And with mightygodlike stroke

Right and duty they inspire,
And evoke,

As they sing, and wake the lyre,
Tendencies of noblest worth,

To each type of strength give birth.
Phantasies of sweetest power

Flower
Round about on ev'ry bough,

Bending now
Like the magic wood of old,

'Neath the fruit that gleams like gold.
What we feel and what we view

In the land of highest bliss,--
This dear soil, a sun like this,--

Lures the best of women too.
And the Muses' breathings blest

Rouse the maiden's gentle breast,
Tune the throat to minstrelsy,

And with cheeks of beauteous dye,
Bid it sing a worthy song,

Sit the sister-band among;
And their strains grow softer still,

As they vie with earnest will.
One amongst the band betimes

Goes to wander
By the beeches, 'neath the limes,

Yonder seeking, finding yonder
That which in the morning-grove

She had lost through roguish Love,
All her breast's first aspirations,

And her heart's calm meditations,
To the shady wood so fair

Gently stealing,
Takes she that which man can ne'er

Duly merit,--each soft feeling,--
Disregards the noontide ray

And the dew at close of day,?
In the plain her path she loses.

Ne'er disturb her on her way!
Seek her silently, ye Muses

Shouts I hear, wherein the sound
Of the waterfall is drown'd.

From the grove loud clamours rise,
Strange the tumult, strange the cries.

See I rightly? Can it be?
To the very sanctuary,

Lo, an impious troop in-hies!
O'er the land

Streams the band;
Hot desire,

Drunken-fire
In their gaze

Wildly plays,--
Makes their hair

Bristle there.
And the troop,

With fell swoop,
Women, men,

Coming then,
Ply their blows

And expose,
Void of shame,

All the frame.
Iron shot,

Fierce and hot,
Strike with fear

On the ear;
All they slay

On their way.
O'er the land

Pours the band;
All take flight

At their sight.
Ah, o'er ev'ry plant they rush!

Ah, their cruel footsteps crush
All the flowers that fill their path!

Who will dare to stem their wrath?
Brethren, let us venture all!

Virtue in your pure cheek glows.
Phoebus will attend our call

When he sees our heavy woes;
And that we may have aright

Weapons suited to the fight,
He the mountain shaketh now--

From its brow
Rattling down

Stone on stone
Through the thicket spread appear.

Brethren, seize them! Wherefore fear?
Now the villain crew assail,

As though with a storm of hail,
And expel the strangers wild

From these regions soft and mild
Where the sun has ever smil'd!

What strange wonder do I see?
Can it be?

All my limbs of power are reft.
And all strength my hand has left.

Can it he?
None are strangers that I see!

And our brethren 'tis who go
On before, the way to show!

Oh, the recklessimpious ones!
How they, with their jarring tones,

Beat the time, as on they hie!
Quick, my brethren!--let us fly!

To the rash ones, yet a word!
Ay, my voice shall now be heard,

As a peal of thunder, strong!
Words as poets' arms were made,--

When the god will he obey'd,
Follow fast his darts ere long.

Was it possible that ye
Thus your godlike dignity

Should forget? The Thyrsus rude
Must a heavy burden feel

To the hand but wont to steal
O'er the lyre in gentle mood.

From the sparkling waterfalls,
From the brook that purling calls,

Shall Silenus' loathsome beast
Be allow'd at will to feast?

Aganippe's * wave he sips
With profane and spreading lips,--

With ungainly feet stamps madly,
Till the waters flow on sadly.

Fain I'd think myself deluded
In the sadd'ning sounds I hear;

From the holy glades secluded
Hateful tones assail the ear.

Laughter wild (exchange how mournful!)
Takes the place of love's sweet dream;

Women-haters and the scornful
In exulting chorus scream.

Nightingale and turtle dove
Fly their nests so warm and chaste,

And, inflamed with sensual love,
Holds the Faun the Nymph embrac'd.

Here a garment's torn away,
Scoffs succeed their sated bliss,

While the god, with angry ray,
Looks upon each impious kiss.

Vapour, smoke, as from a fire,
And advancing clouds I view;

Chords not only grace the lyre,
For the bow its chords bath too.

Even the adorer's heart
Dreads the wild advancing hand,

For the flames that round them dart
Show the fierce destroyer's hand.

Oh neglect not what I say,
For I speak it lovingly!

From our boundaries haste away,
From the god's dread anger fly!

Cleanse once more the holy place,
Turn the savage train aside!

Earth contains upon its face
Many a spot unsanctified;

Here we only prize the good.
Stars unsullied round us burn.

If ye, in repentant mood,
From your wanderings would return,--

If ye fail to find the bliss
That ye found with us of yore,--

Or when lawless mirth like this
Gives your hearts delight no more,--

Then return in pilgrim guise,
Gladly up the mountain go,

While your strains repentant rise,
And our brethren's advent show.

Let a new-born wreath entwine
Solemnly your temples round;

Rapture glows in hearts divine
When a long-lost sinner's found.

Swifter e'en than Lathe's flood
Round Death's silent house can play,

Ev'ry error of the good
Will love's chalice wash away.

All will haste your steps to meet,
As ye come in majesty,--

Men your blessing will entreat;--
Ours ye thus will doubly be!

1798.
(* Aganippe--A spring in Boeotia, which arose out of Mount

Helicon, and was sacred to Apollo and the Muses.)
-----

LILY'S MENAGERIE.
[Goethe describes this much-admired Poem, which he wrote in

honour of his love Lily, as being "designed to change his
surrender of her into despair, by drolly-fretful images."]

THERE'S no menagerie, I vow,
Excels my Lily's at this minute;

She keeps the strangest creatures in it,
And catches them, she knows not how.

Oh, how they hop, and run, and rave,
And their clipp'd pinions wildly wave,--

Poor princes, who must all endure
The pangs of love that nought can cure.

What is the fairy's name?--Is't Lily?--Ask not me!
Give thanks to Heaven if she's unknown to thee.

• throat [θrəut] n.咽喉；嗓子；出入口 (初中英语单词)
• worthy [´wə:ði] a.有价值的；值得的 (初中英语单词)
• earnest [´ə:nist] a.认真的 n.认真；诚恳 (初中英语单词)
• disturb [di´stə:b] vt.扰乱；使不安；打乱 (初中英语单词)
• silently [´sailəntli] ad.寂静地；沉默地 (初中英语单词)
• venture [´ventʃə] n.投机 v.冒险；敢于 (初中英语单词)
• thunder [´θʌndə] n.雷 vi.打雷 vt.吼出 (初中英语单词)
• chorus [´kɔ:rəs] n.合唱；齐声 v.合唱 (初中英语单词)
• fierce [fiəs] a.残忍的；强烈的 (初中英语单词)
• neglect [ni´glekt] vt.&n.疏忽；忽视；忽略 (初中英语单词)
• savage [´sævidʒ] a.野蛮的 n.蛮人 (初中英语单词)
• wreath [ri:θ] n.花圈；花环；圈状物 (初中英语单词)
• blessing [´blesiŋ] n.祝福 (初中英语单词)
• sacred [´seikrid] a.神圣的；庄严的 (初中英语单词)
• apollo [ə´pɔləu] n.阿波罗 (初中英语单词)
• despair [di´speə] vi.&n.绝望 (初中英语单词)
• mighty [´maiti] a.强有力的 ad.很 (高中英语单词)
• amongst [ə´mʌŋst] prep.其中之一 =among (高中英语单词)
• finding [´faindiŋ] n.发现物；判断；结果 (高中英语单词)
• wherein [weər´in] ad.那里面 (高中英语单词)
• waterfall [´wɔ:təfɔ:l] n.瀑布 (高中英语单词)
• tumult [´tju:mʌlt, ´tu:-] n.喧哗；激昂；烦乱 (高中英语单词)
• thicket [´θikit] n.灌木丛；密集的东西 (高中英语单词)
• reckless [´rekləs] a.不注意的；鲁莽的 (高中英语单词)
• assail [ə´seil] vt.猛击；困扰 (高中英语单词)
• turtle [´tə:tl] n.海龟；甲鱼 (高中英语单词)
• pilgrim [´pilgrim] n.旅行者；香客 (高中英语单词)
• rightly [´raitli] ad.正义地；正确地 (英语四级单词)
• wherefore [´weəfɔ:] ad.为什么；因此 (英语四级单词)
• villain [´vilən] n.坏人；恶棍；反面角色 (英语四级单词)
• profane [prə´fein] a.亵渎的 vt.玷污 (英语四级单词)
• lawless [´lɔ:ləs] a.无法无天的 (英语四级单词)
• advent [´ædvent] n.来临；降临 (英语四级单词)
• nought [nɔ:t] n.=naught (英语四级单词)
• godlike [´gɔdlaik] a.神似的 (英语六级单词)
• beauteous [´bju:tiəs] a.美的，美丽的 (英语六级单词)
• noontide [´nu:ntaid] n.正午 (英语六级单词)
• impious [´impiəs] a.不敬的；不孝的 (英语六级单词)
• loathsome [´ləuðsəm] a.讨厌的，令人作呕的 (英语六级单词)
• doubly [´dʌbli] ad.加倍地，双重地 (英语六级单词)