the complete poetical works-第187部分
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Eternally!
The pleasures and delights; which mask
In treacherous smiles life's serious task;
What are they; all;
But the fleet coursers of the chase;
And death an ambush in the race;
Wherein we fall?
No foe; no dangerous pass; we heed;
Brook no delay; but onward speed
With loosened rein;
And; when the fatal snare is near;
We strive to check our mad career;
But strive in vain。
Could we new charms to age impart;
And fashion with a cunning art
The human face;
As we can clothe the soul with light;
And make the glorious spirit bright
With heavenly grace;
How busily each passing hour
Should we exert that magic power;
What ardor show;
To deck the sensual slave of sin;
Yet leave the freeborn soul within;
In weeds of woe!
Monarchs; the powerful and the strong;
Famous in history and in song
Of olden time;
Saw; by the stern decrees of fate;
Their kingdoms lost; and desolate
Their race sublime。
Who is the champion? who the strong?
Pontiff and priest; and sceptred throng?
On these shall fall
As heavily the hand of Death;
As when it stays the shepherd's breath
Beside his stall。
I speak not of the Trojan name;
Neither its glory nor its shame
Has met our eyes;
Nor of Rome's great and glorious dead;
Though we have heard so oft; and read;
Their histories。
Little avails it now to know
Of ages passed so long ago;
Nor how they rolled;
Our theme shall be of yesterday;
Which to oblivion sweeps away;
Like day's of old。
Where is the King; Don Juan? Where
Each royal prince and noble heir
Of Aragon ?
Where are the courtly gallantries?
The deeds of love and high emprise;
In battle done?
Tourney and joust; that charmed the eye;
And scarf; and gorgeous panoply;
And nodding plume;
What were they but a pageant scene?
What but the garlands; gay and green;
That deck the tomb?
Where are the high…born dames; and where
Their gay attire; and jewelled hair;
And odors sweet?
Where are the gentle knights; that came
To kneel; and breathe love's ardent flame;
Low at their feet?
Where is the song of Troubadour?
Where are the lute and gay tambour
They loved of yore?
Where is the mazy dance of old;
The flowing robes; inwrought with gold;
The dancers wore?
And he who next the sceptre swayed;
Henry; whose royal court displayed
Such power and pride;
O; in what winning smiles arrayed;
The world its various pleasures laid
His throne beside!
But O how false and full of guile
That world; which wore so soft a smile
But to betray!
She; that had been his friend before;
Now from the fated monarch tore
Her charms away。
The countless gifts; the stately walls;
The loyal palaces; and halls
All filled with gold;
Plate with armorial bearings wrought;
Chambers with ample treasures fraught
Of wealth untold;
The noble steeds; and harness bright;
And gallant lord; and stalwart knight;
In rich array;
Where shall we seek them now? Alas!
Like the bright dewdrops on the grass;
They passed away。
His brother; too; whose factious zeal
Usurped the sceptre of Castile;
Unskilled to reign;
What a gay; brilliant court had he;
When all the flower of chivalry
Was in his train!
But he was mortal; and the breath;
That flamed from the hot forge of Death;
Blasted his years;
Judgment of God! that flame by thee;
When raging fierce and fearfully;
Was quenched in tears!
Spain's haughty Constable; the true
And gallant Master; whom we knew
Most loved of all;
Breathe not a whisper of his pride;
He on the gloomy scaffold died;
Ignoble fall!
The countless treasures of his care;
His villages and villas fair;
His mighty power;
What were they all but grief and shame;
Tears and a broken heart; when came
The parting hour?
His other brothers; proud and high;
Masters; who; in prosperity;
Might rival kings;
Who made the bravest and the best
The bondsmen of their high behest;
Their underlings;
What was their prosperous estate;
When high exalted and elate
With power and pride?
What; but a transient gleam of light;
A flame; which; glaring at its height;
Grew dim and died?
So many a duke of royal name;
Marquis and count of spotless fame;
And baron brave;
That might the sword of empire wield;
All these; O Death; hast thou concealed
In the dark grave!
Their deeds of mercy and of arms;
In peaceful days; or war's alarms;
When thou dost show。
O Death; thy stern and angry face;
One stroke of thy all…powerful mace
Can overthrow。
Unnumbered hosts; that threaten nigh;
Pennon and standard flaunting high;
And flag displayed;
High battlements intrenched around;
Bastion; and moated wall; and mound;
And palisade;
And covered trench; secure and deep;
All these cannot one victim keep;
O Death; from thee;
When thou dost battle in thy wrath;
And thy strong shafts pursue their path
Unerringly。
O World! so few the years we live;
Would that the life which thou dost give
Were life indeed!
Alas! thy sorrows fall so fast;
Our happiest hour is when at last
The soul is freed。
Our days are covered o'er with grief;
And sorrows neither few nor brief
Veil all in gloom;
Left desolate of real good;
Within this cheerless solitude
No pleasures bloom。
Thy pilgrimage begins in tears;
And ends in bitter doubts and fears;
Or dark despair;
Midway so many toils appear;
That he who lingers longest here
Knows most of care。
Thy goods are bought with many a groan;
By the hot sweat of toil alone;
And weary hearts;
Fleet…footed is the approach of woe;
But with a lingering step and slow
Its form departs。
And he; the good man's shield and shade;
To whom all hearts their homage paid;
As Virtue's son;
Roderic Manrique; he whose name
Is written on the scroll of Fame;
Spain's champion;
His signal deeds and prowess high
Demand no pompous eulogy。
Ye saw his deeds!
Why should their praise in verse be sung?
The name; that dwells on every tongue;
No minstrel needs。
To friends a friend; how kind to all
The vassals of this ancient hall
And feudal fief!
To foes how stern a foe was he!
And to the valiant and the free
How brave a chief!
What prudence with the old and wise:
What grace in youthful gayeties;
In all how sage!
Benignant to the serf and slave;
He showed the base and falsely brave
A lion's rage。
His was Octavian's prosperous star;
The rush of Caesar's conquering car
At battle's call;
His; Scipio's virtue; his; the skill
And the indomitable will
Of Hannibal。
His was a Trajan's goodness; his
A Titus' noble charities
And righteous laws;
The arm of Hector; and the might
Of Tully; to maintain the right
In truth's just cause;
The clemency of Antonine;
Aurelius' countenance divine;
Firm; gentle; still;
The eloquence of Adrian;
And Theodosius' love to man;
And generous will;
In tented field and bloody fray;
An Alexander's vigorous sway
And stern command;
The faith of Constantine; ay; more;
The fervent love Camillus bore
His native land。
He left no well…filled treasury;
He heaped no pile of riches high;
Nor massive plate;
He fought the Moors; and; in their fall;
City and tower and castled wall
Were his estate。
Upon the hard…fought battle…ground;
Brave steeds and gallant riders found
A common grave;
And there the warrior's hand did gain
The rents; and the long vassal train;
That conquest gave。
And if; of old; his halls displayed
The honored and exalted grade
His worth had gained;
So; in the dark; disastrous hour;
Brothers and bondsmen of his power
His hand sustained。
After high deeds; not left untold;
In the stern warfare; which of old
'T was his to share;
Such noble leagues he made; that more
And fairer regions; than before;
His guerdon were。
These are the records; half effaced;
Which; with the hand of youth; he traced
On history's page;
But with fresh victories he drew
Each fading character anew
In his old age。
By his unrivalled skill; by great
And veteran service to the state;
By worth adored;
He stood; in his high dignity;
The proudest knight of chivalry;
Knight of the Sword。
He found his cities and domains
Beneath a tyrant's galling chains
And cruel power;
But by fierce battle and blockade;
Soon his own banner was displayed
From every tower。
By the tried valor of his hand;
His monarch and his native land
Were nobly served;
Let Portugal repeat the story;
And proud Castile; who shared the glory
His arms deserved。
And when so oft; for weal or woe;
His life upon the fatal throw
Had been cast down;
When he had served; with patriot zeal;
Beneath the banner of Castile;
His sovereign's crown;
And done such deeds of valor strong;
That neither history nor song
Can count them all;
Then; on Ocana's castled rock;
Death at his portal came to knock;
With sudden call;
Saying; 〃Good Cavalier; prepare
To leave this world of toil and care
With joyful mien;
Let thy strong heart of steel this day
Put on its armor for the fray;
The closing scene。
〃Since thou hast been; in battle…strife;
So prodigal of health and life;
For earthly fame;
Let virtue nerve thy heart again;
Loud on the last stern battle…plain
They call thy name。
〃Think not the struggle that draws near
Too terrible for man; nor fear
To meet the foe;
Nor let thy noble spirit grieve;
Its life of glorious fame to leave
On earth below。
〃A life of honor and of worth
Has no eternity on earth;
'T is but a name;
And yet its glory far exceeds
That base and sensual life; which leads
To want and shame。
〃The eternal life; beyond the sky;
W