Blavatsky Blogger
Taking Theosophical
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into the 21st
century
The Fourth Eclogue
(The Messianic)
By
Virgil
Translated by Sir Charles Bowen
COME is
the last of the ages, in song Cumæan foretold.
Now is the
world’s grand cycle begun once more from of old.
Justice
the Virgin comes, and the Saturn kingdom again;
Now from
the skies is descending a new generation of men.
Thou to
the boy in his birth, — upon whose first opening eyes
The iron
age shall close, and a race that is golden arise, —
Chaste
Lucina be kindly ! He reigns — thy Phœbus — to-day !
Thine to
be Consul, thine, at a world’s bright ushering in,
Pollio,
when the procession of nobler months shall begin;
Under thy
rule all lingering traces of
Fading to
naught, shall free us from fear’s perpetual sway.
Life of
the gods shall be his, to behold with the gods in their might
Heroes
immortal mingled, appear himself in their sight,
Rule with
his Father’s virtues a world at peace from the sword.
Boy, for
thine infant presents the earth unlabored shall bring
Ivies wild
with foxglove around thee wreathing, and fling
Mixed with
the laughing acanthus the lotus leaf on the sward;
Homeward
at eve untended the goat shall come from the mead
Swelling
with milk; flocks fearless of monstrous lions shall feed;
Even thy
cradle blossom with tender flowers, and be gay.
Every
snake shall perish; the treacherous poison weed
Die, and
Assyrian spices arise unsown by the way.
When thou
art able to read of the heroes’ glories, the bright
Deeds of
thy sire, and to know what is manhood’s valor and might,
Plains
will be turning golden, and wave with ripening corn;
Purple
grapes shall blush on the tangled wilderness thorn;
Honey from
hard-grained oaks be distilling pure as the dew;
Though of
our ancient folly as yet shall linger a few
Traces, to
bid us venture the deep, with walls to surround
Cities,
and, restless ever, to cleave with furrows the ground.
Then shall
another Tiphys, a later Argo to sea
Sail, with
her heroes chosen; again great battles shall be;
Once more
the mighty Achilles be sent to a second
Soon when
strengthening years shall have made thee man from a boy,
Trader
himself shall abandon the deep; no trafficking hull
Barter her
wares; all regions of all things fair shall be full.
Glebe
shall be free from the harrow, the vine no pruner fear;
Soon will
the stalwart plowman release unneeded the steer.
Varied
hues no longer the wool shall falsely assume.
Now to a
blushing purple and now to the saffron’s bloom,
Cropping
the meadow, the ram shall change his fleece at his need;
Crimsoning
grasses color the lambs themselves as they feed.
“Ages
blest, roll onward !” the Sisters of Destiny cried
Each to
her spindle, agreeing by Fate’s firm will to abide.
Come to
thy godlike honors; the time well-nigh is begun;
Offspring loved
of immortals, of Jove great scion and son !
Lo, how
the universe totters beneath heaven’s dome and its weight,
Land and
the wide waste waters, the depths of the firmament great !
Lo, all
nature rejoices to see this glorious day !
Ah, may
the closing years of my life enduring be found, —
Breath
sufficient be mine thy deeds of valor to sound; —
Orpheus
neither nor Linus shall ever surpass my lay;
One with
mother immortal, and one with sire, at his side,
To Orpheus
Calliopeia, to Linus Apollo allied.
Pan, were
he here competing, did all Arcadia see,
Pan, by
Arcadia’s voice, should allow him vanquished of me.
Baby,
begin thy mother to know, and to meet with a smile;
Ten long
moons she has waited, and borne her burden the while.
Smile, my
babe; to his feast no god has admitted the child,
Goddess
none to his kisses, on whom no parent has smiled.
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Taking Theosophical
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