So prepare thee for this place of rest,Never can it now be changed again;Maids like these will ever make thee blest,Wines like these will never harm thy brain.
1819.
THE FAVOURED BEASTS.
Or beasts there have been chosen fourTo come to Paradise, And there with saints for evermoreThey dwell in happy wise.
Amongst them all the Ass stands first;
He comes with joyous stride, For to the Prophet-City erstDid Jesus on him ride.
Half timid next a Wolf doth creep,To whom Mahomet spake "Spoil not the poor man of his sheep,The rich man's thou mayst take."And then the brave and faithful Hound,Who by his master kept, And slept with him the slumbers soundThe seven sleepers slept.
Abuherrira's Cat, too, here,Purrs round his master blest, For holy must the beast appearThe Prophet hath caress'd.
1815.
THE SEVEN SLEEPERS.
Six among the courtiers favour'd Fly before the Caesar's fury, Who would as a god be worshipp'd, Though in truth no god appearing, For a fly prevents him ever From enjoying food at table.
Though with fans his servants scare it, They the fly can never banish.
It torments him, stings, and troubles, And the festal board perplexes, Then returning like the herald Of the olden crafty Fly-God.
"What!"--the striplings say together--"Shall a fly a god embarrass?
Shall a god drink, eat at table, Like us mortals? No, the Only, Who the sun and moon created, And the glowing stars arch'd o'er us, He is God,--we'll fly!"--The gentle, Lightly shod, and dainty striplings Did a shepherd meet, and hide them, With himself, within a cavern.
And the sheep-dog will not leave them,--Scared away, his foot all-mangled, To his master still he presses, And he joins the hidden party, Joins the favorites of slumber.
And the prince, whom they had fled from, Fondly-furious, thinks of vengeance, And, discarding sword and fire, Has them walled-up in the cavern, Walled-up fast with bricks and mortar.
But the others slumber ever, And the Angel, their protector, Gives before God's throne this notice "To the right and left alternate Have I ever cared to turn them, That their fair and youthful members Be not by the mould-damp injured;Clefts within the rocks I open'd, That the sun may, rising, setting, Keep their cheeks in youthful freshness."So they lie there, bless'd by Heaven.
And, with forepaws sound and scatheless, Sleeps the dog in gentle slumber.
Years come round, and years fly onward, And the youths at length awaken, And the wall, which now had moldered, From its very age has fallen.
And Jamblika says,--whose beauty Far exceedeth all the others,--When the fearful shepherd lingers:--"I will run, and food procure you, Life and piece of gold I'll wager!"--Ephebus had many a year now Own'd the teaching of the Prophet Jesus (Peace be with the Good One!)And he ran, and at the gateway Were the warders and the others.
Yet he to the nearest baker's, Seeking bread, went swiftly onwards.--"Rogue!" thus cried the baker--"hast thou, Youth, a treasure, then, discover'd?
Give me,--for the gold betrays thee,--Give me half, to keep thy secret!"--And they quarrel.--To the monarch Comes the matter; and the monarch Fain would halve it, like the baker.
Now the miracle is proven Slowly by a hundred tokens.
He can e'en his right establish To the palace he erected, For a pillar, when pierced open.
Leads to wealth he said 'twould lead to.
Soon are gather'd there whole races, Their relationship to show him.
And as great-grandfather, nobly Stands Jamblika's youthful figure.
As of ancestors, he hears them, Speaking of his son and grandsons.
His great-grandsons stand around him, Like a race of valiant mortals, Him to honour,--him, the youngest.
And one token on another Rises up, the proof completing;The identity is proven Of himself, and of his comrades.
Now returns he to the cavern, With him go both king and people.--Neither to the king nor people E'er returns that chosen mortal;For the Seven, who for ages--Eight was, with the dog, their number--Had from all the world been sunder'd, Gabriel's mysterious power, To the will of God obedient, Hath to Paradise conducted,--And the cave was closed for ever.
1814-15.
SONGS FROM VARIOUS PLAYS, ETC
FROM FAUST.
I.
DEDICATION.
YE shadowy forms, again ye're drawing near,So wont of yore to meet my troubled gaze!
Were it in vain to seek to keep you here?
Loves still my heart that dream of olden days?
Oh, come then! and in pristine force appear,Parting the vapor mist that round me plays!
My bosom finds its youthful strength again, Feeling the magic breeze that marks your train.
Ye bring the forms of happy days of yore,And many a shadow loved attends you too;Like some old lay, whose dream was well nigh o'er,First-love appears again, and friendship true;Upon life's labyrinthine path once moreIs heard the sigh, and grief revives anew;The friends are told, who, in their hour of pride, Deceived by fortune, vanish'd from my side.
No longer do they hear my plaintive song,The souls to whom I sang in life's young day;Scatter'd for ever now the friendly throng,And mute, alas! each sweet responsive lay.
My strains but to the careless crowd belong,Their smiles but sorrow to my heart convey;And all who heard my numbers erst with gladness, If living yet, roam o'er the earth in sadness.
Long buried yearnings in my breast arise,Yon calm and solemn spirit-realm to gain;Like the AEONIAN harp's sweet melodies,My murmuring song breathes forth its changeful strain.
A trembling seizes me, tears fill mine eyes,And softer grows my rugged heart amain.
All I possess far distant seems to be, The vanish'd only seems reality.
II.
PROLOGUE IN HEAVEN.
THE ARCHANGELS' SONG.
RAPHAEL.
THE sun still chaunts, as in old time,With brother-spheres in choral song, And with his thunder-march sublimeMoves his predestined course along.
Strength find the angels in his sight,Though he by none may fathomed be;Still glorious is each work of mightAs when first form'd in majesty.
GABRIEL.
