【挽诗】Elizabeth Barrett的"Stanzas on the Death of Lord Byron”

methos

这是伊丽莎白•巴莉特（1806-1861）——也就是后来的勃朗宁夫人——在听到拜伦死讯时创作的。那句“He was, and is not”充分体现了拜伦之死带来的震动——有些人认为维多利亚时代流行挽歌也与拜伦、雪莱和济慈等诗人早死有关。

STANZAS ON THE DEATH OF LORD BYRON.
----λέγε πᾶσιν ǰ0πǷDλετο.-- BION.
----"I am not now.
That which I have been."--CHILDE HAROLD.

He was, and is not! Græcia's trembling shore,
Sighing through all her palmy groves, shall tell
That Harold's pilgrimage at last is o'er--
Mute the impassioned tongue, and tuneful shell,
That erst was wont in noblest strains to swell--
Hushed the proud shouts that rode Ægæa's wave!
For lo! the great Deliv'rer breathes farewell!
Gives to the world his mem'ry and a grave--
Expiring in the land he only lived to save!

Mourn, Hellas, mourn! and o'er thy widowed brow,
For aye, the cypress wreath of sorrow twine;
And in thy new-formed beauty, desolate, throw
The fresh-culled flowers on his sepulchral shrine.
Yes! let that heart whose fervour was all thine,
In consecrated urn lamented be!
That generous heart where genius thrilled divine,
Hath spent its last most glorious throb for thee--
Then sank amid the storm that made thy children free!

Britannia's Poet! Græcia's hero, sleeps!
And Freedom, bending o'er the breathless clay--
Lifts up her voice, and in her anguish weeps!
For us, a night hath clouded o'er our day,
And hushed the lips that breathed our fairest lay.
Alas! and must the British lyre resound
A requiem, while the spirit wings away
Of him who on its strings such music found,
And taught its startling chords to give so sweet a sound!

The theme grows sadder--but my soul shall find
A language in these tears! No more--no more!
Soon, 'midst the shriekings of the tossing wind,
The "dark blue depths" he sang of, shall have bore
Our all of Byron to his native shore!
His grave is thick with voices--to the ear
Murm'ring an awful tale of greatness o'er;
But Memory strives with Death, and lingering near,
Shall consecrate the dust of Harold's lonely bier!

bleue

Good. Elizabeth is a legendary woman. HAHA.