Theclamourswelledorsank，andthemencalledorcriedthenamesofmanywomen，somedead，somelost。Othersweremute，silentinthepresenceoftheWorld’sDesire，silentaswhenweseelostfacesinadream。TheWandererhadlookedonceandthencastdownhiseyesandstoodwithhisfacehiddeninhishands。Healonewaitedandstrovetothink；therestwereabandonedtothebewildermentoftheirpassionsandtheiramaze。
Whatwasitthathehadseen？Thatwhichhehadsoughthiswholelifelong；soughtbyseaandland，notknowingwhathesought。Forthishehadwanderedwithahungryheart，andnowwasthehungerofhishearttobeappeased？BetweenhimandherwastheunknownbarrierandtheinvisibleDeath。Washetopasstheunmarkedboundary，toforcethoseguardedgatesandachievewhereallhadfailed？Hadamagicdeceivedhiseyes？DidhelookbutonapictureandavisionthatsomeartcouldcallagainfromthehauntedplaceofMemory？
Hesighedandlookedagain。Lo！inhischarmedsightafairgirlseemedtostanduponthepylonbrow，andonherheadsheboreashiningurnofbronze。
Heknewhernow。HehadseenherthusatthecourtofKingTyndareusashedroveinhischariotthroughthefordofEurotas；thushehadseenheralsointhedreamontheSilentIsle。
Againhesighedandagainhelooked。Nowinhischarmedsightawomansat，whosefacewasthefaceofthegirl，grownmorelovelyfar，butsadwithgriefandtouchedwithshame。
Hesawherandheknewher。SohehadseenherinTroytowerswhenhestolethitherinabeggar’sguisefromthecampoftheAch？ans。SohehadseenherwhenshesavedhislifeinIlios。
Againhesighedandagainhelooked，andnowhesawtheGoldenHelen。
Shestooduponthepylon’sbrow。Shestoodwitharmsoutstretched，witheyesupturned，andonhershiningfacetherewasasmileliketheinfinitesmileofthedawn。Oh，nowindeedheknewtheshapethatwasBeauty’sself——theinnocentSpiritofLovesentonearthbytheundyingGodstobethedoomandthedelightofmen；todrawthemthroughthewaysofstrifetotheunknownend。
AwhiletheGoldenHelenstoodthuslookingupandouttotheworldsbeyond；tothepeacebeyondthestrife，tothegoalbeyondthegrave。
Thusshestoodwhilemenscarcedaredtobreathe，summoningalltocomeandtakethatwhichupontheearthisguardedsoinvincibly。
Thenoncemoreshesang，andasshesang，slowlydrewherselfaway，tillatlengthnothingwasleftofthevisionofhersavethesweetnessofherdyingsong。
WhowinshisLoveshallloseher，Wholoseshershallgain，Forstillthespiritwoosher，Asoulwithoutastain；
AndMemorystillpursuesherWithlongingsnotinvain！
Helosesherwhogainsher，WhowatchesdaybydayThedustoftimethatstainsher，Thegriefsthatleavehergrey，ThefleshthatyetenchainsherWhosegracehathpassedaway！
Oh，happierhewhogainsnotTheLovesomeseemtogain:
ThejoythatcustomstainsnotShallstillwithhimremain，Thelovelinessthatwanesnot，Thelovethatne’ercanwane。
IndreamsshegrowsnotolderThelandsofDreamamong，Thoughalltheworldwaxcolder，Thoughallthesongsbesung，IndreamsdothhebeholdherStillfairandkindandyoung。
Nowthesilencediedaway，andagainmadnesscameuponthosewhohadlistenedandlooked。Themenwithoutthewalloncemorehurledthemselvesagainstthegates，whilethewomenclungtothem，shriekingcursesonthebeautyoftheHathor，forthesongmeantnothingtothesewomen，andtheirarmswereaboutthosewhomtheylovedandwhowonthemtheirbread。ButmostofthemenwhowereintheoutercourtrusheduptotheinnergateswithinwhichstoodthealabastershrineoftheHathor。Someflungthemselvesuponthegroundandclutchedatit，asindreamsmenflingthemselvesdowntobesavedfromfallingintoapitthathasnobottom。Yetasinsuchanevilslumberthedreamerisdrawninchbyinchtothemouthofthepitbyanunseenhand，sothesewretchedmenweredraggedalongthegroundbythemightoftheirowndesire。Invaintheysettheirfeetagainstthestonestoholdthemselvesfromgoing，fortheythrustforwardyetmorefiercelywiththeirhands，andthuslittlebylittledrewneartheinnergateswrithingforwardsyetmovingbackwardslikeawoundedsnakedraggedalongbyarope。ForofthosewhothusenteredtheoutercourtandlookedupontheHathor，fewmightgobackalive。
Nowthepriestsdrewtheclothsfromtheireyes，andrising，flungwidethesecondgates，andthere，butalittlewayoff，theveiloftheshrinewaveredasifinawind。Fornowthedoorsbeyondtheveilwerethrownopen，asmightbeseenwhenthewindswayeditsTyrianweb，andthroughthecurtaincamethesoundofthesamesweetsinging。
“Drawnear！Drawnear！“criedtheancientpriest。“LethimwhowouldwintheHathordrawnear！“
NowatfirsttheWandererwasmindedtorushon。Buthisdesirehadnotwhollyovercomehim，norhadhiswisdomlefthim。Hetookcounselwithhisheartandwaitedtolettheothersgo，andtoseehowitfaredwiththem。
Theworshipperswerenowhurryingbackandnowdartingonwards，asfearandlongingseizedthem，tillthemanwhowasblinddrewnear，ledbythehandofapriest，forhishoundmightnotenterthesecondcourtofthetemple。
“Doyefear？“hecried。“Cowards，Ifearnot。ItisbettertolookuponthegloryoftheHathoranddiethantoliveandneverseehermore。Setmyfacestraight，yepriests，setmyfacestraight，attheworstIcanbutdie。“
Sotheyledhimasnearthecurtainsastheydaredtogoandsethisfacestraight。Thenwithagreatcryherushedon。Buthewascaughtandwhirledaboutlikealeafinawind，sothathefell。Heroseandagainrushedon，againtobewhirledback。Athirdtimeheroseandrushedon，smitingwithhisblindman’sstaff。Theblowfell，andstayedinmid-air，andtherecameahollowsoundasofasmittenshield，andthestaffthatdealttheblowwasshattered。Thentherewasanoiselikethenoiseofclashingswords，andthemaninstantlysankdowndead，thoughtheWanderercouldseenowounduponhim。
“Drawnear！Drawnear！“criedthepriestagain。“Thisoneisfallen。
LethimwhowouldwintheHathordrawnear！“
ThenthemanwhohadfledfromthehostoftheApurarushedforward，cryingontheLionofhistribe。Backhewashurled，andbackagain，butatthethirdtimeoncemoretherecamethesoundofclashingswords，andhetoofelldead。
“Drawnear！Drawnear！“criedthepriest。“Anotherhasfallen！LethimwhowouldwintheHathordrawnear！“
Andnowmanaftermanrushedon，tobefirsthurledbackandthenslainoftheclashingswords。AndatlengthallwereslainsavetheWandereralone。
Thenthepriestspake:
“Wiltthouindeedrushontodoom，thougloriousman？Thouhastseenthefateofmany。Bewarnedandturnaway。“
“NeverdidIturnfrommanorghost，“saidtheWanderer，anddrawinghisshortswordhecamenear，warilycoveringhisheadwithhisbroadshield，whilethepriestsstoodbacktoseehimdie。Now，theWandererhadmarkedthatnoneweretouchedtilltheystoodattheverythresholdofthedoorway。ThereforeheutteredaprayertoAphroditeandcameonslowlytillhisfeetwerewithinabow’slengthofthethreshold，andtherehestoodandlistened。NowhecouldheartheverywordsofthesongthattheHathorsangasshewoveatherloom。SodreadandsweetitwasthatforawhilehethoughtnomoreontheGuardiansoftheGate，norofhowhemightwintheway，norofaughtsavethesong。Forshewassingingshrillandclearinhisowndeartongue，thetongueoftheAch？ans:
Paintwiththreadsofgoldandscarlet，paintthebattlesfoughtforme，AllthewarsforArgiveHelen；stormandsackbylandorsea；
Allthetaleoflovesandsorrowsthathavebeenandaretobe。
Paintherlipsthatlikeacuphavepledgedthelipsofheroesall，Painthergoldenhairunwhitenedwhilethemanywintersfall，Paintthebeautythatismistressofthewideworldanditsthrall！
Paintthestormsofshipsandchariots，rainofarrowsflyingfar，PaintthewavesofWarfareleapingupatBeautylikeastar，LikeastarthatpaleandtremblinghangsabovethewavesofWar。
PainttheancientIliosfallen；painttheflamesthatscaledthesky，Whenthefoewasinthefortress，whenthetrumpetandthecryRangofmenintheirlastonset，menwhosehourhaddawnedtodie。
Woeformeoncelovedofallmen，methatneveryethaveknownHowtolovetheheartsthatlovedme。Woeforwoe，whohearthemoanOfmylovers’ghoststhatperishedintheircitiesoverthrown。
Istherenot，ofGodsormortals，oh，yeGods，istherenotone——
Onewhoseheartshallmatewithmyheart，onetoloveereallbedone，Allthetalesofwarsthatshallbeformylovebeneaththesun？
Nowthesongdiedaway，andtheWandereroncemorebethoughthimoftheWardensoftheGateandofthebattlewhichhemustfight。Butashebracedhimselftorushonagainsttheunseenfoethemusicofthesingingswelledforthagain，andwhetherhewilleditorwilleditnot，sosweetwasitsmagicthattherehemustwaittillthesongwasdone。Andnowstrongerandmoregladlyrangthesweetshrillvoice，likethevoiceofonewhohasmademoanthroughthelivelongwinternight，andnowseesthechariotofthedawnclimbingtheeasternsky。
AndthustheHathorsang:
Ah，withinmyheartahungerfortheloveunfelt，unknown，Stirsatlength，andwakesandmurmursasachildthatwakestomoan，Lefttosleepwithinsomesilenthouseofstrangersandalone。
Somyheartawakes，andwaking，moanswithhungerandwithcold，Criesinpainofdimremembranceforthejoythatwasofold；
Forthelovethatwas，thatshallbe，halfforgotandhalfforetold。
HaveIdreameditorremembered？InanotherworldwasI，Livedandlovedinalienseasons，movedbeneathagoldensky，Inagoldenclimewherenevercamethestrifeofmenthatdie。