Bitter in |soul they went |out, Ce|pheus and |Cassio|poeia,
Bitter in |soul; and their |hearts whirled |round, as the |leaves in the |eddy.

Weak was the |queen, and re|belled: but the |king, like a |shepherd of |people,
Willed not the |land should |waste; so he |yielded the |life of his |daughter.

Deep in the |wane of the |night, as the |moon sank |low to the |westward,
They by the |shade of the |cliffs, with the |horror of |darkness a|round them,
Stole, as a|shamed, to a |deed which be|came not the |light of the |sunshine,
Slowly, the |priests, and the |queen, and the |virgin |bound in the |galley. .

Slowly they |rowed to the |rocks: but |Cepheus |far in the |palace
Sate in the |midst of the |hail, on his |throne, like a |shepherd of |people,
Choking his |woe, dry-|eyed, while the |slaves wailed |loudly a|round him.
They on the |sea-girt |rock, which is |washed by the |surges for |ever,
Set her in |silence, the |guiltless, a|loft with her |face to the |eastward.

Under a |crag of the |stone, where a |ledge sloped |down to the |water;
There they set |Androme|da, most |beautiful, |shaped like a |goddess,
Lifting her |long white |arms wide-|spread to the |walls of the |basalt,
Chaining them, |ruthless, with |brass; and they |called on the |might of the |Rulers.

‘Mystical |fish of the |seas, dread |Queen whom |Aethiops |honor,
Whelming the |land in thy |wrath, una|voidable, |sharp as the |sting-ray,
Thou, and thy |brother the |Sun, brain-|smiting, |lord of the |sheepfold,
Scorching the |earth all |day, and then |resting at |night in thy |bosom,
Take ye this |one life for |many, a|ppeased by the |blood |of a maiden,
Fairest, and |born of the |fairest, a |queen, most |priceless of victims.’

Thrice they |spat as they |went by the |maid: but her |mother de|laying
Fondled her |child to the |last, heart-|crushed; and the |warmth of her |weeping
Fell on the |breast of the |maid, as her |woe broke |forth into |wailing.

‘Daughter! my |daughter! For|give me! O |curse not the |murderess! |Curse not!

How have I |sinned, but in |love? Do the |gods grudge |glory to |mothers?

Loving I |bore thee in |vain in the |fate-cursed |bride-bed of |Cepheus,
Loving I |fed thee and |tended, and |loving re|joiced in thy |beauty,
Blessing thy |limbs as I |bathed them, and |blessing thy |locks as I |combed them;
Decking thee, |ripening to |woman, I |blest thee: yet |blessing I |slew thee!

How have I |sinned, but in |love? O |swear to me, |swear to thy |mother,
Never to |haunt me with |curse, as I |go to the |grave in my |sorrow,
Childless and |lone: may the |gods never |send me an|other, to |slay it!

See, I em|brace thy |knees—soft |knees, where no |babe will be |fondled—
Swear to me |never to |curse me, the |hapless one, |not in the |death-pang.’

Weeping she |clung to the |knees of the |maid; and the |maid low |answered—
‘Curse thee! |Not in the |death-pang!’ The |heart of the |lady was |lightened.

Slowly she |went by the |ledge; and the |maid was a|lone in the |darkness.
Watching the |pulse of the |oars die |down, as her |own died |with them,
Tearless, |dumb with a|maze she |stood, as a |storm-stunned |nestling
Fallen from |bough or from |eave lies |dumb, which the |home-going |herdsman
Fancies a |stone, till he |catches the |light of its |terrified |eyeball