 | The select poems of Dr. Thomas Dunn English (exclusive of the "Battle lyrics") |  |
A LEGEND OF PHRYGIA.
Zeus, greatest of immortals
Who on Olympos sit, their ivory brows
With ichor sprinkled, beings who carouse
In halls whose rainbow portals
Are closed to those of mortal birth—
Zeus, tired of incense that had failed to please,
Weary of prayers of men, and bended knees,
With Hermes for attendant, came to earth.
Who on Olympos sit, their ivory brows
With ichor sprinkled, beings who carouse
In halls whose rainbow portals
Are closed to those of mortal birth—
Zeus, tired of incense that had failed to please,
Weary of prayers of men, and bended knees,
With Hermes for attendant, came to earth.
The Thunderer doffed his glory,
His port majestic laid aside, his crown
Changed for a cap, and dropping noiseless down
To Phrygia—so the story—
Put on a beggar's seeming then;
White-haired, and blind, and suffering much,
And led by Hermes, who assumed a crutch,
The blind and lame asked charity from men.
His port majestic laid aside, his crown
Changed for a cap, and dropping noiseless down
To Phrygia—so the story—
Put on a beggar's seeming then;
White-haired, and blind, and suffering much,
And led by Hermes, who assumed a crutch,
The blind and lame asked charity from men.
Where shepherds flocks attended,
Or in the vales, or on the grassy sides
Of hills that gently rose where swiftly glides
The Sangaris silvery splendid—
Not of the boors, but of each lord
Who, in the palaces that lofty rose
On tree-decked knolls, took comfort and repose—
Coin, food, or shelter, humbly they implored.
Or in the vales, or on the grassy sides
Of hills that gently rose where swiftly glides
The Sangaris silvery splendid—
Not of the boors, but of each lord
Who, in the palaces that lofty rose
On tree-decked knolls, took comfort and repose—
Coin, food, or shelter, humbly they implored.
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Through fertile valleys wending
Their tedious journey, at each palace-gate
Their suit presenting to the rich and great,
In abject manner bending,
But still repulsed with gibe and scorn,
Nor food nor shelter finding on their road,
And not an obolus on them bestowed,
The nightfall found them hungered and forlorn.
Their tedious journey, at each palace-gate
Their suit presenting to the rich and great,
In abject manner bending,
But still repulsed with gibe and scorn,
Nor food nor shelter finding on their road,
And not an obolus on them bestowed,
The nightfall found them hungered and forlorn.
At length of travel weary,
They came to where a shepherd poor and old,
Having penned his fleecy charge within the fold,
Sought, with a spirit cheery,
His hut, low-walled, low-roofed, low-doored—
Philemon named; he pitied much the twain
Who seemed to drag their way with grief and pain,
And sought relief which he could ill afford.
They came to where a shepherd poor and old,
Having penned his fleecy charge within the fold,
Sought, with a spirit cheery,
His hut, low-walled, low-roofed, low-doored—
Philemon named; he pitied much the twain
Who seemed to drag their way with grief and pain,
And sought relief which he could ill afford.
Yet, with a welcome glowing,
He bade them enter, made his Baukis stir,
And food prepare for them, and him, and her,
Such as he had bestowing;
Then when the frugal meal was o'er,
Talked cheerfully before the crackling fire,
And when for rest his guests expressed desire,
Gave them the only bed, and sought the floor.
He bade them enter, made his Baukis stir,
And food prepare for them, and him, and her,
Such as he had bestowing;
Then when the frugal meal was o'er,
Talked cheerfully before the crackling fire,
And when for rest his guests expressed desire,
Gave them the only bed, and sought the floor.
That night a tempest raging
Shook the mean hut until it trembled to
Its poor foundation; fiercer yet it blew,
As though the winds were waging
A battle over hill and plain;
Flashes of lightning there continuous blazed,
And peal on peal of thunder men amazed,
While poured in one unceasing flood the rain.
Shook the mean hut until it trembled to
Its poor foundation; fiercer yet it blew,
As though the winds were waging
A battle over hill and plain;
Flashes of lightning there continuous blazed,
And peal on peal of thunder men amazed,
While poured in one unceasing flood the rain.
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Philemon, restless pacing
The earthen floor, but gently lest he'd rouse
His wearied guests who slept with placid brows
Whereon there showed no tracing
Of aught save still and dreamless sleep,
Said there to Baukis, “These good men must be
Who slumber so profound and dreamlessly,
When all the winds this hurly-burly keep.”
The earthen floor, but gently lest he'd rouse
His wearied guests who slept with placid brows
Whereon there showed no tracing
Of aught save still and dreamless sleep,
Said there to Baukis, “These good men must be
Who slumber so profound and dreamlessly,
When all the winds this hurly-burly keep.”
Next morn the sun rose blazing,
And with the sun both hosts and guests arose,
And these prepared the morning meal for those,
When lo! a sight amazing!
Where hills and valleys stood before
A stretch of water spread in wide expanse—
A grass-framed lake of silver met the glance,
Meadow, and vale, and forest, there no more.
And with the sun both hosts and guests arose,
And these prepared the morning meal for those,
When lo! a sight amazing!
Where hills and valleys stood before
A stretch of water spread in wide expanse—
A grass-framed lake of silver met the glance,
Meadow, and vale, and forest, there no more.
The wrath of Zeus swift falling
Had overwhelmed the heartless in a night;
The shepherd pair stood trembling at the sight
Mysterious, appalling;
When lo! in air the roof uprose,
The mean room widened to a spacious hall,
To lofty height aspired the cottage-wall,
And ice-like fretwork on the ceiling froze.
Had overwhelmed the heartless in a night;
The shepherd pair stood trembling at the sight
Mysterious, appalling;
When lo! in air the roof uprose,
The mean room widened to a spacious hall,
To lofty height aspired the cottage-wall,
And ice-like fretwork on the ceiling froze.
The wide hall brightening,
Celestial glory on the place was shed:
Zeus stood revealed; around his sovereign head
Tresses of waving lightning;
And then the god, with look benign,
Spake, as with reverent awe they bent the knee—
“This one-time hut my temple hence shall be,
And ye remain the guardians of the shrine.
Celestial glory on the place was shed:
Zeus stood revealed; around his sovereign head
Tresses of waving lightning;
And then the god, with look benign,
Spake, as with reverent awe they bent the knee—
“This one-time hut my temple hence shall be,
And ye remain the guardians of the shrine.
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“If otherwise your needing,
A life of quiet ease and riches great,
Or doubtful honors of a high estate,
Or length of years exceeding,
Freely demand it now of me.”
Answered Philemon, “Toil, not ease, is best,—
But grant we pass together to our rest.”
Zeus, vanishing, replied, “So let it be!”
A life of quiet ease and riches great,
Or doubtful honors of a high estate,
Or length of years exceeding,
Freely demand it now of me.”
Answered Philemon, “Toil, not ease, is best,—
But grant we pass together to our rest.”
Zeus, vanishing, replied, “So let it be!”
Long years the couple tended
The temple grand, and kept the fire alight
Upon the inner altar, till one night
Their labor was suspended.
They disappeared, and ne'er were traced;
But at the temple-door there sudden grew
Two gnarly, mossy, grey-barked trees of yew,—
With boughs and branches closely interlaced.—
The temple grand, and kept the fire alight
Upon the inner altar, till one night
Their labor was suspended.
They disappeared, and ne'er were traced;
But at the temple-door there sudden grew
Two gnarly, mossy, grey-barked trees of yew,—
With boughs and branches closely interlaced.—
| The select poems of Dr. Thomas Dunn English (exclusive of the "Battle lyrics") | |