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TITHONUS.

Marcescunt nemorum, nemorum labuntur honores,

roriferae deflent nubes, oriuntur et arvis

incumbunt subterque hominum defuncta recumbunt

secla, nec aestates non deciduntur oloris.

solus ego immortale trahens aegerrimus aevom

carpor inaresco, te complectente, quietum

limen ad hoc mundi, dum cana remetior umbra

secretas orientis imagine vanior aulas,

multiplices nebulas, sublustria templa diei.

Alas! for this gray shadow, once a man-
So glorious in his beauty and thy choice,
Who madest him thy chosen, that he seem'd
To his great heart none other than a God!
I ask'd thee, "Give me immortality."

Then didst thou grant mine asking with a smile,
Like wealthy men who care not how they give.
But thy strong Hours indignant work'd their wills,
And beat me down and marr'd and wasted me,
And though they could not end me, left me maim'd
To dwell in presence of immortal youth,

Immortal age beside immortal youth,

And all I was, in ashes. Can thy love,

Thy beauty, make amends, though even now,

Close over us, the silver star, thy guide,

Shines in those tremulous eyes that fill with tears
To hear me? Let me go take back thy gift:

Why should a man desire in any way
To vary from the kindly race of men,
Or pass beyond the goal of ordinance

heu senis hanc umbram, prius e terrestribus unum

quom specie florens et te dignante cubili, dignabaris enim, quicquid sublime minatus.

quin darer in superos adeo nil rebar abesse! concilies, dixi, caelum mihi. blanda roganti annuis haud aliter terrae quoque plenior heres largirique solet nec habere quod imputet illud. sed rabiem explerunt ultrices acriter Horae

et stravere graves et mutavere terendo,

quodque necem citra poterant, deformis adessem

aeternae voluere iuventutique senectus

divinae divina, meae facis ipse superstes.

num vel amor tanti, pulcerrima? sidere quanquam

dum loquor impendente, tuae duce lampadis albo, suave coruscantes oculi miserantis obortis

stant lacrimis? absolve, precor, retro exime donum. cur velit humani generis transcendere quoquam foedus homo aut sanctos ultra procedere fines?

Where all should pause, as is most meet for all?

A soft air fans the cloud apart; there comes
A glimpse of that dark world where I was born.
Once more the old mysterious glimmer steals
From thy pure brows, and from thy shoulders pure,
And bosom beating with a heart renew'd.

Thy cheek begins to redden through the gloom,
Thy sweet eyes brighten slowly close to mine,
Ere yet they blind the stars, and the wild team
Which love thee, yearning for thy yoke, arise,
And shake the darkness from their loosen'd manes,
And beat the twilight into flakes of fire.
Lo! ever thus thou growest beautiful
In silence, then before thine answer given
Departest, and thy tears are on my cheek.

Why wilt thou ever scare me with thy tears,
And make me tremble lest a saying learnt,
In days far off, on that dark earth, be true?
'The Gods themselves cannot recall their gifts.'

Ay me! ay me! with what another heart,

hic cunctis claudenda, hic clausa probabitur aetas.

intremuit zephyro nubes: hiemale meorum

nosco exul litus, senis incunabula nosco.

ecce tuo miror de vertice lumen oriri.

miror ab ambrosio non enarrabile collo,

miror rite novam sumentia pectora vitam.
iamque tepere genas sensim et splendescere cerno
instantis dulces oculos, necdum orbibus illi

astra hebetant plenis, necdum exultantia fervent
corda reposcentum sibi quae moderetur equorum,
effunduntque iubas ut opaca volumina currus
discutiat tenebrarum insultetque ignifer umbris.
en tua te quoties inter mea vota venustas
induit, expectans quid responsura moreris
deseror et lacrimis astans umector euntis.

quo lacrimis me usque exanimas? quo me usque timentem

ne sit verum, angis, quod egeno lucis in aevo

nocte laborantum memini portendere famam,

ipsos, quae dederint, non posse resumere divos ?

hei mihi, quam non his oculis Tithonus inhaerens,

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