Rhesus

1CHORUS.†Thymbraean, Delian, Birth divine, That walkest Lycia’s inmost shrine, Come, strong to guard, to guide, to follow, Come, bow in hand and girt with night, To help thy Dardans as of old, When stone by stone thy music rolled— O conquering Strength, O Sire Apollo!— Young Ilion into towers of light.†

1CHORUS. Grant that he reach the shipyard, creep Keen-eyed through all that host asleep, Then back to home and hearth, yet living, Where now his father prays alone: Yea, grant that, when the Greeks are slain, Our wolf shall mount with scourge and rein Those coursers of the sea-god’s giving, Whom Peleus drove in days foregone.†

2CHORUS. Alone in those Greek ships to stake His life, for home and country’s sake:’Tis wondrous! Few be hearts so true When seas across the bulwark break, And sunlight sickens o’er the crew.†Ah, Phrygia still hath hearts of rock! The Phrygian spear flies fast and far! Where shall ye find the fool to mock Our works in war?

2CHORUS. Whom will he stab a-sleeping, whom, The quick grey wolf, the crawling doom?†Grant that he slay the Spartan! Nay, Or Agamemnon’s head and plume†To Helen bear at dawn of day! A lightsome dawn to hear her wail Her brother sworn, her King who came To Ilion with his thousand sail, And swords, and flame! As the song ends DOLON reappears, in the disguise of a wolf. The Guards gather round him, bidding him godspeed as he crawls off in the dark towards the Greek camp. Meantime from the direction of Mount Ida has entered a SHEPHERD who goes to HECTOR’S door and calls. The Guards seeing him return to their places.

1CHORUS. Now Adrasteia†be near and guard Our lips from sin, lest the end be hard! But he cometh, he cometh, the Child of the River! The pride of my heart it shall roll unbarred. We craved thy coming; yea, need was strong In the Hall of thy lovers, O child of Song; Thy mother the Muse and her fair-bridged River They held thee from us so long, so long!†

1CHORUS. By Strymon’s torrent alone she sang, And Strymon shivered and coiled and sprang; And her arms went wide to the wild sweet water, And the love of the River around her rang. We hail thee, Fruit of the River’s seed, Young Zeus of the Dawn, on thy starry steed! O ancient City, O Ida’s daughter, Is God the Deliverer found indeed?†

2CHORUS. And men shall tell of thee, Ilion mine, Once more a-harping at day’s decline,’Mid laughing of lovers and lays and dances And challenge on challenge of circling wine? When the Greek is smitten that day shall be, And fled to Argolis over the sea: O mighty of hand, O leader of lances, Smite him, and heaven be good to thee!†

2CHORUS. Thou Rider golden and swift and sheer, Achilles falters: appear! appear! The car like flame where the red shield leapeth, The fell white steeds and the burning spear! No Greek shall boast he hath seen thy face And danced again in the dancing place; And the land shall laugh for the sheaves she reapeth, Of spoilers dead by a sword from Thrace.†