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Hath Mercy for co…partner of this throne；
Let Mercy； father； also sit enthroned
In thy heart likewise。 For transgressions past
May be amended； cannot be made worse。
Why silent？ Father； speak； nor turn away；
Hast thou no word； wilt thou dismiss me then
In mute disdain； nor tell me why thou art wrath？
O ye his daughters； sisters mine； do ye
This sullen； obstinate silence try to move。
Let him not spurn； without a single word
Of answer； me the suppliant of the god。
ANTIGONE
Tell him thyself； unhappy one； thine errand；
For large discourse may send a thrill of joy；
Or stir a chord of wrath or tenderness；
And to the tongue…tied somehow give a tongue。
POLYNEICES
Well dost thou counsel； and I will speak out。
First will I call in aid the god himself；
Poseidon； from whose altar I was raised；
With warrant from the monarch of this land；
To parley with you； and depart unscathed。
These pledges； strangers； I would see observed
By you and by my sisters and my sire。
Now； father； let me tell thee why I came。
I have been banished from my native land
Because by right of primogeniture
I claimed possession of thy sovereign throne
Wherefrom Etocles； my younger brother；
Ousted me； not by weight of precedent；
Nor by the last arbitrament of war；
But by his popular acts； and the prime cause
Of this I deem the curse that rests on thee。
So likewise hold the soothsayers； for when
I came to Argos in the Dorian land
And took the king Adrastus' child to wife；
Under my standard I enlisted all
The foremost captains of the Apian isle；
To levy with their aid that sevenfold host
Of spearmen against Thebes； determining
To oust my foes or die in a just cause。
Why then； thou askest； am I here today？
Father； I come a suppliant to thee
Both for myself and my allies who now
With squadrons seven beneath their seven spears
Beleaguer all the plain that circles Thebes。
Foremost the peerless warrior； peerless seer；
Amphiaraiis with his lightning lance；
Next an Aetolian； Tydeus； Oeneus' son；
Eteoclus of Argive birth the third；
The fourth Hippomedon； sent to the war
By his sire Talaos； Capaneus； the fifth；
Vaunts he will fire and raze the town； the sixth
Parthenopaeus； an Arcadian born
Named of that maid； longtime a maid and late
Espoused； Atalanta's true…born child；
Last I thy son； or thine at least in name；
If but the bastard of an evil fate；
Lead against Thebes the fearless Argive host。
Thus by thy children and thy life； my sire；
We all adjure thee to remit thy wrath
And favor one who seeks a just revenge
Against a brother who has banned and robbed him。
For victory； if oracles speak true；
Will fall to those who have thee for ally。
So； by our fountains and familiar gods
I pray thee； yield and hear； a beggar I
And exile； thou an exile likewise； both
Involved in one misfortune find a home
As pensioners； while he； the lord of Thebes；
O agony！ makes a mock of thee and me。
I'll scatter with a breath the upstart's might；
And bring thee home again and stablish thee；
And stablish； having cast him out； myself。
This will thy goodwill I will undertake；
Without it I can scare return alive。
CHORUS
For the king's sake who sent him； Oedipus；
Dismiss him not without a meet reply。
OEDIPUS
Nay； worthy seniors； but for Theseus' sake
Who sent him hither to have word of me。
Never again would he have heard my voice；
But now he shall obtain this parting grace；
An answer that will bring him little joy。
O villain； when thou hadst the sovereignty
That now thy brother holdeth in thy stead；
Didst thou not drive me； thine own father； out；
An exile； cityless； and make we wear
This beggar's garb thou weepest to behold；
Now thou art come thyself to my sad plight？
Nothing is here for tears； it must be borne
By _me_ till death； and I shall think of thee
As of my murderer； thou didst thrust me out；
'Tis thou hast made me conversant with woe；
Through thee I beg my bread in a strange land；
And had not these my daughters tended me
I had been dead for aught of aid from thee。
They tend me； they preserve me； they are men
Not women in true service to their sire；
But ye are bastards； and no sons of mine。
Therefore just Heaven hath an eye on thee；
Howbeit not yet with aspect so austere
As thou shalt soon experience； if indeed
These banded hosts are moving against Thebes。
That city thou canst never storm； but first
Shall fall； thou and thy brother； blood…imbrued。
Such curse I lately launched against you twain；
Such curse I now invoke to fight for me；
That ye may learn to honor those who bear thee
Nor flout a sightless father who begat
Degenerate sonsthese maidens did not so。
Therefore my curse is stronger than thy 〃throne；〃
Thy 〃suppliance；〃 if by right of laws eterne
Primeval Justice sits enthroned with Zeus。
Begone； abhorred； disowned； no son of mine；
Thou vilest of the vile！ and take with thee
This curse I leave thee as my last bequest：
Never to win by arms thy native land；
No； nor return to Argos in the Vale；
But by a kinsman's hand to die and slay
Him who expelled thee。 So I pray and call
On the ancestral gloom of Tartarus
To snatch thee hence； on these dread goddesses
I call； and Ares who incensed you both
To mortal enmity。 Go now proclaim
What thou hast heard to the Cadmeians all；
Thy staunch confederatesthis the heritage
that Oedipus divideth to his sons。
CHORUS
Thy errand； Polyneices； liked me not
From the beginning； now go back with speed。
POLYNEICES
Woe worth my journey and my baffled hopes！
Woe worth my comrades！ What a desperate end
To that glad march from Argos！ Woe is me！
I dare not whisper it to my allies
Or turn them back； but mute must meet my doom。
My sisters； ye his daughters； ye have heard
The prayers of our stern father； if his curse
Should come to pass and ye some day return
To Thebes； O then disown me not； I pray；
But grant me burial and due funeral rites。
So shall the praise your filial care now wins
Be doubled for the service wrought for me。
ANTIGONE
One boon； O Polyneices； let me crave。
POLYNEICES
What would'st thou； sweet Antigone？ Say on。
ANTIGONE
Turn back thy host to Argos with all speed；
And ruin not thyself and Thebes as well。
POLYNEICES
That cannot be。 How could I lead again
An army that had seen their leader quail？
ANTIGONE
But； brother； why shouldst thou be wroth again？
What profit from thy country's ruin comes？
POLYNEICES
'Tis shame to live in exile； and shall I
The elder bear a younger brother's flouts？
ANTIGONE
Wilt thou then bring to pass his prophecies
Who threatens mutual slaughter to you both？
POLYNEICES
Aye； so he wishes：but I must not yield。
ANTIGONE
O woe is me！ but say； will any dare；
Hearing his prophecy； to follow thee？
POLYNEICES
I shall not tell it； a good general
Reports successes and conceals mishaps。
ANTIGONE
Misguided youth； thy purpose then stands fast！
POLYNEICES
'Tis so； and stay me not。 The road I choose；
Dogged by my sire and his avenging spirit；
Leads me to ruin； but for you may Zeus
Make your path bright if ye fulfill my hest
When dead； in life ye cannot serve me more。
Now let me go； farewell； a long farewell！
Ye ne'er shall see my living face again。
ANTIGONE
Ah me！
POLYNEICES
Bewail me not。
ANTIGONE
Who would not mourn
Thee； brother； hurrying to an open pit！
POLYNEICES
If I must die； I must。
ANTIGONE
Nay； hear me plead。
POLYNEICES
It may not be； forbear。
ANTIGONE
Then woe is me；
If I must lose thee。
POLYNEICES
Nay； that rests with fate；
Whether I live or die； but for you both
I pray to heaven ye may escape all ill；
For ye are blameless in the eyes of all。
＇Exit POLYNEICES＇
CHORUS
（Str。 1）
Ills on ills！ no pause or rest！
Come they from our sightless guest？
Or haply now we see fulfilled
What fate long time hath willed？
For ne'er have I proved vain
Aught that the heavenly powers ordain。
Time with never sleeping eye
Watches what is writ on high；
Overthrowing now the great；
Raising now from low estate。
Hark！ How the thunder rumbles！ Zeus defend us！
OEDIPUS
Children； my children！ will no messenger
Go summon hither Theseus my best friend？
ANTIGONE
And wherefore； father； dost thou summon him？
OEDIPUS
This winged thunder of the god must bear me
Anon to Hades。 Send and tarry not。
CHORUS
（Ant。 1）
Hark！ with louder； nearer roar
The bolt of Zeus descends once more。
My spirit quails and cowers： my hair
Bristles for fear。 Again that flare！
What doth the lightning…flash portend？
Ever it points to issues grave。
Dread powers of air！ Save； Zeus； O save！
OEDIPUS
Daughters； upon me the predestined end
Has come； no turning from it any more。
ANTIGONE
How knowest thou？ What sign convinces thee？
OEDIPUS
I know full well。 Let some one with all speed
Go summon hither the Athenian prince。
CHORUS
（Str。 2）
Ha！ once more the deafening sound
Peals yet louder all around
If thou darkenest our land；
Lightly； lightly lay thy hand；
Grace； not anger； let me win；
If upon a man of sin
I have looked with pitying eye；
Zeus； o