 | Poems Old and New by Charles D. Bell |  |
226
THE BIRTH OF VENUS.
I.
She comes in beauty from the azure wave,
Whose waters in an amorous ebb and flow
Kiss her ambrosial limbs more white than snow;
And rippling round with many a sweet sea stave,
Delight her lustrous loveliness to lave.
She smiles, at once the spacious deep grows calm,
She breathes, the golden air is filled with balm,
And winds sink into whispers soft and low.
Whose waters in an amorous ebb and flow
Kiss her ambrosial limbs more white than snow;
And rippling round with many a sweet sea stave,
Delight her lustrous loveliness to lave.
She smiles, at once the spacious deep grows calm,
She breathes, the golden air is filled with balm,
And winds sink into whispers soft and low.
Then as she steps upon the happy strand,
Which feels the pressure of her naked feet,
All into diamonds breaks the sparkling sand,
And round her blossom roses fair and sweet;
And heav'n itself droops gently from above
O'er Aphrodité, foam-born queen of love.
Which feels the pressure of her naked feet,
All into diamonds breaks the sparkling sand,
And round her blossom roses fair and sweet;
And heav'n itself droops gently from above
O'er Aphrodité, foam-born queen of love.
II.
Now came a chariot floating down the blue,
Drawn by a fluttering flock of milk-white doves,
And round which hover'd throngs of rosy Loves;
Soon as she entered her proud coursers flew,
And flying toward the sunrise, gently drew
The golden car, which glided through the air,
Borne over Paphian hills and valleys fair,
And 'cross fresh sunlit meads and shadowy groves.
Drawn by a fluttering flock of milk-white doves,
And round which hover'd throngs of rosy Loves;
Soon as she entered her proud coursers flew,
227
The golden car, which glided through the air,
Borne over Paphian hills and valleys fair,
And 'cross fresh sunlit meads and shadowy groves.
So moved she on by suns that brighter shine,
Until she pass'd within the happy gate
Where Ganymede delights on gods to wait;
And Hebe pours for Zeus the ruddy wine;
Here mounted she her throne in royal state,
A goddess crowned in beauty's right divine.
Until she pass'd within the happy gate
Where Ganymede delights on gods to wait;
And Hebe pours for Zeus the ruddy wine;
Here mounted she her throne in royal state,
A goddess crowned in beauty's right divine.
III.
The heavens became a splendour far and near,
And bloom'd and blossom'd into flower each plain
As Love began her mild but sov'ran reign,
And ruled with golden sceptre o'er each sphere:
In bush and tree the birds sang loud and clear,
And echo answered softly back again,
Glad to repeat, and linger o'er the strain,
Which the earth heard with open heart and ear
And bloom'd and blossom'd into flower each plain
As Love began her mild but sov'ran reign,
And ruled with golden sceptre o'er each sphere:
In bush and tree the birds sang loud and clear,
And echo answered softly back again,
Glad to repeat, and linger o'er the strain,
Which the earth heard with open heart and ear
O Love, the old world still thou keepest young!
O Beauty, thou dost hold it still as fair
As when your praise in dawn of time was sung
By him whose voice was sweet beyond compare,
Whose lyre divine, on high Olympus strung,
Took captive all things, both of earth and air!
O Beauty, thou dost hold it still as fair
As when your praise in dawn of time was sung
By him whose voice was sweet beyond compare,
Whose lyre divine, on high Olympus strung,
Took captive all things, both of earth and air!
| Poems Old and New by Charles D. Bell | |