Oh, where art thou? In thine own Nysa, thou our help alone? O'er fierce beasts in orient lands Doth thy thronging thyrsus wave, By the high Corycian Cave, Or where stern Olympus stands; In the elm-woods and the oaken, There where Orpheus harped of old, And the trees awoke and knew him, And the wild things gathered to him, As he sang amid the broken Glens his music manifold? Blessed Land of Pierie, Dionysus loveth thee; He will come to thee with dancing, Come with joy and mystery; With the Maenads at his hest Winding, winding to the West; Cross the flood of swiftly glancing Axios in majesty; Cross the Lydias, the giver Of good gifts and waving green; Cross that Father-Stream of story, Through a land of steeds and glory Rolling, bravest, fairest River E'er of mortals seen!
A VOICE WITHIN.
Io! Io! Awake, ye damsels; hear my cry, Calling my Chosen; hearken ye!
A MAIDEN.
Who speaketh? Oh, what echoes thus?
ANOTHER.
A Voice, a Voice, that calleth us!
THE VOICE.
Be of good cheer! Lo, it is I, The Child of Zeus and Semele.
A MAIDEN.
O Master, Master, it is Thou!
ANOTHER.
O Holy Voice, be with us now!
THE VOICE.
Spirit of the Chained Earthquake, Hear my word; awake, awake!
[An Earthquake suddenly shakes the pillars of the Castle.
A MAIDEN.
Ha! what is coming? Shall the hall Of Pentheus racked in ruin fall?
LEADER.
Our God is in the house! Ye maids adore Him!
CHORUS.
We adore Him all!
THE VOICE.
Unveil the Lightning's eye; arouse The fire that sleeps, against this house!
[Fire leaps up on the Tomb of Semele.