Thursday, November 15, 2012

Night and Day

"How sad," whispers Venus from behind the veil
of soft and tattered silkworm lace,
"the quivering starlight must now fail
and Diana must withdraw the fair moon face.
For behold! Apollo now ascends the sky
on his chariot pulled by ten great stallions:
immersed in golden flames they fly
towards the summit of heaven on high
while night-joys fade away with a sigh
with none to mourn them when they die."

"How glad!" shouts Apollo from within the fire
that brings warm light to the world at last.
"On, good steed, now take us higher -
the melancholy shadow of night is past!
No more will this land be hidden by grey -
no more the sad and weary gloom. 
Be cheered! The blithe and golden ray
upon the waking world I lay
casting grim darkness far away
to impart to the living another day!"

No comments: