An Anthology of Modern Bohemian Poetry/The Grave-Yard in the Song

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2608650An Anthology of Modern Bohemian Poetry — The Grave-Yard in the Song1912Jaroslav Vrchlický, translated by Paul Selver

THE GRAVE-YARD IN THE SONG

Nightingale, on whom in nights of splendour Hafiz was intent,
Where sing'st thou now?
Rose, o'er whom full often Dante, plunged in meditation, bent,
Where bloom'st thou now?
Star of sweetness, unto whose dream-laden brightness from his cell,
Tasso's woeful plaint was lifted and his thronging sighs were sent,
Where gleam'st thou now?

Heart, that out of flames wast woven, out of roses and of wine,
Heart of Sappho, whence by Eros lyric melodies were blent,
Where beat'st thou now?
Happy billow, that didst ripple tenderly round Hero's foot,
When Leander, faint from swimming, by the stormy waves was rent,
Where flow'st thou now?
Cast into the song your gaze, for there a mighty grave-yard lies,
'Neath whose surface all the bodies of the gods by man are pent,
There weeps he now!

"Music in the Soul" (1886).

 This work is a translation and has a separate copyright status to the applicable copyright protections of the original content.

Original:

This work was published before January 1, 1929, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.

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Translation:

This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published before January 1, 1929.


The longest-living author of this work died in 1970, so this work is in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 53 years or less. This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works.

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