My office is
Henceforth to dry up tears, and not to shed them;
But yet of all who mourn, none mourn like me,
Not only for thyself, but him who slew thee.
Henceforth to dry up tears, and not to shed them;
But yet of all who mourn, none mourn like me,
Not only for thyself, but him who slew thee.
Byron
whose unsinking
Blood darkens earth and heaven! what thou _now_ art 530
I know not! but if _thou_ seest what _I_ am,
I think thou wilt forgive him, whom his God
Can ne'er forgive, nor his own soul. --Farewell!
I must not, dare not touch what I have made thee.
I, who sprung from the same womb with thee, drained
The same breast, clasped thee often to my own,
In fondness brotherly and boyish, I
Can never meet thee more, nor even dare
To do that for thee, which thou shouldst have done
For me--compose thy limbs into their grave-- 540
The first grave yet dug for mortality.
But who hath dug that grave? Oh, earth! Oh, earth!
For all the fruits thou hast rendered to me, I
Give thee back this. --Now for the wilderness!
[ADAH _stoops down and kisses the body of_ ABEL.
_Adah_. A dreary, and an early doom, my brother,
Has been thy lot! Of all who mourn for thee,
I alone must not weep.
My office is
Henceforth to dry up tears, and not to shed them;
But yet of all who mourn, none mourn like me,
Not only for thyself, but him who slew thee. 550
Now, Cain! I will divide thy burden with thee.
_Cain_. Eastward from Eden will we take our way;
'Tis the most desolate, and suits my steps.
_Adah_. Lead! thou shalt be my guide, and may our God
Be thine! Now let us carry forth our children.
_Cain_. And _he_ who lieth there was childless! I
Have dried the fountain of a gentle race,
Which might have graced his recent marriage couch,
And might have tempered this stern blood of mine,
Uniting with our children Abel's offspring! 560
O Abel!
_Adah_. Peace be with him!
_Cain_.
Blood darkens earth and heaven! what thou _now_ art 530
I know not! but if _thou_ seest what _I_ am,
I think thou wilt forgive him, whom his God
Can ne'er forgive, nor his own soul. --Farewell!
I must not, dare not touch what I have made thee.
I, who sprung from the same womb with thee, drained
The same breast, clasped thee often to my own,
In fondness brotherly and boyish, I
Can never meet thee more, nor even dare
To do that for thee, which thou shouldst have done
For me--compose thy limbs into their grave-- 540
The first grave yet dug for mortality.
But who hath dug that grave? Oh, earth! Oh, earth!
For all the fruits thou hast rendered to me, I
Give thee back this. --Now for the wilderness!
[ADAH _stoops down and kisses the body of_ ABEL.
_Adah_. A dreary, and an early doom, my brother,
Has been thy lot! Of all who mourn for thee,
I alone must not weep.
My office is
Henceforth to dry up tears, and not to shed them;
But yet of all who mourn, none mourn like me,
Not only for thyself, but him who slew thee. 550
Now, Cain! I will divide thy burden with thee.
_Cain_. Eastward from Eden will we take our way;
'Tis the most desolate, and suits my steps.
_Adah_. Lead! thou shalt be my guide, and may our God
Be thine! Now let us carry forth our children.
_Cain_. And _he_ who lieth there was childless! I
Have dried the fountain of a gentle race,
Which might have graced his recent marriage couch,
And might have tempered this stern blood of mine,
Uniting with our children Abel's offspring! 560
O Abel!
_Adah_. Peace be with him!
_Cain_.
