Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, HERUCLES FURENS: YOUTH, by EURIPIDES


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

HERUCLES FURENS: YOUTH, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: I count it always a joy to be young
Last Line: The beasts of their fear.
Subject(s): Youth


I COUNT it always a joy to be young,
But age a burden
Oppressiver than the AEtna rocks
To thrust upon head, a mantle thrown
Enfolding darkly away the light from eyes.

O never would I desire to be wealthy
With Asian sovereignty
And households full of gold
Exchanged for my prime:
So lovely in wealth it is,
So lovely poor, to be young.
But Age, woebegone, murderous,
I do detest. I wish it were gone
To the deep of the sea. Better by far
Never had Age approached the homes of men
Or cities: better on wings in air
For ever and ever to fly.

If Reason and all that's wise with men
Held good in heaven,
Then there would be second youth to win,
A signal of honour marking all
Possessing honour: and then coming to die
These again would be off to the light
Of day, their course renewing.
But one span only of life
The mean would enjoy:
And that would enable us
To tell the bad from the good,
Just as sailors among the clouds
Find a small number of stars to steer by.
But there's no heaven-sent frontier now
Distinguishing the good men from bad;
Riches alone as times roll on,
Gather, for this man or that.

I will not ever abate my joining
Of Graces and Muses,
Sweetest of all yokefellowships --
O let me never with folly live,
But still be found where the garlands are;
For you know the singer, old as he is,
Sings of Remembrance even now:
And still of Heracles
I sing the victory song
By side of Bromios, vintage god,
To the note of lyreshell seven-strung
And the African pipe:
I shall never abate my Muses, for they
Their mystery taught me.

Paeans sing the Delian maidens
Around the gateways;
There to the glory of Leto's child
They the beautiful dance revolve.
Paeans I also within your house
Old as I am, a swan melodious
From the grey down of cheeks do sing,
Because my melodies
Have dear occasion --
This child is of Zeus; by virtue he
Outshining even his lineage
Rendered the life of men
Serene for them, destroying
The beasts of their fear.





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