On Sir William Jones's Elegant Translations And Imitations Of Eastern Poetry
ELEGANT TRANSLATIONS AND IMITATIONS OF EASTERN POETRY, AND HIS RESOLUTION TO DECLINE TRANSLATING THE PERSIAN POETS .
The Asian Muse, a stranger-fair!
Becomes at length Britannia's care;
And Hafiz' lays, and Sadi's strains,
Resound along our Thames's plains.
They sing not all of streams and bowers,
Or banquet scenes, or social hours;
Nor all of Beauty's blooming charms,
Or War's rude fields, or feats of arms;
But Freedom's lofty notes sincere,
And Virtue's moral lore severe.
But, ah! they sing for us no more!
The scarcely-tasted pleasure's o'er!
For he, the Bard whose tuneful art
Can best their varied themes impart —
For he, alas! the task declines;
And Taste, at loss irreparable, repines.
The Asian Muse, a stranger-fair!
Becomes at length Britannia's care;
And Hafiz' lays, and Sadi's strains,
Resound along our Thames's plains.
They sing not all of streams and bowers,
Or banquet scenes, or social hours;
Nor all of Beauty's blooming charms,
Or War's rude fields, or feats of arms;
But Freedom's lofty notes sincere,
And Virtue's moral lore severe.
But, ah! they sing for us no more!
The scarcely-tasted pleasure's o'er!
For he, the Bard whose tuneful art
Can best their varied themes impart —
For he, alas! the task declines;
And Taste, at loss irreparable, repines.
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