 | Silenus |  |
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BOOK IV.
Silenus, wretched on the morrow morn,Wended his way where sank his hunted nymph
Beneath the water she in life had loved;
Half soothed he thought to clasp those wailing leaves,
All that remained now of his flattering dream.
There by the stream, aghast, he saw, in room
Of grassy reeds, a parched and withered heap
That crumbled harshly unresponsive dust,
When down his hands fell thro' it in despair.
Of grassy reeds, a parched and withered heap
That crumbled harshly unresponsive dust,
When down his hands fell thro' it in despair.
Taking two handfuls vacantly he raised
His arms as making an appeal to heaven;
But rigid stood, aimless, and impotent:
An image in wild action motionless,
To strange and frightful pallor changed throughout.
His arms as making an appeal to heaven;
But rigid stood, aimless, and impotent:
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To strange and frightful pallor changed throughout.
Casting at length the dust abroad, he sighed,
“There flies my solitary dream of joy.
A dream, a dream!”
“There flies my solitary dream of joy.
A dream, a dream!”
Then with a dreadful cry
That pierced the forest depths, and made the rocks
Thrill to their inmost hearts, Silenus fell,
And falling crashed his spear; and helpless lay,
Ashy, as one long dead.
That pierced the forest depths, and made the rocks
Thrill to their inmost hearts, Silenus fell,
And falling crashed his spear; and helpless lay,
Ashy, as one long dead.
His anguish smote
The Naiades in sedgy nooks and Nymphs
And Dryads lone of ancient shadowy woods,
Who lifting lamentations all amain
Thronged to him lying prostrate and beloved;
And kneeling strove with kisses, chafe of limbs,
And casting little handfuls of the wave
About his throat and brow, to summon back
The sharp-fled life.
The Naiades in sedgy nooks and Nymphs
And Dryads lone of ancient shadowy woods,
Who lifting lamentations all amain
Thronged to him lying prostrate and beloved;
And kneeling strove with kisses, chafe of limbs,
And casting little handfuls of the wave
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The sharp-fled life.
In vain their tenderness
Was lavished on him, pressing bosoms warm
Fast to his chilly breast; laying their cheeks
Softly to his; while slender fingers combed
From the moist brow his dank and matted hair,
Calling with murmurous moan upon his name,
Until they sank beside him hopelessly;
The clouds above with shadow covering them,
Their solitude, and unavailing charms.
Was lavished on him, pressing bosoms warm
Fast to his chilly breast; laying their cheeks
Softly to his; while slender fingers combed
From the moist brow his dank and matted hair,
Calling with murmurous moan upon his name,
Until they sank beside him hopelessly;
The clouds above with shadow covering them,
Their solitude, and unavailing charms.
They lay in silence on the ancient Earth,
And looked like flowers that might lie there and fade,
And be within her substance drawn again.
And looked like flowers that might lie there and fade,
And be within her substance drawn again.
But had the Earth growled inwardly and heaved
In quick succession of stupendous throbs,
They had not been with wonder startled more
Than when they heard Silenus mutter low:
In quick succession of stupendous throbs,
They had not been with wonder startled more
Than when they heard Silenus mutter low:
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“As rush, and reed, tall grasses, and pink flowers,
Mirrored in softened hues within the stream,
Are to themselves that breathe the living air,
And guard the river banks, was she to me.
No sooner ripe than plucked! Nay, O, not plucked,
But shaken from the stem into the stream,
Borne by the flow to darksome mystery.
Mirrored in softened hues within the stream,
Are to themselves that breathe the living air,
And guard the river banks, was she to me.
No sooner ripe than plucked! Nay, O, not plucked,
But shaken from the stem into the stream,
Borne by the flow to darksome mystery.
“Close from me, Leto, close thy tender eyes:
Or let their gracious light on others fall!
I could endure them were thy favour less.
Be harsh toward me in mercy. Do not let
Thy pitying sweetness mutely tell my loss!
Henceforth you see me broken worthless waste.
My spear is shivered; I am now no more
He that could front a monster and prevail.
Or let their gracious light on others fall!
I could endure them were thy favour less.
Be harsh toward me in mercy. Do not let
Thy pitying sweetness mutely tell my loss!
Henceforth you see me broken worthless waste.
My spear is shivered; I am now no more
He that could front a monster and prevail.
“Despise me, Nysa! Strength and forecast failed
When needed most to bear the stress and strain.
Why knew I not the demon's will accursed,
Nor stayed its guilty course by flashing spear?
Why, when she gave herself to me, forthwith
Did I desert her, tramping far-off tracts,
To teach their dusky dwellers wiser ways;
Leagues, moons away, taught savage men, when here
Ramped direst evil uncontrolled at home!
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Why knew I not the demon's will accursed,
Nor stayed its guilty course by flashing spear?
Why, when she gave herself to me, forthwith
Did I desert her, tramping far-off tracts,
To teach their dusky dwellers wiser ways;
Leagues, moons away, taught savage men, when here
Ramped direst evil uncontrolled at home!
“Blinded with bliss was I, or I had known
Her risk with Pan should hateful chance entice!
Her risk with Pan should hateful chance entice!
“Unhappy fate to strive for others' good
And lose meanwhile our own. Fondly I thought
The bright regards my Syrinx cast around
Would be enjoyed by all, as they enjoy
The sunshine laughing thro' the summer rain.
And lose meanwhile our own. Fondly I thought
The bright regards my Syrinx cast around
Would be enjoyed by all, as they enjoy
The sunshine laughing thro' the summer rain.
“The Gods I counted just; Powers high and dark;
Riddles to Demigods and mortal men.
We must obey them blindly: vain to seek
In their decrees, all dimly understood,
A meaning running side by side with ours.
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We must obey them blindly: vain to seek
In their decrees, all dimly understood,
A meaning running side by side with ours.
“A massive crag released from mountain wall
Rushing in thunder crushes all beneath.
It were as idle to beseech the rock,
Lightly to waver, falling as a leaf,
As make appeal to stay the hest of Gods!
Our feeble thoughts reach not their lofty wills;
Haply themselves the bounded ministers
Of Destiny unknown; for who shall say
Whence the first beat of power? Who wise to track
Thro' growth and change its pathway unto man,
Who also deals surely his stern decrees,
As beasts, and slaves, and captive women know.
Rushing in thunder crushes all beneath.
It were as idle to beseech the rock,
Lightly to waver, falling as a leaf,
As make appeal to stay the hest of Gods!
Our feeble thoughts reach not their lofty wills;
Haply themselves the bounded ministers
Of Destiny unknown; for who shall say
Whence the first beat of power? Who wise to track
Thro' growth and change its pathway unto man,
Who also deals surely his stern decrees,
As beasts, and slaves, and captive women know.
“Ye lovely ones, yearning to soothe my woe,
O could I take a hand of each in mine
To wander onward till we reached a world
Where Gods had made no law nor man had dwelt!
And there live unremembered and content,
In the wild woods and by the mountain streams
That shine in loops and spaces thro' the sand;
Where lying we might watch the seabirds soar
And dolphins thro' the water leap and plunge.
O could I take a hand of each in mine
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Where Gods had made no law nor man had dwelt!
And there live unremembered and content,
In the wild woods and by the mountain streams
That shine in loops and spaces thro' the sand;
Where lying we might watch the seabirds soar
And dolphins thro' the water leap and plunge.
“And should a roving storm disturb our day,
Straggling from troubled regions and escaped
Inexorable Zeus while dealing doom,
An estray like ourselves, its mighty roar
Should be our music; while its transient fire
In spasms of glory quivering thro' the heavens,
Should light with splendid wonder our new world.
Straggling from troubled regions and escaped
Inexorable Zeus while dealing doom,
An estray like ourselves, its mighty roar
Should be our music; while its transient fire
In spasms of glory quivering thro' the heavens,
Should light with splendid wonder our new world.
“I am so languid now, a wounded wretch
Drained well-nigh of his blood, whose breath scarce lifts
His hollow breast, his eyes fast losing light,
Beholding me in pity might feel strong.
The stroke that wounded me cut tenderer cords
Than ever arrow pierced or blade could reach.
Such dread and horror fill my soul I seem
Some lost and evil creature soaked in crime
Suffering his punishment, but memory gone
Of what his sin had been.
Drained well-nigh of his blood, whose breath scarce lifts
His hollow breast, his eyes fast losing light,
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The stroke that wounded me cut tenderer cords
Than ever arrow pierced or blade could reach.
Such dread and horror fill my soul I seem
Some lost and evil creature soaked in crime
Suffering his punishment, but memory gone
Of what his sin had been.
“Great Heracles,
Smitten with madness from the ravenous pain
Of Nessus' poisoned blood, unwittingly
Into the sea his faithful Lichas threw,
Young Lichas whom he loved. Forgetfulness
Gently waved over him her airy hand,
And he was spared the bitterest agony
When flames consuming quenched his final pangs.
Smitten with madness from the ravenous pain
Of Nessus' poisoned blood, unwittingly
Into the sea his faithful Lichas threw,
Young Lichas whom he loved. Forgetfulness
Gently waved over him her airy hand,
And he was spared the bitterest agony
When flames consuming quenched his final pangs.
“Madness appals me. Could but memory lapse
In any way than thro' dark Lethe's stream!
Who drinks that chilling draught forgets delight
Together with past weariness and wrong.
In any way than thro' dark Lethe's stream!
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Together with past weariness and wrong.
“I would not lose my vision of the past:
Still would I see in fancy Syrinx left
With playful memory, while her glances rove
Her own young beauties in their perfect prime;
For, trifling with them, I had loved to show
Their undulations course in lily sheen,
While she enjoyed with smiles, and never knew
Herself to be a lovely marvel full
Of varied inexhaustible delight,
Till I awoke her wonder with the truth.
Still would I see in fancy Syrinx left
With playful memory, while her glances rove
Her own young beauties in their perfect prime;
For, trifling with them, I had loved to show
Their undulations course in lily sheen,
While she enjoyed with smiles, and never knew
Herself to be a lovely marvel full
Of varied inexhaustible delight,
Till I awoke her wonder with the truth.
“Here wishing halts. I would shut out the rest,
And would not have my backward gaze defaced
By horrors of the past.
And would not have my backward gaze defaced
By horrors of the past.
“But drowsiness
Bethrals, I fain would slumber. Clymene,
And sweet Calypso, stretch forth each her hand
To soothe my head softly with tender strokes;
And you, O Eriphia, graciously
Throughout their length smooth my numbed, listless arms;
And Leto, cool this anguish-stricken brow
With breathing fresh and sweeter than the rose;
Thus let me feel your kindness till I sleep!”
Bethrals, I fain would slumber. Clymene,
And sweet Calypso, stretch forth each her hand
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And you, O Eriphia, graciously
Throughout their length smooth my numbed, listless arms;
And Leto, cool this anguish-stricken brow
With breathing fresh and sweeter than the rose;
Thus let me feel your kindness till I sleep!”
He ceasing sank in slumber as he spoke.
Nymphs, dryads, and wild naiades subdued,
Sat by, their long arms round each other twined;
And some on others' shoulders pressed their chins,
And leaning forward watched his every breath.
Nymphs, dryads, and wild naiades subdued,
Sat by, their long arms round each other twined;
And some on others' shoulders pressed their chins,
And leaning forward watched his every breath.
One said, “Benignant fate had been their guide
To great Silenus lone and sorrowful;
For he was softened in beholding them.
New honey would they bring him mixed with milk
Warm from young goats, or large-eyed sweetbreathed kine;
And they would sing him tenderest songs of old,
Of fated lovers who had lost their loves
And wandered into glory other ways.
They would attend and serve him thro' the suns;
By moons would watch, and keep his slumber safe
From prowling creatures, and the dangerous shafts
Of Artemis that ofttimes pricked the brain
To madness; and would tend him till once more
He woke and drank the gladness of the morn.
And Dionysus, who Silenus loved,
Silenus his instructor and his friend,
He should be sought and told the dreadful tale,
And come with healing words of hope divine.”
To great Silenus lone and sorrowful;
For he was softened in beholding them.
New honey would they bring him mixed with milk
Warm from young goats, or large-eyed sweetbreathed kine;
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Of fated lovers who had lost their loves
And wandered into glory other ways.
They would attend and serve him thro' the suns;
By moons would watch, and keep his slumber safe
From prowling creatures, and the dangerous shafts
Of Artemis that ofttimes pricked the brain
To madness; and would tend him till once more
He woke and drank the gladness of the morn.
And Dionysus, who Silenus loved,
Silenus his instructor and his friend,
He should be sought and told the dreadful tale,
And come with healing words of hope divine.”
| Silenus | |