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Anonymous translation
STRANGER, here thy wanderings end,— | |
| White Colonus welcomes thee; | |
| Darling of this knightly land, | |
| Fairest spot of earth to see. | |
| Here, the leafy nooks among, | 5 |
| Warbles oft the nightingale; | |
| Softly sounds her plaintive song, | |
| From the wine-dark ivied dale, | |
| Or from out yon hallowed wood, | |
| Pure of haunting feet profane; | 10 |
| Where nor storms nor heats intrude, | |
| Where mid fruits of richest grain, | |
| Oft the revelling god of wine | |
| Paces with his rout divine. | |
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| Here, the dew of heaven beneath, | 15 |
| The narcissus, clustering fair, | |
| Twines for mightiest powers a wreath; | |
| Here the crocus-blossoms glare | |
| With a golden shine; and here, | |
| Gushing from Cephisus’ streams, | 20 |
| Joyous waters, pure and clear, | |
| Flash about in silver gleams: | |
| So that o’er the laughing plains | |
| Sleepless fountains, quick of birth, | |
| Wanton, offspring of the rains, | 25 |
| Welling from the breast of earth. | |
| Here the Muses oft are seen, | |
| And the golden-reinéd queen. | |
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| Here, unknown to Asia’s land, | |
| Or old Pelops’ ancient seat,— | 30 |
| Terror of a hostile brand, | |
| Unsubdued and self-create,— | |
| Doth the soft green olive flower; | |
| Sacred to the nascent birth, | |
| Youth’s array and age’s power, | 35 |
| Fail to wrest it from our earth; | |
| Aye may Morian Zeus defend it, | |
| And the blue-eyed Pallas tend it! | |
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| Yet once more my voice I raise, | |
| ’T is my country’s right divine, | 40 |
| To control the courser’s ways, | |
| And the bark upon the brine: | |
| Laud we then Poseidon’s name, | |
| Queller of the bitted steed,— | |
| Laud we him, from whom it came | 45 |
| That our strong-oared galleys speed, | |
| Flashing o’er the surging sea | |
| With the nereid company! | |
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