Collected Works (Vol. III)

ORPHEUS Io! Evoe! Sisters, mingle In the choir, the dance, the revel ! Fle divine, the Spirit single, IIe in every vein shall tingle. Sense and sorrow to the devil! Mingle in the jaughing measure, Hand and lip to breast and thigh ! In enthusiastic pleasure Grasp the solitary treasure ! Laughs the untiring ecstasy ! Sisters ! Sisters ! Raise your voices In the inspired divine delight ! Now the sun sets; now the choice is Who rebels or who rejoices, Murmuring to the mystic night. Io! Evoe! Circle splendid ! Dance, ye maids serene and subtle ! Clotho’s task is fairly ended. Atropos, thy power is rended ! Ho, Lachesis! ply thy shuttle! Weave the human dance together With the life of rocks and trees ! Let the blue delirious weather Bind all spirits in one tether, Overwhelming ecstasies ! Io Evoe! J faint, I fall, Swoon in purple light ; the grape Drowns my spirit in its thrall. Love tne, love me over all, Spirit in the spirit shape ! All is one! I murmur. Distant Sounds the shout, Evoe, Evoe ! Evoe, Iacche! Soft, insistent Like to echo’s voice persistent :— Hail! Agave! Autonoe! AGAVE, Evoe Ho! Iacche ! Hail, O Hail! Praise him ! What dreams are these? AUTONOE. Sisters, O sisters ! AGAVE. Say, are our brethren of the rocks awake? AUTONOE. The lion roars. MANADS. O listen to the snake ! AUTONOE. Evoe Ho! Give me to drink ! AGAVE. Run wild! Mountain and mountain let us leap upon Like tigers on their prey ! MANADS. Crush, crush the world ! AGAVE, Tread earth as ’twere a winepress ! AU TONOE, Drink its blood, The sweet red wine ! MANADS. Ay, drink the old earth dry! AGAVE. Squeeze the last drops out till the frame collapse Like an old wineskin ! AUTONOE. So the sooner sup Among the stars ! AGAVE. The swift, swift stars ! MAENADS. O night ! Night, night, fall deep and sure !