That compact might of genius, that outflung *
All rival power in all the powers of song ;
That eye, whose glance omnific dared to pierce †
Through Nature's depths, and formed a world of verse!
For his high birth contending cities strove,‡
Unrivaled object of a Nation's love,
Ambitious each to gild their noblest fame
With nobler lustre from the poet's name :
Lord of the banquet, from whose board each guest||
May take his choice, and furnish forth a feast,
Great source, whence genius' streams supply theirurns
While each its tribute to that source returns ;
* Εύθυσ αθρόαν ενεδείξατο δυναμιν λέξει και διανοια πανίας υπερβε
† Επία πόλεις διερίζουσιν περι ριζαν Ομήρου,
Σμύρνα, Ρόδος, Κολοφων, Σαλαμίν, Χιος, Αργος, Αθηναιο
Η Dicere solebat Æschylus suas tragædias esse μικρα τινα τεμαχεα των μεγάλων Ομηρον δείπνων.
§ Απανίων κορυφη και σκοποσ.
So Ocean's power from his capacious bed *
Supplies those stores, that o'er the world are shed,
Which, deep embosomed by absorbing earth,
Give fountains, rivers, floods, and torrents birth,
And pay, by long, but sure-revolving sweep,
Their duteous tribute to the parent deep.
True regal spirit, that illustrious shone †
In sovereign splendour from the mental throne,
And wide diffused, in rays serenely bright,
The sacred blaze of intellectual light,
Whilst earth's wide regions to his march are giv'n,
His feet on earth, his head sublime in heav'n ! f
Ο Greece !—what though thy martial trophies fail, Though pride barbaric o'er thy pomps prevail;
Βαθυρρείταο μέγα ςθένος Ωκεανδιο,
Εξ ούπερ πανίεσ πο]αμοι, και πᾶσα θάλασσα,
Και πασαι κρηναι, και φρειαία μακρα ναουσιν.
† Εςτὶν ἀληθῶσ βαςιλικον πραγμα ή Όμηρου ποιήσις.
* Το Όμηρου παρορίζει μεγαλοφυεσ εν τω
σε Ουρανῳ εστήριξε καρη, καὶ επί χθονι βαίνει.”
Το επ' ουρανον απὸ γῆσ διάστημα· και τουτ' αν ειποι τις ου μάλλον της εριδος. η Όμηρου μείρονα
What, though thy day of freedom ne'er may rise,
And the pale crescent saddens all thy skies, †
While turban'd slaves and tyrants spurn the earth,
Which gave the Muses and the Graces birth,
Still deathless laurels 'round thy temples twine,
And all the lustre of the soul is thine.
Thee Queen of Nations all the Nations own, ‡
Their wonder, love, and homage, all thine own;
Rich was thy soil, and from thy bosom born
Whate'er could guard, enlighten, or adorn.
But see, beyond all else, thy HOMER's name,
Borne on the pinions of high-soaring Fame,
Ascend to heav'n, and from mankind receive
Such praise, such tribute, as mankind can give,
Beloved of taste, by Genius still implored,
Revered as holy, and as Gods adored.
Quæ cum magna modis multis miranda videtur,
Gentibus humanis regio, visendaque fertur,
Rebus opima bonis, multà munita virûm vi,
Nil tamen hoc habuisse viro præclarius in se,
Nec sanctum magis, et mirum, carumque videtur;
Ut vix humanâ videatur stirpe creatus.
Yes-let the insect tribe of minions sport,
And bask beneath the sun-shine of a court;
Where little grandeur, glow-worm splendour, flings
A transient lustre o'er their flimsy wings;
Let drones the whistling of a name pursue;
To sovereign genius what can titles do!
Can feeble tapers emulate the ray,
That flows immortal from the source of day!
Stars, garters, ribbons, all these tinsel things,
The scorn of virtue, and the pride of Kings,
Mean, glittering toys, emit too faint a beam,
To grace a HOMER'S, or a VIRGIL's name.
When Man was Man; ere superstition's law *
Had taught that godlike creature slavish awe ;
When valour guided fortune's giddy wheel, †
Ere servile gold gave law to nobler steel; ‡
* Varia est natura Generis humani; sed præstantius genus est eorum qui sunt viri. Homo sæpe homini Deus est; at superstitio noxia animum trepidum stolidâ timiditate complet.
† Οπλον μεγις τον εςτιν ἡ ἀρείη βροτοις.
Aurum bella gerit, mucronibus imperat aurum.
When laurel'd ploughs rejoiced the latin ground, *
And virtue's self was more than empty sound; †
In that blest age, amidst unnumber'd foes,
The world's imperial mistress, ROME arose.‡
No wrangling sophists rear'd her sacred towers, ||
No mad philosophers sustained her powers,
Whilst fierce in arms the envious Nations stood, §
To nip the rose of empire in its bud
But prompt in council, as in combat skill'd, **
Unawed by threats, and dauntless in the field,
Self-center'd in her might, resolved to try
The fate of arms, to vanquish or to die,
* Gaudebat tellus vomere laureato.
+ O infelix virtus! Itane, quum nihil quàm nomen esses, ego te tanquam rem aliquam exercui, cùm tu fortunæ servieris.
Scilicet et rerum facta est pulcherrima Roma.
Η Ουκ ουν κακουργοι ςοφιςται ἱερα πειχῆ ῳκαδομησανίο, ηδ' εφύλαξαν.
f Invidia ex opulentiâ orta est.
| Το μεν τῆσ δυναςτειασ Βεβλαςτηκοσ ανθοσ καλακοπίειν εθελησαν.
** At Romani, domi militiæque intenti, festinare, parare, alius alium hortari, hostibus obviam ire: post, ubi pericula virtute propulerant, sociis atque amicis auxilia portabant.
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