Read The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems Online
Authors: John Milton,Burton Raffel
Tags: #Fiction, #General, #Literary Collections, #Poetry, #Classics, #English; Irish; Scottish; Welsh, #English poetry
367 | | Like quivers hung, and with preamble sweet |
368 | | Of charming symphony |
369 | | Their sacred song, and waken raptures high. |
370
No voice exempt, no voice but well could join
371
Melodious part, such concord
2552
is in Heav’n.
372
Thee, Father, first they sung Omnipotent,
373
Immutable, Immortal, Infinite,
374
Eternal King, Thee Author of all being,
375
Fountain of light, Thyself invisible
376
Amidst the glorious brightness where Thou sit’st
377
Throned inaccessible, but
2553
when Thou shad’st
378
The full blaze of thy beams and, through a cloud
379
Drawn round about Thee like a radiant shrine,
380
Dark with excessive bright Thy skirts
2554
appear,
381
Yet
2555
dazzle Heav’n, that brightest Seraphim
382
Approach not, but with both wings veil their eyes.
383
Thee
2556
next they sang of all creation first,
384
Begotten Son, Divine Similitude,
385
In whose conspicuous
2557
count’nance, without cloud
386
Made visible, the Almighty Father shines,
387
Whom else no creature can behold. On thee
388
389
Transfused on thee His ample
2560
Spirit rests.
390
He Heav’n of Heav’ns and all the Powers therein
391
By thee created; and by thee threw down
392
Th’ aspiring Dominations.
2561
Thou that day
393
Thy Father’s dreadful thunder didst not spare,
394
Nor stop thy flaming chariot-wheels, that shook
395
Heav’n’s everlasting frame, while o’er the necks
396
Thou drov’st of warring Angels disarrayed.
397
Back from pursuit, thy Powers
2562
with loud acclaim
398
Thee only extolled, Son of thy Father’s might,
399
To execute fierce vengeance on His foes,
400
Not so on man. Him through their
2563
malice fallen,
401
Father of mercy and grace, Thou didst not doom
2564
402
So strictly, but much more to pity inclined.
403
No sooner did Thy dear and only Son
404
Perceive Thee purposed not to doom frail man
405
So strictly, but much more to pity inclined,
406
He to appease Thy wrath, and end the strife
407
Of mercy and justice in Thy face discerned,
408
Regardless of the bliss wherein he sat
409
Second to Thee, offered himself to die
410
For man’s offence. O unexampled love,
411
Love nowhere to be found less than Divine!
412
Hail, Son of God, Savior of men! Thy name
413
Shall be the copious matter of my song
414
Henceforth, and never shall my heart thy praise
415
Forget, nor from thy Father’s praise disjoin.
2565
416
Thus they in Heav’n, above the starry sphere,
417
Their happy hours in joy and hymning spent.
418
Meanwhile, upon the firm opacious
2566
globe
419
Of this round world, whose first convex
2567
divides
420
The luminous inferior orbs, enclosed
2568
421
From Chaos and th’ inroad
2569
of Darkness old,
422
Satan alighted walks. A globe far off
423
It seemed, now seems a boundless continent
424
Dark, waste, and wild, under the frown of Night
425
Starless exposed, and ever-threat’ning storms
426
Of Chaos blust’ring round, inclement
2570
sky,
427
Save on that side which from the wall of Heav’n,
428
Though distant far, some small reflection gains
429
Of glimmering air less vexed with tempest loud.
430
Here walked the fiend at large
2571
in spacious field.
431
As when a vulture on Imaus
2572
bred,
432
Whose snowy ridge the roving Tartar bounds,
2573
433
Dislodging
2574
from a region scarce of prey
434
To gorge the flesh of lambs or yeanling
2575
kids,
435
On hills where flocks are fed, flies toward the springs
2576
436
Of Ganges or Hydaspes, Indian streams,
437
438
Of Sericana,
2579
where Chineses drive
439
440
So on this windy sea of land, the fiend
441
Walked up and down alone, bent on his prey—
442
Alone, for other creature in this place,
443
Living or lifeless, to be found was none,
444
None yet, but store
2582
hereafter from the earth
445
Up hither like aereal vapors flew
446
Of all things transitory and vain, when Sin
447
With vanity had filled the works of men:
448
Both all things vain, and all who in vain things
449
Built their fond hopes of glory or lasting fame,
450
Or
2583
happiness in this or th’ other life,
451
All who have their reward on earth, the fruits
452
Of painful superstition and blind zeal,
453
Nought seeking but the praise of men, here find
454
Fit retribution, empty as their deeds.
455
All th’ unaccomplished
2584
works of Nature’s hand,
456
Abortive, monstrous, or unkindly
2585
mixed,