The Complete Poetical Works of Percy Bysshe Shelley Part 171

STANZAS FROM CALDERON'S CISMA DE INGLATERRA.

TRANSLATED BY MEDWIN AND CORRECTED BY Sh.e.l.lEY.

[Published by Medwin, "Life of Sh.e.l.ley", 1847, with Sh.e.l.ley's corrections in ''.]

1.

Hast thou not seen, officious with delight, Move through the illumined air about the flower The Bee, that fears to drink its purple light, Lest danger lurk within that Rose's bower?

Hast thou not marked the moth's enamoured flight _5 About the Taper's flame at evening hour; 'Till kindle in that monumental fire His sunflower wings their own funereal pyre?

2.

My heart, its wishes trembling to unfold.

Thus round the Rose and Taper hovering came, _10 'And Pa.s.sion's slave, Distrust, in ashes cold.

Smothered awhile, but could not quench the flame,'-- Till Love, that grows by disappointment bold, And Opportunity, had conquered Shame; And like the Bee and Moth, in act to close, _15 'I burned my wings, and settled on the Rose.'

SCENES FROM THE FAUST OF GOETHE.

[Published in part (Scene 2) in "The Liberal", No. 1, 1822; in full, by Mrs. Sh.e.l.ley, "Posthumous Poems", 1824.]

SCENE 1.--PROLOGUE IN HEAVEN.

THE LORD AND THE HOST OF HEAVEN.

ENTER THREE ARCHANGELS.

RAPHAEL: The sun makes music as of old Amid the rival spheres of Heaven, On its predestined circle rolled With thunder speed: the Angels even Draw strength from gazing on its glance, _5 Though none its meaning fathom may:-- The world's unwithered countenance Is bright as at Creation's day.

GABRIEL: And swift and swift, with rapid lightness, The adorned Earth spins silently, _10 Alternating Elysian brightness With deep and dreadful night; the sea Foams in broad billows from the deep Up to the rocks, and rocks and Ocean, Onward, with spheres which never sleep, _15 Are hurried in eternal motion.

MICHAEL: And tempests in contention roar From land to sea, from sea to land; And, raging, weave a chain of power, Which girds the earth, as with a band.-- _20 A flas.h.i.+ng desolation there, Flames before the thunder's way; But Thy servants, Lord, revere The gentle changes of Thy day.

CHORUS OF THE THREE: The Angels draw strength from Thy glance, _25 Though no one comprehend Thee may;-- Thy world's unwithered countenance Is bright as on Creation's day.

NOTE: _28 (RAPHAEL: The sun sounds, according to ancient custom, In the song of emulation of his brother-spheres.

And its fore-written circle Fulfils with a step of thunder.

Its countenance gives the Angels strength Though no one can fathom it.

The incredible high works Are excellent as at the first day.

GABRIEL: And swift, and inconceivably swift The adornment of earth winds itself round, And exchanges Paradise-clearness With deep dreadful night.

The sea foams in broad waves From its deep bottom, up to the rocks, And rocks and sea are torn on together In the eternal swift course of the spheres.

MICHAEL: And storms roar in emulation From sea to land, from land to sea, And make, raging, a chain Of deepest operation round about.

There flames a flas.h.i.+ng destruction Before the path of the thunderbolt.

But Thy servants, Lord, revere The gentle alternations of Thy day.

CHORUS: Thy countenance gives the Angels strength, Though none can comprehend Thee: And all Thy lofty works Are excellent as at the first day.

Such is a literal translation of this astonis.h.i.+ng chorus; it is impossible to represent in another language the melody of the versification; even the volatile strength and delicacy of the ideas escape in the crucible of translation, and the reader is surprised to find a caput mortuum.--[Sh.e.l.lEY'S NOTE.])

[ENTER MEPHISTOPHELES.]

MEPHISTOPHELES: As thou, O Lord, once more art kind enough To interest Thyself in our affairs, _30 And ask, 'How goes it with you there below?'

And as indulgently at other times Thou tookest not my visits in ill part, Thou seest me here once more among Thy household.

Though I should scandalize this company, _35 You will excuse me if I do not talk In the high style which they think fas.h.i.+onable; My pathos certainly would make You laugh too, Had You not long since given over laughing.

Nothing know I to say of suns and worlds; _40 I observe only how men plague themselves;-- The little G.o.d o' the world keeps the same stamp, As wonderful as on creation's day:-- A little better would he live, hadst Thou Not given him a glimpse of Heaven's light _45 Which he calls reason, and employs it only To live more beastlily than any beast.

With reverence to Your Lords.h.i.+p be it spoken, He's like one of those long-legged gra.s.shoppers, Who flits and jumps about, and sings for ever _50 The same old song i' the gra.s.s. There let him lie, Burying his nose in every heap of dung.

NOTES: _38 certainly would editions 1839; would certainly 1824.

_47 beastlily 1824; beastily editions 1839.

THE LORD: Have you no more to say? Do you come here Always to scold, and cavil, and complain?

Seems nothing ever right to you on earth? _55

MEPHISTOPHELES: No, Lord! I find all there, as ever, bad at best.

Even I am sorry for man's days of sorrow; I could myself almost give up the pleasure Of plaguing the poor things.

THE LORD: Knowest thou Faust?

MEPHISTOPHELES: The Doctor?

THE LORD: Ay; My servant Faust.

MEPHISTOPHELES: In truth _60 He serves You in a fas.h.i.+on quite his own; And the fool's meat and drink are not of earth.

His aspirations bear him on so far That he is half aware of his own folly, For he demands from Heaven its fairest star, _65 And from the earth the highest joy it bears, Yet all things far, and all things near, are vain To calm the deep emotions of his breast.

THE LORD: Though he now serves Me in a cloud of error, I will soon lead him forth to the clear day. _70 When trees look green, full well the gardener knows That fruits and blooms will deck the coming year.

MEPHISTOPHELES: What will You bet?--now am sure of winning-- Only, observe You give me full permission To lead him softly on my path.

THE LORD: As long _75 As he shall live upon the earth, so long Is nothing unto thee forbidden--Man Must err till he has ceased to struggle.

MEPHISTOPHELES: Thanks.

And that is all I ask; for willingly I never make acquaintance with the dead. _80 The full fresh cheeks of youth are food for me, And if a corpse knocks, I am not at home.

For I am like a cat--I like to play A little with the mouse before I eat it.

THE LORD: Well, well! it is permitted thee. Draw thou _85 His spirit from its springs; as thou find'st power Seize him and lead him on thy downward path; And stand ashamed when failure teaches thee That a good man, even in his darkest longings, Is well aware of the right way.

MEPHISTOPHELES: Well and good. _90 I am not in much doubt about my bet, And if I lose, then 'tis Your turn to crow; Enjoy Your triumph then with a full breast.

Ay; dust shall he devour, and that with pleasure, Like my old paramour, the famous Snake. _95

THE LORD: Pray come here when it suits you; for I never Had much dislike for people of your sort.

And, among all the Spirits who rebelled, The knave was ever the least tedious to Me.

The active spirit of man soon sleeps, and soon _100 He seeks unbroken quiet; therefore I Have given him the Devil for a companion, Who may provoke him to some sort of work, And must create forever.--But ye, pure Children of G.o.d, enjoy eternal beauty;-- _105 Let that which ever operates and lives Clasp you within the limits of its love; And seize with sweet and melancholy thoughts The floating phantoms of its loveliness.