Heavy’s the weight of the boulder uphill,

Rolling and rolling and rolling up still;

Tired are my bones and my flesh.

Erinnyes’ whip, with a furious crack,

Attacks my skin, tears the flesh off my back,

No hope for me to refresh.

Endless is my labour and pain uphill,

Rolling and rolling and rolling up still,

Labouring through day and night.

Having cheated death I’m punished to live,

Blood and sweat to the thirsty soil to give,

There’s never an end in sight.

Is there some hope to end the heavy toil,

Heal the bleeding wounds with cool soothing oil,

Mop the hot sweat off my brow?

Come, oh Hekate, light up the dark night,

With your flaming torch bring me sparkling light

In my soul, hope to allow.

© P. J. Oszmann (2007)

Illustration: Sisyphus, an oil painting by Titian (El Prado, Madrid)

Footnotes:

(from Greek Mythology)

Sisyphus, a king of Corinth, tried to cheat death and was condemned by the gods

forever to roll a heavy rock to the top of a mountain. Every time he reached the top the rock rolled back down, thus making him start all over again.

He was  whipped by Erinnyes, a fierce goddess – one of the Furies – who sought out the guilty on earth and also meted out punishment to the dead.

Hekate, a mysterious divinity, variously described as goddess of magic, witchcraft, the night, the moon, ghosts and necromancy, light-bringer, guardian of cross-roads, etc.