Classic Poem

A PASTORAL .

DAPHNIS .

How calm the ev'ning! see the falling day
Gilds ev'ry mountain with a ruddy ray!
In gentle sighs the softly whisp'ring breeze
Salutes the flow'rs, and waves the trembling trees,
Hark! the night-warbler from yon vocal boughs
Glads ev'ry valley with melodious woes:
Swift thro' the air her rounds the swallow takes,
Or sportive skims the level of the lakes;
The tim'rous deer, swift-starting as they graze,
Bound off in crowds, then turn again and gaze.
See how yon swans, with snowy pride elate,
Arch their high necks and sail along in state!
Thy frisking flocks safe-wand'ring crop the plain,
And the glad season claims a gladsome strain.
Begin — Ye Echoes! listen to the song,
And, with its sweetness pleas'd, each note prolong.
LYC . Sing, Muse! — and O, may Townshend deign to view
What the Muse sings! to Townshend this is due,
Who, carrying with him all the world admires,
From all the world illustriously retires,
And calmly wand'ring in his Rainham, roves
By lake, or spring, by thicket, lawn, or groves,
Where verdant hills, or vales, where fountains stray,
Charm ev'ry thought of idle pomp away;
Unenvy'd views the splendid toils of state,
In private happy, as in public great.
Thus godlike Scipio, on whose cares reclin'd
The burden and repose of half mankind,
Left to the vain their pomp, and calmly stray'd,
The world forgot beneath the laurel shade;
Nor longer would be great, but void of strife,
Clos'd in soft peace his eve of glorious life.
Feed round, my goats! ye sheep in safety graze;
Ye winds! breathe gently, while I tune my lays.
The joyous spring draws nigh; ambrosial show'rs
Unbind the earth, the earth unbinds the flow'rs;
The flow'rs blow sweet, the daffodils unsold
The spreading glories of their blooming gold.
DAPH . As the gay hours advance the blossoms shoot,
The knitting blossoms harden into fruit;
And as the autumn by degrees ensues,
The mellowing fruits display their streaky hues.
LYC . When the winds whistle and the tempest roars,
When foaming billows lash the sounding shores,
The blooming beauties of the pastures die,
And in gay heaps of fragrant ruin lie.
DAPH . Severe the storms when shudd'ring winter binds
The earth; but winter yields to vernal winds.
O Love! thy rigour my whole life deforms;
More cold than winter, more severe than storms!
LYC . Sweet is the spring, and gay the summer hours,
When balmy odours breathe from painted flow'rs;
But neither sweet the spring, nor summer gay,
When she I love, my charmer! is away.
DAPH . To savage rocks, thro' bleak inclement skies,
Deaf as those rocks, from me my fair one flies:
O Virgin! cease to fly; th' inclement air
May hurr thy charms — but thou hast charms to spare!
LYC . I love, and ever shall my love remain
The fairest, kindest virgin of the plain;
With equal passion her soft bosom glows,
Feels the sweet pains, and shares the heavenly woes.
DAPH . With a feign'd passion she I love beguiles,
And gayly false the dear dissembler smiles;
But let her still those blest deceits employ,
Still may she feign, and cheat me into joy.
LYC . On yonder bank the yielding nymph reclin'd;
Gods! how transported I and she how kind!
There rise, ye flow'rs! and there your pride display,
There shed your odours where the fair one lay!
DAPH . Once as my fair one in the rosy bow'r
In gentle slumbers pass'd the noontide hour,
Soft I approach'd, and, raptur'd with the bliss,
At leisure gaz'd, then stole a silent kiss.
She wak'd; when conscious smiles, but ill represt,
Spoke no disdain. — Was ever swain so blest!
LYC . With fragrant apples from the bending bough
In sport my charmer gave her swain a blow;
The fair offender, of my wrath afraid,
Fled till I seiz'd and kiss'd the blooming maid.
She smil'd, and vow'd if thus her crimes I pay,
She would offend a thousand times a-day.
DAPH . O'er the steep mountain and the pathless mead
From my embrace the lovely scorner fled,
But stumbling in the flight, by chance she fell:
I saw — but what — her lover will not tell.
LYC . From me my fair one fled, dissembling play,
And in the dark conceal'd the wanton lay;
But laugh'd, and shew'd by the directing sound
She only hid in secret to be found.
DAPH . Far hence to happier climes Belinda strays,
But in my breast her lovely image stays:
O to these plains again, bright Nymph! repair,
Or from my breast far hence thy image bear.
LYC . Come, Delia! come; till Delia bless these seats,
Hide me, ye groves, within your dark retreats:
In hollow groans, ye winds, around me blow;
Ye bubbling fountains, murmur to my woe.
DAPH . Where'er Belinda roves, ye Zephirs! play;
Where'er she treads, ye flow'rs, adorn the way;
From sultry suns, ye groves, my charmer keep;
Ye bubbling fountains, murmur to her sleep.
LYC . If streams smooth wand'ring, Delia, yield delight,
If the gay rose or lily please thy sight,
Smooth streams here wander, here the roses glow,
Here the proud lilies rise to shade thy brow.
DAPH . Aid me, ye Muses, while I loud proclaim
What love inspires, and sing Belinda's name:
Wast it, ye breezes, to the hills around,
And sport, ye echoes, with the fav'rire sound.
LYC . Thy name, my Delia, shall improve my song,
The pleasing labour of my ravish'd tongue:
Her name to heaven propitious Zephyrs bear!
And breathe it to her kindred angels there.
DAPH . But see! the night displays her starry train,
Soft silver dews impearl the glitt'ring plain;
An awful horror fills the gloomy woods,
And bluish mists rise from the smoking floods:
Haste, Daphnis! haste to fold thy woolly care;
The deep'ning shades imbrown th' unwholesome air.