New blossoms flourish and new flowers arise,
As God had been abroad, and, walking there,
Had left his footsteps and reform'd the year.
The sunny hills from far were seen to glow
With glitt'ring beams, and in the meads below
The burnish'd brooks appear'd with gold to flow,
As last they heard the foolish cuckoo sing,
Whose note proclaim'd the holyday of spring.
For her the weeping heaven become serene,
For her the ground is clad in cheerful green,
For her the nightingales are taught to sing,
And nature for her has delayed the spring.
Ces vers charmants sur la duchesse d'York rappellent ceux de La Fontaine sur la princesse de Conti.
[259]: Par exemple dans son Chant du Cirque.
The praise of Bacchus then the sweet musician sung,
Of Bacchus, ever fair and ever young.
The jolly god in triumph comes;
Sound the trumpets, beat the drums.
Flush'd with a purple grace,
He shows his honest face.
Now give the hautboys breath;nhe comes! he comes.
Bacchus! ever fair and young,
Drinking joys did first ordain;
Bacchus' blessings are a treasure,
Drinking is the soldiers's pleasure;
Rich the treasure,
Sweet the pleasure;
Sweet is pleasure after pain.
Now strike the golden lyre again:
And louder yet, and yet a louder strain.
Break his bands of sleep asunder,
And rouse him, like a rattling peal of thunder.
Hark, hark, the horrid sound
Has rais'd up his head,
As awak'd from the dead,
And amaz'd, he stares around.
Revenge! revenge! Timotheus cries,
See the furies arise!
See the snakes that they bear,
How they hiss in the air!
And the sparkles that flash from their eyes!
Behold a ghastly band,
Each a torch in his hand!
These are Grecian ghosts, that in battle were slain,
And unbury'd remain
Inglorious on the plain:
Give the vengeance due
To the valiant crew:
Behold how they toss their torches on high,
How they point to the Persian abodes,
And glitt'ring temples of their hostile gods!
The princes applaud with a furious joy,
And the King seiz'd a flambeau with a zeal to destroy.
Thaïs led the way,
To light him to his prey,
And, like another Helen, fir'd another Troy.