The Death of Sophocles

An eagle flied down in night onto Sophocles's home,
And the cicadas' choir ringed out his garden, frowned.
But in this time the great was going his life from
Into the endless one through troops besieged his town.  
And it was when a king had seen the strangest dream:
Dionysus told him to cease the siege, impudent,
To not mar with a noise the funeral rout, grim, -
And let Athenians respect his brilliant student.



Translated by Yevgeny Bonver, August, 2004