And then the old man totters nigh And feebly rakes among the stones, The mount is mute, the channel dry, And down he lays his weary bones. MATTHEW ARNOLD. mox loca nota senex gressu titubante revisens saxa quid umoris, quaerit, adusta tegant. a, scatebrae siluere iugo, caret alveus unda, nec mora quin duro procubet ipse solo. THE COMING OF ARTHUR. AND the fringe Of that great breaker, sweeping up the strand, So that the child and he were clothed in fire. And presently thereafter follow'd calm, Free sky and stars: "And this same child," he said, "Is he who reigns; nor could I part in peace ΑΡΤΟΥΡΟΣ ΕΠΙΦΑΙΝΟΜΕΝΟΣ. ἀκτῇ δ ̓ ἐπενθοροῦσα ταῦτ ̓ εἰρηκότα ἔθεινεν ἄκρα μάντιν ἡ τρικυμία, πύρπνους τ ̓ ἐπιζέσασα πᾶσ ̓ ἀνήλατο ὥστ ̓ ἀμπέχεσθαι παῖδ ̓ ὁμοῦ καὐτὸν πυρί. κατ ̓ ἦν γαλήνη, καθαρά τ ̓ ἐξεφαίνετο καθαρᾶς δι' αἴθρας ἄστρ ̓· ὁ δ ̓, ἔσθ' ὅδ ̓, εἶφ', ὁ παῖς ἀρχῆς ὁ νῦν κληροῦχος· οὐ γὰρ ἦν θέμις ἐκπνεῖν ἑκήλῳ τοῖσδ ̓ ἐπ ̓ ἀρρήτοις ἐμοί. ΙΟ Till this were told." And saying this the seer Went thro' the strait and dreadful pass of death, Not ever to be question'd any more Save on the further side; but when I met Merlin, and ask'd him if these things were truth— The shining dragon and the naked child Descending in the glory of the seas He laugh'd as is his wont, and answer'd me In riddling triplets of old time, and said: "Rain, rain, and sun! a rainbow on the lea! And truth is this to me, and that to thee; And truth or clothed or naked let it be. Rain, sun, and rain! and the free blossom blows; Sun, rain, and sun! and where is he who knows? From the great deep to the great deep he goes." TENNYSON. |