Debarred　from　the　grace　of　the　banquet；　the　service　of　goblets
  of　gold
  He　flung　on　his　children　a　curse　for　the　splendour　they　dared　to
  withhold。
  antistrophe　5
  A　curse　prophetic　and　bitter…The　glory　of　wealth　and　of　pride；
  With　iron；　not　gold；　in　your　hands；　ye　shall　come；　at　the　last；
  to　divide！
  Behold；　how　a　shudder　runs　through　me；　lest　now；　in　the　fulness
  of　time；
  The　house…fiend　awake　and　return；　to　mete　out　the　measure　of
  crime！
  （THE　Spy　enters。）
  THE　SPY
  Take　heart；　ye　daughters　whom　your　mothers'　milk
  Made　milky…hearted！　lo；　our　city　stands；
  Saved　from　the　yoke　of　servitude：　the　vaunts
  Of　overweening　men　are　silent　now；
  And　the　State　sails　beneath　a　sky　serene；
  Nor　in　the　manifold　and　battering　waves
  Hath　shipped　a　single　surge；　and　solid　stands
  The　rampart；　and　the　gates　are　made　secure；
  Each　with　a　single　champion's　trusty　guard。
  So　in　the　main　and　at　six　gates　we　hold
  A　victory　assured；　but；　at　the　seventh；
  The　god　that　on　the　seventh　day　was　born；
  Royal　Apollo；　hath　ta'en　up　his　rest
  To　wreak　upon　the　sons　of　Oedipus
  Their　grandsire's　wilfulness　of　long　ago。
  LEADER　OF　THE　CHORUS
  What　further　woefulness　besets　our　home？
  THE　SPY
  The　home　stands　safe…but　ah；　the　princes　twain…
  LEADER
  Who？　what　of　them？　I　am　distraught　with　fear。
  THE　SPY
  Hear　now；　and　mark！　the　sons　of　Oedipus…
  LEADER
  Ah；　my　prophetic　soul！　I　feel　their　doom。
  THE　SPY
  Have　done　with　questions！…with　I…with　their　lives　crushed　out…
  LEADER
  Lie　they　out　yonder？　the　full　horror　speak！
  Did　hands　meet　hands　more　close　than　brotherly？
  Came　fate　on　each。　and　in　the　selfsame　hour？
  THE　SPY
  Yea；　blotting　out　the　lineage　ill…starred！
  Now　mix　your　exultation　and　your　tears；
  Over　a　city　saved；　the　while　its　lords；
  Twin　leaders　of　the　fight；　have　parcelled　out
  With　forged　arbitrament　of　Scythian　steel
  The　full　division　of　their　fatherland；
  And；　as　their　father's　imprecation　bade；
  Shall　have　their　due　of　land；　a　twofold　grave。
  So　is　the　city　saved；　the　earth　has　drunk
  Blood　of　twin　princes；　by　each　other　slain。
  CHORUS　（chanting）
  O　mighty　Zeus　and　guardian　powers；
  The　strength　and　stay　of　Cadmus'　towers！
  Shall　I　send　forth　a　joyous　cry；
  Hail　to　the　lord　of　weal　renewed？
  Or　weep　the　misbegotten　twain；
  Born　to　a　fatal　destiny
  Each　numbered　now　among　the　slain；
  Each　dying　in　ill　fortitude；
  Each　truly　named；　each　child　of　feud？
  O　dark　and　all…prevailing　ill；
  That　broods　o'er　Oedipus　and　all　his　line；
  Numbing　my　heart　with　mortal　chill！
  Ah　me；　this　song　of　mine；
  Which；　Thyad…like；　I　woke；　now　falleth　still；
  Or　only　tells　of　doom；
  And　echoes　round　a　tomb！
  Dead　are　they；　dead！　in　their　own　blood　they　lie
  Ill…omened　the　concent　that　hails　our　victory！
  The　curse　a　father　on　his　children　spake
  Hath　faltered　not；　nor　failed！
  Nought；　Laius！　thy　stubborn　choice　availed…
  First　to　beget；　then；　in　the　after　day
  And　for　the　city's　sake；
  The　child　to　slay！
  For　nought　can　blunt　nor　mar
  The　speech　oracular！
  Children　of　teen！　by　disbelief　ye　erred…
  Yet　in　wild　weeping　came　fulfilment　of　the　word！
  （ANTIGONE　and　ISMENE　approach；　with　a　train　of　mourners。
  bearing　the　bodies　of　ETEOCLES　and　POLYNEICES。）
  Look　up；　look　forth！　the　doom　is　plain；
  Nor　spake　the　messenger　in　vain！
  A　twofold　sorrow；　twofold　strife…
  Each　brave　against　a　brother's　life！
  In　double　doom　hath　sorrow　come
  How　shall　I　speak　it？…on　the　home！
  Alas；　my　sisters！　be　your　sighs　the　gale；
  The　smiting　of　your　brows　the　plash　of　oars；
  Wafting　the　boat；　to　Acheron's　dim　shores
  That　passeth　ever；　with　its　darkened　sail；
  On　its　uncharted　voyage　and　sunless　way；
  Far　from　thy　beams；　Apollo；　god　of　day…
  The　melancholy　bark
  Bound　for　the　common　bourn；　the　harbour　of　the　dark！
  Look　up；　look　yonder！　from　the　home
  Antigone；　Ismene　come；
  On　the　last；　saddest　errand　bound；
  To　chant　a　dirge　of　doleful　sound；
  With　agony　of　equal　pain
  Above　their　brethren　slain！
  Their　sister…bosoms　surely　swell；
  Heart　with　rent　heart　according　well
  In　grief　for　those　who　fought　and　fell！
  Yet…ere　they　utter　forth　their　woe
  We　must　awake　the　rueful　strain
  To　vengeful　powers；　in　realms　below；
  And　mourn　hell's　triumph　o'er　the　slain！
  Alas！　of　all；　the　breast　who　bind；…
  Yea；　all　the　race　of　womankind…
  O　maidens；　ye　are　most　bereaved！
  For　you；　for　you　the　tear…drops　start…
  Deem　that　in　truth；　and　undeceived；
  Ye　hear　the　sorrows　of　my　heart！
  （To　the　dead）
  Children　of　bitterness；　and　sternly　brave…
  One；　proud　of　heart　against　persuasion's　voice；
  One；　against　exile　proof！　ye　win　your　choice…
  Each　in　your　fatherland；　a　separate　grave！
  Alack；　on　house　and　heritage
  They　brought　a　baneful　doom；　and　death　for　wage！
  One　strove　through　tottering　walls　to　force　his　way；
  One　claimed；　in　bitter　arrogance；　the　sway；
  And　both　alike；　even　now　and　here；
  Have　closed　their　suit；　with　steel　for　arbiter！
  And　lo；　the　Fury…fiend　of　Oedipus；　their　sire；
  Hath　brought　his　curse　to　consummation　dire
  Each　in　the　left　side　smitten；　see　them　laid…
  The　children　of　one　womb；
  Slain　by　a　mutual　doom！
  Alas；　their　fate！　the　combat　murderous；
  The　horror　of　the　house；
  The　curse　of　ancient　bloodshed；　now　repaid！
  Yea；　deep　and　to　the　heart　the　deathblow　fell；
  Edged　by　their　feud　ineffable…
  By　the　grim　curse；　their　sire　did　imprecate
  Discord　and　deadly　hate！
  Hark；　how　the　city　and　its　towers　make　moan…
  How　the　land　mourns　that　held　them　for　its　own！
  Fierce　greed　and　fell　division　did　they　blend；
  Till　death　made　end！
  They　strove　to　part　the　heritage　in　twain；
  Giving　to　each　a　gain…
  Yet　that　which　struck　the　balance　in　the　strife；
  The　arbitrating　sword；
  By　those　who　loved　the　twain　is　held　abhorred…
  Loathed　is　the　god　of　death；　who　sundered　each　from　life！
  Here；　by　the　stroke　of　steel；　behold！　they　lie…
  And　rightly　may　we　cry
  Beside　their　fathers；　let　them　here　be　laid…
  Iron　gave　their　doom；　witk　iron　their　graves　be　made…
  A　lack；　the　slaying　sword；　alack；　th'　entombing　spade！
  Alas；　a　piercing　shriek；　a　rending　groan；
  A　cry　unfeigned　of　sorrow　felt　at　heart！
  With　shuddering　of　grief；　with　tears　that　start；
  With　wailful　escort；　let　them　hither　come…
  For　one　or　other　make　divided　moan！
  No　light　lament　of　pity　mixed　with　gladness；
  But　with　true　tears；　poured　from　the　soul　of　sadness；
  Over　the　princes　dead　and　their　bereaved　home
  Say　we；　above　these　brethren　dead；
  On　citizen；　on　foreign　foe；
  Brave　was　their　rush；　and　stern　their　blow…
  Now；　lowly　are　they　laid！
  Beyond　all　women　upon　earth
  Woe；　woe　for　her　who　gave　them　birth！
  Unknowingly；　her　son　she　wed…
  The　children　of　that　marriage…bed；
  Each　in　the　self…same　womb；　were　bred…
  Each　by　a　brother's　hand　lies　dead！
  Yea；　from　one　seed　they　sprang；　and　by　one　fate
  Their　heritage　is　desolate；
  The　heart's　division　sundered　claim　from　claim；
  And；　from　their　feud；　death　came！
  Now　is　their　hate　allayed；
  Now　is　their　life…stream　shed；
  Ensanguining　the　earth　with　crimson　dye…
  Lo；　from　one　blood　they　sprang；　and　in　one　blood　they　lie！
  A　grievous　arbiter　was　given　the　twain…
  The　stranger　from　the　northern　main；
  The　sharp；　dividing　sword；
  Fresh　from　the　forge　and　fire
  The　War…god　treacherous　gave　ill　award
  And　brought　their　father's　curse　to　a　fulfilment　dire！
  They　have　their　portion…each　his　lot　and　doom；
  Given　from　the　gods　on　high！
  Yea；　the　piled　wealth　of　fatherland；　for　tomb；
  Shall　underneath　them　lie！
  Alas；　alas！　with　flowers　of　fame　and　pride
  Your　home　ye　glorified；
  But；　in　the　end；　the　Furies　gathered　round
  With　chants　of　boding　sound；
  Shrieking；　In　wild　defeat　and　disarray；