romantic ballads-第14章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



〃Emma；　come；　thy　mother's　calling；　Lone　I　lie　in　night　and　gloom；　Whilst　the　sun　and　moon…beams；　falling；　Glance　upon　my　marble　tomb。〃

Emma　star'd　upon　the　figure；　…　Wish'd　to　speak；　but　vainly　tried；　Press'd　my　hand　with　loving　vigour；　Trembledfaulter'dgasp'dand　died！

Home　I　bore　my　luckless　maiden；　Home　I　bore　her　in　despair；　Chilly　blasts；　with　night…dew　laden；　Rustled　through　her　streaming　hair。

Plunging　then　amid　the　forest；　Soon　I　found　the　stately　tree；　Under　which；　when　heat　was　sorest；　She　was　wont　to　sit　with　me。

Down　my　cheek　ran　tears　in　fever；　While　with　axe　its　stem　I　cut；　Soon　it　fell；　and　I　with　lever　Roll'd　it　straight　to　Emma's　hut。

Kiss'd　her　oft；　and　love　empassion'd　Sung　a　song　in　wildest　tones；　While　the　oaken　boards　I　fashion'd；　Doom'd　to　hide　her　lovely　bones。

Thereupon　I　sought　the　bower；　Where　she　kept　her　single　hive；　Morning　shone　on　tree　and　flower；　All　around　me　look'd　alive。

Stung　by　bees　in　thousand　places；　Out　I　took　the　yellow　comb；　Emma；　deck'd　in　all　her　graces；　Past　my　vision　seem'd　to　roam。

Soon　of　wax　I　form'd　a　taper；　O'er　my　love　it　cast　its　ray；　'Till　the　night　came；　clad　in　vapour；　When　in　grave　I　laid　her　clay。

Deep　below　me　sank　the　coffin；　While　my　tears　fell　fast　as　rain；　Deep　it　sank；　and　I；　full　often；　Thought　to　heave　it　up　again。

Soon　as　e'er　the　stars；　so　merry；　Heaven's　arch　next　night　illum'd；　Sad　I　sought　the　cemetery；　Where　my　true　love　lay　entomb'd。

Then；　in　sweetness　more　than　mortal；　Sang　a　voice　a　plaintive　lay；　Underneath　the　church's　portal　Emma　stood　in　death　array。

〃Louis！　come！　thy　love　is　calling；　Lone　I　lie　in　night　and　gloom；　Whilst　the　sun　and　moon　beams；　falling；　Glance　upon　my　lowly　tomb。〃

〃Emma！　dear！〃　I　cried　in　gladness；　〃Take　me　too　beneath　the　sod；　Leave　me　not　to　pine　in　sadness；　Here　on　earth's　detested　clod。〃

〃Death　should　only　strike　the　hoary；　Yet；　my　Louis；　thou　shalt　die；　When　the　stars　again　in　glory；　Shine　upon　the　midnight　sky。〃

Tears　bedeck'd　her　long　eyelashes；　While　she　kiss'd　my　features　wan；　Then；　like　flame　that　dies　o'er　ashes；　All　at　once　the　maid　was　gone。

Therefore；　pluck　I　painted　violets；　Which　shall　strew　my　lifeless　clay；　When；　to　night；　the　stars　have　call'd　me　Unto　joys　that　last　for　aye。



ODE　TO　A　MOUNTAIN…TORRENT。　FROM　THE　GERMAN　OF　STOLBERG。



How　lovely　art　thou　in　thy　tresses　of　foam；　And　yet　the　warm　blood　in　my　bosom　grows　chill；　When　yelling　thou　rollest　thee　down　from　thy　home；　'Mid　the　boom　of　the　echoing　forest　and　hill。

The　pine…trees　are　shakenthey　yield　to　thy　shocks；　And　spread　their　vast　ruin　wide　over　the　ground；　The　rocks　fly　before　theethou　seizest　the　rocks；　And　whirl'st　them　like　pebbles　contemptuously　round。

The　sun…beams　have　cloth'd　thee　in　glorious　dyes；　They　streak　with　the　tints　of　the　heavenly　bow　Those　hovering　columns　of　vapour　that　rise　Forth　from　the　bubbling　cauldron　below。

But　why　art　thou　seeking　the　ocean's　dark　brine？　If　grandeur　makes　happiness；　sure　it　is　found；　When　forth　from　the　depths　of　the　rock…girdled　mine　Thou　boundest；　and　all　gives　response　to　thy　sound。

Beware　thee；　O　torrent；　of　yonder　dark　sea；　For　there　thou　must　crouch　beneath　tyranny's　rod；　Here　thou　art　lonely；　and　lovely；　and　free；　…　Loud　as　a　thunder…peal；　strong　as　a　god。

True；　it　is　pleasant；　at　eve　or　at　noon；　To　gaze　on　the　sea　and　its　far…winding　bays；　When　ting'd　with　the　light　of　the　wandering　moon；　Or　red　with　the　gold　of　the　midsummer　rays。

But；　torrent；　what　is　it？　what　is　it？behold　That　lustre　as　nought　but　a　bait　and　a　snare；　What　is　the　summer　sun's　purple　and　gold　To　him　who　breathes　not　in　pure　freedom　the　air。

Abandon；　abandon；　thy　headlong　career　…　But　downward　thou　rushestmy　words　are　in　vain；　Bethink　thee　that　oft…changing　winds　domineer　On　the　billowy　breast　of　the　time…serving　main。

Then　haste　not；　O　torrent；　to　yonder　dark　sea；　For　there　thou　must　crouch　beneath　tyranny's　rod；　Here　thou　art　lonely；　and　lovely；　and　free；　…　Loud　as　a　thunder…peal；　strong　as　a　god。



RUNIC　VERSES。



O　the　force　of　Runic　verses；　O　the　mighty　strength　of　song　Cannot　baffle　all　the　curses　Which　to　mortal　state　belong。

Slaughter'd　chiefs；　that　buried　under　Heaps　of　marble；　long　have　lain；　Song　can　rend　your　tomb　asunder；　Give　ye　life　and　strength　again。

When　around　his　dying　capture；　Fierce；　the　serpent　draws　his　fold；　Song　can　make　him；　wild　with　rapture；　Straight　uncoil；　and　bite　the　mould。

When　from　keep　and　battled　tower；　Flames　to　heaven　upward　strain；　Song　has　o'er　them　greater　power；　Than　the　vapours　dropping　rain。

It　can　quench　the　conflagration　Striding　o'er　the　works　of　art；　But　nor　song　nor　incantation　Can　appease　love's　cruel　smart。

O　the　force　of　Runic　verses；　O　the　mighty　strength　of　song　Cannot　baffle　all　the　curses　Which　to　mortal　state　belong。



THOUGHTS　ON　DEATH。　FROM　THE　SWEDISH　OF　C。　LOHMAN。



Perhaps　't　is　folly；　but　still　I　feel　My　heart…strings　quiver；　my　senses　reel；　Thinking　how　like　a　fast　stream　we　range　Nearer　and　nearer　to　yon　dread　change；　When　soul　and　spirit　filter　away；　And　leave　nothing　better　than　senseless　clay。

Yield；　beauty；　yield；　for　the　grave　does　gape；　And　horribly　alter'd　reflects　thy　shape；　…　For　ah！　think　not　those　childish　charms　Will　rest　unrifled　in　its　cold　arms；　And　think　not　there；　that　the　rose　of　love　Will　bloom　on　thy　features　as　here　above。

Let　him　who　roams　at　vanity　fair；　In　robes　that　rival　the　tulip's　glare；　Think　on　the　chaplet　of　leaves　which　round　His　fading　forehead　will　soon　be　bound；　Think　on　each　dirge　the　priests　will　say　When　his　cold　corse　is　borne　away。

Let　him　who　seeketh　for　wealth　uncheck'd　By　fear　of　labourlet　him　reflect；　The　gold　he　wins　will　brightly　shine；　When　he　has　perish'd　with　all　his　line。　Though　man　may　rave　and　vainly　boast；　We　are　but　ashes　when　at　the　most。



BIRDS　OF　PASSAGE。　FROM　THE　SWEDISH。



So　hot　shines　the　sun　upon　Nile's　yellow　stream；　That　the　palm…trees　can　save　us　no　more　from　his　beam；　Now　comes　the　desire　for　home；　in　full　force；　And　Northward　our　phalanx　bends　swiftly　its　course。

Now　dim　underneath　us；　through　distance　we　view　The　green　grassy　earth；　and　the　ocean's　deep　blue；　There　tempests　and　frequent　disasters　arise；　Whilst　free　and　untroubled　we　wend　through　the　skies。

Lo；　high　among　mountains　a　meadow　lies　spread；　And　there　we　alight；　and　get　ready　our　bed；　There　hatch　we　our　eggs；　and　beneath　the　chill　pole　We　wait　while　the　summer　months　over　us　roll。

No　hunter；　desirous　to　make　us　his　prey；　Invades　our　lone　valley　by　night　or　by　day；　But　green…mantled　fairies　their　merry　routs　hold；　And　fearless　the　pigmy　｛34｝　there　hammers　its　gold。

But　when　pallid　winter；　again　on　the　rocks　Shakes　down　in　a　shower　the　snow　from　his　locks；　Then　comes　the　desire　for　heat；　in　full　force；　And　Southward　our　phalanx　bends　swiftly　its　course。

To　the　verdant　Savannah；　and　palm…shaded　plain；　Where　the　Nile　rolls　his　water；　we　hurry　again；　There　rest　we　till　summer's　sun；　waxing　too　hot；　Makes　us　wish　for　our　native；　our　hill…girded　spot。



THE　BROKEN　HARP。



O　thou；　who；　'mid　the　forest　trees；　With　thy　harmonious　trembling　strain；　Could'st　change　at　once　to　soothing　ease；　My　love…sick　bosom's　cruel　pain：　Thou　droop'st　in　dreary　silence　now；　With　shiver'd　frame；　and　broken　string；　While　here；　unhelp'd；　beneath　the　bough　I　sit；　and　feebly　strive　to　sing。

The　moon　no　more　illumes　the　ground；　In　night　and　vapour　dies　my　lay；　For　with　thy　sweet　and　melting　sound　Fled；　all　at　once；　her　silver　ray：　O　soon；　O　soon；　shall　this　sad　heart；　Which　beats　so　low；　and　bleeds　so　free；　O'ercome　by　its　fell　load　of　smart；　Be　broke；　O　ruin'd　harp；　like　thee！



SCENES。



Observe　ye　not　yon　high　cliff's　brow；　Up　which　a　wanderer　clambers　slow；　'T　is　by　a　hoary　ruin　crown'd；　Which　rocks　when　shrill　winds　whistle　round；　That　is　an　ancient　knightly　hold；　…　Alas！　it　droops；　deserted；　cold；　And　sad　and　cheerless　seems　to　gaze；　Back；　back；　to　yon　heroic　days；　When　youthful　Kemps；　｛35｝　completely　arm'd；　And　lovely　maids　around　it　swarm'd。

You；　in　the　tower；　a　hole　may　see；　A　window　there　has　ceas'd　to　be。　From　that　once　lean'd　a　damsel　bright；　In　evening's　red　and　fading　light；　And　star'd　intent