The Poems Of Giacomo Leopardi Part 7

Another, as if hoping to escape Sad destiny, in changing lands and climes His days consuming, wandering o'er sea And hills, the whole earth traverses; each spot That Nature, in her infinite domain, To restless man hath made accessible, He visits in his wanderings. Alas, Black care is seated on the lofty prow; Beneath each clime, each sky, he asks in vain For happiness; sadness still lives and reigns.

Another in the cruel deeds of war Prefers to pa.s.s his hours, and dips his hand, For his diversion, in his brother's blood: Another in his neighbor's misery His comfort finds, and artfully contrives To kill the time, in making others sad.

_This_ man still walks in wisdom's ways, or art Pursues; _that_ tramples on the people's rights, At home, abroad; the ancient rest disturbs Of distant sh.o.r.es, on fraudful gain intent, With cruel war, or sharp diplomacy; And so his destined part of life consumes.

Thee a more gentle wish, a care more sweet Leads and controls, still in the flower of youth, In the fair April of thy days, to most A time so pleasant, heaven's choicest gift; But heavy, bitter, wearisome to _him_ Who has no country. Thee the love of song Impels, and of portraying in thy speech The beauty, that so seldom in the world Appears and fades so soon, and _that_, more rare Which fond imagination, kinder far Than Nature, or than heaven, so bounteously For our entranced, deluded souls provides.

Oh, fortunate a thousand-fold is he, Who loses not his fancy's freshness as The years roll by; whom envious Fate permits To keep eternal suns.h.i.+ne in his heart, Who, in his ripe and his declining years, As was his custom in his glorious youth, In his deep thought enhances Nature's charms, Gives life to death, and to the desert, bloom.

May heaven this fortune give to thee; and may The spark that now so warms thy breast, make thee In thy old age a votary of song!

_I_ feel no more the sweet illusions of That happy time; those charming images Have faded from my eyes, that I so loved, And which, unto my latest hour, will be Remembered still, with hopeless sighs and tears.

And when this breast to all things has become Insensible and cold, nor the sweet smile And rest profound of lonely sun-lit plains, Nor cheerful morning song of birds in spring, Nor moonlight soft, that rests on hills and fields, Beneath the limpid sky, will move my heart; When every beauty, both of Nature, and Of Art, to me will be inanimate And mute; each tender feeling, lofty thought, Unknown and strange; my only comfort, then, Poor beggar, must I find in studies more Severe; to them, thenceforward, must devote The wretched remnant of unhappy life: The bitter truth must I investigate, The destinies mysterious, alike Of mortal and immortal things; For what was suffering humanity, Bowed down beneath the weight of misery, Created; to what final goal are Fate And Nature urging it; to whom can our Great sorrow any pleasure, profit give; Beneath what laws and orders, to what end, The mighty Universe revolves--the theme Of wise men's praise, to _me_ a mystery?

I in these speculations will consume My idleness; because the truth, when known, Though sad, has yet its charms. And if, at times, The truth discussing, my opinions should Unwelcome be, or not be understood, I shall not grieve, indeed, because in me The love of fame will be extinguished quite; Of fame, that idol frivolous and blind; More blind by far than Fortune, or than Love.

THE RESURRECTION.

I thought I had forever lost, Alas, though still so young, The tender joys and sorrows all, That unto youth belong;

The sufferings sweet, the impulses Our inmost hearts that warm; Whatever gives this life of ours Its value and its charm.

What sore laments, what bitter tears O'er my sad state I shed, When first I felt from my cold heart Its gentle pains had fled!

Its throbs I felt no more; my love Within me seemed to die; Nor from my frozen, senseless breast Escaped a single sigh!

I wept o'er my sad, hapless lot; The life of life seemed lost; The earth an arid wilderness, Locked in eternal frost;

The day how dreary, and the night How dull, and dark, and lone!

The moon for me no brightness had, No star in heaven shone.

And yet the old love was the cause Of all the tears I shed; Still in my inmost breast I felt The heart was not yet dead.

My weary fancy still would crave The images it loved, And its capricious longings still A source of sorrow proved.

But e'en that lingering spark of grief Was soon within me spent, And I the strength no longer had To utter a lament.

And there I lay, stunned, stupefied, Nor asked for comfort more; My heart to hopeless, blank despair Itself had given o'er.

How changed, alas, was I from him Who once with pa.s.sion thrilled, Whose ardent soul was ever, once, With sweet illusions filled!

The swallow to my window, still, Would come, to greet the dawn; But his sweet song no echo found In my poor heart, forlorn.

Nor pleased me more, in autumn gray, Upon the hill-side lone, The cheerful vesper-bell, or light Of the departing sun.

In vain the evening star I saw Above the silent vale, And vainly warbled in the grove The plaintive nightingale.

And you, ye furtive glances, bright, From gentle eyes that rove, The sweet, the gracious messages Of first immortal Love;

The soft, white hand, that tenderly My own hand seemed to woo; All, all your magic spells were vain, My torpor to subdue.

Of every pleasure quite bereft, Sad but of tranquil mien; A state of perfect littleness, Yet with a face serene;

Save for the lingering wish, indeed, In death to sink to rest, The force of all desire was spent In my exhausted breast.

As some poor, feeble wanderer, With age and sorrow bent, The April of my years, alas, Thus listlessly I spent;

Thus listlessly, thus wearily, Didst thou consume, O heart, Those golden days, ineffable, So swiftly that depart.

_Who_, from this heavy, heedless rest Awakens me again?

What new, what magic power is this, I feel within me reign?

Ye motions sweet, ye images, Ye throbs, illusions blest, Ah, no,--ye are not then shut out Forever from this breast?

The glorious light of golden days Do ye again unfold?

The old affections that I lost, Do I once more behold?

Now, as I gaze upon the sky, Or on the verdant fields, Each thing with sorrow me inspires, And each a pleasure yields.

The mountain, forest, and the sh.o.r.e Once more my heart rejoice; The fountain speaks to me once more, The sea hath found a voice.

Who, after all this apathy, Restores to me my tears?

Each moment, as I look around, How changed the world appears!

Hath hope, perchance, O my poor heart, Beguiled thee of thy pain?

Ah, no, the gracious smile of hope I ne'er shall see again.

Nature bestowed these impulses, And these illusions blest; Their inborn influence, in me, By suffering was suppressed;

But not annulled, not overcome By cruel blows of Fate; Nor by the inauspicious frown Of Truth, importunate!

I know she has no sympathy For fond imaginings; I know that Nature, too, is deaf, Nor heeds our sufferings;

That for our _good_ she nothing cares, Our _being_, only heeds; And with the sight of our distress Her wild caprices feeds.

I know the poor man pleads in vain, For others' sympathy; That scornfully, or heedlessly, All from his presence flee;

That both for genius and for worth, This age has no respect; That all who cherish lofty aims Are left to cold neglect.

And you, ye eyes so tremulous With l.u.s.tre all divine, I know how false your splendors are, Where no true love doth s.h.i.+ne.

No love mysterious and profound Illumes you with its glow; Nor gleams one spark of genial fire Beneath that breast of snow.

Nay, it is wont to laugh to scorn Another's tender pain; The fervent flame of heavenly love To treat with cold disdain.

Yet I with thankfulness once more The old illusions greet, And feel, with shock of pleased surprise, The heart within me beat.

To thee alone this force renewed, This vital power I owe; From thee alone, my faithful heart, My only comforts flow.