style="font-size:15px;"> For good or ill thy thefts and gifts are ours.We worshipped thee unknowing.
Chor. But now where is he?
In. No need to search—we shall not see him more.
We look in vain. The high gods when they choose
Put on and off the solid visible shape
Which more deceives our hasty sense, than when 1400
Seeing them not we judge they stand aloof.
And he, he now is gone; his work is done:
'Tis ours to see it be not done in vain.{45}
Chor. What is to do? speak, bid, command, we fly.
In. Go some and fetch more wood to feed the fire;
And some into the city to proclaim
That fire is ours: and send out messengers
To Corinth, Sicyon, Megara and Athens
And to Mycenæ, telling we have fire:
And bid that in the temples they prepare 1410
Their altars, and send hither careful men
To learn of me what things the time requires.
[Exit part of Chorus.
The rest remain to end our feast; and now
Seeing this altar is no more to Zeus,
But shall for ever be with smouldering heat
Fed for the god who first set fire thereon,
Change ye your hymns, which in the praise of Zeus
Ye came to sing, and change the prayer for fire
Which ye were wont to raise, to high thanksgiving,
Praising aloud the giver and his gift. 1420
Part of Chorus. Now our happy feast hath ending, While the sun in heaven descending Sees us gathered round a light Born to cheer his vacant night. Praising him to-day who came Bearing far his heavenly flame: Came to crown our king's desire With his gift of golden fire. Semichorus. My heart, my heart is freed. Now can I sing. I loose a shaft from my bow, 1430 A song from my heart to heaven, and watch it speed. It revels in the air, and straight to its goal doth go. I have no fear. I praise distinguishing duly: I praise the love that I love and I worship truly. Goodness I praise, not might, Nor more will I speak of wrong,{46} But of lovingkindness and right; And the god of my love shall rejoice at the sound of my song. I praise him whom I have seen: As a man he is beautiful, blending prime and youth, 1440 Of gentle and lovely mien, With the step and the eyes of truth, As a god—O were I a god, but thus to be man! As a god, I set him above The rest of the gods; for his gifts are pledges of love, The words of his mouth rare and precious, His eyes' glance and the smile of his lips are love. He is the one Alone of all the gods, Of righteous Themis the lofty-spirited son, 1450 Who hates the wrongs they have done. He is the one I adore. For if there be love in heaven with evil to cope— And he promised us more and more— For what may we not hope?
ODE.
My soul is drunk with joy, her new desire
In far forbidden places wanders away.
Her hopes with free bright-coloured wings of fire
Upon the gloom of thought
Are sailing out. 1460
Awhile they rise, awhile to rest they softly fall,
Like butterflies, that flit
Across the mountains, or upon a wall
Winking their idle fans at pleasure sit.
O my vague desires!
Ye lambent flames of the soul, her offspring fires:
That are my soul herself in pangs sublime
Rising and flying to heaven before her time:{47}
What doth tempt you forth
To melt in the south or shiver in the frosty north? 1470
What seek ye or find ye in your random flying,
For ever soaring aloft, soaring and dying?
Joy, the joy of flight;
They hide in the sun, they flare and dance in the night.
Gone up, gone out of sight—and ever again
Follow fresh tongues of fire, fresh pangs of pain.
Ah! could I control
These vague desires, these leaping flames of the soul:
Could I but quench the fire, ah! could I stay
My soul that flieth, alas, and dieth away! 1480
[Enter other part of Chorus.
Part of Chor. Here is wood to feed the fire— Never let its flames expire. Sing ye still while we advance Round the fire in measured dance, While the sun in heaven descending Sees our happy feast have ending. Weave ye still your joyous song, While we bear the wood along. Semichorus. But O return, Return, thou flower of the gods! 1490 Remember the limbs that toil and the hearts that yearn, Remember, and soon return! To prosper with peace and skill Our hands in the works of pleasure, beauty and use. Return, and be for us still Our shield from the anger of Zeus. And he, if he raise his arm in anger to smite thee, And think for the good thou hast done with pain to requite thee, Vengeance I heard thee tell, And the curse I take for my own, 1500 That his place is prepared in hell,{48} And a greater than he shall hurl him down from his throne Down, down from his throne! For the god who shall rule mankind from the deathless skies By mercy and truth shall be known, In love and peace shall arise. For him—if again I hear him thunder above, O then, if I crouch or start, I will press thy lovingkindness more to my heart, Remember the words of thy mouth rare and precious, 1510 Thy heart of hearts and gifts of divine love.
{49}
DEMETER
A Mask
"Dreams & the light imaginings of men"
Written for the ladies at
Somerville College
& acted by them
