153. Had Homer and Virgil Seen Her, They Would Have Sung Only of Her
HAD HOMER AND VIRGIL SEEN HER, THEY WOULD HAVE SUNG ONLY OF HER
Had Virgil seen, had Homer but beheld
The living sun which here mine eyes behold,
They would have merged melodious and bold
Into one singing strength and so compelled
The plaudits of eternity and knelled
Æneas and Achilles, famed of old;
Ulysses, and that hero who controlled
The world some sixty years; that other felled
By Lord Ægisthus — all these should have gone
Neglected, then, into oblivion;
Nay, Latium's prince of ardours and alarms
Had scarce have matched her chastity and charms:
Him Ennius sang; I sing of her. Look down,
Sweet Heaven, lest my praise provoke her frown!
Had Virgil seen, had Homer but beheld
The living sun which here mine eyes behold,
They would have merged melodious and bold
Into one singing strength and so compelled
The plaudits of eternity and knelled
Æneas and Achilles, famed of old;
Ulysses, and that hero who controlled
The world some sixty years; that other felled
By Lord Ægisthus — all these should have gone
Neglected, then, into oblivion;
Nay, Latium's prince of ardours and alarms
Had scarce have matched her chastity and charms:
Him Ennius sang; I sing of her. Look down,
Sweet Heaven, lest my praise provoke her frown!
Translation:
Language:
Reviews
No reviews yet.