Continuing the draft of the verse tragedy I've been roughing out (which will not exactly be so tragic, but it was enough for Euripides), this is the Lament of Admetus. The prior scenes are:
1. Lament of Alcestis
2. Elders of Pherae
3. Alcestis and Admetus
This is a sort of choral dialogue between Admetus [A] and the Chorus of Elders [E]. Yes, it's a bit cheesy, but that's why it's called an early rough draft.
Lament of Admetus
[A]
Weep, O world of men,
lament the passing soul,
One whose virtue blessed
is known throughout the land,
Praised, by tongue confessed,
and gone, no more to call
out live that makes heart whole,
Softly did she fall,
Quick as hind she left our halls.
[E]
All life is hard and cold;
And every man in every state
Shall face the face of death,
And know that best of all
Is not to live, nor yet to die,
But never to be born.
[A]
Wisdom comes from death.
They say it often - fools!
Death is foe of mind;
in pain we catch our breath,
Stunned, we stagger blind
and babble worthless sounds
of maxims, proverbs, rules.
Grief alone is found,
Death alone, the twilight hound.
[E]
All life is hard and cold;
And every man in every state
Shall face the face of death,
And know that best of all
Is not to live, nor yet to die,
But never to be born.
[A]
Yet this I cannot say,
For, shun I light of day,
I shun the day of life
When took I faithful wife.
The next scene, when I get around to finishing it: The Children of Alcestis.
