Classic Poem

CANTO SECOND .

He will not sleep: by Moscow's lurid glare
Of fiery columns darting to the skies —
By her sad widows' wail and orphans cries,
The groans of dying warriors fall'n in vain,
And childless mothers, moans which fill the air —
The Patriot Spirit roused from despair
Shall rise, and break indignant fear's benumbing chains —

Shall with the warrior's plume adorn his brows,
Unshrinking fortitude, whose dauntless soul
No form nor shape of danger can appal,
Wisdom and valour for his aid shall join,
The warring elements shall aid his cause,
Stern ministers of wrath, and 'gainst the foes
Of sacred freedom all their vengeful stores conbine.

He will repeat from echoing shore to shore,
" Princes of Europe, lift once more your eyes —
Enslaved nations long depress'd arise,
Nor longer at oppression's footstool bend;
Firm be your hearts in this decisive hour,
Unite with me, disclaim the despot's power,
Be valiant, and be wise, and heav'n will be your friend.

Canst thou not paint the shivering native's joy,
When breaking first the long, long, Polar night,
The rising sun displays his lovely light
On Greenland's barren rocks and frozen plains —
The glad surprise, the boundless ecstacy,
The transports of delight with which they eye
The dawn of morn's fair light upon their drear domains,

Can not imagination's eye survey,
From his first rise above some storm-beat hill,
The radiant track he measures widening still,
And his bright beams the hours of darkness chace,
Till to th' admiring view he wide display
The glories of uninterrupted day,
And the horizon round his circles vast embrace.

Thus Europe's sons will hail, in days to come,
The spirit blest of Independence rise,
While from the splendour of his dawning, flies
The giant terrors in the demon's train —
Rise to disperse oppression's dreadful gloom,
To call long buried freedom from the tomb,
And bless the mourning world with happy years again.

So rapid on his course shall he proceed
And the short circle of one rolling year,
(The bright commencement of his vast career)
His steady march along his destin'd way,
Constant and firm, with still increasing speed,
And reach'd the goal, from opposition freed,
The glories of his full meridian shall survey.

CANTO THIRD .

Favour'd of heav'n, awhile my speech attend:
On brighter visions now unclose thine eyes,
Again shall Europe's realms before thee rise.
Of this great drama mark the closing scene,
Of wild ambition see th' appointed end,
Tho' conquest and success its steps attend,
And pow'r awhile its crimes from vengeance screen.

The day of recompence will come, tho' late,
For justice sleeps not, tho' she long delay
T'assert her rights, and re-assume her sway,
Time will the wisdom of her plans unfold,
And these events to future years relate
That lawless power has a determin'd date,
Now say what other scenes thy joyful eyes behold: —

" My eyes behold a new and lovely scene, "
(With transport in his looks the seer replied,)
" Once hostile armies by each others side
In friendly bands exchanging looks of peace —
I see along the borders of the Seine,
Illustrious kings, and chiefs renown'd, convene,
To sheath the sword and bid war's discord cease.

" On a lone isle environ'd by the sea,
Much less than that small isle that gave him birth,
I see the mighty troubler of the earth,
Who could not rest till Europe was his own,
A banish'd exile from the world is he,
Who thought that men were born his slaves to be,
And vainly dreamt that world was made for him alone.

" Rejoice ye nations, now the world is freed!
For he, whose pastime whose delight was war,
To whom t' was joy to spread destruction far,
The great destroyer's dreadful reign is o'er,
The end of all his triumphs is decreed,
Beneath his sword no more shall kingdoms bleed:
His iron sceptre now shall rule the world no more.

" Dethroned tyrant, where is now thy power?
Where now thy empire o'er a conquer'd world?
From thy high state by speedy vengeance hurl'd
Where now thy dreams of everlasting fame!
Thy voice commands the vanquish'd world no more,
Thy crown, thy empire's vanish'd in an hour,
And nothing left thee now but a dishonour'd name.

" On distant, cold Archangell's utmost shore —
Where the swift Danube pours its mighty tide
'Mid spacious cities rang'd along its side,
Amid dark forests of Norwegian pines,
Where down steep rocks the foaming Cat'racts pour —
And where Mont Blanc's stupendous summit hoar,
O'erlooks Helvetia's vales, adorn'd with blushing vines.

" On lone Montserrat's rocky turrets bare —
And the vast Appenine's extensive chain,
Which frown o'er many a fair Italian plain,
Beneath a cloudless sky extending wide, —
Their rescu'd standards let the nations rear,
And plant the flag of independence there,
Firm and unmov'd as rocks for ever to abide.

" From Europe's various lands of every tongue, —
From lofty palaces, and lowly cells,
From sterile wastes and lands where plenty dwells —
From peopled cities, and from spacious plains —
Let all her nations raise one general song,
Raise the glad voice of joy, a stranger long
And all their mingled tongues repeat the strains.

" Borne on the winds, let the glad tidings fly
From the drear confines of the artic pole,
To where the Ganges' spreading waters roll
In many a sweep Hindostian's plains among;
To where the tow'ring Andes meet the sky —
Let murmuring streams and echoing rocks reply,
And ocean's mighty voice the joyful strains prolong.

" Bend from the skies ye spirits of the dead,
Who nobly toil'd through many a year, to save
Your country's rights and freedom from the grave,
And witness universal joy prevail,
Th' auspicious day is come for which you bled,
Blest freedom is restor'd and war is fled,
Join in the general song returning peace to hail.

" Britannia, long the suffering nation's friend,
Thy troops assisted, thy example fir'd,
Thy dauntless fortitude their zeal inspir'd;
Now they are free, another task be thine,
The cause of injur'd Afric to defend,
Plead for her rights and may success attend
Thy efforts, that her sons may in the chorus join. "