Эдмунд Спенсер Слёзы муз-завершение.
(С английского).
Урания.
URANIA.
What wrath of gods, or wicked influence
(С английского).
Урания.
URANIA.
What wrath of gods, or wicked influence
Of starres conspiring wretched men t\’afflict,
Hath powrd on earth this noyous pestilence,
That mortall mindes doth inwardly infect
With love of blindnesse and of ignorance,
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To dwell in darkenesse without sovenance?*
[* _Sovenance_, remembrance.]
What difference twixt man and beast is left,
When th\’heavenlie light of knowledge is put out,
And th\’ornaments of wisdome are bereft?
Then wandreth he in error and in doubt,
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Unweeting* of the danger hee is in,
Through fleshes frailtie and deceipt of sin.
[* _Unweeting_, unknowing.]
In this wide world in which they wretches stray,
It is the onelie comfort which they have,
It is their light, their loadstarre, and their day;
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But hell, and darkenesse, and the grislie grave,
Is Ignorance, the enemie of Grace,
That mindes of men borne heavenlie doth debace.
Through knowledge we behold the worlds creation,
How in his cradle first he fostred was;
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And iudge of Natures cunning operation,
How things she formed of a formelesse mas:
By knowledge wee do learne our selves to knowe,
And what to man, and what to God, wee owe.
From hence wee mount aloft unto the skie,
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And looke into the christall firmament;
There we behold the heavens great hierarchie,
The starres pure light, the spheres swift movement,
The spirites and intelligences fayre,
And angels waighting on th\’Almighties chayre.
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And there, with humble minde and high insight,
Th\’eternall Makers maiestie wee viewe,
His love, his truth, his glorie, and his might,
And mercie more than mortall men can vew.
O soveraigne Lord, O soveraigne happinesse,
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To see thee, and thy mercie measurelesse!
Such happines have they that doo embrace
The precepts of my heavenlie discipline;
But shame and sorrow and accursed case
Have they that scorne the schoole of arts divine,
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And banish me, which do professe the skill
To make men heavenly wise through humbled will.
However yet they mee despise and spight,
I feede on sweet contentment of my thought,
And please my selfe with mine owne self-delight,
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In contemplation of things heavenlie wrought:
So, loathing earth, I looke up to the sky,
And being driven hence, I thether fly.
Thence I behold the miserie of men,
Which want the blis that wisedom would them breed.
And like brute beasts doo lie in loathsome den
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Of ghostly darkenes and of gastlie dreed:
For whom I mourne, and for my selfe complaine,
And for my sisters eake whom they disdaine.
With that shee wept and waild so pityouslie,
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As if her eyes had beene two springing wells;
And all the rest, her sorrow to supplie,
Did throw forth shrieks and cries and dreery yells.
So ended shee: and then the next in rew
Began her mournfull plaint, as doth ensew.
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POLYHYMNIA.
A dolefull case desires a dolefull song,
Without vaine art or curious complements;
And squallid Fortune, into basenes flong,
Doth scorne the pride of wonted ornaments.
Then fittest are these ragged rimes for mee,
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To tell my sorrowes that exceeding bee.
For the sweet numbers and melodious measures
With which I wont the winged words to tie,
And make a tunefull diapase of pleasures,
Now being let to runne at libertie
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By those which have no skill to rule them right,
Have now quite lost their naturall delight.
Heapes of huge words uphoorded hideously,
With horrid sound, though having little sence,
They thinke to be chiefe praise of poetry;
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And, thereby wanting due intelligence,
Have mard the face of goodly poesie,
And made a monster of their fantasie.
Whilom in ages past none might professe
But princes and high priests that secret skill;
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The sacred lawes therein they wont expresse,
And with deepe oracles their verses fill:
Then was shee held in soveraigne dignitie,
And made the noursling of nobilitie.
But now nor prince nor priest doth her maintayne,
But suffer her prophaned for to bee
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Of the base vulgar, that with hands uncleane
Dares to pollute her hidden mysterie;
And treadeth under foote hir holie things,
Which was the care of kesars* and of kings.
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[* _Kesars_, emperors.]
One onelie lives, her ages ornament,
And myrrour of her Makers maiestie,
That with rich bountie and deare cherishment
Supports the praise of noble poesie;
Ne onelie favours them which it professe,
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But is her selfe a peereles poetresse.
Most peereles Prince, most peereles Poetresse,
The true Pandora of all heavenly graces,
Divine Elisa, sacred Emperesse!
Live she for ever, and her royall p\’laces
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Be fild with praises of divinest wits,
That her eternize with their heavenlie writs!
Some few beside this sacred skill esteme,
Admirers of her glorious excellence;
Which, being lightned with her beawties beme,
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Are thereby fild with happie influence,
And lifted up above the worldes gaze,
To sing with angels her immortall praize.
But all the rest, as borne of salvage brood,
And having beene with acorns alwaies fed,
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Can no whit savour this celestiall food,
But with base thoughts are into blindnesse led,
And kept from looking on the lightsome day:
For whome I waile and weepe all that I may.
Eftsoones* such store of teares shee forth did powre,
As if shee all to water would have gone;
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And all her sisters, seeing her sad stowre**,
Did weep and waile, and made exceeding mone,
And all their learned instruments did breake:
The rest untold no living tongue can speake.
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[* _Eftsoones_, forthwith.]
[** _Stowre_, disturbance, trouble.]
