EUKIPIDE S
Brother of Artemis, 1255
Phoebus, the darling of the vales of Delos—
The First Maiden
Whose little fingers hovered on the harp
And pulled at archery.
The Second Maiden
Up from His birthplace, to Parnassus' top
The Mother brought Her Boy— 1240
The First Maiden
Where Dionysus vaults the waterfall.
The Third Maiden
There, hidden coiling in the leafy laurels,
A serpent with bright scales 1245
And blood-red eyes, a creature born of Earth,
Guarded the cave that held Earth's oracle.
Phoebus, beholding it, leaped up
Out of His Mother's arms, a little Child, 1250
And struck the serpent dead—
The Second Maiden
And on that day began His prophecies.
The Fourth Maiden
O Phoebus, having won the golden throne
And tripod of the truth,
Out of the very center of the Earth,
Thou couldst hear wisdom; and Thy voice conveyed,
Accompanied by all 1255
The run and ripple of Castalian springs,
The deepest prophecies
That ever Earth heard whispered out of Heaven.
The Third Maiden
But Earth had wished to save the oracle
430