 | Gathered poems of Ernest Myers |  |
17
RHODES
Beyond the ages far away,
When yet the fateful Earth was young,
And 'mid her seas unfurrowed lay
Her lands uncitied and unsung,
The Gods in council round their King
Were met for her apportioning.
When yet the fateful Earth was young,
And 'mid her seas unfurrowed lay
Her lands uncitied and unsung,
The Gods in council round their King
Were met for her apportioning.
Then shook the Sire the golden urn
Wherefrom the lots leapt forth to view,
And God by God took up in turn
The symbol of his kingdom due;
Till each had linked some heavenly name
To human hope and human fame.
Wherefrom the lots leapt forth to view,
And God by God took up in turn
The symbol of his kingdom due;
Till each had linked some heavenly name
To human hope and human fame.
18
When lo, a footstep on the floor,
A radiance in the radiant air;
A God august, forgot before,
Too late arrived, was lastly there—
The Sun-god from his fiery car
Unyoked beneath the evening star.
A radiance in the radiant air;
A God august, forgot before,
Too late arrived, was lastly there—
The Sun-god from his fiery car
Unyoked beneath the evening star.
Then said the Sire: “For thee no lot,
O Sun, of all the lots is drawn,
For thy bright chariot, well I wot,
Hath held thee since the broadening dawn.
But come, for all the gods are fain
For thy fair sake to cast again.”
O Sun, of all the lots is drawn,
For thy bright chariot, well I wot,
Hath held thee since the broadening dawn.
But come, for all the gods are fain
For thy fair sake to cast again.”
“Nay now, for me is little need
New lots to cast” (so spake the Sun);
“One isle assign me for the meed
Of that diurnal course I run:
Behold beneath the glimmering sea
A land unclaimed, the land for me.”
New lots to cast” (so spake the Sun);
“One isle assign me for the meed
Of that diurnal course I run:
Behold beneath the glimmering sea
A land unclaimed, the land for me.”
19
Therewith he shot an arrowy ray
Down through the blue Ægean deep;
Thrilled by that magic dart of day,
The hidden isle shook off her sleep.
She moved, she rose, and with the morn
She touched the air, and Rhodes was born.
Down through the blue Ægean deep;
Thrilled by that magic dart of day,
The hidden isle shook off her sleep.
She moved, she rose, and with the morn
She touched the air, and Rhodes was born.
Then all about that starry sea
There ran a gratulating stir,
Her fellows for all time to be
In choral congress greeting her,
With air-borne song and flashing smiles,
A sisterhood of glorious isles.
There ran a gratulating stir,
Her fellows for all time to be
In choral congress greeting her,
With air-borne song and flashing smiles,
A sisterhood of glorious isles.
And still as from his car on high
Her Lord his daily splendour sent,
She joyed to know his gladdening eye
On her, his best-beloved, was bent:
And ever in that fostering gaze
Grew up the stature of her praise.
Her Lord his daily splendour sent,
She joyed to know his gladdening eye
On her, his best-beloved, was bent:
And ever in that fostering gaze
Grew up the stature of her praise.
20
What early wondrous might was hers,
The craftsmanship of cunning hands,
Of that wise art the harbingers
Whose fame is uttered through all lands.
Then Rhodians by the Sun-god's side
Besought Athene to abide.
The craftsmanship of cunning hands,
Of that wise art the harbingers
Whose fame is uttered through all lands.
Then Rhodians by the Sun-god's side
Besought Athene to abide.
She came, she loved the Rosy Isle,
And Lindos reared her eastward fane;
To Rhodian chiefs she brought the while
New thoughts, new valiance in her train,
New hope to bind about their brows
The olive of her Father's house.
And Lindos reared her eastward fane;
To Rhodian chiefs she brought the while
New thoughts, new valiance in her train,
New hope to bind about their brows
The olive of her Father's house.
Then won Diagoras that prize
Yet fairer than his forest crown,
That voice whereby in godlike wise
His name through time goes deathless down.
In graven gold her walls along
Flamed forth the proud Pindaric song.
Yet fairer than his forest crown,
That voice whereby in godlike wise
His name through time goes deathless down.
In graven gold her walls along
Flamed forth the proud Pindaric song.
21
She too her own Athenians stirred
To that fair deed of chivalry,
That high imperishable word
That set the Rhodian Dorieus free,
And linked in unison divine
Her Lindian to her Attic shrine.
To that fair deed of chivalry,
That high imperishable word
That set the Rhodian Dorieus free,
And linked in unison divine
Her Lindian to her Attic shrine.
Bright hours, too brief! The shadowing hand
Half barbarous of a giant form
Even the strong Sun-god's loyal land
Must wrap in mist of sombre storm,
When Hellas bowed, her birthright gone,
Beneath the might of Macedon.
Half barbarous of a giant form
Even the strong Sun-god's loyal land
Must wrap in mist of sombre storm,
When Hellas bowed, her birthright gone,
Beneath the might of Macedon.
Yet even then not lightly bound
Was Rhodes of any vanquisher;
With all his engines thundering round
The City-stormer stormed not her.
In vain: anon the Roman doom
Had sealed her spirit in the tomb.
Was Rhodes of any vanquisher;
With all his engines thundering round
The City-stormer stormed not her.
In vain: anon the Roman doom
Had sealed her spirit in the tomb.
22
Long ages slept she. Then a dream
Once more across her slumber shone,
Cleaving the dark, a quickening gleam
All-glorious as in days foregone;
A new God's presence nobler far
Than any Lord of sun or star.
Once more across her slumber shone,
Cleaving the dark, a quickening gleam
All-glorious as in days foregone;
A new God's presence nobler far
Than any Lord of sun or star.
He showed her him whose prophet eye
Hailed him with homage first and best;
“For John,” he said, “my herald high,
Stand forth, a champion of the West,
Sealed with my name, and his in mine,
Our vanguard in the war divine.”
Hailed him with homage first and best;
“For John,” he said, “my herald high,
Stand forth, a champion of the West,
Sealed with my name, and his in mine,
Our vanguard in the war divine.”
She rose, she stemmed the Moslem flood
That roared and ravined for her life,
Till drop by drop the knightly blood
Was drained in that stupendous strife;
Then, sole amid the o'erwhelming sea,
Sank in heroic agony.
That roared and ravined for her life,
Till drop by drop the knightly blood
Was drained in that stupendous strife;
Then, sole amid the o'erwhelming sea,
Sank in heroic agony.
23
Twice born, twice slain! all this is o'er
Three hundred years; yet may there be
(So strong a life is in thy core),
O Rhodes, another birth for thee.
Look up, behold this banner new,
The white cross on the field of blue.
Three hundred years; yet may there be
(So strong a life is in thy core),
O Rhodes, another birth for thee.
Look up, behold this banner new,
The white cross on the field of blue.
Through all the Isles the broadening light
Creeps on a sure but lingering way,
And half are in the fading night
And half are in the dawning day:
Thou too, O Rhodes, shalt make thee one
Once more with freedom and the Sun.
Creeps on a sure but lingering way,
And half are in the fading night
And half are in the dawning day:
Thou too, O Rhodes, shalt make thee one
Once more with freedom and the Sun.
| Gathered poems of Ernest Myers | |