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Matthew Prior - The Second Hymn Of Callimachus. To ApolloMatthew Prior - The Second Hymn Of Callimachus. To Apollo
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Hah! how the laurel, great Apollo`s tree, And all the cavern shakes! Far off, far off, The man that is unhallow`d: for the god, The god approaches.  Hark! he knocks; the gates Feel the glad impulse, and the sever`d bars Submissive clink against their brazen portals. Why do the Delian palms incline their boughs, Self-moved, and hovering swans, their throats released From native silence, carol sounds harmonious?       Begin young men the hymn: let all your harps Break their inglorious silence, and the dance, In mystic numbers trod, explain the music, But first by ardent prayer and clear lustration Purge the contagious spots of human weakness: Impure no mortal can behold Apollo. So may ye flourish favour`d by the god, In youth with happy nuptials, and in age With silver hairs, and fair descent of children; So lay foundations for aspiring cities, And bless your spreading colonies` increase.       Pay sacred reverence to Apollo`s song, Lest wrathful the far-shooting god emit His fatal arrows.  Silent Nature stands, And seas subside, obedient to the sound Of Iö, Pean! nor dares Thetis Longer bewail her loved Achilles` death; For Phoebus was his foe.  Nor must sad Niobe In fruitless sorrow persevere, or weep E`en through the Phyrgian marble.  Hapless mother! Whose fondness could compare her mortal offspring To those which fair Latona bore to Jove. Iö! again repeat ye, Pean!       Against the Deity `tis hard to strive. He that resists the power of Ptolemy Resists the power of heaven; for power from heaven Derives, and monarchs rule by gods appointed.       Recite Apollo`s praise till night draws on, The ditty still unfinish`d, and the day Unequal to the godhead`s attributes Various, and matter copious of your songs.       Sublime at Jove`s right hand Apollo sits, And thence distributes honour, gracious king, And thence of verse perpetual.  From his robe Flows light ineffable; his harp, his quiver, And Lictian bow, are gold: with golden sandals His feet are shod; how rich! how beautiful! Beneath his steps the yellow mineral rises, And earth reveals her treasures.  Youth and beauty Eternal deck his cheeks; from his fair head Perfumes distil their sweets; and cheerful Health, His duteous handmaid, through the air improved, With lavish hand diffuses scents ambrosial.       The spearman`s arm, by thee, great god, directed, Sends forth a certain wound.  The laurell`d bard, Inspired by thee, composes verse immortal. Taught by thy art divine, the sage physician Eludes the urn, and chains or exiles Death.       Thee, Nomian, we adore, for that from heaven Descending, thou on fair Amphyrsus` banks Didst guard Admetus` herds.  Sithence the vow Produced an ampler store of milk; the she-goat, Not without pain, dragg`d her distended udder; And ewes, that erst brought forth but single lambs, Now dropp`d their twofold burdens.  Bless`d the cattle On which Apollo cast his favouring eye!       But, Phoebus, thou to man beneficient Delight`st in building cities.  Bright Diana, Kind sister to thy infant deity, New-wean`d, and just arising from the cradle, Brought hunted wild goats` heads and branching antlers Of stags, the fruit and honour of her toil; These with discerning hand thou knew`st to range, (Young as thou wast) and in the well-framed models, With emblematic skill and mystic order, Thou show`dst where towers or battlements should rise, Where gates should open, or where walls should compass; While from thy childish pastime, man received The future strength and ornament of nations.       Battus, our great progentior, now touch`d The Libyan strand, when the foreboding crow Flew on the right before the people, marking The country destined the auspicious seat Of future kings, and favour of the god, Whose oath is sure, and promise stands eternal.       Or Boedromian hear`st thou pleased, or Clarian Phoebus, great king? for different are thy names, As thy kind hand has founded many cities, Or dealt benign thy various gifts to man. Carnean let me call thee, for my country Calls thee Carnean: the fair colony Thrice by thy gracious guidance was transported Ere settled in Cyrene; there we appointed Thy annual feasts, kind god, and bless`d thy altars, Smoking with hecatombs of slaughter`d bulls, As Carnus, thy high priest and favour`d friend, Had erst ordain`d; and with mysterious rites Our great forefathers taught their sons to worship, Iö! Carnean Phoebus! Pean!       The yellow crocus there, and fair narcissus, Reserve the honours of their winter-store To deck thy temple, till returning spring Diffuses Nature`s various pride, and flowers Innumerable, by the soft south-west Open`d, and gather`d by religious hands, Rebound their sweets from th` odoriferous pavement. Perpetual fires shine hallow`d on thy altars, When annual the Carnean feast is held: The warlike Libyans clad in armour lead The dance; with clanging swords and shields they beat The dreadful measure: in the chorus join Their women, brown, but beautiful: such rites To thee well pleasing.  Nor had yet thy votaries, From Greece transplanted, touch`d Cyrene`s banks, And lands determined for their last abodes, But wander`d through Azilis` horrid forest Dispersed, when from Myrtusa`s craggy brow, Fond of the maid, auspicious to the city Which must hereafter bear her favour`d name, Thou gracious deign`d`st to let the fair one view Her typic people; thou with pleasure taught`st her To draw the bow, to slay the shaggy lion, And stop the spreading ruin of the plains. Happy the nymph who, honour`d by thy passion, Was aided by thy power! the monstrous Python Durst tempt thy wrath in vain; for dead he fell, To thy great strength and golden arms unequal.       Iö! while thy unerring hand elanced Another, and another dart, the people Joyful repeated Iö! Pean! Elance the dart, Apollo; for the safety And health of man, gracious, thy mother bore thee.       Envy, thy latest foe, suggested thus: Like thee I am a power immortal, therefore To thee dare speak.  How canst thou favour partial Those poets who write little? vast and great Is what I love: the far extended ocean To a small rivulet I prefer.  Apollo Spurn`d Envy with his foot, and thus the god: Daemon, the headlong current of Euphrates, Assyrian river, copious runs, but muddy, And carries forward with his stupid force Polluting dirt, his torrent still augmenting, His wave still more defiled; meanwhile the nymphs Melissan, sacred and recluse to Ceres, Studious to have their offerings well received, And fit for heavenly use, from little urns Pour streams select and purity of waters.         Iö! Apollo, mighty king, let Envy, Ill judging and verbose, from Lethe`s lake Draw tons unmeasurable, while thy favour Administers to my ambitious thirst The wholesome draught from Aganippe`s spring Genuine, and with soft murmurs gently rilling Adown the mountains where thy daughters haunt.
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