Instead of Sappho's verses, rings with thine. With his sweet lip, and frank Theocritus, I too, no stranger to the pastoral song, Raise, raise the dirge, Muses of Sicily. But the nymphs please to let the frog sing on; 120 Raise, raise the dirge, Muses of Sicily. Or bid be mixed, and turn him from thy song! Raise, raise the dirge, Muses of Sicily. To Pluto's house, and see if you sang there, And so thou wouldst be honoured; and as Orpheus, For his sweet harping, had his love again, She would restore thee to our mountains, Bion. Oh, had I but the power, I, I would do it. 130 140 SEA AND LAND MOSCHUS [First published in The Examiner, January 21, 1816; reprinted 1818. Text 1818.] WHEN a smooth wind runs on the far green sea, This coward thought of mine feels pleasantly, And lost to poetry itself, can lie Wrapt in a wistful quietness of eye. But when the deeps are moved, and the waves come I turn to earth, which trusty seems, and staid, And love to get into a green wood shade; In which the pines, although the winds be strong, A wretched life a fisherman's must be, His home a ship, his labour in the sea, And fish, the slippery object of his gain :— I love a sleep under a leafy plane, And a low fountain coiling in mine ear, Which fills the soul with smiling, not with fear. ΤΟ 1 When... on] When gentle winds ripple 1816. 5 the deeps are moved] its roar is up 1816. 6 Shuddering along.] Curling their tops 1816. 7 earth] land 1816. 9 winds] wind 1816. 12 home] house 1816. 14 a leafy] the leafy 1816. LOVE AT THE PLOUGH; OR, JUPITER REMINDED OF EUROPA IMITATED FROM MOSCHUS [First published in The Companion, May 7, 1828. Not reprinted.] LOVE laid aside his torch, his quiver, and his bow, And like a roguish herdsman, a ploughing he would go. He took a pair of bulls, so patient and so strong, And as he went, he looked to heaven, and sung this merry song : Now mind me, Jove, a harvest,—a good harvest, or by Jove, I'll make the bull come plough for me, that ploughed the seas for love. FROM THE GREEK ANTHOLOGY ON A PEN [First published in The New Monthly Magazine, October 1836; not reprinted.] A REED was I:-my thin and fruitless shape When, lo! one took me, polished me, gave lips GREEK PRETENDERS TO PHILOSOPHY DESCRIBED [First printed in the notes to Bacchus in Tuscany, 1825, where the compound words are printed without hyphens. Reprinted 1844-60. Text 1844.] (The original is in similar compound words.) [H.] ON THE TOMB OF TWO BROTHERS [First published in The New Monthly Magazine, October 1836. Not reprinted.] PAULUS and Latöus, brothers, Thought no lot like one another's: Common was the life they led, Common is their last, low bed: For they could not rest apart, ΤΟ They must needs together start MELEAGER THE TRIPLE LOVER [First published in The Tatler, November 17, 1830, unsigned. Not reprinted.] THREE are the Graces, three the Hours,' and three The charming girls who mystify poor me. Cupid must take me for a man of parts, To strike me thus, as though I had three hearts. ΤΟ The Hours originally among the Greeks were the divisions of the year into three seasons,--Spring, Summer, and Winter. (H.) A PARAPHRASE [First published in the Correspondence (1862), under date Florence, 27th May, 1824.] A FLOWERY crown will I compose, I'll weave the crocus, weave the rose; I'll weave narcissus, newly wet, The hyacinth and violet; And myrtle shall supply me green, And lilies laugh in light between: That the rich tendrils of my beauty's hair May burst into their crowning flowers, and light the painted air. CUPID SWALLOWED! A PARAPHRASE [First published in The New Monthly Magazine, October 1836. Reprinted 1844-60. No variants.] T'OTHER day as I was twining What, of all things, 'midst the heap Of my wine I plunged and sank him, And what d'ye think I did ?—I drank him. 10 'Faith, I thought him dead. Not he! ON A CULTIVATOR OF THE GROUND [First published in The Monthly Repository, November 1837. Not reprinted.] And let the turf that wraps him, flower in May. IMITATED FROM THE GREEK AN EPITAPH TO LET [First published in The Monthly Repository, December 1837. Not reprinted.] My name was-(Well-what signifies ?)-my nation(Well, what of that?)-my birth and education(Were good or bad; of course no matter which) My life (Well, sink all that-was poor or richWho cares?)—I died, agèd-(Oh, drop that stuff) And here I lie—(Ay, ay—that's sure enough.) INSCRIPTION ON A STATUE OF EPICTETUS [First published in The Monthly Repository, November 1837, unsigned. Not reprinted.] A SLAVE was I, a shape uneven, A pauper, and the friend of heaven. Another A SLAVE was I, with soul and shape at odds, Poor, and beloved of the immortal gods. DEATH AND GOODNESS [First published in The Monthly Repository, November 1837, unsigned. Not re printed.] Sleeping the sacred sleep, here Saon lies; For never be it said, the good man dies. FROM THE LATIN LUCRETIUS TO VENUS [First published in The Liberal, No. III, 1823. Not reprinted.] PARENT of Rome, delicious Queen of Love, Who in one round of ever-blest increase Roll'st the green regions and the dancing seas; And leap to life, and visit the dear sun; Thee, Goddess, thee, the winds, the winters fly, Thee, and the coming of thy suavity: For thee the earth lays forth its flowers for thee A lustre laughs along the golden sea, ΤΟ And lightsome heav'n looks round on all, for thou hast made it free. For soon as Spring, thrown open, re-appears, And forth, with kisses, come the genial airs, The birds, first smitten to their hearts, announce And every living thing, drawn with delight, Follows with greedy will the charming of thy might, Through seas, o'er mountains, through the fields, the floods, And the green houses of the birds, the woods; All snatch into their hearts the generous wound, That still the ages may roll on, and nature's place be found. CATULLUS CATULLUS'S RETURN HOME TO THE PENINSULA OF SIRMIO CARMEN XXXI 20 [First published in The Examiner, August 21, 1808, and again September 20, 1812. Reprinted 1812 (Poetical Register for 1808-9: text of 1808), 1814-60. Text 1815.] O BEST of all the scattered spots that lie I spots that lie] lands, that break 1808. 2 From spreading sea or hill retiring lake 1808. 3 gladly... nest,] happy . . . breast! 1808. |