the works of edgar allan poe-5-第48章
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While the moon danc'd with the fair stranger light …
Uprear'd upon such height arose a pile
Of gorgeous columns on th' unburthen'd air;
Flashing from Parian marble that twin smile
Far down upon the wave that sparkled there;
And nursled the young mountain in its lair。
*Of molten stars their pavement; such as fall
Thro' the ebon air; besilvering the pall
Of their own dissolution; while they die …
Adorning then the dwellings of the sky。
A dome; by linked light from Heaven let down;
Sat gently on these columns as a crown …
A window of one circular diamond; there;
Look'd out above into the purple air;
* Some star which; from the ruin'd roof
Of shak'd Olympus; by mischance; did fall。 … _Milton。_
And rays from God shot down that meteor chain
And hallow'd all the beauty twice again;
Save when; between th' Empyrean and that ring;
Some eager spirit flapp'd his dusky wing。
But on the pillars Seraph eyes have seen
The dimness of this world : that greyish green
That Nature loves the best for Beauty's grave
Lurk'd in each cornice; round each architrave …
And every sculptur'd cherub thereabout
That from his marble dwelling peer閐 out
Seem'd earthly in the shadow of his niche …
Achaian statues in a world so rich ?
*Friezes from Tadmor and Persepolis …
From Balbec; and the stilly; clear abyss
哋f beautiful Gomorrah ! O; the wave
Is now upon thee … but too late to save !
Sound loves to revel in a summer night :
Witness the murmur of the grey twilight
* Voltaire; in speaking of Persepolis; says; 〃Je connois bien
l'admiration qu'inspirent ces ruines … mais un palais erig?au pied d'une
chaine des rochers sterils … peut il 阾re un chef d'渧ure des arts !〃
'_Voila les arguments de M。 Voltaire_。'
?〃Oh ! the wave〃 … Ula Degusi is the Turkish appellation; but; on its
own shores; it is called Bahar Loth; or Almotanah。 There were undoubtedly
more than two cities engluphed in the 〃dead sea。〃 In the valley of Siddim
were five … Adrah; Zeboin; Zoar; Sodom and Gomorrah。 Stephen of Byzantium
mentions eight; and Strabo thirteeen; (engulphed) … but the last is out of
all reason。
It is said; (Tacitus; Strabo; Josephus; Daniel of St。 Saba; Nau;
Maundrell; Troilo; D'Arvieux) that after an excessive drought; the
vestiges of columns; walls; &c。 are seen above the surface。 At _any_
season; such remains may be discovered by looking down into the
transparent lake; and at such distances as would argue the existence of
many settlements in the space now usurped by the 'Asphaltites。'
*That stole upon the ear; in Eyraco;
Of many a wild star…gazer long ago …
That stealeth ever on the ear of him
Who; musing; gazeth on the distance dim。
And sees the darkness coming as a cloud …
嘔s not its form … its voice … most palpable and loud ?
But what is this ? … it cometh … and it brings
A music with it … 'tis the rush of wings …
A pause … and then a sweeping; falling strain
And Nesace is in her halls again。
From the wild energy of wanton haste
Her cheeks were flushing; and her lips apart ;
And zone that clung around her gentle waist
Had burst beneath the heaving of her heart。
Within the centre of that hall to breathe
She paus'd and panted; Zanthe ! all beneath;
The fairy light that kiss'd her golden hair
And long'd to rest; yet could but sparkle there !
?Young flowers were whispering in melody
To happy flowers that night … and tree to tree ;
Fountains were gushing music as they fell
In many a star…lit grove; or moon…lit dell ;
Yet silence came upon material things …
Fair flowers; bright waterfalls and angel wings …
And sound alone that from the spirit sprang
Bore burthen to the charm the maiden sang :
* Eyraco … Chaldea。
?I have often thought I could distinctly hear the sound of the
darkness as it stole over the horizon。
?Fairies use flowers for their charactery。 … _Merry Wives of
Windsor_。 'William Shakespeare'
〃 'Neath blue…bell or streamer …
Or tufted wild spray
That keeps; from the dreamer;
*The moonbeam away …
Bright beings ! that ponder;
With half closing eyes;
On the stars which your wonder
Hath drawn from the skies; 'in the original; this
line is slightly out of alignment'
Till they glance thro' the shade; and
Come down to your brow
Like eyes of the maiden
Who calls on you now …
Arise ! from your dreaming
In violet bowers;
To duty beseeming
These star…litten hours …
And shake from your tresses
Encumber'd with dew
The breath of those kisses
That cumber them too …
(O ! how; without you; Love !
Could angels be blest ?)
Those kisses of true love
That lull'd ye to rest !
Up ! … shake from your wing
Each hindering thing :
The dew of the night …
It would weigh down your flight ;
And true love caresses …
O ! leave them apart !
* In Scripture is this passage … 〃The sun shall not harm thee by day;
nor the moon by night。〃 It is perhaps not generally known that the moon;
in Egypt; has the effect of producing blindness to those who sleep with
the face exposed to its rays; to which circumstance the passage evidently
alludes。
They are light on the tresses;
But lead on the heart。
Ligeia ! Ligeia !
My beautiful one !
Whose harshest idea
Will to melody run;
O ! is it thy will
On the breezes to toss ?
Or; capriciously still;
*Like the lone Albatross;
Incumbent on night
(As she on the air)
To keep watch with delight
On the harmony there ?
Ligeia ! whatever
Thy image may be;
No magic shall sever
Thy music from thee。
Thou hast bound many eyes
In a dreamy sleep …
But the strains still arise
Which _thy_ vigilance keep …
The sound of the rain
Which leaps down to the flower;
And dances again
In the rhythm of the shower …
員he murmur that springs
From the growing of grass
* The Albatross is said to sleep on the wing。
?I met with this idea in an old English tale; which I am now unable
to obtain and quote from memory : … 〃The verie essence and; as it were;
springe…heade; and origine of all musiche is the verie pleasaunte sounde
which the trees of the forest do make when they growe。〃
Are the music of things …
But are modell'd; alas ! …
Away; then my dearest;
O ! hie thee away
To springs that lie clearest
Beneath the moon…ray …
To lone lake that smiles;
In its dream of deep rest;
At the many star…isles
That enjewel its breast …
Where wild flowers; creeping;
Have mingled their shade;
On its margin is sleeping
Full many a maid …
Some have left the cool glade; and
* Have slept with the bee …
Arouse them my maiden;
On moorland and lea …
Go ! breathe on their slumber;
All softly in ear;
The musical number
They slumber'd to hear …
For what can awaken
An angel so soon
* The wild bee will not sleep in the shade if there be moonlight。
The rhyme in this verse; as in one about sixty lines before; has an
appearance of affectation。 It is; however; imitated from Sir W。 Scott; or
rather from Claud Halcro … in whose mouth I admired its effect :
O ! were there an island;
Tho' ever so wild
Where woman might smile; and
No man be beguil'd; &c。
Whose sleep hath been taken
Beneath the cold moon;
As the spell which no slumber
Of witchery may test;
The rythmical number
Which lull'd him to rest ?〃
Spirits in wing; and angels to the view;
A thousand seraphs burst th' Empyrean thro';
Young dreams still hovering on their drowsy flight …
Seraphs in all but 〃Knowledge;〃 the keen light
That fell; refracted; thro' thy bounds; afar
O Death ! from eye of God upon that star:
Sweet was that error … sweeter still that death …
Sweet was that error … ev'n with _us_ the breath
Of science dims the mirror of our joy …
To them 'twere the Simoom; and would destroy …
For what (to them) av