Hellas

    The golden years return

    The earth doth like a snake renew

    Her winter weeds outworn；

    Heaven smiles and faiths and empires gleam

    Like wrecks² of a dissolving dream.

    A brighter Hellas rears its mountains

    From waves serener³ far；

    A new Peneus rolls his fountains

    Against the morning star；

    Where fairer Tempes bloom there sleep

    Young Cyclads on a sunnier deep.

    A loftier Argo cleaves⁴ the main

    Fraught⁵ with a later prize；

    Another Orpheus sings again

    And loves and weeps and dies；

    A new Ulysses leaves once more

    Calypso for his native shore.

    O write no more the tale of Troy

    If earth Death's scroll⁶ must be—

    Nor mix with Laian rage the joy

    Which dawns upon the free

    Although a subtler Sphinx renew

    Riddles⁷ of death Thebes never knew.

    Another Athens shall arise

    And to remoter time

    Bequeath like sunset to the skies

    The splendour of its prime；

    And leave if naught⁸ so bright may live

    All earth can take or Heaven can give.

    Saturn⁹ and Love their long repose¹⁰

    Shall burst more bright and good

    Than all who fell than One who rose

    Than many unsubdued：

    Not gold not blood their altar dowers

    But votive tears and symbol flowers.

    O cease！ must hate and death return？

    Cease！ must men kill and die？

    Cease！ drain not to its dregs the urn¹

    Of bitter prophecy！

    The world is weary of the past—

    O might it die or rest at last！