Scenes from “Tasso”

“The still, sad music of humanity,... of ample powerTo chasten and subdue.”

“The harvest of the quiet eyeThat broods and sleeps on his own heart,”

“Every little living nerve,That from bitter words doth swerve,”

“Let me then bear the burden of my blissTo some deep grove that oft hath veil’d my grief;There let me roam in solitude: no eyeShall then recall the triumph undeserved.And if some shining fountain suddenlyOn its clear mirror to my sight should giveThe form of one who, strangely, brightly crown’d,Seems musing in the blue reflected heaven,As it streams down through rocks and parted trees,Then will I dream that on the enchanted waveI see Elysium pictured! I will askWho is the bless’d departed one?--the youthFrom long past ages with his glorious wreath?Who shall reveal his name?--who speak his worth?Oh! that another and another thereMight press, with him to hold bright communing!Might I but see the minstrels and the chiefsOf the old time on that pure fountain-side.For evermore inseparably link’dAs they were link’d in life! Not steel to steelIs bound more closely by the magnet’s powerThan the same striving after lofty thingsDoth bind the bard and warrior. Homer’s lifeWas self-forgetfulness--he pour’d it forth,One rich libation to another’s fame:And Alexander through th’ Elysian groveTo seek Achilles and his poet flies.Might I behold their meeting!”

They still disturb my heart--Still do they crowd my soul tumultuously--The troubling images of that vast world,Which--living, restless, fearful as it is--Yet, at the bidding of one master-mind,E’en as commanded by a demigod,Seems to fulfil its course. With eagerness,Yea, with a strange delight, my soul drank inThe strong words of the experienced; but, alas!The more I listen’d, still the more I sankIn mine own eyes; I seem’d to die awayAs into some faint echo of the rocks--A shadowy sound--a nothing!

When earth has men to reverence female hearts,To know the treasure of rich truth and love,Set deep within a high-soul’d woman’s breast;When the remembrance of our summer primeKeeps brightly in man’s heart a holy place;When the keen glance that pierces through so muchLooks also tenderly through that dim veilBy time or sickness hung round drooping forms,When the possession, stilling every wish,Draws not desire away to other wealth--A brighter dayspring then for us may dawn,Then may we solemnise our golden age.

Alas! that we so slowly learn to heedThe secret signs and omens of the breast!An oracle speaks low within our hearts--Low, still, yet clear, its prophet-voice forewarnsWhat to pursue, what shun.Yes! my whole soul misgave me silentlyWhen he and Tasso met.

Oh! mark’d and singled was the hour when firstHe met mine eye! Sickness and grief just thenHad pass’d away: from long, long suffering freed,I lifted up my brow, and silentlyGazed upon life again. The sunny day,The sweet looks of my kindred, made a lightOf gladness round me, and my freshen’d heartDrank the rich, healing balm of hope once more.Then onward, through the glowing world, I daredTo send my glance, and many a kind, bright shapeThere beckon’d from afar. Then first the youth,Led by a sister’s hand, before me stood,And my soul clung to him e’en then, O friend!To cling for evermore.

Leo. Lament it not,My princess!--to have known heaven’s gifted onesIs to have gather’d into the full soulInalienable wealth!

Prin. Oh, precious things!The richly graced, the exquisite, are thingsTo fear, to love with trembling! BeautifulIs the pure flame when on thy hearth it shines,When in the friendly torch it gives thee light,How gracious and how calm!--but, once unchain’d,Lo! ruin sweeps along its fatal path!

Alas, dear friend! my soul indeed is fix’d--Let him depart! Yet cannot I but feelEven now the sadness of long days to come--The cold void left me by a lost delight!No more shall sunrise from my opening eyeChase his bright image glorified in dreams;Glad hope to see him shall no longer stirWith joyous flutterings my scarce-waken’d soul;And vainly, vainly, through yon garden bowers,Amidst the dewy shadows, my first lookShall seek his form! How blissful was the thoughtWith him to share each golden evening’s peace!How grew the longing, hour by hour, to readHis spirit yet more deeply! Day by dayHow my own being, tuned to happiness,Gave forth a voice of finer harmony!--Now is the twilight-gloom around me fallen:The festal day, the sun’s magnificence,All riches of this many-colour’d world,What are they now?--dim, soulless, desolate!Veil’d in the cloud that sinks upon my heart.Once was each day a life!--each care was mute,Even the low boding hush’d within the soul;And the smooth waters of a gliding stream,Without the rudder’s aid, bore lightly onOur fairy bark of joy!Her companion endeavours, but in vain, to console her.

Leon. If the kind words of friendship cannot soothe,The still, sweet influences of this fair worldShall win thee back unconsciously to peace.

Prin. Yes! beautiful it is, the glowing world!So many a joy keeps flitting to and froIn all its paths, and ever, ever seemsOne step, but one, removed; till our fond thirstFor the still fading fountain, step by step,Lures to the grave! So seldom do we findWhat seem’d by Nature moulded for our love,And for our bliss endow’d--or, if we find,So seldom to our yearning hearts can hold!That which once freely made itself our ownBursts from us!--that which eagerly we press’dWe coldly loose! A treasure may be ours,Only we know it not, or know, perchance,Unconscious of its worth!