My soul is drunk with joy, her new desireIn far forbidden places wanders away.Her hopes with free bright-coloured wings of fireUpon the gloom of thoughtAre sailing out.Awhile they rise, awhile to rest they softly fall,Like butterflies, that flit1461Across the mountains, or upon a wallWinking their idle fans at pleasure sit.O my vague desires!Ye lambent flames of the soul, her offspring fires:That are my soul herself in pangs sublimeRising and flying to heaven before her time:What doth tempt you forthTo melt in the south or shiver in the frosty north?What seek ye or find ye in your random flying,For ever soaring aloft, soaring and dying?Joy, the joy of flight;1472They hide in the sun, they flare and dance in the night.Gone up, gone out of sight—and ever againFollow fresh tongues of fire, fresh pangs of pain.Ah! could I controlThese vague desires, these leaping flames of the soul:Could I but quench the fire, ah! could I stayMy soul that flieth, alas, and dieth away![Enter other part of Chorus.Part of Chor.Here is wood to feed the fire—Never let its flames expire.Sing ye still while we advanceRound the fire in measured dance,While the sun in heaven descendingSees our happy feast have ending.1485Weave ye still your joyous song,While we bear the wood along.Semichorus.But O return,Return, thou flower of the gods!Remember the limbs that toil and the hearts that yearn,Remember, and soon return!To prosper with peace and skillOur hands in the works of pleasure, beauty and use.Return, and be for us stillOur shield from the anger of Zeus.1495And he, if he raise his arm in anger to smite thee,And think for the good thou hast done with pain to requite thee,Vengeance I heard thee tell,And the curse I take for my own,That his place is prepared in hell,And a greater than he shall hurl him down from his throne.Down, down from his throne!For the god who shall rule mankind from the deathless skiesBy mercy and truth shall be known,In love and peace shall arise.1505For him,—if again I hear him thunder above,O then, if I crouch or start,I will press thy lovingkindness more to my heart,Remember the words of thy mouth rare and precious,Thy heart of hearts and gifts of divine love.
My soul is drunk with joy, her new desireIn far forbidden places wanders away.Her hopes with free bright-coloured wings of fireUpon the gloom of thoughtAre sailing out.Awhile they rise, awhile to rest they softly fall,Like butterflies, that flit1461Across the mountains, or upon a wallWinking their idle fans at pleasure sit.O my vague desires!Ye lambent flames of the soul, her offspring fires:That are my soul herself in pangs sublimeRising and flying to heaven before her time:What doth tempt you forthTo melt in the south or shiver in the frosty north?What seek ye or find ye in your random flying,For ever soaring aloft, soaring and dying?Joy, the joy of flight;1472They hide in the sun, they flare and dance in the night.Gone up, gone out of sight—and ever againFollow fresh tongues of fire, fresh pangs of pain.Ah! could I controlThese vague desires, these leaping flames of the soul:Could I but quench the fire, ah! could I stayMy soul that flieth, alas, and dieth away!
My soul is drunk with joy, her new desireIn far forbidden places wanders away.Her hopes with free bright-coloured wings of fireUpon the gloom of thoughtAre sailing out.Awhile they rise, awhile to rest they softly fall,Like butterflies, that flit1461Across the mountains, or upon a wallWinking their idle fans at pleasure sit.O my vague desires!Ye lambent flames of the soul, her offspring fires:That are my soul herself in pangs sublimeRising and flying to heaven before her time:What doth tempt you forthTo melt in the south or shiver in the frosty north?What seek ye or find ye in your random flying,For ever soaring aloft, soaring and dying?Joy, the joy of flight;1472They hide in the sun, they flare and dance in the night.Gone up, gone out of sight—and ever againFollow fresh tongues of fire, fresh pangs of pain.Ah! could I controlThese vague desires, these leaping flames of the soul:Could I but quench the fire, ah! could I stayMy soul that flieth, alas, and dieth away!
My soul is drunk with joy, her new desireIn far forbidden places wanders away.Her hopes with free bright-coloured wings of fireUpon the gloom of thoughtAre sailing out.Awhile they rise, awhile to rest they softly fall,Like butterflies, that flit1461Across the mountains, or upon a wallWinking their idle fans at pleasure sit.
My soul is drunk with joy, her new desire
In far forbidden places wanders away.
Her hopes with free bright-coloured wings of fire
Upon the gloom of thought
Are sailing out.
Awhile they rise, awhile to rest they softly fall,
Like butterflies, that flit1461
Across the mountains, or upon a wall
Winking their idle fans at pleasure sit.
O my vague desires!Ye lambent flames of the soul, her offspring fires:That are my soul herself in pangs sublimeRising and flying to heaven before her time:What doth tempt you forthTo melt in the south or shiver in the frosty north?What seek ye or find ye in your random flying,For ever soaring aloft, soaring and dying?Joy, the joy of flight;1472They hide in the sun, they flare and dance in the night.Gone up, gone out of sight—and ever againFollow fresh tongues of fire, fresh pangs of pain.Ah! could I controlThese vague desires, these leaping flames of the soul:Could I but quench the fire, ah! could I stayMy soul that flieth, alas, and dieth away!
O my vague desires!
Ye lambent flames of the soul, her offspring fires:
That are my soul herself in pangs sublime
Rising and flying to heaven before her time:
What doth tempt you forth
To melt in the south or shiver in the frosty north?
What seek ye or find ye in your random flying,
For ever soaring aloft, soaring and dying?
Joy, the joy of flight;1472
They hide in the sun, they flare and dance in the night.
Gone up, gone out of sight—and ever again
Follow fresh tongues of fire, fresh pangs of pain.
Ah! could I control
These vague desires, these leaping flames of the soul:
Could I but quench the fire, ah! could I stay
My soul that flieth, alas, and dieth away!
[Enter other part of Chorus.
Part of Chor.Here is wood to feed the fire—Never let its flames expire.Sing ye still while we advanceRound the fire in measured dance,While the sun in heaven descendingSees our happy feast have ending.1485Weave ye still your joyous song,While we bear the wood along.Semichorus.But O return,Return, thou flower of the gods!Remember the limbs that toil and the hearts that yearn,Remember, and soon return!To prosper with peace and skillOur hands in the works of pleasure, beauty and use.Return, and be for us stillOur shield from the anger of Zeus.1495And he, if he raise his arm in anger to smite thee,And think for the good thou hast done with pain to requite thee,Vengeance I heard thee tell,And the curse I take for my own,That his place is prepared in hell,And a greater than he shall hurl him down from his throne.Down, down from his throne!For the god who shall rule mankind from the deathless skiesBy mercy and truth shall be known,In love and peace shall arise.1505For him,—if again I hear him thunder above,O then, if I crouch or start,I will press thy lovingkindness more to my heart,Remember the words of thy mouth rare and precious,Thy heart of hearts and gifts of divine love.
Part of Chor.Here is wood to feed the fire—Never let its flames expire.Sing ye still while we advanceRound the fire in measured dance,While the sun in heaven descendingSees our happy feast have ending.1485Weave ye still your joyous song,While we bear the wood along.Semichorus.But O return,Return, thou flower of the gods!Remember the limbs that toil and the hearts that yearn,Remember, and soon return!To prosper with peace and skillOur hands in the works of pleasure, beauty and use.Return, and be for us stillOur shield from the anger of Zeus.1495And he, if he raise his arm in anger to smite thee,And think for the good thou hast done with pain to requite thee,Vengeance I heard thee tell,And the curse I take for my own,That his place is prepared in hell,And a greater than he shall hurl him down from his throne.Down, down from his throne!For the god who shall rule mankind from the deathless skiesBy mercy and truth shall be known,In love and peace shall arise.1505For him,—if again I hear him thunder above,O then, if I crouch or start,I will press thy lovingkindness more to my heart,Remember the words of thy mouth rare and precious,Thy heart of hearts and gifts of divine love.
Part of Chor.Here is wood to feed the fire—Never let its flames expire.Sing ye still while we advanceRound the fire in measured dance,While the sun in heaven descendingSees our happy feast have ending.1485Weave ye still your joyous song,While we bear the wood along.
Part of Chor.Here is wood to feed the fire—
Never let its flames expire.
Sing ye still while we advance
Round the fire in measured dance,
While the sun in heaven descending
Sees our happy feast have ending.1485
Weave ye still your joyous song,
While we bear the wood along.
Semichorus.But O return,Return, thou flower of the gods!Remember the limbs that toil and the hearts that yearn,Remember, and soon return!To prosper with peace and skillOur hands in the works of pleasure, beauty and use.Return, and be for us stillOur shield from the anger of Zeus.1495And he, if he raise his arm in anger to smite thee,And think for the good thou hast done with pain to requite thee,Vengeance I heard thee tell,And the curse I take for my own,That his place is prepared in hell,And a greater than he shall hurl him down from his throne.Down, down from his throne!For the god who shall rule mankind from the deathless skiesBy mercy and truth shall be known,In love and peace shall arise.1505For him,—if again I hear him thunder above,O then, if I crouch or start,I will press thy lovingkindness more to my heart,Remember the words of thy mouth rare and precious,Thy heart of hearts and gifts of divine love.
Semichorus.But O return,
Return, thou flower of the gods!
Remember the limbs that toil and the hearts that yearn,
Remember, and soon return!
To prosper with peace and skill
Our hands in the works of pleasure, beauty and use.
Return, and be for us still
Our shield from the anger of Zeus.1495
And he, if he raise his arm in anger to smite thee,
And think for the good thou hast done with pain to requite thee,
Vengeance I heard thee tell,
And the curse I take for my own,
That his place is prepared in hell,
And a greater than he shall hurl him down from his throne.
Down, down from his throne!
For the god who shall rule mankind from the deathless skies
By mercy and truth shall be known,
In love and peace shall arise.1505
For him,—if again I hear him thunder above,
O then, if I crouch or start,
I will press thy lovingkindness more to my heart,
Remember the words of thy mouth rare and precious,
Thy heart of hearts and gifts of divine love.