SRI AUROBINDO : Lines on Ireland After six hundred years did Fate intend Her perfect perseverance thus should end? So many years she strove, so many years, Enduring toil, enduring bitter tears, She waged religious war, with sword and song Insurgent against Fate and numbers, strong To inflict as to sustain; her weak estate Could not conceal the goddess in her gait; Goddess her mood. Therefore that light was she In whom races of weaker destiny Their beauteous image of rebellion saw; Treason could flot unnerve, violence oerawe - A mirror to enslaved nations, never Oercome, though in the field defeated ever. O mutability of human merit! How changed, how fallen from her ancient spirit! She that was Ireland, Ireland now no more, In beggars weeds behold at Englands door Neglected sues or at the best returned With hollow promise, happy if not spurned Perforce, she that had yesterday disdained Less than her mighty purpose to have gained. Had few short change of seasons puissance then, O nurse and mother of heroic men, Thy genius to outwear, thy strength well-placed And old traditionary courage, waste Thy vehement nature? Nay, not time, but thou These ancient praises strovst to disavow. For tis not foreign force, nor weight of wars, Nor treason, nor surprise, nor opposite stars, Not all these have enslaved nor can, whateer Vulgar opinion bruit, nor years impair, Ruin discourage, nor disease abate A nation. Men are fathers of their fate; They dig the prison, they the crown command. Yet thine own self a little understand, Unhappy country, and be wise at length. An outward weakness doing deeds of strength Amazed the nations, but a power within Directed, like effective spirit unseen Behind the mask of trivial forms, a source And fund of tranquil and collected force. This was the sense that made thee royal, blessed With sanction from on high and that impressed Which could thyself transfigure and infuse Thine action with such pride as kings do use. But thou to thine own self disloyal, hast Renounced the help divine, turning thy past To idle legends and fierce tales of blood, Mere violent wrath with no proposed good. Therefore effective wisdom, skill to bend All human things to one predestined end Renounce thee. Honest purpose, labour true, These dwell flot with the self-appointed crew Who, having conquered by deaths aid, abuse The public ear, - for seldom men refuse Credence, when mediocrity multiplied Equals itself with genius - fools! whose pride Absurd the gods permit a little space To please their souls with laughter, then replace In the loud limbo of futilities. How fallen art thou being ruled by these! Ignoble hearts, courageous to effect Their countrys ruin; such the heavens reject For their high agencies and leave exempt Of force, mere mouths and vessels of contempt. They of thy famous past and nature real Uncareful, have denied thy rich ideal For private gains, the burden would not brook Of that sustaining genius, when it took A form of visible power, since it demanded All meaner passions for its sake disbanded. As once against the loud Euphratic host The lax Ionians of the Asian coast Drew out their numbers, but not long enduring Rigorous hard-hearted toil to the alluring Cool shadow of the olives green withdrew; Freedoms preparators though well they knew Labour exact, discipline, pains well nerved In the severe unpitying sun, yet swerved From their ordeal; Ireland so deceiving The worlds great hope, her temples large relieving Of the too heavy laurel, rather chose Misery, civil battle, triumphant foes Than rational order and divine control. Therefore her brighter fate and nobler soul Glasnevin with that hardly-honoured bier Received. But the immortal mind austere, By man rejected, of eternal praise Has won its meed and sits with heavenly bays, Not variable breath of favour, crowned On high. And grieves it not, spirit renowned, Mortal ingratitude though now forgiven, Grieves it not, even on the hills of heaven, After so many mighty toils, defeats So many, cold repulse and vernal heats Of hope, iron endurance throned apart In lonely strength within thy godlike heart, Obloquy faced, health lost, the goal nigh won, To see at last thy strenuous work undone? So falls it ever when a race condemned To strict and lasting bondage, have contemned Their great deliverer, self and ease preferring To labours crown, by their own vileness erring. Thus the uncounselled Israelites of old, Binding their mightiest, for their own ease sold, Who else had won them glorious liberty To his Philistian foes, as thine did thee. Thou likewise, had thy puissant soul endured Within its ruined house to stay immured, With parallel disaster and oerthrow Hadst daunted and their conjured strength laid low. But time was adverse. Thus too Heracles In exile closed by the Olynthian seas, Not seeing Thebes nor Dirce any more, His friendless eyelids on an alien shore. Yet flot unbidden of heaven the men renowned Have laboured, though no fruit apparent crowned Nor praise contemporary touched with leaf Of civic favour, who for joy or grief To throned injustice never bowed the head. They triumph from the houses of the dead. Thou too, high spirit, mighty genius, glass Of patriots, into others deeds shalt pass With force and tranquil fortitude thy dower, An inspiration and a fount of power. Nor to thy country only nor thy day Art thou a name and a possession, stay Of loftiest natures, but whereer and when In times full ripeness and the date of men Alien oppression maddened has the wise, - For ever thus preparing Nemesis In ruling nations unjust power has borne Insolence, injustice, madness, outrage, scorn, Its natural children, then, by high disdain And brave example pushed to meet their pain, The pupils of thy greatness shall appear, Souls regal to the mould divine most near, And reign, or rise on throne-intending wings, Making thee father to a line of kings. 1896
Posted on: Wed, 19 Mar 2014 12:49:54 +0000
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