Poemata : Latin, Greek and Italian Poems Part 4

That thus a child should bl.u.s.ter in my ear Provok'd my laughter more than mov'd my fear. 50 I shun'd not, therefore, public haunts, but stray'd Careless in city, or suburban shade, And pa.s.sing and repa.s.sing nymphs that mov'd With grace divine, beheld where'er I rov'd.

Bright shone the vernal day, with double blaze, As beauty gave new force to Phoebus' rays.

By no grave scruples check'd I freely eyed The dang'rous show, rash youth my only guide, And many a look of many a Fair unknown Met full, unable to control my own. 60 But one I mark'd (then peace forsook my breast) One--Oh how far superior to the rest!

What lovely features! Such the Cyprian Queen Herself might wish, and Juno wish her mien.

The very nymph was she, whom when I dar'd His arrows, Love had even then prepar'd.

Nor was himself remote, nor unsupplied With torch well-trimm'd and quiver at his side; Now to her lips he clung, her eye-lids now, Then settled on her cheeks or on her brow. 70 And with a thousand wounds from ev'ry part Pierced and transpierced my undefended heart.

A fever, new to me, of fierce desire Now seiz'd my soul, and I was all on fire, But she, the while, whom only I adore, Was gone, and vanish'd to appear no more.

In silent sadness I pursue my way, I pause, I turn, proceed, yet wish to stay, And while I follow her in thought, bemoan With tears my soul's delight so quickly flown. 80 When Jove had hurl'd him to the Lemnian coast12 So Vulcan sorrow'd for Olympus lost, And so Oeclides, sinking into night, From the deep gulph look'd up to distant light.13 Wretch that I am, what hopes for me remain Who cannot cease to love, yet love in vain?

Oh could I once, once more, behold the Fair, Speak to her, tell her of the pangs I bear, Perhaps she is not adamant, would show Perhaps some pity at my tale of woe. 90 Oh inauspicious flame--'tis mine to prove A matchless instance of disastrous love.

Ah spare me, gentle Pow'r!--If such thou be Let not thy deeds, and nature disagree.

Now I revere thy fires, thy bow, thy darts: Now own thee sov'reign of all human hearts.

Spare me, and I will worship at no shrine With vow and sacrifice, save only thine.

Remove! no--grant me still this raging woe!

Sweet is the wretchedness, that lovers know: 100 But pierce hereafter (should I chance to see One destined mine) at once both her and me.

___________________________________________________________14

Such were the trophies, that in earlier days, By vanity seduced I toil'd to raise, Studious yet indolent, and urg'd by youth, That worst of teachers, from the ways of Truth; Till learning taught me, in his shady bow'r, To quit love's servile yoke, and spurn his pow'r.

Then, on a sudden, the fierce flame supprest, A frost continual settled on my breast, 110 Whence Cupid fears his flames extinct to see, And Venus dreads a Diomede15 in me.

1 i.e. "In my nineteenth year."

2 Venus (Aphrodite), so called from Amethus in Cyprus, where she had a temple.

3 Cupid, called after his mother's t.i.tle.

4 Ganymede, whom Jove, in the form of an eagle, spirited away to serve as his cup-bearer. See Ovid (Met. x, 155-161)

5 The friend of Hercules, stolen by nymphs who had fallen in love with him.

6 She fled from Apollo, and was transformed into a laurel.

7 The Roman Cra.s.sus was defeated in 53 B.C. by the Parthian cavalry when they fired backwards with devastating effect. The Cydonians were also famed for their skill in archery.

8 Cephalus, who shot his wife Procris by mistake.

9 Hercules. 10 Telemon.

11 Esculapius, who came to Rome in the form of a snake.

12 Vulcan (Hephaestus) was cast down from Olympus to the isle of Lemnos.

13 One of the Argonauts. He was swallowed up by the sea.

14 A later retraction by Milton. The line appears in the original to separate it from what came before it.

15 Diomedes wounded Venus (Aphrodite) at Troy. See Homer (Il. v, 335-343)

On the Gunpowder Plot.1

c.u.m simul in regem nuper satrapasque Britannos Ausus es infandum perfide Fauxe nefas, Fallor? an & mitis voluisti ex parte videri, Et pensare mala c.u.m pietate scelus; Scilicet hos alti missurus ad atria caeli, Sulphureo curru flammivolisque rotis.

Qualiter ille feris caput inviolabile Parcis Liquit Jordanios turbine raptus agros.

1 The Poems on the subject of the Gunpowder Treason2 I have not translated, both because the matter of them is unpleasant, and because they are written with an asperity, which, however it might be warranted in Milton's day, would be extremely unseasonable now.--W.C.

2 This includes "On the Fifth of November" below.

Another on the Same.

Siccine tentasti caelo dona.s.se Jacob.u.m Quae septemgemino Bellua monte lates?

Ni meliora tuum poterit dare munera numen, Parce precor donis insidiosa tuis.

Ille quidem sine te consortia serus adivit Astra, nec inferni pulveris usus ope.

Sic potius foedus in caelum pelle cucullos, Et quot habet brutos Roma profana Deos, Namque hac aut alia quemque adjuveris arte, Crede mihi, caeli vix bene scandet iter. 10

Another on the Same.

Purgatorem animae derisit Jacobus ignem, Et sine quo superum non adeunda domus.

Frenduit hoc trina monstrum Latiale corona Movit & horrific.u.m cornua dena minax.

Et nec inultus ait temnes mea sacra Britanne, Supplicium spreta relligione dabis.

Et si stelligeras unquam penetraveris arces, Non nisi per flammas triste patebit iter.

O quam funesto cecinisti proxima vero, Verbaque ponderibus vix caritura suis! 10 Nam prope Tartareo sublime rotatus ab igni Ibat ad aethereas umbra perusta plagas.

Another on the Same.

Quem modo Roma suis devoverat impia diris, Et Styge d.a.m.narat Taenarioque sinu, Hunc vice mutata jam tollere gest.i.t ad astra, Et cupit ad superos evehere usque Deos.

On the Inventor of Gunpowder.

Praise in old time the sage Prometheus won, Who stole ethereal radiance from the sun; But greater he, whose bold invention strove To emulate the fiery bolts of Jove.

To Leonora,1 Singing in Rome.2

Angelus unicuique suus (sic credite gentes) Obtigit aethereis ales ab ordinibus.

Quid mirum? Leonora tibi si gloria major, Nam tua praesentem vox sonat ipsa Deum.

Aut Deus, aut vacui certe mens tertia coeli Pertua secreto guttura serpit agens; Serpit agens, facilisque docet mortalia corda Sensim immortali a.s.suescere posse sono.

Quod si cuncta quidem Deus est, per cunctaque fusus, In te una loquitur, caetera mutus habet. 10

1 Leonora Baroni, celebrated Neapolitan singer. Milton heard her perform at the palace of Cardinal Barberini in I638.

2 I have translated only two of the three poetical compliments addressed to Leonora, as they appear to me far superior to what I have omitted.--W.C.

Another to the Same.

Another Leonora1 once inspir'd Ta.s.so, with fatal love to frenzy fir'd, But how much happier, liv'd he now, were he, Pierced with whatever pangs for love of Thee!

Since could he hear that heavenly voice of thine, With Adriana's lute2 of sound divine, Fiercer than Pentheus'3 tho' his eye might roll, Or idiot apathy benumb his soul, You still, with medicinal sounds, might cheer His senses wandering in a blind career; 10 And sweetly breathing thro' his wounded breast, Charm, with soul-soothing song, his thoughts to rest.