XXXIX.

The last Man.

ALL worldly shapes shall melt in gloom,
The Sun himself must die,

Before this mortal shall assume
Its immortality.

I saw a vision in my sleep,

That gave my spirit strength to sweep
Adown the gulf of Time;

I saw the last of human mould,
That shall Creation's death behold,
As Adam saw her prime.

The Sun's eye had a sickly glare,
The earth with age was wan,

The skeletons of nations were

Around that lonely man:

Some had expired in fight, the brands

Still rusted in their bony hands;

In plague and famine some.

Earth's cities had no sound nor tread; And ships were drifting with the dead

To shores where all was dumb.

ΧΧΧΙΧ.

ΠΑΝΤΑ τἀν γαίᾳ δνόφος ἐγκαλύψει, ἁλίῳ καὐτῷ γε θανεῖν ἀνάγκα,

πρὶν λαβεῖν θνατὸν τόδε σῶμα τὸ ζῆν

ἄφθιτον αἰές.

φάσμα κοιμαθέντι πέφηνε καμοί,

φάσμ ̓, ὃ ταῖς ἐμαῖς πραπίδεσσιν ἀλκὰν δῶκε νήχεσθαι τὸν ἄβυσσον αἰῶ

-νος κατὰ κόλπον.

λοίσθιος πέφηνε γένους βροτείου,

λοίσθιος βροτῶν βροτός, ᾧ πέπρωται εἰσορᾶν χρόνου τέλος, ὥς ποτ ̓ ἀρχὰν εἶδεν "Αδαμος.

Αλίου φῶς ἦν τι νοσῶδες· ὠχρὰ δ ̓ ἦν ὁρᾶν χθὼν γηραλέα· καμόντων ὄστε ἐθνῶν ἀμπὶ τὸν ἄνδρα κῆνον μοῦνον ἔπυθεν·

οἱ μὲν ἐν μάχῃ πέσον, ἐν γὰρ αὔαις δοῦρ ̓ ἔτ ̓ εὐρώεντα σέσαπε χερσίν· ἦσαν οἱ λίμῳ φθάρεν, ἦσαν οὓς ἀπ

-ώλεσε λοιμος.

οὔτινα κτύπον ποδός, οὔτιν ̓ αὐδὲν ἔσχον αἱ πόλεις· νεκύων γέμουσαι προσπελάζοντ ̓ ἀϊόνεσσ ̓ ἀφώνοις πάντοσε νάες.

Yet, prophet-like, the lone one stood,

With dauntless words and high,

That shook the sear leaves from the wood,

As if a storm passed by ;

Saying, "We are twins in death, proud Sun, Thy face is cold, thy race is run,

'Tis Mercy bids thee go;

For thou ten thousand thousand years

Hast seen the tide of human tears,

That shall no longer flow.

"This spirit shall return to Him

That gave its heavenly spark;

Yet think not, Sun, it shall be dim
When thou thyself art dark.

No! it shall live again, and shine

In bliss unknown to beams of thine;

By Him recalled to breath,

Who captive led captivity,

Who robbed the grave of victory,

And took the sting from Death.

.

"

Στῆ δ ̓ ὅμως κῆνος μόνος ὤν, ἐρᾶμος,

μάντις ὥς, δεινοῖς ἐπέεσσ ̓ ἀταρβής, οἷσι τᾶς ὅλας ἐδονοῦντο φύλλα

ξηρά, θυέλλας

ὡς παρελθοίσας - Διδύμω γ', ὑπέρφρον

Αλι', ἐσμὲν δὴ διδύμω θανόντε·

ὄμμα γὰρ τέτακε τεόν, τεὸν δρό

μημα τελεῖται·

ζῆν ἔτ ̓ οἰκτίρμων Θεὸς οὐκ ἐᾷ σέ·

καὶ γὰρ αἰώνων διὰ μυρίων ἂν
ῥεῖν ἴδες παγὰν δακρύων βροτοῖς οὐ
ῥεύσεται αὖθις.

Αδε τοι ψυχὰ πάλιν εἰς Ἐκεῖνον,
δῖον ὃς σπινθῆρα παρεῖχ', ἄνεισιν,

ἀλλ' ὅταν κρύψῃ σκοτία σε καὐτόν,

οὔ τοι ἀμαυρὰ

(μὴ τὺ προσδόκα τόδε γ') ἔσται, οὔ τοι· αὖθις αὖ βιώσεται, ἔκ τε λάμψει

σοῖσιν ἀγνώστῳ γλεφάροις ἐν αἴγλῃ·

τοῦτο δ' ἐγερθὲν

σῶμ ̓ ἀναστάσει Θεός, ὃς τὸ δουλοῦν
ἆγε δουλώσας, Θεὸς ὃς τὸ νικᾶν
ἥρπασ ̓ ἐξ Αΐδου, τό τε κέντρον ἐξεῖ

λεν Θανάτοιο.

"Go, Sun, while Mercy holds me up

On Nature's awful waste,

Go tell the Night that hides thy face,
Thou saw'st the last of Adam's race,

ΠΟΛΥ Λεωνίδεω κατιδών δέμας αὐτοδάϊκτον
Ξέρξης, ἐχλαίνου φάρεϊ πορφυρέῳ·

κἀκ νεκύων δ' ἤχησεν ὁ τᾶς Σπάρτας μέγας ἥρως, Οὐ δέχομαι προδόταις μισθὸν ὀφειλόμενον· ἀσπίς μοι τύμβου κόσμος μέγας, ἔρρε τὰ Περσῶν, ἥξω κεἰς 'Αΐδην ὡς Λακεδαιμόνιος.