She shut the doors behind her with a crash。
〃Laius；〃 she cried； and called her husband dead
Long； long ago； her thought was of that child
By him begot； the son by whom the sire
Was murdered and the mother left to breed
With her own seed； a monstrous progeny。
Then she bewailed the marriage bed whereon
Poor wretch； she had conceived a double brood；
Husband by husband； children by her child。
What happened after that I cannot tell；
Nor how the end befell； for with a shriek
Burst on us Oedipus； all eyes were fixed
On Oedipus； as up and down he strode；
Nor could we mark her agony to the end。
For stalking to and fro 〃A sword！〃 he cried；
〃Where is the wife； no wife； the teeming womb
That bore a double harvest； me and mine？〃
And in his frenzy some supernal power
（No mortal； surely； none of us who watched him）
Guided his footsteps； with a terrible shriek；
As though one beckoned him； he crashed against
The folding doors； and from their staples forced
The wrenched bolts and hurled himself within。
Then we beheld the woman hanging there；
A running noose entwined about her neck。
But when he saw her； with a maddened roar
He loosed the cord； and when her wretched corpse
Lay stretched on earth； what followedO 'twas dread！
He tore the golden brooches that upheld
Her queenly robes； upraised them high and smote
Full on his eye…balls； uttering words like these：
〃No more shall ye behold such sights of woe；
Deeds I have suffered and myself have wrought；
Henceforward quenched in darkness shall ye see
Those ye should ne'er have seen； now blind to those
Whom； when I saw； I vainly yearned to know。〃
Such was the burden of his moan； whereto；
Not once but oft； he struck with his hand uplift
His eyes； and at each stroke the ensanguined orbs
Bedewed his beard； not oozing drop by drop；
But one black gory downpour； thick as hail。
Such evils； issuing from the double source；
Have whelmed them both； confounding man and wife。
Till now the storied fortune of this house
Was fortunate indeed； but from this day
Woe； lamentation； ruin； death； disgrace；
All ills that can be named； all； all are theirs。
CHORUS
But hath he still no respite from his pain？
SECOND MESSENGER
He cries； 〃Unbar the doors and let all Thebes
Behold the slayer of his sire； his mother's〃
That shameful word my lips may not repeat。
He vows to fly self…banished from the land；
Nor stay to bring upon his house the curse
Himself had uttered； but he has no strength
Nor one to guide him； and his torture's more
Than man can suffer； as yourselves will see。
For lo； the palace portals are unbarred；
And soon ye shall behold a sight so sad
That he who must abhorred would pity it。
＇Enter OEDIPUS blinded。＇
CHORUS
Woeful sight！ more woeful none
These sad eyes have looked upon。
Whence this madness？ None can tell
Who did cast on thee his spell；
prowling all thy life around；
Leaping with a demon bound。
Hapless wretch！ how can I brook
On thy misery to look？
Though to gaze on thee I yearn；
Much to question； much to learn；
Horror…struck away I turn。
OEDIPUS
Ah me！ ah woe is me！
Ah whither am I borne！
How like a ghost forlorn
My voice flits from me on the air！
On； on the demon goads。 The end； ah where？
CHORUS
An end too dread to tell； too dark to see。
OEDIPUS
（Str。 1）
Dark； dark！ The horror of darkness； like a shroud；
Wraps me and bears me on through mist and cloud。
Ah me； ah me！ What spasms athwart me shoot；
What pangs of agonizing memory？
CHORUS
No marvel if in such a plight thou feel'st
The double weight of past and present woes。
OEDIPUS
（Ant。 1）
Ah friend； still loyal； constant still and kind；
Thou carest for the blind。
I know thee near； and though bereft of eyes；
Thy voice I recognize。
CHORUS
O doer of dread deeds； how couldst thou mar
Thy vision thus？ What demon goaded thee？
OEDIPUS
（Str。 2）
Apollo； friend； Apollo； he it was
That brought these ills to pass；
But the right hand that dealt the blow
Was mine； none other。 How；
How； could I longer see when sight
Brought no delight？
CHORUS
Alas！ 'tis as thou sayest。
OEDIPUS
Say； friends； can any look or voice
Or touch of love henceforth my heart rejoice？
Haste； friends； no fond delay；
Take the twice cursed away
Far from all ken；
The man abhorred of gods； accursed of men。
CHORUS
O thy despair well suits thy desperate case。
Would I had never looked upon thy face！
OEDIPUS
（Ant。 2）
My curse on him whoe'er unrived
The waif's fell fetters and my life revived！
He meant me well； yet had he left me there；
He had saved my friends and me a world of care。
CHORUS
I too had wished it so。
OEDIPUS
Then had I never come to shed
My father's blood nor climbed my mother's bed；
The monstrous offspring of a womb defiled；
Co…mate of him who gendered me； and child。
Was ever man before afflicted thus；
Like Oedipus。
CHORUS
I cannot say that thou hast counseled well；
For thou wert better dead than living blind。
OEDIPUS
What's done was well done。 Thou canst never shake
My firm belief。 A truce to argument。
For； had I sight； I know not with what eyes
I could have met my father in the shades；
Or my poor mother； since against the twain
I sinned； a sin no gallows could atone。
Aye； but； ye say； the sight of children joys
A parent's eyes。 What； born as mine were born？
No； such a sight could never bring me joy；
Nor this fair city with its battlements；
Its temples and the statues of its gods；
Sights from which I； now wretchedst of all；
Once ranked the foremost Theban in all Thebes；
By my own sentence am cut off； condemned
By my own proclamation 'gainst the wretch；
The miscreant by heaven itself declared
Uncleanand of the race of Laius。
Thus branded as a felon by myself；
How had I dared to look you in the face？
Nay； had I known a way to choke the springs
Of hearing； I had never shrunk to make
A dungeon of this miserable frame；
Cut off from sight and hearing； for 'tis bliss
to bide in regions sorrow cannot reach。
Why didst thou harbor me； Cithaeron； why
Didst thou not take and slay me？ Then I never
Had shown to men the secret of my birth。
O Polybus； O Corinth； O my home；
Home of my ancestors （so wast thou called）
How fair a nursling then I seemed； how foul
The canker that lay festering in the bud！
Now is the blight revealed of root and fruit。
Ye triple high…roads； and thou hidden glen；
Coppice； and pass where meet the three…branched ways；
Ye drank my blood； the life…blood these hands spilt；
My father's； do ye call to mind perchance
Those deeds of mine ye witnessed and the work
I wrought thereafter when I came to Thebes？
O fatal wedlock； thou didst give me birth；
And； having borne me； sowed again my seed；
Mingling the blood of fathers； brothers； children；
Brides； wives and mothers； an incestuous brood；
All horrors that are wrought beneath the sun；
Horrors so foul to name them were unmeet。
O； I adjure you； hide me anywhere
Far from this land； or slay me straight； or cast me
Down to the depths of ocean out of sight。
Come hither； deign to touch an abject wretch；
Draw near and fear not； I myself must bear
The load of guilt that none but I can share。
＇Enter CREON。＇
CREON
Lo； here is Creon； the one man to grant
Thy prayer by action or advice； for he
Is left the State's sole guardian in thy stead。
OEDIPUS
Ah me！ what words to accost him can I find？
What cause has he to trust me？ In the past
I have bee proved his rancorous enemy。
CREON
Not in derision； Oedipus； I come
Nor to upbraid thee with thy past misdeeds。
（To BYSTANDERS）
But shame upon you！ if ye feel no sense
Of human decencies； at least revere
The Sun whose light beholds and nurtures all。
Leave not thus nakedly for all to gaze at
A horror neither earth nor rain from heaven
Nor light will suffer。 Lead him straight within；
For it is seemly that a kinsman's woes
Be heard by kin and seen by kin alone。
OEDIPUS
O listen； since thy presence comes to me
A shock of glad surpriseso noble thou；
And I so vileO grant me one small boon。
I ask it not on my behalf； but thine。
CREON
And what the favor thou wouldst crave of me？
OEDIPUS
Forth from thy borders thrust me with all speed；
Set me within some vasty desert where
No mortal voice shall greet me any more。
CREON
This had I done already； but I deemed
It first behooved me to consult the god。
OEDIPUS
His will was set forth fullyto destroy
The parricide； the scoundrel； and I am he。
CREON
Yea； so he spake； but in our present plight
'Twere better to consult the god anew。
OEDIPUS
Dare ye inquire concerning such a wretch？
CREON
Yea； for thyself wouldst credit now his word。
OEDIPUS
Aye； and on thee in all humility
I lay this charge： let her who lies within
Receive such burial as thou shalt ordain；
Such rites 'tis thine； as brother； to perform。
But for myself； O never let my Thebes；
The city of my sires； be doomed to bear
The burden of my presence while I live。
No； let me be a dweller on the hills；
On yonder mount Cithaeron； famed as mine；
My tomb predestined for me by my sire
And mother； while they lived； that I may die
Slain as they sought to slay me； when alive。
This much I know full surely； nor disease
Shall end my days； nor any common chance；
For I had ne'er been snatched from death； unless
I was predestined to some awful doom。
So be it。 I reck not how Fate deals with me
But my unhappy childrenfor my sons
Be not concerned； O Creon； they are men；
And for themselves； where'er they be； can fend。
But for my daughters twain； poor innocent maids；
Who ever sat beside me at the board
Sharing my viands； drinking of my cup；
For them； I pray thee； care； and； if thou willst；
O might I feel their touch and make my moan。
Hear me； O prince； my noble…hearted prince！
Could I but blindly touch them with my hands
I'd think they still were mine； as when I saw。
＇ANTIGONE and ISMENE are led in。＇
What say I？ can it be my pretty ones
Whose sobs I hear？ Has Creon pitied me
And sent me my two darlings？ Can this be？
CREON
'Tis true；