The Poems of Felicia Hemans

Serene he lifts to heaven those closing eyes, Then for his country breathes a prayer--and dies! Oh! ever hallow’d be his verdant grave-- There let the laurel spread, the cypress wave! Thou, lovely Spring! bestow, to grace his tomb, Thy sweetest fragrance, and thy earliest bloom; There let the tears of heaven descend in balm, There let the poet consecrate his palm! Let honour, pity, bless the holy ground, And shades of sainted heroes watch around! ’Twas thus, while Glory rung his thrilling knell, Thy chief, O Thebes! at Mantinea fell; Smiled undismay’d within the arms of death, While Victory, weeping nigh, received his breath! O thou, the sovereign of the noble soul! Thou source of energies beyond control! Queen of the lofty thought, the generous deed, Whose sons unconquer’d fight, undaunted bleed,-- Inspiring Liberty! thy worshipp’d name The warm enthusiast kindles to a flame; Thy charms inspire him to achievements high, Thy look of heaven, thy voice of harmony. More blest with thee to tread perennial snows, Where ne’er a flower expands, a zephyr blows; Where Winter, binding nature in his chain, In frost-work palace holds perpetual reign; Than, far from thee, with frolic step to rove The green savannas and the spicy grove; Scent the rich balm of India’s perfumed gales, In citron-woods and aromatic vales: For oh! fair Liberty, when thou art near, Elysium blossoms in the desert drear! Where’er thy smile its magic power bestows, There arts and taste expand, there fancy glows; The sacred lyre its wild enchantment gives, And every chord to swelling transport lives; There ardent Genius bids the pencil trace The soul of beauty, and the lines of grace; With bold Promethean hand, the canvass warms, And calls from stone expression’s breathing forms. Thus, where the fruitful Nile o’erflows its bound, Its genial waves diffuse abundance round, Bid Ceres laugh o’er waste and sterile sands, And rich profusion clothe deserted lands. Immortal Freedom! daughter of the skies! To thee shall Britain’s grateful incense rise. Ne’er, goddess! ne’er forsake thy favourite isle, Still be thy Albion brighten’d with thy smile! Long had thy spirit slept in dead repose, While proudly triumph’d thine insulting foes; Yet, though a cloud may veil Apollo’s light, Soon, with celestial beam, he breaks to sight: Once more we see thy kindling soul return, Thy vestal-flame with added radiance burn; Lo! in Iberian hearts thine ardour lives, Lo! in Iberian hearts thy spark revives! Proceed, proceed, ye firm undaunted band! Still sure to conquer, if combined ye stand. Though myriads flashing in the eye of day Stream’d o’er the smiling land in long array, Though tyrant Asia pour’d unnumber’d foes, Triumphant still the arm of Greece arose;-- For every state in sacred union stood, Strong to repel invasion’s whelming flood; Each heart was glowing in the general cause, Each hand prepared to guard their hallow’d laws; Athenian valour join’d Laconia’s might, And but contended to be first in fight; From rank to rank the warm contagion ran, And Hope and Freedom led the flaming van. Then Persia’s monarch mourn’d his glories lost, As wild confusion wing’d his flying host; Then Attic bards the hymn of victory sung, The Grecian harp to notes exulting rung! Then Sculpture bade the Parian stone record The high achievements of the conquering sword. Thus, brave Castilians! thus may bright renown And fair success your valiant efforts crown! Genius of chivalry! whose early days Tradition still recounts in artless lays; Whose faded splendours fancy oft recalls-- The floating banners and the lofty halls, The gallant feats thy festivals display’d, The tilt, the tournament, the long crusade; Whose ancient pride Romance delights to hail, In fabling numbers, or heroic tale: Those times are fled, when stern thy castles frown’d, Their stately towers with feudal grandeur crown’d; Those times are fled, when fair Iberia’s clime Beheld thy Gothic reign, thy pomp sublime; And all thy glories, all thy deeds of yore, Live but in legends wild, and poet’s lore. Lo! where thy silent harp neglected lies, Light o’er its chords the murmuring zephyr sighs; Thy solemn courts, where once the minstrel sung, The choral voice of mirth and music rung; Now, with the ivy clad, forsaken, lone, Hear but the breeze and echo to its moan: Thy lonely towers deserted fall away, Thy broken shield is mouldering in decay. Yet, though thy transient pageantries are gone, Like fairy visions, bright, yet swiftly flown; Genius of chivalry! thy noble train, Thy firm, exalted virtues yet remain! Fair truth, array’d in robes of spotless white, Her eye a sunbeam, and her zone of light; Warm emulation, with aspiring aim, Still darting forward to the wreath of fame; And purest love, that waves his torch divine, At awful honour’s consecrated shrine; Ardour, with eagle-wing and fiery glance; And generous courage, resting on his lance; And loyalty, by perils unsubdued; Untainted faith, unshaken fortitude; And patriot energy, with heart of flame-- These, in Iberia’s sons are yet the same! These from remotest days their souls have fired, “Nerved every arm,” and every breast inspired! When Moorish bands their suffering land possess’d, And fierce oppression rear’d her giant crest, The wealthy caliphs on Cordova’s throne In eastern gems and purple splendour shone; Theirs was the proud magnificence that vied With stately Bagdat’s oriental pride; Theirs were the courts in regal pomp array’d, Where arts and luxury their charms display’d; ’Twas theirs to rear the Zehrar’s costly towers, Its fairy-palace and enchanted bowers; There all Arabian fiction e’er could tell Of potent genii or of wizard spell-- All that a poet’s dream could picture bright, One sweet Elysium, charm’d the wondering sight! Too fair, too rich, for work of mortal hand, It seem’d an Eden from Armida’s wand! Yet vain their pride, their wealth, and radiant state, When freedom waved on high the sword of fate! When brave Ramiro bade the despots fear, Stem retribution frowning on his spear; And fierce Almanzor, after many a fight, O’erwhelm’d with shame, confess’d the Christian’s might. In later times the gallant Cid arose, Burning with zeal against his country’s foes; His victor-arm Alphonso’s throne maintain’d, His laureate brows the wreath of conquest gain’d! And still his deeds Castilian bards rehearse, Inspiring theme of patriotic verse! High in the temple of recording fame, Iberia points to great Gonsalvo’s name! Victorious chief! whose valour still defied The arms of Gaul, and bow’d her crested pride; With splendid trophies graced his sovereign’s throne, And bade Granada’s realms his prowess own. Nor were his deeds thy only boast, O Spain! In mighty Ferdinand’s illustrious reign; ’Twas then thy glorious Pilot spread the sail, Unfurl’d his flag before the eastern gale; Bold, sanguine, fearless, ventured to explore Seas unexplored, and worlds unknown before. Fair science guided o’er the liquid realm, Sweet hope, exulting, steer’d the daring helm; While on the mast, with ardour-flashing eye, Courageous enterprise still hover’d nigh: The hoary genius of th’ Atlantic main Saw man invade his wide majestic reign-- His empire, yet by mortal unsubdued, The throne, the world of awful solitude. And e’en when shipwreck seem’d to rear his form, And dark destruction menaced in the storm; In every shape when giant-peril rose, To daunt his spirit and his course oppose; O’er ev’ry heart when terror sway’d alone, And hope forsook each bosom but his own: Moved by no dangers, by no fears repell’d, His glorious track the gallant sailor held; Attentive still to mark the sea-birds lave, Or high in air their snowy pinions wave. Thus princely Jason, launching from the steep, With dauntless prow explored th’ untravell’d deep; Thus, at the helm, Ulysses’ watchful sight View’d ev’ry star and planetary light. Sublime Columbus! when, at length descried, The long-sought land arose above the tide, How every heart with exultation glow’d, How from each eye the tear of transport flow’d! Not wilder joy the sons of Israel knew When Canaan’s fertile plains appear’d in view. Then rose the choral anthem on the breeze, Then martial music floated o’er the seas; Their waving streamers to the sun display’d, In all the pride of warlike pomp array’d. Advancing nearer still, the ardent band Hail’d the glad shore, and bless’d the stranger land; Admired its palmy groves and prospects fair, With rapture breathed its pure ambrosial air: Then crowded round its free and simple race, Amazement pictured wild on every face; Who deem’d that beings of celestial birth, Sprung from the sun, descended to the earth. Then first another world, another sky, Beheld Iberia’s banner blaze on high! Still prouder glories beam on history’s page, Imperial Charles! to mark thy prosperous age Those golden days of arts and fancy bright, When Science pour’d her mild, refulgent light; When Painting bade the glowing canvass breathe Creative Sculpture claim’d the living wreath; When roved the Muses in Ausonian bowers, Weaving immortal crowns of fairest flowers; When angel-truth dispersed, with beam divine, The clouds that veil’d religion’s hallow’d shrine Those golden days beheld Iberia tower High on the pyramid of fame and power; Vain all the efforts of her numerous foes, Her might, superior still, triumphant rose. Thus on proud Lebanon’s exalted brow, The cedar, frowning o’er the plains below, Though storms assail, its regal pomp to rend, Majestic, still aspires, disdaining e’er to bend! When Gallia pour’d to Pavia’s trophied plain, Her youthful knights, a bold, impetuous train; When, after many a toil and danger past, The fatal morn of conflict rose at last; That morning saw her glittering host combine, And form in close array the threat’ning line; Fire in each eye, and force in ev’ry arm, With hope exulting, and with ardour warm; Saw to the gale their streaming ensigns play, Their armour flashing to the beam of day; Their gen’rous chargers panting, spurn the ground, Roused by the trumpet’s animating sound; And heard in air their warlike music float, The martial pipe, the drum’s inspiring note! Pale set the sun--the shades of evening fell, The mournful night-wind rung their funeral knell; And the same day beheld their warriors dead, Their sovereign captive, and their glories fled! Fled, like the lightning’s evanescent fire, Bright, blazing, dreadful--only to expire! Then, then, while prostrate Gaul confess’d her might, Iberia’s planet shed meridian light! Nor less, on famed St Quintin’s deathful day, Castilian spirit bore the prize away-- Laurels that still their verdure shall retain, And trophies beaming high in glory’s fane!