In vain, O thou veiled
Immutable a
queen!
Thy strong voice bewailed, b
Thy fair face was seen!
It flushed up and paled;
The song echoed clean -
But alas! for the veil of the night, and the fear that is ever between!
Of pity unfilled
And void of remorse,
He moves unappealed
In the terrible course.
But the lyre is unchilled; -
By force unto force
He shall answer me power unto power at the source of its source!
Dost thou hear how the weight
Of the earth and the moon
Shudder, as if fate
Were involved in the tune?
The portals of hate
Shake at the rune
Of the magical nature-cry, the song from the mountains hewn! c
To the horrible hollow
In Tartarus a
steep,
O song of me follow!
I flee to the deep.
That word of Apollo
Shall shudder and leap;
That word in the uttermost night shall awake them who
know not of sleep.
Hear, O ye Three, b
In the innermost pit
Dwellers that be!
Tartarus, split!
Arise unto me
For I call ye with wit
Of the words that constrain c
and compel, of the summons
ordered and fit!
O daughter of Earth,
Tisiphone dread,
The Ophidian d
girth
And the blood-dripping head,
In hideous mirth
Bring living and dead
To torture! Arise! I conjure by the might of the words I have said.
Megæra, thou terror,
O daughter of Night
Whose sight in a mirror
Is death of affright,
Wingèd with error,
I chain thee, and cite
The words that thy soul must obey if a mortal but say them aright!
Alecto! I call thee,
My words ring thee round.
My spells enwall thee.
My lyre is crowned
With might to appal thee
With terror profound.
Arise! O Alecto, arise! for my song hath compelled thee and bound.
Ye furies of Hell!
Ye terrors in Heaven!
The strenght of the spell
Is as thunder at even
The rocks of the fell
That hath blasted and riven.
Come forth! I invoke ye, Erinyes, the charm of the one that is seven. a
By the Five that are One, b
And the One that is Ten c
By the snake in the sun
And her mirror in men;
By the Four that run d
And return them again;
By the fire that is lit in the Lion, the wave in the Scorpion den!
By the One that is Seven,
The whirling eyes;
The Two made Eleven, e
The dragon's devise;
The Eight against Heaven, a
All crowns of lies;
Come forth! I invoke ye, Erinyes, move, answer, take shape and arise!
By the cross and the wheel
I call ye to hear;
By the dagger of steel
I command ye, give ear!
By the word that ye feel
The summons of Fear;
Come forth! I invoke ye, Erinyes, move, answer, arise and appear!
For my purpose is swift,
And my vengeance strong;
I shall not shift;
I shall cry out the wrong.
My voice I uplift
In terrible song
As your forms take shape before me in the likeness for which ye long.
The shape of my passion
And bitter distress
Shall clothe ye, and fashion
An equal dress.
Ye shall force compassion
With awful stress
From the soul that hath mocked me, and turned his heart from my song's excess.
The ruler of hell,
The invisible Lord,
Hath laughed at my spell,
Hath slept at my word.
He hath heard me well -
Awake, O Sword!
Shall he flout a
a suppliant thus and no answer of favour accord?
If mercy be sundered
From splendour and power;
If he answer with thunder
The plaint of a flower;
Shall justice wonder
If Furies devour
So bitter at heart, set a term to his date that was aye b
but an hour?
Avenge me, ye forces
Of horror and wrath!
Clear the dread courses!
Split open the path!
With cruel remorse is
His heart brought to scath. c
And a terror is on him at last, the seed of his hate's aftermath.