⁠Cr. 'Tis death must come between him and his joy.
⁠Ch. All doubts then resolved: the maid must die.
⁠Cr. I am resolved; and so, 'twould seem, are you.
In with her, slaves! No more delay! Henceforth
These maids must have but woman's liberty
And be mewed up; for even the bold will fly
When they see Death nearing the house of life
⁠[Antigone and Ismene are led into the palace.

⁠Chorus.
Blest is the life that never tasted woe.⁠I 1
When once the blow
Hath fallen upon a house with Heaven-sent doom,
Trouble descends in ever-widening gloom
Through all the number of the tribe to flow;
⁠As when the briny surge
⁠That Thrace-born tempests urge
(The big wave ever gathering more and more)
Runs o`er the darkness of the deep,
⁠And with far-searching sweep
Uprolls the storm-heap'd tangle on the shore,
While cliff to beaten cliff resounds with sullen roar.

The stock of Cadmus from old time, I know,⁠I 2
⁠Hath woe on woe,
Age following age, the living on the dead,
Fresh sorrow falling on each new-ris'n head,
None freed by God from ruthless overthrow.
⁠E'en now a smiling light
⁠Was spreading to our sight
O'er one last fibre of a blasted tree,—
When, lo! the dust of cruel death,
⁠Tribute of Gods beneath,
And wildering thoughts, and fate-born ecstasy,
Quench the brief gleam in dark Nonentity,

What froward will of man, O Zeus! can check thy
⁠might? ⁠II 1
Not all-enfeebling sleep, nor tireless months divine,
Can touch thee, who through ageless time
Rulest mightily Olympus' dazzling height.