 | Lyrics of the heart |  |
31
GREECE.
WRITTEN IN DOCTOR C. WORDSWORTH'S “GREECE.”
Land of heroic deeds and deathless song;
Thou Pharos bright to many a wondering age;
What glorious shapes around me seem to throng,
When'er I turn thy sad, eventful page!
Thou Pharos bright to many a wondering age;
What glorious shapes around me seem to throng,
When'er I turn thy sad, eventful page!
Fall'n as thou art, thy form hath not yet lost
The regal aspect that of old it wore;
Ruined and wronged, discrowned and tempest-tost,
Ghost of the godlike thing thou wert of yore!
The regal aspect that of old it wore;
Ruined and wronged, discrowned and tempest-tost,
Ghost of the godlike thing thou wert of yore!
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A halo rests upon each crumbling fane,
And bathes in light each mountain pinnacle;
And thy broad ocean, and thy battle plain,
Sleep in the twilight of thy glory still!
And bathes in light each mountain pinnacle;
And thy broad ocean, and thy battle plain,
Sleep in the twilight of thy glory still!
Though tower and temple, tomb and shrine decay,
Till not a stone remains their tale to tell;
Time cannot wear the' eternal hills away,
Nor stay the rivers from their sides that well!
Till not a stone remains their tale to tell;
Time cannot wear the' eternal hills away,
Nor stay the rivers from their sides that well!
He cannot blot from out thy fading face
Platæa's field, the Plain of Marathon;
The site of “sea-born Salamis” crase;
Or cloud the fame thy dauntless chiefs have won.
Platæa's field, the Plain of Marathon;
The site of “sea-born Salamis” crase;
Or cloud the fame thy dauntless chiefs have won.
Still Jove's Olympus cleaves the upper sky,
And Peneus winds fair Tempe's vale along;
Parnassus lifts his forked head on high,
And Castaly still weeps her tears of song.
And Peneus winds fair Tempe's vale along;
Parnassus lifts his forked head on high,
And Castaly still weeps her tears of song.
There too the Muses' mount, from whose pure breast,
No noxious herb was ever known to spring;
With its twin fountains in their bright unrest,
And murmuring bees for ever on the wing.
No noxious herb was ever known to spring;
With its twin fountains in their bright unrest,
And murmuring bees for ever on the wing.
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And there Hymettus, “flowery hill,” looks down
On Plato's haunts, the groves of Academe;
The' immortal city, with her marble crown;
And smooth Ilissus' ever devious stream.
On Plato's haunts, the groves of Academe;
The' immortal city, with her marble crown;
And smooth Ilissus' ever devious stream.
And by her guardian Titans circled round,
Its name a spell-word sweet that typifies
Whate'er of peace on earth may yet be found,
Thy verdant vale divine Arcadia lies!
Its name a spell-word sweet that typifies
Whate'er of peace on earth may yet be found,
Thy verdant vale divine Arcadia lies!
Than war more ruthless, though the Muses' bower,
(“The great Emathian conqueror bid spare,”)
Hath felt, at length, Time's desolating power,
And lifts its crownless head in “ruin bare;”
(“The great Emathian conqueror bid spare,”)
Hath felt, at length, Time's desolating power,
And lifts its crownless head in “ruin bare;”
He cannot chase the glowing forms from earth
That people still each valley, hill, and stream;
He may not drive from our domestic hearth,
The fond beliefs o'er which we love to dream:
That people still each valley, hill, and stream;
He may not drive from our domestic hearth,
The fond beliefs o'er which we love to dream:
The old traditions; linking many a name
With deeds, even now, that wake a wondering thrill;
With tales of gentle hearts, and souls of flame,
Whose loves and sorrows stir our pity still!
With deeds, even now, that wake a wondering thrill;
With tales of gentle hearts, and souls of flame,
Whose loves and sorrows stir our pity still!
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There Lesbian Sappho, from Leucadia's steep,
Darts,—in the deep her burning heart to hide;
There Hero loves her fruitless watch to keep,
With waving torch, by Helle's stormy tide!
Darts,—in the deep her burning heart to hide;
There Hero loves her fruitless watch to keep,
With waving torch, by Helle's stormy tide!
And by her rock on Naxos' desert shore,
With streaming eyes, and clasped beseeching hands
Outstretched to one who will return no more,
The fond, too trusting Ariadne stands!
With streaming eyes, and clasped beseeching hands
Outstretched to one who will return no more,
The fond, too trusting Ariadne stands!
Still Hero's love and faithful sorrow live;
Leander's daring heart and vigorous arm;—
Still Sappho's wild, despairing griefs survive
In kindred hearts as erring and as warm.
Leander's daring heart and vigorous arm;—
Still Sappho's wild, despairing griefs survive
In kindred hearts as erring and as warm.
And many an Ariadne, left to weep
O'er broken vows her blighted life away;
Her hopeless vigils still is doomed to keep;
For faith too deep the forfeit sad to pay.
O'er broken vows her blighted life away;
Her hopeless vigils still is doomed to keep;
For faith too deep the forfeit sad to pay.
Beautiful dreams, though sorrowful as sweet,
Cold is the creed that would your truth deny;
Is woman's deep, devoted love a cheat;
Or man's caprice a thing of days gone by?
Cold is the creed that would your truth deny;
Is woman's deep, devoted love a cheat;
Or man's caprice a thing of days gone by?
35
Land of heroic deeds and deathless song;
Though thou canst never be thyself again;
Though parricidal hands have wrought the wrong
That makes all hope for thee but wild and vain;
Though thou canst never be thyself again;
Though parricidal hands have wrought the wrong
That makes all hope for thee but wild and vain;
Till Valour, Wisdom, Genius, Liberty,
Stars of this nether sphere, have ceased to shine;
Thy sacred name the trumpet-call shall be;
To wake ennobling thoughts of thee and thine!
Stars of this nether sphere, have ceased to shine;
Thy sacred name the trumpet-call shall be;
To wake ennobling thoughts of thee and thine!
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