Classic Poem

THE Second H YMN .

Sublime at Jove's right hand Apollo sits,
And thence distributes honour, gracious king,
And theme 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 cheek; from his fair head
Perfumes distil their sweets; and cheerful health,
His duteous handmaid, thro the air improved,
With lavish hand diffuses scents ambrosial.
The spearman's arm by thee, great god, directed,
Sends forth a certain wound. The laurelled 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 Amphrysos' banks
Didst guard Admetos's herds. Sithence the cow
Produced an ampler store of milk; the she-goat
Not without pain dragged her distended udder;
And ewes, that erst brought but single lambs,
Now dropt their twofold burdens. Blest the cattle,
On which Apollo cast his favouring eye!
But Phaebus, thou to man beneficent,
Delight'st in building cities. Bright Diana,
Kind sister to thy infant deity,
New-weaned, 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 progenitor, now toucht
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 Boidromian hear'st thou pleased, or Clarian,
Phaebus, 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 Kyrene; there we appointed
Thy annual feasts, kind god, and bless thy altars
Smoking with hecatombs of slaughtered bulls;
As Carnus, thy high-priest and favoured friend,
Had erst ordained; and with mysterious rites,
Our great forefathers taught their sons to worship.
Io Carnean Phaebus! Io 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 southwest
Opened, and gathered by religious hands,
Rebound their sweets from the odoriferous pavement.
Perpetual fires shine hallowed 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 rights
To thee well pleasing. Nor had yet thy votaries,
From Greece transplanted, toucht Kyrene's banks
And lands determined for their last abodes;
But wandered thro Azilis' horrid forest
Disperst; when from Myrtusa's craggy brow,
Fond of the maid, auspicious to the city,
Which must hereafter bear her favoured name,
Thou gracious deign'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 honoured 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.