The golden years return
The earth doth like a snake renew
Her winter weeds outworn；
Heaven smiles and faiths and empires gleam
Like wrecks2 of a dissolving dream.
A brighter Hellas rears its mountains
From waves serener3 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 cleaves4 the main
Fraught5 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 scroll6 must be
Nor mix with Laian rage the joy
Which dawns upon the free
Although a subtler Sphinx renew
Riddles7 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 naught8 so bright may live
All earth can take or Heaven can give.
Saturn9 and Love their long repose10
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 urn1
Of bitter prophecy！
The world is weary of the past
O might it die or rest at last！
