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    Songs of Two Nations
    Songs of Two Nations
    Songs of Two Nations
    Ebook96 pages51 minutes

    Songs of Two Nations

    By Algernon Charles Swinburne

    ()

    Read preview
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherArchive Classics
    Release dateNov 15, 2013
    Songs of Two Nations

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      Book preview

      Songs of Two Nations - Algernon Charles Swinburne

      Project Gutenberg's Songs Of Two Nations, by Algernon Charles Swinburne

      This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org

      Title: Songs Of Two Nations

      Author: Algernon Charles Swinburne

      Release Date: May 14, 2013 [EBook #8127]

      Language: English

      *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SONGS OF TWO NATIONS ***

      Produced by Mark Sherwood, Marc D'Hooghe and Delphine Lettau

      SONGS OF TWO NATIONS

      By Algernon Charles Swinburne

      CONTENTS

      A SONG OF ITALY

      ODE ON THE PROCLAMATION OF THE FRENCH REPUBLIC

      DIRAE

           I saw the double-featured statue stand

             Of Memnon or of Janus, half with night

           Veiled, and fast bound with iron; half with light

             Crowned, holding all men's future in his hand.

           And all the old westward face of time grown grey

             Was writ with cursing and inscribed for death;

           But on the face that met the mornings breath

             Fear died of hope as darkness dies of day.

      A SONG OF ITALY

      Inscribed

      With All Devotion and Reverence

      To:

      JOSEPH MAZZINI

      1867

           Upon a windy night of stars that fell

             At the wind's spoken spell,

           Swept with sharp strokes of agonizing light

             From the clear gulf of night,

           Between the fixed and fallen glories one

             Against my vision shone,

           More fair and fearful and divine than they

             That measure night and day,

           And worthier worship; and within mine eyes

             The formless folded skies

           Took shape and were unfolded like as flowers.

             And I beheld the hours

           As maidens, and the days as labouring men,

             And the soft nights again

           As wearied women to their own souls wed,

             And ages as the dead.

           And over these living, and them that died,

             From one to the other side

           A lordlier light than comes of earth or air

             Made the world's future fair.

           A woman like to love in face, but not

             A thing of transient lot—

           And like to hope, but having hold on truth—

             And like to joy or youth,

           Save that upon the rock her feet were set—

             And like what men forget,

           Faith, innocence, high thought, laborious peace—

             And yet like none of these,

           Being not as these are mortal, but with eyes

             That sounded the deep skies

           And clove like wings or arrows their clear way

             Through night and dawn and day—

           So fair a presence over star and sun

             Stood, making these as one.

           For in the shadow of her shape were all

             Darkened and held in thrall,

           So mightier rose she past them; and I felt

             Whose form, whose likeness knelt

           With covered hair and face and clasped her knees;

             And knew the first of these

           Was Freedom, and the second Italy.

             And what sad words said she

           For mine own grief I knew not, nor had heart

             Therewith to bear my part

           And set my songs to sorrow; nor to hear

             How tear by sacred tear

           Fell from her eyes as flowers or notes that fall

             In some slain feaster's hall

           Where in mid music and melodious breath

             Men singing have seen death.

           So fair, so lost, so sweet she knelt; or so

             In our lost eyes below

           Seemed to us sorrowing; and her speech being said,

             Fell, as one who falls dead.

           And for a little she too wept, who stood

             Above the dust and blood

           And thrones and troubles of the world; then spake,

             As who bids dead men wake.

           "Because the years were heavy on thy head;

             Because dead things are dead;

           Because thy chosen on hill-side, city and plain

             Are shed as drops of rain;

           Because all earth was black, all heaven was blind,

             And we cast out of mind;

           Because men wept, saying Freedom, knowing of thee,

             Child, that thou wast not free;

           Because wherever blood was not shame was

             Where thy pure foot did pass;

           Because on Promethean rocks distent

             Thee fouler eagles rent;

           Because a serpent stains with slime and foam

             This that is not thy Rome;

           Child of my womb, whose limbs were made in me,

             Have I forgotten thee?

           In all thy dreams through all these years on wing,

             Hast thou dreamed such a thing?

           The mortal

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