Poor short-lived things, what plans we lay' Ah, why forsake our native home, To distant climates speed away?
For self sticks close where'er we roam!
Care follows hard, and soon o'ertakes The well-rigged ship, the warlike steed; Her destined quarry ne'er forsakes; Not the wind flies with half her speed.
From anxious fears of future ill
Guard well the cheerful, happy Now; Gild e'en your sorrows with a smile, No blessing is unmixed below.
Thy neighing steeds and lowing herds, Thy numerous flocks around thee graze, And the best purple Tyre affords Thy robe magnificent displays.
On me indulgent Heaven bestowed A rural mansion, neat and small; This lyre; and as for yonder crowd, The happiness to hate them all.
EPIGRAMS, TRANSLATED FROM THE LATIN OF OWEN
ON ONE IGNORANT AND ARROGANT
THOU mayst of double ignorance boast, Who know'st not that thou nothing know'st.
THAT thou mayst injure no man dove-like be, And serpent-like that none may injure thee!
I WISH thy lot, now bad, still worse, my friend; For when at worst, they say, things always mend.
THE works of ancient bards divine, Aulus, thou scorn'st to read; And should posterity read thine, It would be strange indeed!
WHEN little more than boy in age I deemed myself almost a sage; But now seem worthier to be styled, For ignorance, almost a child.
SUNSET AND SUNRISE
CONTEMPLATE, when the sun declines, Thy death, with deep reflection; And when again he rising shines, Thy day of resurrection !
TRANSLATIONS OF GREEK VERSES
FROM THE GREEK OF JULIANUS
A SPARTAN, his companions slain, Alone from battle fled :
His mother, kindling with disdain
That she had borne him, struck him dead:
For courage, and not birth alone,
In Sparta, testifies a son!
A SPARTAN 'scaping from the fight, His mother met him in his flight, Upheld a falchion to his breast, And thus the fugitive addressed : "Thou canst but live to blot with shame "Indelible thy mother's name,
"While every breath that thou shalt draw "Offends against thy country's law: "But, if thou perish by this hand, "Myself indeed throughout the land, "To my dishonour, shall be known "The mother still of such a son; "But Sparta will be safe and free, "And that shall serve to comfort me."
My name-my country-what are they to thee? What, whether base or proud my pedigree? Perhaps I far surpassed all other men; Perhaps I fell below them all; what then? Suffice it, stranger! that thou seest a tomb!
Thou know'st its use; it hides-no matter whom.
TAKE to thy bosom, gentle Earth! a swain With much hard labour in thy service worn ; He set the vines that clothe yon ample plain, And he these olives that the vale adorn.
He filled with grain the glebe; the rills he led Through this green herbage, and those fruitful bowers; Thou, therefore, Earth! lie lightly on his head, His hoary head, and deck his grave with flowers.
PAINTER, this likeness is too strong, And we shall mourn the dead too long.
Ar morn we placed on his funereal bier Young Melanippus; and at eventide, Unable to sustain a loss so dear,
By her own hand his blooming sister died.
Thus Aristippus mourned his noble race,
Annihilated by a double blow,
Nor son could hope nor daughter more to embrace, And all Cyrene saddened at his woe.
MILTIADES! thy valour best (Although in every region known) The men of Persia can attest, Taught by thyself at Marathon.
BEWAIL not much, my parents! me, the prey Of ruthless Hades, and sepulchred here. An infant, in my fifth scarce finished year, He found all sportive, innocent, and gay, Your young Callimachus; and if I knew Not many joys, my griefs were also few.
IN Cnidus born, the consort I became Of Euphron. Aretimias was my name. His bed I shared, nor proved a barren bride, But bore two children at a birth, and died. One child I leave to solace and uphold Euphron hereafter, when infirm and old, And one, for his remembrance sake, I bear To Pluto's realm, till he shall join me there.
I WAS of late a barren plant, Useless, insignificant,
Nor fig, nor grape, nor apple bore, A native of the marshy shore; But, gathered for poetic use, And plunged into a sable juice, Of which my modicum I sip With narrow mouth and slender lip, At once, although by nature dumb, All eloquent I have become, And speak with fluency untired, As if by Phoebus' self inspired.
ELDEST born of powers divine! Blest Hygeia! be it mine To enjoy what thou canst give, And henceforth with thee to live:
« PreviousContinue » |