loose in the air,—­and with his songs he shouts out such words as this:  O go forth, ye Bacchae; O go forth, ye Bacchae, delight of gold-flowing Tmolus.  Sing Bacchus ’neath the loud drums, Evoe, celebrating the God Evius in Phrygian cries and shouts.  When the sweet-sounding sacred pipe sounds a sacred playful sound suited to the frantic wanderers, to the mountain, to the mountain—­and the Bacchant rejoicing like a foal with its mother at pasture, stirs its swift foot in the dance.

TIRESIAS.  Who at the doors will call out Cadmus from the house, the son of Agenor, who, leaving the city of Sidon, erected this city of the Thebans?  Let some one go, tell him that Tiresias seeks him; but he himself knows on what account I come, and what agreement I, an old man, have made with him, yet older; to twine the thyrsi, and to put on the skins of deer, and to crown the head with ivy branches.

CADMUS.  O dearest friend! how I, being in the house, was delighted, hearing your voice, the wise voice of a wise man; and I am come prepared, having this equipment of the God; for we needs must extol him, who is the son sprung from my daughter, Bacchus, who has appeared as a God to men, as much as is in our power.  Whither shall I dance, whither direct the foot, and wave the hoary head?  Do you lead me, you, an old man!  O Tiresias, direct me, an old man; for you are wise.  Since I shall never tire, neither night nor day, striking the earth with the thyrsus.  Gladly we forget that we are old.

TI.  You have the same feelings indeed as I; for I too feel young, and will attempt the dance.

CA.  Then we will go to the mountain in chariots.[12]

TI.  But thus the God would not have equal honor.

CA.  I, an old man, will lead you, an old man.[13]

TI.  The God will without trouble guide us thither.

CA.  But shall we alone of the city dance in honor of Bacchus?

TI. [Ay,] for we alone think rightly, but the rest ill.

CA.  We are long in delaying;[14] but take hold of my hand.

TI.  See, take hold, and join your hand to mine.

CA.  I do not despise the Gods, being a mortal.

TI.  We do not show too much wiseness about the Gods.  Our ancestral traditions, and those which we have kept throughout our life, no argument will overturn them; not if any one were to find out wisdom with the highest genius.  Some one will say that I do not respect old age, being about to dance, having crowned my head with ivy; for the God has made no distinction as to whether it becomes the young man to dance, or the elder; but wishes to have common honors from all; but does not at all wish to be extolled by a few.

CA.  Since you, O Tiresias, do not see this light, I will be to you an interpreter of things.  Hither is Pentheus coming to the house in haste, the son of Echion, to whom I give power over the land.  How fluttered he is! what strange thing will he say?