The Complete Poetical Works of Percy Bysshe Shelley Part 152

ON LEAVING LONDON FOR WALES.

THE WANDERING JEW'S SOLILOQUY.

EVENING: TO HARRIET.

TO IANTHE.

SONG FROM THE WANDERING JEW.

FRAGMENT FROM THE WANDERING JEW.

TO THE QUEEN OF MY HEART.

EDITOR'S NOTES.

BIBLIOGRAPHICAL LIST OF EDITIONS.

INDEX OF FIRST LINES.

TRANSLATIONS.

[Of the Translations that follow a few were published by Sh.e.l.ley himself, others by Mrs. Sh.e.l.ley in the "Posthumous Poems", 1824, or the "Poetical Works", 1839, and the remainder by Medwin (1834, 1847), Garnett (1862), Rossetti (1870), Forman (1876) and Loc.o.c.k (1903) from the ma.n.u.script originals. Sh.e.l.ley's "Translations" fall between the years 1818 and 1822.]

HYMN TO MERCURY.

TRANSLATED FROM THE GREEK OF HOMER.

[Published by Mrs. Sh.e.l.ley, "Posthumous Poems", 1824. This alone of the "Translations" is included in the Harvard ma.n.u.script book. 'Fragments of the drafts of this and the other Hymns of Homer exist among the Bos...o...b.. ma.n.u.scripts' (Forman).]

1.

Sing, Muse, the son of Maia and of Jove, The Herald-child, king of Arcadia And all its pastoral hills, whom in sweet love Having been interwoven, modest May Bore Heaven's dread Supreme. An antique grove _5 Shadowed the cavern where the lovers lay In the deep night, unseen by G.o.ds or Men, And white-armed Juno slumbered sweetly then.

2.

Now, when the joy of Jove had its fulfilling, And Heaven's tenth moon chronicled her relief, _10 She gave to light a babe all babes excelling, A schemer subtle beyond all belief; A shepherd of thin dreams, a cow-stealing, A night-watching, and door-waylaying thief, Who 'mongst the G.o.ds was soon about to thieve, _15 And other glorious actions to achieve.

3.

The babe was born at the first peep of day; He began playing on the lyre at noon, And the same evening did he steal away Apollo's herds;--the fourth day of the moon _20 On which him bore the venerable May, From her immortal limbs he leaped full soon, Nor long could in the sacred cradle keep, But out to seek Apollo's herds would creep.

4.

Out of the lofty cavern wandering _25 He found a tortoise, and cried out--'A treasure!'

(For Mercury first made the tortoise sing) The beast before the portal at his leisure The flowery herbage was depasturing, Moving his feet in a deliberate measure _30 Over the turf. Jove's profitable son Eying him laughed, and laughing thus begun:--

5.

'A useful G.o.dsend are you to me now, King of the dance, companion of the feast, Lovely in all your nature! Welcome, you _35 Excellent plaything! Where, sweet mountain-beast, Got you that speckled sh.e.l.l? Thus much I know, You must come home with me and be my guest; You will give joy to me, and I will do All that is in my power to honour you. _40

6.

'Better to be at home than out of door, So come with me; and though it has been said That you alive defend from magic power, I know you will sing sweetly when you're dead.'

Thus having spoken, the quaint infant bore, _45 Lifting it from the gra.s.s on which it fed And grasping it in his delighted hold, His treasured prize into the cavern old.

7.

Then scooping with a chisel of gray steel, He bored the life and soul out of the beast.-- _50 Not swifter a swift thought of woe or weal Darts through the tumult of a human breast Which thronging cares annoy--not swifter wheel The flashes of its torture and unrest Out of the dizzy eyes--than Maia's son _55 All that he did devise hath featly done.

8.

And through the tortoise's hard stony skin At proper distances small holes he made, And fastened the cut stems of reeds within, And with a piece of leather overlaid _60 The open s.p.a.ce and fixed the cubits in, Fitting the bridge to both, and stretched o'er all Symphonious cords of sheep-gut rhythmical.

9.

When he had wrought the lovely instrument, He tried the chords, and made division meet, _65 Preluding with the plectrum, and there went Up from beneath his hand a tumult sweet Of mighty sounds, and from his lips he sent A strain of unpremeditated wit Joyous and wild and wanton--such you may _70 Hear among revellers on a holiday.

10.

He sung how Jove and May of the bright sandal Dallied in love not quite legitimate; And his own birth, still scoffing at the scandal, And naming his own name, did celebrate; _75 His mother's cave and servant maids he planned all In plastic verse, her household stuff and state, Perennial pot, trippet, and brazen pan,-- But singing, he conceived another plan.

11.

Seized with a sudden fancy for fresh meat, _80 He in his sacred crib deposited The hollow lyre, and from the cavern sweet Rushed with great leaps up to the mountain's head, Revolving in his mind some subtle feat Of thievish craft, such as a swindler might _85 Devise in the lone season of dun night.

12.

Lo! the great Sun under the ocean's bed has Driven steeds and chariot--the child meanwhile strode O'er the Pierian mountains clothed in shadows, Where the immortal oxen of the G.o.d _90 Are pastured in the flowering unmown meadows, And safely stalled in a remote abode.-- The archer Argicide, elate and proud, Drove fifty from the herd, lowing aloud.

13.

He drove them wandering o'er the sandy way, _95 But, being ever mindful of his craft, Backward and forward drove he them astray, So that the tracks which seemed before, were aft; His sandals then he threw to the ocean spray, And for each foot he wrought a kind of raft _100 Of tamarisk, and tamarisk-like sprigs, And bound them in a lump with withy twigs.

14.

And on his feet he tied these sandals light, The trail of whose wide leaves might not betray His track; and then, a self-sufficing wight, _105 Like a man hastening on some distant way, He from Pieria's mountain bent his flight; But an old man perceived the infant pa.s.s Down green Onchestus heaped like beds with gra.s.s.

15.

The old man stood dressing his sunny vine: _110 'Halloo! old fellow with the crooked shoulder!

You grub those stumps? before they will bear wine Methinks even you must grow a little older: Attend, I pray, to this advice of mine, As you would 'scape what might appal a bolder-- _115 Seeing, see not--and hearing, hear not--and-- If you have understanding--understand.'

16.

So saying, Hermes roused the oxen vast; O'er shadowy mountain and resounding dell, And flower-paven plains, great Hermes pa.s.sed; _120 Till the black night divine, which favouring fell Around his steps, grew gray, and morning fast Wakened the world to work, and from her cell Sea-strewn, the Pallantean Moon sublime Into her watch-tower just began to climb. _125

17.

Now to Alpheus he had driven all The broad-foreheaded oxen of the Sun; They came unwearied to the lofty stall And to the water-troughs which ever run Through the fresh fields--and when with rushgra.s.s tall, _130 Lotus and all sweet herbage, every one Had pastured been, the great G.o.d made them move Towards the stall in a collected drove.

18.

A mighty pile of wood the G.o.d then heaped, And having soon conceived the mystery _135 Of fire, from two smooth laurel branches stripped The bark, and rubbed them in his palms;--on high Suddenly forth the burning vapour leaped And the divine child saw delightedly.-- Mercury first found out for human weal _140 Tinder-box, matches, fire-irons, flint and steel.

19.

And fine dry logs and roots innumerous He gathered in a delve upon the ground-- And kindled them--and instantaneous The strength of the fierce flame was breathed around: _145 And whilst the might of glorious Vulcan thus Wrapped the great pile with glare and roaring sound, Hermes dragged forth two heifers, lowing loud, Close to the fire--such might was in the G.o.d.