<html xmlns:tei="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0"><body><h1 align="" class="head">The Burial of Sophocles</h1><p class="epigraph"></p><p xmlns:exist="http://exist.sourceforge.net/NS/exist" xmlns:html="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"></p><p>Καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν πατρῷον τάφον ἐτέθητὸν ἐπὶ τῇ κατὰ τὴν Δεκέλειαν φερούσῃ κείμενον πρὸ τοῦ τείχους ἕνδεκα σταδίων. .... καὶ τοῦτον τὸν τόπον ἐπιτετειχικότων Λακεδαιμονίων κατ᾽ Ἀθηναίων Διόνυσος κατ᾽ ὄναρ ἐπιστὰς Λυσάνδρῳ ἐκέλευσεν ἐπιτρέψαι τεθῆναι τὸν ἄνδρα εἰς τὸν τάφον. ὡς δ᾽ ωλιγώρησεν ὁ δὲ Λύσανδρος, δεύτρον αὐτῷ ἐπέστη ὁ Διόνυσος τὸ αὐτὸ κελεύων. ὁ δὲ Λύσανδρος πυνθανόμενος παρὰ τῶν φυγάδων τίς εἴν ὁ τελευτήσας, καὶ μαθὼ ὅτι Σοφοκλῆς ὑπάρχει, κήρυκα πέμψας ἐδίδου θάπτειν τὸν ἄνδρα.</p><p>' And he was laid in the tomb of his fathers, that is situated eleven furlongs in front of the wall, on the road leading past Decelea. . . Now Decelea had been taken from the Athenians and fortified against them by the Lacedaemonians; to whose general, Lysander, the god Dionysus appeared in a dream, bidding him give leave for the man to be buried in the tomb. When Lysander made light of it, the God appeared a second time with the same behest. Then Lysander inquired from deserters who the dead man was; and learning that it was Sophocles, sent a herald with permission for the burial.'</p><p>Sophocles, <em>the grandson, speaks at the poet's tomb</em>.</p><div class="stanza"><p class="line">GREEN hills that wave your olives to the sun.</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">Who but an hour ago did flaming rise</p><p class="line">Over the tombs of hidden Marathon</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">And gave you back your shining jewelleries</p><p class="line">What meaning dear can the dull eyes of grief</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">Trace in your moving groves and wizard streams?--</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">Have ye a knowledge of our troubled quest,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">The lamentation brief,</p><p class="line">The grey road and the haunting twilight dreams,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">And the lov'd burden laid this morn to rest?</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">Ah! surely there is wonder and strange stir</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">Amid Earth's guardian gods, when the last goal</p><p class="line">Hath gain'd the crown, and to Earth's sepulchre</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">We bear the way-worn chariot of the soul!--</p><p class="line">And surely here a memory shall last,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">In hill and grove and torrent, of this day,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">For bards to glean who can: and they shall sing</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">How the sweet singer pass'd</p><p class="line">Forth to his rest with war about his way</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">And a dread mask of Ares menacing!</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">Alas! poor city, fate-enshadowèd,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">How powerless all thy pride of piety</p><p class="line">To give due service to thy poet dead--</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">Save by the favour of an enemy!--</p><p class="line">A bitter hard-won favour; for folks say</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">Lord Dionysus twice in vision came,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">Jealous and wroth, to school Lysander's might,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">That, where his fathers lay,</p><p class="line">The darling prophet of the god's own flame,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">Cradled in calm, should sleep his endless night.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">'Twas thus, that, ere the arrows of the dawn</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">First shot the peaks of clear Pentelicus</p><p class="line">With the day's golden promise, we had drawn</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">Nigh to the house of death and girded us</p><p class="line">With the dim livery of the funeral:</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">A small, sad band, whom love or blood allow'd</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">To tend the dead; while vexing the repose</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">Of stars, who listening all</p><p class="line">Peer'd through a shifting curtain of frail cloud,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">Like a wild song the women's wailing rose.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">Slowly we brought him forth--can I forget?--</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">And soft adown the lantern-hemmèd street</p><p class="line">Parted the throngs who paid their pious debt</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">Of patient watching and of reverence meet.</p><p class="line">And there were sudden tears and murmurs faint</p><p class="line">And floating cries upon the midnight air,--</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">Not that they grudg'd him death, nor would importune</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">The gods in idle plaint:</p><p class="line"><em>But oh! he went</em> (their burthen of despair)--</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%"><em>Athens' last light--in Athens darkest fortune!</em></p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">How lingeringly we reached the guarded gate</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">Of the dear city fate-enshadowèd!--</p><p class="line">As if reluctantly she bore the fate</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">That stole his presence. For of old ('twas said)</p><p class="line">The palaces of Kings had sought in vain</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">To woo him from his Athens, and the long</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">Proof of the years had found him ever true:</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">So, like a lover, fain</p><p class="line">Would she have held him from this shelter strong</p><p class="line">Once hers, now--gift of a curs'd stranger crew!</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">But when we left the wakeful, following crowd</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">Within the walls, and passed the sentinels,</p><p class="line">Pausing we turn'd: and lo! for us the shroud</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">Of silent night hid nothing. All the bells</p><p class="line">Were set a-chiming in each memory,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">And to fond eyes, that knew the outline clear</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">Of every tower and temple and the whole</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">Form of her majesty,</p><p class="line">Athens, the queenly city, bade appear,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">Rob'd in revealing shade, her wondrous soul.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">Her wondrous soul, her wondrous, grieving soul</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">Captur'd and fill'd us.--Oh, how fevrous then</p><p class="line">(When we had forfeited the passing toll</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">Of tears, that Love itself exacts from men</p><p class="line">On such an errand) did we take the road,</p><p class="line">And by Cephisus' ' sleepless fountains' bore</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">On the dead singer of Colonus fair,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">Yon kindly last abode</p><p class="line">Of the royal Theban martyr, who of yore</p><p class="line">Curs'd a false son and dying triumph'd there.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">Ah! Fancy loves to weave at such an hour</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">A faery web of false resemblances.--</p><p class="line">And who hath strength to curb her perilous power</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">Of blind divining? Many phantasies</p><p class="line">Made riot in our thought and seem'd to bring</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">The living children of <em>his</em> poesy</p><p class="line">Winging from out the night to claim a part</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">In all our sorrowing:</p><p class="line">While the lorn gale out of the Northern sky</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">Sped its far, sullen mutterings to our heart.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">And then that "darkly-riding company!--</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">What rapid, iron question stabb'd the air?</p><p class="line">Rude force in-bursting on our reverie</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">With Insolence of arms and doubting stare!</p><p class="line">But when the whisper flew that this was <em>he</em></p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">Poet of all the nations, rare bequest</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">Of Hellas to the treasuries of Time,--</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">Forgot was enmity,</p><p class="line">And, sons of Hellas all, we onward press'd</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">Hot with one fervour and one care sublime.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">And last, the tomb.--One struck the dead man's lyre</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">By Death long silenc'd, and our hearkening ears</p><p class="line">Were open'd for one moment of desire</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">To the pure, perfect music of the spheres;</p><p class="line">As if his Spirit had vouchsaf'd to us</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">A fragment of eternal harmony</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">From its new dwelling-place. The player ceas'd;</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">All dumb and tremulous</p><p class="line">We smooth'd the coffin, cas'd in greenery</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">And with our own shorn tresses over-fleec'd.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">And so we laid him: even so he lies</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">To be for aye the Muse's pensioner:</p><p class="line">Poets unborn shall sing him, centuries</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">Untold tell of his fealty to her.--</p><p class="line">For oh! the service of his life will live</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">Deathlessly eloquent. But I------alas!</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">Left desolate within this teasing world--</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">What comfort can I give</p><p class="line">My comrades ere again those walls we pass</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">Whose flag of hope for evermore is furl'd?</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">O multitudinous music of the day--</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">Bird-song and breeze and forest-minstrelsy--</p><p class="line">You storm this heart and to your chorus gay</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">Marry its dirge of desolate misery:</p><p class="line">Whence a faint song of musing hope is born,--</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">Hope for Earth's children whom the Master lov'd,</p><p class="line">And for God's justice that he witness'd e'er,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">Hope for his Athens torn</p><p class="line">By foe and feud: So be my spirit prov'd</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">Not all unworthy him whose name I bear.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">Ah! Master, when the blast uproots a tree,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">Its form lies bedded--but a god beneath</p><p class="line">Treasures its leaves and perish'd fragrancy</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">To pierce anew the pregnant soils of death:</p><p class="line">So from thy poetry, thy spirit-tomb,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">Shall burgeon wealth of tears and tenderness</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">And beauty, when forgotten is this pit</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">And drain'd is Athens' doom-----</p><p class="line">Come, leave his body, friends, to Earth's caress.--</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">Oh, lightly, lightly. Earth, encompass it!</p></div></body></html> · Great War