Poems (Loveman)/Oedipus at Colonus
For works with similar titles, see Oedipus at Colonus.
OEDIPUS AT COLONUS.
Who rose like shadows between man and God.
—Shelley.
Oedipus
Who comes?
Antigone
Haemon, my lord.
Oedipus
Make fast the door.
There's terror in the barren wind tonight,
Our privacy's unsur'd.
Haemon
Not as a foe—
Oedipus
But like the cormorant and musing owl
That feign a prayer in slayng. Hence, away!
There are no kin where beggary sits scant
And suffers for a pittance.
Antigone
A true friend.
Whose heart stood ever on the fallen side
And priveleged the losing. He brings news,
Good news, we trust, to make ill fortune sweet.
Oedipus
But quick, or ere our ruined thoughts forget.
Haemon
O good my Lord, the princes both are slain,
Fall'n in a quarrel fostered by the king;
The eldest lies unburied.
Antigone
Patience, Gods!
Lest I lose hope. This is the flaw that coils
Our searching patent. Oh! he weeps not yet,
But stirr'd by the extremity of ache,
Holds the dew scathless.
Oedipus
Something there cracks within!
Haemon
Courage, good friends, for of the moving kind,
These are but bolts that shoot invisibly.
Oedipus
Girl, hast thou fed them yet?
Antigone
My Lord, my Lexd!
Oedipus
The poor, the poor, that with unvised mouths,
The piteous air importunate and load.
I would have 'em all, all fed.
Antigone
He only hears.
Pledges that follow like the sweet south wind
And leave no wake in peering. Father, father!
O grief-recounted heart that bleeds to fix
A finger on earth's cheapened misery.
Poor seared eyes!
Oedipus
Let me be filial censor.
Swear, there are no more honest men i' the world,
Swear, that the best of us will err, lie, thieve,
Throttle the mother's milk, convent such crime
And serious depredation of regard,
That heaven stooping to the lips of hell,
Breathe dross'd and vary-hued. Swear, swear, swear!
Antigone
Still!
You drift on passion's sea, that bears a host
Of wrecks precipitate and viewless craft.
Take trust and anchor, all things work to good,
We cease not to believe in miracles.
Oedipus
How? how? we shall have cause for joy full soon,
Sorrow comes after. Let there be all things said
And nothing done. Look you, I am not vile,
Only incapable of making good
Half-blown offenses and their chariest truths.
O monstrous! monstrous! I that feel, fawn, feed,
To call my brother clod to the dull earth,
And tread him as we do the brooded worm,
I am well paid—well paid, I say! no need
To bare myself to the annealing wind
And beg for penitence a wintry shift,
The quick confusion of our bitter bliss
Signs chaos into surety again—
I shall sleep the long night out at last.
Antigone
No! No!
Not yet! I'm all alone in the world.
Oedipus
Soft, soft!
The little children call me from the dark,
Eteocles and Polynices—sons all,
I held them dandled at my naked knee,
And suckt fond kisses from their cherub lips,
But none of them would come, none to help bear,
My whole world's weight of leaden misery.
Antigone
Stay quenchless, eyes, until we weep our fill,
My lord, I did not leave you, I—I came.
Oedipus
The mist between us works a deadly bar!
I would see sweet eyes, know many numerous things,
And let graced wit my madness overblaze,
Comfort me, comfort me!
Antigone
I do, but O!
My heart's top-heavy.
Oedipus
Steep it in molten brine.
And let there be a new dependency
To breed quarled serpents. Beggar thy loveliness!
Thy soul's the cistern, at the bottom lies
Their golden custom's vital esquiry.
Alas! alas! I am so wretched, wretched—
The end discrowns our need.
Antigone
Sigh hush, and sleep.
What use to war with gods?
Oedipus
With my spent power,
And from my degradation's dying stamp,
What though I reck their fleecy thunderous hail,
I curse—I curse—
Antigone
Woe's me! leave it unsaid.
Oedipus
The butterfly that scaped the crawling stage!
Be as thou ever wast, best of thy kind,
Kiss me—I face the dark—what, what, what, what!
It breaks—
Dies.
Haemon
Our jove-like souls are instruments
That quaver sometime in their playing. Rest,
Life's but a moment's space of wilderment,
Set in a sudden darkness. There's the sway
That profits by no fortune.
Antigone
Done's the dream.
I close thine eyes, I smooth thy stricken brow,
Tenderly gods, the fault was not his own.
Haemon
Where now, Antigone?
Antigone
To Thebes, my lord.
Haemon
The king gainsays all kindness in his mood,
His heart of stone derides that flawless gem
That burns in freezing. Measure your life with mine,
I mean the intent, and let our fortunes be
One and commingled. It may hap that both
Shall find some purpose meet.
Antigone
My duty first.
The falcon we have strook deserves perforce,
Such pity that the clouded heart can give.
We yoke our sorrows to the midnight stars,
And take their weight in silver.
Haemon
Ah, not so.
To dare the omnipotence of the Gods,
And leap within their golden graciousness,
This were most nobly done. But where the vow,
Lessens itself upon the deeded heart,
Were it not wise, think you Antigone,
To rear and love self first?
Antigone
My hand alone
Must pile the laurel on his unbalmed corse,
And kiss the ghastly death-dew from his eyes.
I were not woman else.
Haemon
Then hear the truth.
Our father's edict harbours instant death,
With no more pity than the viewless air,
That slays with kissing honey.
Antigone
O just Gods!
Make me unalterable to the end.
Not fire, nor famine, and the halter's scourge,
Swerve my set cause, but when the work is done,
Give my grief rein to mourn the dear departed,
And dew their noble memory in tears.
Lie low! lie sweet! others have done the same,
That drew not half the penance, summ'd not all
Commitment on their head, but as it is,
We thank the smiling Gods.
Haemon
Then take me with thee,
And come what may, I'll follow in thy steps,
The sea runs on forever.
Antigone
Like our souls,
That ebb and break. I go alone, my Lord.
Farewell, farewell.
Haemon
Love speed you.
Who comes?
Antigone
Haemon, my lord.
Oedipus
Make fast the door.
There's terror in the barren wind tonight,
Our privacy's unsur'd.
Haemon
Not as a foe—
Oedipus
But like the cormorant and musing owl
That feign a prayer in slayng. Hence, away!
There are no kin where beggary sits scant
And suffers for a pittance.
Antigone
A true friend.
Whose heart stood ever on the fallen side
And priveleged the losing. He brings news,
Good news, we trust, to make ill fortune sweet.
Oedipus
But quick, or ere our ruined thoughts forget.
Haemon
O good my Lord, the princes both are slain,
Fall'n in a quarrel fostered by the king;
The eldest lies unburied.
Antigone
Patience, Gods!
Lest I lose hope. This is the flaw that coils
Our searching patent. Oh! he weeps not yet,
But stirr'd by the extremity of ache,
Holds the dew scathless.
Oedipus
Something there cracks within!
Haemon
Courage, good friends, for of the moving kind,
These are but bolts that shoot invisibly.
Oedipus
Girl, hast thou fed them yet?
Antigone
My Lord, my Lexd!
Oedipus
The poor, the poor, that with unvised mouths,
The piteous air importunate and load.
I would have 'em all, all fed.
Antigone
He only hears.
Pledges that follow like the sweet south wind
And leave no wake in peering. Father, father!
O grief-recounted heart that bleeds to fix
A finger on earth's cheapened misery.
Poor seared eyes!
Oedipus
Let me be filial censor.
Swear, there are no more honest men i' the world,
Swear, that the best of us will err, lie, thieve,
Throttle the mother's milk, convent such crime
And serious depredation of regard,
That heaven stooping to the lips of hell,
Breathe dross'd and vary-hued. Swear, swear, swear!
Antigone
Still!
You drift on passion's sea, that bears a host
Of wrecks precipitate and viewless craft.
Take trust and anchor, all things work to good,
We cease not to believe in miracles.
Oedipus
How? how? we shall have cause for joy full soon,
Sorrow comes after. Let there be all things said
And nothing done. Look you, I am not vile,
Only incapable of making good
Half-blown offenses and their chariest truths.
O monstrous! monstrous! I that feel, fawn, feed,
To call my brother clod to the dull earth,
And tread him as we do the brooded worm,
I am well paid—well paid, I say! no need
To bare myself to the annealing wind
And beg for penitence a wintry shift,
The quick confusion of our bitter bliss
Signs chaos into surety again—
I shall sleep the long night out at last.
Antigone
No! No!
Not yet! I'm all alone in the world.
Oedipus
Soft, soft!
The little children call me from the dark,
Eteocles and Polynices—sons all,
I held them dandled at my naked knee,
And suckt fond kisses from their cherub lips,
But none of them would come, none to help bear,
My whole world's weight of leaden misery.
Antigone
Stay quenchless, eyes, until we weep our fill,
My lord, I did not leave you, I—I came.
Oedipus
The mist between us works a deadly bar!
I would see sweet eyes, know many numerous things,
And let graced wit my madness overblaze,
Comfort me, comfort me!
Antigone
I do, but O!
My heart's top-heavy.
Oedipus
Steep it in molten brine.
And let there be a new dependency
To breed quarled serpents. Beggar thy loveliness!
Thy soul's the cistern, at the bottom lies
Their golden custom's vital esquiry.
Alas! alas! I am so wretched, wretched—
The end discrowns our need.
Antigone
Sigh hush, and sleep.
What use to war with gods?
Oedipus
With my spent power,
And from my degradation's dying stamp,
What though I reck their fleecy thunderous hail,
I curse—I curse—
Antigone
Woe's me! leave it unsaid.
Oedipus
The butterfly that scaped the crawling stage!
Be as thou ever wast, best of thy kind,
Kiss me—I face the dark—what, what, what, what!
It breaks—
Dies.
Haemon
Our jove-like souls are instruments
That quaver sometime in their playing. Rest,
Life's but a moment's space of wilderment,
Set in a sudden darkness. There's the sway
That profits by no fortune.
Antigone
Done's the dream.
I close thine eyes, I smooth thy stricken brow,
Tenderly gods, the fault was not his own.
Haemon
Where now, Antigone?
Antigone
To Thebes, my lord.
Haemon
The king gainsays all kindness in his mood,
His heart of stone derides that flawless gem
That burns in freezing. Measure your life with mine,
I mean the intent, and let our fortunes be
One and commingled. It may hap that both
Shall find some purpose meet.
Antigone
My duty first.
The falcon we have strook deserves perforce,
Such pity that the clouded heart can give.
We yoke our sorrows to the midnight stars,
And take their weight in silver.
Haemon
Ah, not so.
To dare the omnipotence of the Gods,
And leap within their golden graciousness,
This were most nobly done. But where the vow,
Lessens itself upon the deeded heart,
Were it not wise, think you Antigone,
To rear and love self first?
Antigone
My hand alone
Must pile the laurel on his unbalmed corse,
And kiss the ghastly death-dew from his eyes.
I were not woman else.
Haemon
Then hear the truth.
Our father's edict harbours instant death,
With no more pity than the viewless air,
That slays with kissing honey.
Antigone
O just Gods!
Make me unalterable to the end.
Not fire, nor famine, and the halter's scourge,
Swerve my set cause, but when the work is done,
Give my grief rein to mourn the dear departed,
And dew their noble memory in tears.
Lie low! lie sweet! others have done the same,
That drew not half the penance, summ'd not all
Commitment on their head, but as it is,
We thank the smiling Gods.
Haemon
Then take me with thee,
And come what may, I'll follow in thy steps,
The sea runs on forever.
Antigone
Like our souls,
That ebb and break. I go alone, my Lord.
Farewell, farewell.
Haemon
Love speed you.