Methinks I now can hear your impship's say,
Lord, sir, this special pleading cease, we pray;
Why all our pages with such stuff you'll cover;
Come to the point at once, and quit such trash.
For God's sake say, (and let us have a flash...)
"I've found some months asleep, and leaped them over.”
By way of easement as you go along,
Tip us, you might, some pretty little song;
TRANSLATIONS FROM ANACREON.
III.
BENIGNANT Nature prompt to save,
Its arms to every creature gave.
The spiral horn, long, tapering, full,
Crown'd the stern forhead of the bull:
The steed with swiftness scours the plain,
With fins the fishes cleave the main ;
The plumy race on pinions dare
Ascend the chrystal wilds of air;
Whilst hung with foam the lion shews
His gnashing fangs in hideous rows:
To man, superior far designed,
To man she gave a taste refin'd,
An awful, grand, immortal mind.
But what, ah what hath nature given,
To thee? thou last best gift of heaven,
Oh woman say? she gave thee smiles,
She gave thee soul-ensnaring wiles,
Gave thee thine inmost heart to speak,
In crimson blushes on thy cheek:
She arm'd thee with the potent sigh,
Kindled the lightning of thine eye,
And crown'd thee, blest with every grace,
The sovereign of the human race.
v.
COME, Vulcan, with thy fires embrace,
And fuse the solid silver mass;
But neither helm, nor shield prepare,
For what have I to do with war?
No-rather let thy master hand
Fashion the bowl as I command,
Broad, deep, capacious, to confine
An ocean of refulgent wine.
Nor on its figured carve appear
Orion, or the Northern Bear.
I little heed what stars arise,
"I trust the ruler with his skies:"
But let thy matchless hand design
The luscious grape, the leafy vine
With dewy clusters, and unfold
Young Bacchus form in virgin gold;
And last, thy noblest skill to prove,
Cleone, or the queen of love."
VIII.
How sweet the wreath in which combine
Love's radiant flower and Bacchus' vine;
O Rose! thy crimson leaves diffuse
Divine perfumes, and nectar'd dews,
Within thy tender folds appear
The treasur'd sweets of earth and air,
Specimens of a new version of that admired Greek poet, intended for publication.
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