贝壳电子书 > 英文原著电子书 > the works of edgar allan poe-5 >

第48章

the works of edgar allan poe-5-第48章

小说: the works of edgar allan poe-5 字数: 每页4000字

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!



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

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的