Friend! in our land of conquering steeds thou art comeI 1
To this Heaven-fostered haunt, Earth’s fairest home,
Gleaming Colonos, where the nightingale
In cool green covert warbleth ever clear,
True to the clustering ivy and the dear
Divine, impenetrable shade,
From wildered boughs and myriad fruitage made,
Sunless at noon, stormless in every gale.
Wood-roving Bacchus there, with mazy round,
And his nymph nurses range the unoffended ground.
And nourished day by day with heavenly dewI 2
Bright flowers their never-failing bloom renew,
From eldest time Dêo and Cora’s crown
Full-flowered narcissus, and the golden beam
Of crocus, while Cephisus’ gentle stream
In runnels fed by sleepless springs
Over the land’s broad bosom daily brings
His pregnant waters, never dwindling down.
The quiring Muses love to seek the spot
And Aphroditè’s golden car forsakes it not.
Here too a plant, nobler than e’er was knownII 1
On Asian soil, grander than yet hath grown
In Pelops’ mighty Dorian isle, unsown,
Free, self-create, the conquering foeman’s fear,
The kind oil-olive, silvery-green,
Chief nourisher of childish life, is seen
To burgeon best in this our mother-land.
No warrior, young, nor aged in command,
Shall ravage this, or scathe it with the spear;
For guardian Zeus’ unslumbering eye
Beholds it everlastingly,
And Athens’ grey-eyed Queen, dwelling for ever near.
[page 282] Yet one more praise mightier than all I tellII 2 [707-739]
O’er this my home, that Ocean loves her well,
And coursers love her, children of the wave
To grace these roadways Prince Poseidon first
Framed for the horse, that else had burst
From man’s control, the spirit taming bit
And the trim bark, rowed by strong arms, doth flit
O’er briny seas with glancing motion brave
Lord of the deep! by that thy glorious gift
Thou hast established our fair town
For ever in supreme renown—
The Sea nymphs’ plashing throng glide not more smoothly swift.
ANT. O land exalted thus in blessing and praise,
Now is thy time to prove these brave words true.
OED. What hath befallen, my daughter?
ANT. Here at hand,
Not unaccompanied, is Creon, father.
OED. Dear aged friends, be it yours now to provide
My safety and the goal of my desire!
CH. It shall be so. Fear nought. I am old and weak,
But Athens in her might is ever young.
Enter CREON.