Talia dum secum veluti per somnia volvit
inscia praeteritos renovans regina dolores,
iamque sibi priscum scelus instaurare videtur,
arma gerens invectus equo est ad limina miles.
virginei coetus summisso murmure mussant:
tum subito exoritur clamor: "rex adstat: at illa
audiit obstupefacta metu, et cum longa sonabat
porticus armatis pedibus de limine primo
tendentis, delapsa solo se prona volutat,
ora pavimento turpans, ubi crine nigranti
et niveis umeris celantur lumina regem.
armatos adstare pedes caligine densa
audit, at ille nihil: perque alta silentia ut umbrae
vox it rauca tenore uno et denuntiat iras,
quae regem manifesta tamen mutata fatetur :
"sicine prona iaces, venerandi filia patris,
(felix qui periit cum filia labe carebat)?
di bene, progenies quod de te nulla creata est;
haec tua progenies, ferrum atque incendia lata,
diraque pernicies et legum infracta potestas,
et cognatorum insidiae, quique agmine facto
impius Arctoo descendit ab aequore miles."
Has vero adfatus galea celaverat ora
cristata squamis galea fulvoque dracone;
nec faciem regina viri conspexit, et oris
non mortale decus: sed cristam vidit et alas
rorantes nebulis taedarumque ignibus ictas
ardere, et rutilo noctem suffundere fumo.
iamque avertebat sese, et circumflua regem
lurida caligo simulacri immanis ad instar
densius implicuit, donec canesceret umbra
pallidior sensim, et nebulae labentis imago
coniugis ante oculos iret sua fata secuti.
To sing the nation's song or do the deed
That crowns with richer light the motherland,
Or lend her strength of arm in hour of need
When fangs of foes shine fierce on every hand,
Is joy to him whose joy is working well—
Is goal and guerdon too, though never fame
Should find a thrill of music in his name ;
Yea, goal and guerdon too, though Scorn should aim
Her arrows at his soul's high citadel.
But if the fates withhold the joy from me
To do the deed that widens England's day,
Or join that song of Freedom's jubilee
Begun when England started on her way-
Withhold from me the hero's glorious power
To strike with song or sword for her, the mother,
And give that sacred guerdon to another,
Him will I hail as my more noble brother
Him will I love for his diviner dower.
THE THROSTLE
"Summer is coming, summer is coming.
I know it, I know it, I know it.
Light again, leaf again, life again, love again!
Yes, my wild little Poet.
Sing the new year in under the blue,
Last year you sang it as gladly.
"New, new, new, new!" Is it then so new
That you should carol so madly?
"Love again, song again, nest again, young again.”
Never a prophet so crazy!
And hardly a daisy as yet, little friend,
See, there is hardly a daisy.
"Here again, here, here, here, happy year!"
O warble, unchidden, unbidden!
Summer is coming, is coming, my dear,
And all the winters are hidden.
Felix, qui potuit gentem illustrare canendo,
quique decus patriae claris virtutibus addit
succurritque laboranti, tutamque periclis
eruit, hostilesque minas avertit acerbo
dente lacessitae; bene, quicquid fecerit audax,
explevisse iuvat: metam tenet ille quadrigis,
praemia victor habet, quamvis tuba vivida famae
ignoret titulos, vel si flammante sagitta
oppugnet Livor quam mens sibi muniit arcem.
quod si fata mihi virtutis gaudia tantae
invideant, nec fas Anglorum extendere fines
latius, et nitidae primordia libertatis,
Anglia cui praecepit iter, cantare poetae;
si numeris laudare meam vel marte Parentem
non mihi contingat, nec Divom adsumere vires
atque inconcessos sibi vindicet alter honores,
dignior ille mihi frater, quem iure saluto-
illum divino praestantem numine amabo.
"Redit aestas, redit aestas, scio lucem redituram, scio frondes et amorem, scio vitam.” sapis aeque et furis idem, bone vates.
nova narras; radiat ver: eadem te prior annus
“nova lux est, nova frons est," temere urges novitatem.
"mihi cantus, mihi nidi, mihi dulces Hymenaei.” furis, inquam, furis excors; an et unam latitantem
“age, felix, age portas aperi, Sol." sine culpa cane, quiquid lubet, ales: redit aestas et iniquas
hiemes trudit in Orcum.
FROM 'LOVE AND SLEEP'
What sights were theirs in that blest wonder-land ?
See, the white mountain-summits, framed in cloud,
Redden with sunset; when below them stand
The solemn pine-woods like a funeral crowd;
And lower still the vineyards twine, and make
A double vintage in the tranquil lake.
Or, after storm-tost nights, on some sea isle
The sudden tropical morning bursts; and lo!
Bright birds and feathery palms, the green hills smile,
Strange barks, with swarthy crews, dart to and fro;
And on the blue bay, glittering like a crown,
The white domes of some fair historic town.
All these they knew! and then a breeze of day
Stirred the dark wood; and then they seemed to
Forth with reluctant feet among the gray,
Bare fields, unfanciful; and all the flame
Was burnt from out Love's eyes, and from his hair,
And his smooth cheek was marked with lines of care.
And paler showed the maid, more pure and white
And holier than before. But when I said,
"Sweet eyes, be opened"; lo, the unveilèd sight
Was as the awful vision of the dead!
Then knew I, breathing slow, with difficult breath,
That Love was one with Life, and Sleep with Death.
Sir Lewis Morris.
FROM 'SONGS OF TRAVEL'
He hears with gladdened heart the thunder
Peal, and loves the falling dew;
He knows the earth above and under-
Sits and is content to view.
He sits beside the dying ember,
God for hope and man for friend,
Content to see, glad to remember,
Expectant of the certain end.
AMOR ET SOMNUS
Musa refer magicis spectacula mille sub umbris:
en rubet occiduo lumine montis apex,
nubila quem cingunt niveum, tum tristia clivos
pineta, ut structo pompa propinqua rogo.
inferius vineta iacent, innexa racemis,
Bacchus et in placidis redditur alter aquis.
vexatove mari noctem quam longa, repente
mane novo visa est surgere Taprobane.
palmiferos inter colles, pictasque volucres
turba regit miras sole perusta rates.
urbis et antiquae, clari diadematis instar,
caeruleo impendent candida templa lacu.
talia senserunt.-Iam matutina diei
coeperat obscuras aura movere comas. inde per expertes Cereris Musaeque novales segniter invitam carpit uterque viam. flamma viro est exstincta oculis, exstincta capillis, marmoream frontem ruga senilis arat.
virgineus magis atque magis pallescere vultus, sanctior est formae candidiorque nitor.
verum ubi caeruleos iussi se pandere ocellos, livida Tartareus verterat ora color.
tum subit-at 'fessos quatit aeger anhelitus artus'
"par Amor est vitae, par tibi, Somne, mori."
IN UTRUMQUE PARATUS
Audit ovans rutilo crepitare tonitrua caelo
aethere delapsi munera roris amat.
novit, quae celat tellus, quae prodit ad auras,
contentusque sedet,-posse videre sat est.
dumque sedet, languent ignes frigente favilla,
sed sperare Deus iussit, amicus homo est.
posse videre sat est: iuvat acta revolvere: certus
finis adest: meditans quid ferat ille manet.
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