Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, ALCESTIS: SCENE 5, by EURIPIDES


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

ALCESTIS: SCENE 5, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: Free speech unto a friend's the better part
Last Line: And this hath been th' event.


Enter HERCULES and ADMETUS

Herc. Free speech unto a friend's the better part;
I like not to be nursing blame at heart;
And I, sir, as thy friend, am not unworthy
To stand by thee and find thy woes out for thee.
But wherefore saidest not 'twas her was lost?
Wherefore didst take me in, and play the host
As though thou mournedst some one out of door,
So that I crown'd me and began to pour
Libations in thy house calamitous?
And now because I have been treated thus
I blame thee, blame thee, though I would not pain
One whose whole heart with sorrow aches again.
Now hearken why I came back hitherward.
I'd have thee take this lady, and keep guard
Upon her till what time I come once more
Driving the Thracian brood-mares on before,
And slayer of the king Bistonian.
Yet if what least I pray for spoil my plan—
For still I pray for safe return—why then
I give her thee to be thy handmaiden!
But as I said thou still shouldst care for her,
Since she's no booty of a pilferer.
But hath been won with toil. Some day, maybe,
Thou'lt praise me.
Adm. Well, I nowise slighted thee,
Nor set thee with the number of my foes,
When that I hid my lady's fateful woes.
It had been only grief heap'd up on grief
An' thou hadst sought at other hands relief.
My tears sufficed mine own calamity;
But for the woman, if the thing may be,
I pray thee let some other guard her, king,—
Some other who hath known less suffering;
Since thou hast many friends in Pheres' land.
An' thou refuse me this, th' old flame is fann'd,
Th' old ills come haunting back. I could not bear
Still to be tearless, were she sitting here!
Add not another evil to my pack,
I have enough of sorrow on my back.
But, O fair lady, whoso'er thou art,
Know thou hast dead Alcestis' every part!
Yea, woe is me, take her from forth my sight,
Lest you slay utterly a wretched wight,
When I see her, 'tis her that I behold,
And heart-beats come, and from mine eyes are roll'd
Rivers of tears. Most miserable me,
How new is this sharp taste of grief to thee!
Chor. I cannot praise thy fortune: yet I would
Accept the gifts gods give with hardihood
Whoe'er I be!
Herc. Ah! would one might prevail
To bring thy wife up from death's mansions pale,
And set her in the sun, and serve thee thus!
Adm. I know thou hast the will to wait on us.
Yet how can this be done? The dead may never
Return to daylight!
Herc. Use thy best endeavour
Not to go mad, but still maintain the port
Of decent patience.
Adm. Well, but to exhort
Is easier than hardly suffering.
Herc. Yet how art help'd by endless sorrowing?
Adm. I know thy meaning, but a love compelleth—
Herc. Such hopeless love as mourners' eyne aye filleth!
Adm. Me she hath slain, and more that passeth speech.
Herc. A noble wife hath slipt beyond thy reach;
Who will gainsay?
Adm. Yes, surely, so that I
No longer love to live.
Herc. Nay, time will ply
His soothing process for thee, though this ill
Is vigorous, and hard upon thee still.
Adm. Speak thou of time, an' time be to transpire!
Herc. A wife shall stop such time, and the desire
Of a new bond!
Adm. Be still! What have I heard?
I ne'er had thought thou wouldst have used the word!
Herc. Take now this dame within thy goodly gates.
Adm. By Zeus, thy sire, my whole heart deprecates
This thy request!
Herc. Yet thou wilt surely err
An' thou refuse to take and welcome her!
Adm. And an' I play the host, remorse will gnaw
My vitals.
Herc. Nay, this kindly act may draw
A duty in its train: think thou thereof!
Adm. Ah, would that thou hadst never borne her off
From forth the contest!
Herc. Yet, where I prevail
Thou, too, art victor.
Adm. 'Tis a pretty tale,
But let the lady go!
Herc. She shall remove
When there's occasion,—which you first must prove.
Adm. There is occasion, an thou wilt refrain
From angering me.
Herc. I would not cause thee pain,
For I know somewhat.
Adm. Play the conqueror,
Yet art thou doing what I would defer!
Herc. Time will approve it; only be persuaded.
Adm. Well, lead her in, an' th' house must be invaded.
Herc. Into thy servants' charge I give not her.
Adm. Nay, lead her in thyself, an' thou prefer!
Herc. Nay then, I'll give her into thy right hand.
Adm. I would not touch her! Yet wide open stand
The doors.
Herc. I trust her to thy charge alone.
Adm. Nay, O my king, thou forcest me upon
The doing of a thing I would not do.
Herc. Dare to stretch out thy hand and touch her too!
Adm. I reach as to the Gorgon's sever'd poll.
Herc. Hast thou it?
Adm. Yea.
Herc. Then hold it heart and soul,
And some time thou wilt say the son of Zeus
Was a good guest. Nay, do not now refuse
To look on her and see if aught remain
Of the lost wife's lost look, and then refrain
From sorrow, seeing thou art blest in this!
Adm. Great gods, what shall I say? Unhoped-for bliss!
Is it my wife I look on past a doubt,
Or hath some mock divine turn'd reason out?
Herc. Not so, that is thy wife whom thou hast got.
Adm. Nay, but examine whether it be not
A phantom from below!
Herc. Thou hast not made
Thy guest into th' invoker of a shade.
Adm. But do I see the wife I buried under
The level ground?
Herc. Thou dost, and yet no wonder
Thou doubtest of thy luck.
Adm. Ah, may I touch
A living wife, and talk to her as such?
Herc. Bespeak her! For thy wish hath gotten scope.
Adm. Dear face and form! Sweet wife, I had no hope
Of ever seeing thee more, and yet thou'rt here.
Herc. She is, but of all jealous gods beware!
Adm. O noble son of Zeus, the mightiest,
Be prosperous, and fortunate, and blest!
And may thy sire assist thy every deed,
For thou alone hast helped me at my need.
Nay, tell me how thou broughtest her once more
Into the daylight from that darkling shore!
Herc. I strove with him who ruleth souls beneath.
Adm. Where, say'st thou, was this duel fought with Death?
Herc. Hard by the very tomb I lay in wait,
And leapt, and gript him with the hands of hate!
Adm. But tell me why she standeth voiceless here?
Herc. It hath not been allow'd thee to give ear
Unto her words, until in three days' space
The nether gods do purge her of their grace.
But lead her in; and for the future greet us
In thine own kindly way, good king Admetus.
Farewell: for the proud son of Sthenelus
I go perform a toil.
Adm. Ah, stay with us,
And be our fireside comrade.
Herc. Well, some day
The thing might be, but now 'tis haste away!
Adm. Mayst thou return our prosperous visitor!
In the meantime I will speak up and stir
The townsfolk and the tetrachy, that they
Institute dances this auspicious day,
And make their altars odorous with freight
Of prayerful sacrifice; for now our state
Is happier than ever heretofore,
Nor dare I say I sorrow any more!
Chor. Many the forms of things by Heaven perfected,
Many a hopeless thing
Is brought to pass of Heaven. What man expected
Still lacketh perfecting,
And God hath wrought th' undreamt accomplishment;
And this hath been th' event.





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