, the old and blinding tears
I gave God then,
When my town fell, and noise was in mine ears
Of crashing towers, and forth they guided me
Through spears and lifted oars and angry men
Out to an unknown sea.
They bought my flesh with gold, and sore afraid
I came to this dark East
To serve, in thrall to Agamemnon’s maid,
This Huntress Artemis, to whom is paid
The blood of no slain beast;
Yet all is bloody where I dwell, Ah me!
Envying, envying that misery
That through all life hath endured changelessly.
For hard things borne from birth
Make iron of man’s heart, and hurt the less.
’Tis change that paineth; and the bitterness
Of life’s decay when joy hath ceased to be
That makes dark all the earth.
Behold, [STROPHE 2.]
Two score and ten there be
Rowers that row for thee,
And a wild hill air, as if Pan were there,
Shall sound on the Argive sea,
Piping to set thee free.
Or is it the stricken string
Of Apollo’s lyre doth sing
Joyously, as he guideth thee
To Athens, the land of spring;
While I wait wearying?
Oh, the wind and the oar,
When the great sail swells before,
With sheets astrain, like a horse on the rein;
And on, through the race and roar,
She feels for the farther shore.
Ah me, [ANTISTROPHE 2.]
To rise upon wings and hold
Straight on up the steeps of gold
Where the joyous Sun in fire doth run,
Till the wings should faint and fold
O’er the house that was mine of old:
Or watch where the glade below
With a marriage dance doth glow,
And a child will glide from her mother’s side
Out, out, where the dancers flow:
As I did, long ago.
Oh, battles of gold and rare
Raiment and starred hair,
And bright veils crossed amid tresses tossed
In a dusk of dancing air!
O Youth and the days that were!
[enter KING THOAS, with soldiers.]
THOAS.
Where is the warden of this sacred gate,
The Greek woman? Is her work ended yet
With those two strangers? Do their bodies lie
Aflame now in the rock-cleft sanctuary?
LEADER. Here is herself, O King, to give thee word. enter, from the temple, IPHIGENIA, carrying the image on high.
THOAS.
How, child of Agamemnon! Hast thou stirred
From her eternal base, and to the sun
Bearest in thine own arms, the Holy One?
IPHIGENIA.
Back Lord! No step beyond the pillared way.
THOAS.
But how? Some rule is broken?
IPHIGENIA.
I unsay
That word. Be all unspoken and unwrought!
THOAS.
What means this greeting strange? Disclose thy thought.
IPHIGENIA.
Unclean the prey was that ye caught, O King.
THOAS.
Who showed thee so? Thine own imagining?
IPHIGENIA.
The Image stirred and shuddered from its seat.
THOAS.
Itself? … Some shock of earthquake loosened it.
IPHIGENIA.
Itself. And the eyes closed one breathing space.
THOAS.
But why? For those two men’s bloodguiltiness?
IPHIGENIA.
That, nothing else. For, Oh, their guilt is sore.
THOAS.
They killed some of my herdsmen on the shore?
IPHIGENIA.
Their sin was brought from home, not gathered here.
THOAS.
What? I must know this.
—Make thy story clear.
IPHIGENIA. (she puts the image down and moves nearer to thoas.) The men have slain their mother.
THOAS.
God! And these
Be Greeks!
IPHIGENIA
They both are hunted out of Greece.
THOAS.
For this thou has brought the Image to the sun?
IPHIGENIA.
The fire of heaven can cleanse all malison.
THOAS.
How didst thou first hear of their deed of shame?
IPHIGENIA.
When the Image hid its eyes, I questioned them.
THOAS.
Good. Greece hath taught thee many a subtle art.
IPHIGENIA.
Ah, they too had sweet words to move my heart.
THOAS.
Sweet words? How, did they bring some news of Greece?
IPHIGENIA.
Orestes, my one brother, lives in peace.
THOAS.
Surely! Good news to make thee spare their lives …
IPHIGENIA.
My father too in Argos lives and thrives.
THOAS.
While thou didst think but of the goddess’ laws!
IPHIGENIA.
Do I not hate all Greeks? Have I not cause?
THOAS.
Good cause. But now … What service should be paid?
IPHIGENIA.
The Law of long years needs must be obeyed.
THOAS.
To work then, with thy sword and handwashing!
IPHIGENIA.
First I must shrive them with some cleansing thing.
THOAS.
What? Running water, or the sea’s salt spray?
IPHIGENIA.
The sea doth wash all the world’s ills away.
THOAS.
For sure. ’Twill make them cleaner for the knife.
IPHIGENIA.
And my hand, too, cleaner for all my life.
THOAS.
Well, the waves lap close by the temple floor.
IPHIGENIA.
We need a secret place. I must do more.
THOAS.
Some rite unseen? ’Tis well. Go where thou wilt.
IPHIGENIA.
The Image likewise must be purged of guilt.
THOAS.
The stain hath touched it of that mother’s blood?
IPHIGENIA.
I durst not move it else, from where it stood.
THOAS.
How good thy godliness and forethought! Aye,
Small wonder all our people holds thee high.
IPHIGENIA.
Dost know then what I fain would have?
THOAS.
’Tis thine to speak and it shall be.
IPHIGENIA.
Put bondage on the strangers both …
THOAS.
Why bondage? Whither can they flee?
IPHIGENIA.
Put not thy faith in any Greek.
THOAS (to ATTENDANTS).
Ho, men! Some thongs and fetters, go!
IPHIGENIA. Stay; let them lead the strangers here, outside the shrine …
THOAS.
It shall be so.
IPHIGENIA.
And lay dark raiment on their heads …
THOAS.
To veil them, lest the Sun should see.
IPHIGENIA.
And lend me some of thine own spears.
THOAS.
This company shall go with thee.
IPHIGENIA.
Next, send through all the city streets a herald …
THOAS.
Aye; and what to say?
IPHIGENIA.
That no man living stir abroad.
THOAS.
The stain of blood might cross their way.
IPHIGENIA.
Aye, sin like theirs doth spread contagion.
THOAS (to an ATTENDANT).
Forth, and publish my command …
IPHIGENIA.
That none stir forth—nor look …
THOAS.
Nor look.—How well thou carest for the land!
IPHIGENIA.
For one whom I am bound to love.
THOAS.
Indeed, I think thou hat’st me not.
IPHIGENIA. And thou meanwhile, here at the temple, wait, O King, and …
THOAS.
Wait for what?
IPHIGENIA.
Purge all the shrine with fire.
THOAS.
’Twill all be clean before you come again.
IPHIGENIA. And while the strangers pass thee close, seeking the sea …
THOAS.
What wouldst thou then?
IPHIGENIA.
Put darkness on thine eyes.
THOAS.
Mine eyes might drink the evil of their crime?