Part 34

My curse, my curse upon him, That man whom pity held in the wilderness, Who saved the feet alive from the blood-fetter And loosed the barb thereof!

That babe--what grace was done him, Had he died shelterless, He had not laid on himself this grief to bear, And all who gave him love.

LEADER.

I, too, O Friend, I had been happier.

OEDIPUS.

Found not the way to his father's blood, nor shaken The world's scorn on his mother, The child and the groom withal; But now, of murderers born, of God forsaken, Mine own sons' brother; All this, and if aught can fall Upon man more perilous And elder in sin, lo, all Is the portion of Oedipus.

LEADER.

How shall I hold this counsel of thy mind True? Thou wert better dead than living blind.

OEDIPUS.

That this deed is not well and wisely wrought Thou shalt not show me; therefore school me not. Think, with what eyes hereafter in the place Of shadows could I see my father's face, Or my poor mother's? Both of whom this hand Hath wronged too deep for man to understand. Or children--born as mine were born, to see Their shapes should bring me joy? Great God! To me

There is no joy in city nor in tower Nor temple, from all whom, in this mine hour, I that was chief in Thebes alone, and ate The King's bread, I have made me separate For ever. Mine own lips have bid the land Cast from it one so evil, one whose hand To sin was dedicate, whom God hath shown Birth-branded ... and my blood the dead King's own! All this myself have proved. And can I then Look with straight eyes into the eyes of men? I trow not. Nay, if any stop there were To dam this fount that welleth in mine ear For hearing, I had never blenched nor stayed Till this vile shell were all one dungeon made, Dark, without sound. 'Tis thus the mind would fain Find peace, self-prisoned from a world of pain. O wild Kithairon, why was it thy will To save me? Why not take me quick and kill, Kill, before ever I could make men know The thing I am, the thing from which I grow? Thou dead King, Polybus, thou city wall Of Corinth, thou old castle I did call My father's, what a life did ye begin, What splendour rotted by the worm within, When ye bred me! O Crossing of the Roads, O secret glen and dusk of crowding woods, O narrow footpath creeping to the brink Where meet the Three! I gave you blood to drink. Do ye remember? 'Twas my life-blood, hot From mine own father's heart. Have ye forgot What deed I did among you, and what new And direr deed I fled from you to do? O flesh, horror of flesh!...

But what is shame To do should not be spoken. In God's name, Take me somewhere far off and cover me From sight, or slay, or cast me to the sea Where never eye may see me any more. What? Do ye fear to touch a man so sore Stricken? Nay, tremble not. My misery Is mine, and shall be borne by none but me.

LEADER.

Lo, yonder comes for answer to thy prayer Creon, to do and to decree. The care Of all our land is his, now thou art weak.

OEDIPUS.

Alas, what word to Creon can I speak, How make him trust me more? He hath seen of late So vile a heart in me, so full of hate.

Enter CREON.

CREON.

Not to make laughter, Oedipus, nor cast Against thee any evil of the past I seek thee, but ... Ah God! ye ministers, Have ye no hearts? Or if for man there stirs No pity in you, fear at least to call Stain on our Lord the Sun, who feedeth all; Nor show in nakedness a horror such As this, which never mother Earth may touch, Nor God's clean rain nor sunlight. Quick within! Guide him.--The ills that in a house have been They of the house alone should know or hear.

OEDIPUS.

In God's name, since thou hast undone the fear Within me, coming thus, all nobleness, To one so vile, grant me one only grace. For thy sake more I crave it than mine own.

CREON.

Let me first hear what grace thou wouldst be shown.

OEDIPUS.

Cast me from Thebes ... now, quick ... where none may see My visage more, nor mingle words with me.

CREON.

That had I done, for sure, save that I still Tremble, and fain would ask Apollo's will.

OEDIPUS.