Hemmed in thy way in vengeful wrath Because of stolen Cerberus, And in the outer court of Dis 1920 Do jealous fates detain thee still? Oh what a rout among the shades And frightened manes must there be! Does Charon flee in his ghostly skiff? With flying hoofs do the Centaurs rush 1925 Through the wandering shades? Does the hydra seek In fear to plunge his snaky heads 'Neath the murky waves? Do all thy tasks Hold thee in fear? Ah me! Ah me! What foolish, raving madness this! I am mistaken quite. I know 1930 The shades and manes fear thee not; For neither does the tawny skin Stripped from the fierce Argolic beast Protect thy left with its streaming mane, Nor do its savage teeth surround 1935 Thy head. Thy quiver with its darts Thou hast given away, and a weaker hand Will aim thy bow. Alas, my son, Unarmed through the shades thou tak'st thy way; And with the shades shalt thou dwell for aye. _The Voice of Hercules_ [_sounding from heaven_]: Why, since I hold the starry realms of sky, 1940 And have at last attained a heavenly seat, Dost thou by wailing bid me feel again Mortality? Give o'er, since valor now Has made for me a passage to the gods. _Alcmena_ [_bewildered_]: Whence fall upon my startled ears These sounds? Whence come these thunder tones That bid me check my tears? Ah, now 1945 I know that chaos is o'ercome. From Styx art thou once more returned, O son? And hast thou once again Vanquished the grizzly power of death? Hast thou escaped the grim abode Of death once more, the gloomy pools Where sailed the dark infernal skiff? 1950 Does Acheron's wan stream allow To thee alone a backward way? And after death has greedy fate No hold upon thy dauntless soul? Perchance thy way to hell was barred By Pluto's self, who trembled sore For his own realm? Upon the pyre 1955 Of blazing woods I saw thee lie; While to the stars the raging flames Shot up. Thou wast indeed consumed. Then why does not the far abode Of death retain thy spirit still? 1960 What part of thee do trembling manes fear? Is e'en thy shade too terrible for Dis?