Classic Poem

3. Sunset.
The crimson glowing sun descends
Down, down to the widespread tremulous
Silver-grey Ocean.
Airy shapes, rose-tinted,
Float in his wake, and across the sky
From the glimmering cloud-veils of Autumn,
With mournful death-pallid visage
Bursts forth the moon;
Following her, bright facets of light,
Nebulous, glimmer the stars.

Once in wedlock united
Shone in Heaven
Luna the Goddess and Sol the God;
And there hovered and swarmed around and about them
The stars, their innocent children.
But tongues malicious darted forth discord,
And the proud and light-bearing couple
Were severed henceforth in hatred.

Now by day in his glory alone
Above us wanders the Sun-God,
Who for his splendour's sake
Is crowned with the songs and the worship
Of haughty men whom good fortune has hardened.

But all the night
Fair Luna moves through the heavens,
A hapless mother
With orphaned star-children about her,
And she shines in silent sorrow,
And love-stricken maidens and soft-souled poets
Bring her their tears and their verses.

O gentle Luna! A woman at heart!
She loves and yearns for her splendid consort.
At eventide, trembling and pale,
Secret she looks from her light veil of clouds
And watches in grief his departure,
And fain would she cry in anguish " Come,
Come! The children hunger for thee! "
And he, the truculent Sun-God,
At the sight of his consort he flushes
In twice-glowing purple,
With wrath and pain;
And deaf to entreaty, he speeds
Down to his cold widowed couch in the heavens.

*****

Evil slanderous tongues
Wrought in this wise pain and undoing
Even among Gods eternal;
And the hapless Gods, high in Heaven
Wander in anguish disconsolate,
In their appointed circles,
And cannot perish,
But drag on with them
Misery resplendent.

But I who am Man,
Who am placed so low, whom Death can gladden,
I will murmur no longer.