The Complete Works of Richard Crashaw Volume II Part 60

ANOTHER RENDERING (_more freely_).

Whoe'er ye be, upgazing here, Calm, unruffl'd, without tear; Joyous in your golden prime, And unwitting of the time When shall pale Life's glowing sun, And the web of years be spun; Thinking not o' the iron night Where grim Pluto reigns in might; Thinking not of the nether world, With its clanking chains; Whither d.a.m.ned souls are hurl'd When the Judge arraigns; Seeing old age far away; Making Life one holiday;-- Here perceive that Grief shall yet Your ruddy cheeks with sorrow wet; Here musing upon this poor stone, Ye may learn prevention.

This Earth, what is it but a home Fugitive as sea-wave's foam?

Mark where breaks the whit'n'd wave 'Mid the cliffs--an arched cave; Light and shadow play within, Flick'ring o'er its walls; In the gloom--with h.e.l.l akin-- A dull stream slowly crawls.

E'en such is Life, how bright soe'er, Hope and Joy lure to Despair; And Life's stream goes plunging down Into dark drear Acheron; Youth's bright torch extinguish'd quite; Golden Day exchang'd for Night: To long night of changeless woe Swift the Christless souls shall go.

Shun not therefore in thy prime, Shun not whilst thou art in Time, Tears of penitence over sin; Or bitterly shalt thou rue, When Death shall fling his javelin, And h.e.l.l's prison thee immew.

Bethink thee in thy golden prime; Bethink thee whilst thou'rt yet in Time. G.

ELEGIA.[100]

Ite, meae lacrymae, nec enim moror, ite; sed oro Tantum ne miserae claudite vocis iter.

O liceat querulos verbis animare dolores, Et saltem 'Ah periit!' dicere noster amor.

Ecce negant tamen; ecce negant, lacrymaeque rebelles Pergunt indomita praecipitantque via.

Visne, o care, igitur te nostra silentia dicant?

Vis fleat a.s.siduo murmure mutus amor?

Flebit, et urna suos semper bibet humida rores, Et fidas semper semper habebit aquas.

Interea, quicunque estis, ne credite mirum Si verae lacrymae non didicere loqui.

TRANSLATION.

ELEGY.

Flow, flow, my tears; I stay you not; but pray To my unhappy voice close not the way.

My plaintive griefs with words, O let me move; To say, 'Alas, he died!' allow my love.

Lo, they say, no--the rebel tears say, no!

And with unconquer'd headlong torrent flow.

Wouldst thou, O dear one, that our silence speak?

Mute love with ceaseless sob moisten our cheek?

It shall; and still thine urn drink its own dews, And never its own faithful waters lose.

Meanwhile let no one think a wonder wrought, If real tears to speak could not be taught. R. WI.

THESAURUS MALORUM FOEMINA.

Quis deus, o quis erat, qui te, mala foemina, finxit?

Proh, crimen superum, noxa pudenda deum!

Quae divum ma.n.u.s est adeo non dextera mundo?

In nostras clades ingeniosa ma.n.u.s: Parcite; peccavi: nec enim pia numina possunt Tam crudele semel vel voluisse nefas.

Vestrum opus est pietas; opus est concordia vestrum; Vos equidem tales haud reor artifices.

Heus, inferna cohors, foetus cognoscite vestros.

Num pudet hanc vestrum vincere posse scelus?

Plaudite Tartarei proceres Erebique potentes, Nae mirum est tantum vos potuisse malum; Jam vestras laudate ma.n.u.s. Si forte tacetis, Artific.u.m laudes grande loquetur opus.

Quam bene vos omnes speculo contemplor in isto?

Pectus in angustum cogitur omne malum.

Quin dormi, Pluto; rabidas compesce sorores; Jam non poscit opem nostra ruina tuam.

Haec satis in nostros fabricata est machina muros, Mortales furias Tartara nostra dabunt.

TRANSLATION.

WOMAN A TREASURY OF EVILS.

What G.o.d? or who was it? I ask, contriv'd Thee, O Woman, evil Woman? who conniv'd Together--who--in this supremest crime Of the divinities, before old Time Was born? Alas, most dire calamity As e'er has come upon humanity!

Whence was the hand, ye Powers, so evil-skill'd In sin and mischief, so perversely will'd To curse this world of ours? But hold! I blunder; I must to the dark regions lying under, Ev'n h.e.l.l, descend. Not Thee, O G.o.d above, For Thou art pitiful, for Thou art Love: Not one of all the gracious Pow'rs supernal; But ye, O Furies, from the pit infernal, Ye, ye the work devis'd, matur'd, achiev'd, And brought to Man; to Man--frail Man! deceiv'd: Ho, hosts of evil! ho! on you I call: Behold your offspring diabolical.

Does it a blush raise?--Spirits of evil, speak!-- Such as expos'd crime brings to mortal cheek?

Lo, these your works yourselves surpa.s.s, I wis; Clap hands, ye potentates of the Abyss.

Rulers of Erebus, is it not a wonder, Worthy of h.e.l.l's most resonant swift thunder, That ye such thing contrived have as Heaven Never cast out, nor e'er to h.e.l.l was driven?

Take ye your praise, your praise; this work o' your hands Absolute in mischief 'bove compar'son stands.

Or if ye silent be, your work will speak Your praise. Ha, ha! what mean ye that ye shriek Thus as I meditate with pulse of fear Upon this monster, Woman? Ah, 'tis clear; I see your guile and skill. The G.o.ds above Would have all ills within one scant breast move!

To bed, Pluto, king of the nether world; Sleep on in peace; be every banner furl'd; Ye fires, go out; Man's ruin is complete; No need of you--in Woman all woes meet: In her, ye devils, ye have so contriv'd That Tempter, who--better than had ye div'd To furthest Tartarus--Man's protecting wall Shall breach. Earth's fury--Woman--pa.s.ses all! G.

Latin Poems.

PART SECOND. SECULAR.

II.

MISCELLANEOUS AND COMMEMORATIVE.

NEVER BEFORE PRINTED.

NOTE.

Once more the Sancroft MS. furnishes the Poems of this division, all hitherto unprinted. In this section I have again been largely and finely aided in the translations by my already-named friend the Rev.

Richard Wilton, as before. G.

PULCHRA NON DIUTURNA.

EHEU, ver breve et invidum!

Eheu, floriduli dies!

Ergo curritis improba, Et quae nunc face fulgurat, Dulcis forma tenacibus Immiscebitur infimae: Heu, noctis nebulis; amor Fallax, umbraque somnii.

Quin inc.u.mbitis; invida Sic dictat colus, et rota Cani temporis incito Currens...o...b.. volubilis.

O deprendite lubricos Annos; et liquidum jubar Verni sideris, ac novi Floris fulgura, mollibus Quae debetis amoribus, Non impendite luridos In manes avidum et Chaos.

Quanquam sidereis genis, Quae semper nive sobria Sinceris spatiis vigent, Floris germine simplicis, Flagrant ingenuae rosae: Quanquam perpetua fide Illic mille Cupidines, Centum mille Cupidines, Pastos nectarea dape, Blandis sumptibus educas; Istis qui spatiis vagi, Plenis lusibus ebrii, Udo rore beatuli, Uno plus decies die Istis ex oculis tuis, Istis ex oculis suas Sopitas animant faces, Et languentia recreant Succo spicula melleo: Tum flammis agiles novis Lasciva volitant face, Tum plenis tumidi minis, Tum vel sidera territant, Et coelum et fragilem Jovem: Quanquam fronte sub ardua Majestas gravis excubans, Dulces fort.i.ter improbis Leges dictat amoribus: Quanquam tota, per omnia, Coelum machina praeferat, Tanquam pagina multiplex Vivo scripta volumine, Terris indigitans polos.

Et compendia siderum: Istis heu tamen heu genis, Istis purpureis genis, Oris sidere florido, Regno frontis amabili; Mors heu crastina forsitan Crudeles faciet notas, Naturaeque superbiam d.a.m.nabit tumuli specu.

TRANSLATION.

THE BEAUTIFUL NOT LASTING.