Hellas

    The golden years return

    The earth doth like a snake renew

    Her winter weeds outworn；

    Heaven smiles and faiths and empires gleam

    Like wrecks of a dissolving dream.

    A brighter Hellas rears its mountains

    From waves serener far；

    A new Peneus rolls his fountains

    Against the morning star；

    Where fairer Tempes bloom there sleep

    Young Cyclads on a sunnier deep.

    A loftier Argo cleaves the main

    Fraught with a later prize；

    Another Orpheus sings again

    And loves and weeps and dies；

    A new Ulysses leaves once more

    Calypso for his native shore.

    O write no more the tale of Troy

    If earth Death's scroll must be—

    Nor mix with Laian rage the joy

    Which dawns upon the free

    Although a subtler Sphinx renew

    Riddles of death Thebes never knew.

    Another Athens shall arise

    And to remoter time

    Bequeath like sunset to the skies

    The splendour of its prime；

    And leave if naught so bright may live

    All earth can take or Heaven can give.

    Saturn and Love their long repose

    Shall burst more bright and good

    Than all who fell than One who rose

    Than many unsubdued：

    Not gold not blood their altar dowers

    But votive tears and symbol flowers.

    O cease！ must hate and death return？

    Cease！ must men kill and die？

    Cease！ drain not to its dregs the urn

    Of bitter prophecy！

    The world is weary of the past—

    O might it die or rest at last！