The Complete Poetical Works of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow is a public-domain classic of literature and fiction by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
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The First Passover I. Vox Clamantis II. Mount Quarantania III. The Marriage in Cana IV. In the Cornfields V. Nazareth VI. The Sea of Galilee VII. The Demoniac of Gadara IX. The Tower of Magdala X. The House of Simon the Pharisee The Second Passover I. Before the Gates of Machaerus II. Herod’s Banquet-Hall III. Under the Wall of Machaerus IV. Nicodemus at Night V. Blind Bartimeus VI. Jacob’s Well VII. The Coasts of Caesarea Philippi VIII. The Young Ruler IX. At Bethany X. Born Blind XI. Simon Magus and Helen of Tyre The Third Passover I. The Entry into Jerusalem II. Solomon’s Porch III. Lord, is it I? IV. The Garden of Gethsemane V. The Palace of Caiaphas VI. Pontius Pilate VII. Barabbas in Prison VIII. Ecce Homo IX. Aceldama X. The Three Crosses XI. The Two Maries XII. The Sea of Galilee Epilogue. Symbolum Apostolorum First Interlude. The Abbot Joachim
Prologue: The Spire of Strasburg Cathedral I. The Castle of Vautsberg on the Rhine Courtyard of the Castle II. A Farm in the Odenwald A Room in the Farmhouse Elsie’s Chamber The Chamber of Gottlieb and Ursula A Village Church A Room in the Farmhouse In the Garden III. A Street in Strasburg Square in Front of the Cathedral In the Cathedral The Nativity: A Miracle-Play Introitus I. Heaven II. Mary at the Well III. The Angels of the Seven Planets IV. The Wise Men of the East V. The Flight into Egypt VI. The Slaughter of the Innocents VII. Jesus at Play with his Schoolmates VIII. The Village School IX. Crowned with Flowers Epilogue IV. The Road to Hirschau The Convent of Hirschau in the Black Forest The Scriptorium The Cloisters The Chapel The Refectory The Neighboring Nunnery V. A Covered Bridge at Lucerne The Devil’s Bridge The St. Gothard Pass At the Foot of the Alps The Inn at Genoa At Sea VI. The School of Salerno The Farm-house in the Odenwald The Castle of Vautsberg on the Rhine Epilogue. The Two Recording Angels Ascending Second Interlude. Martin Luther
John Endicott Giles Corey of the Salem Farms Finale. St. John
JUDAS MACCABAEUS Act I. The Citadel of Antiochus at Jerusalem Act II. The Dungeons in the Citadel Act III. The Battle-field of Beth-Horon Act IV. The Outer Courts of the Temple at Jerusalem Act V. The Mountains of Ecbatana
MICHAEL ANGELO Dedication PART FIRST I. Prologue at Ischia Monologue : The Last Judgment II. San Silvestro III. Cardinal Ippolito IV. Borgo delle Vergine at Naples V. Vittoria Colonna PART SECOND. I. Monologue II. Viterbo III. Michael Angelo and Benvenuto Cellini IV. Fra Sebastiano del Piombo V. Palazzo Belvedere VI. Palazzo Cesarini PART THIRD. I. Monologue II. Vigna di Papa Giulio III. Bindo Altoviti IV. In the Coliseum V. Macello de’ Corvi VI. Michael Angelo’s Studio VII. The Oaks of Monte Luca VIII. The Dead Christ
TRANSLATIONS. Prelude From the Spanish Coplas de Manrique Sonnets. I. The Good Shepherd II. To-morrow III. The Native Land IV. The Image of God V. The Brook Ancient Spanish Ballads. I. Rio Verde, Rio Verde II. Don Nuno, Count of Lara III. The peasant leaves his plough afield Vida de San Millan San Miguel, the Convent Song: “She is a maid of artless grace” Santa Teresa’s Book-Mark From the Cancioneros I. Eyes so tristful, eyes so tristful II. Some day, some day III. Come, O death, so silent flying IV. Glove of black in white hand bare From the Swedish and Danish. Passages from Frithiof’s Saga I. Frithiof’s Homestead II. A Sledge-Ride on the Ice III. Frithiof’s Temptation IV. Frithiof’s Farewell The Children of the Lord’s Supper King Christian The Elected Knight Childhood From the German. The Happiest Land The Wave The Dead The Bird and the Ship Whither? Beware! Song of the Bell The Castle by the Sea The Black Knight Song of the Silent Land The Luck of Edenhall The Two Locks of Hair The Hemlock Tree Annie of Tharaw The Statue over the Cathedral Door The Legend of the Crossbill The Sea hath its Pearls Poetic Aphorisms Silent Love Blessed are the Dead Wanderer’s Night-Songs Remorse Forsaken Allah From the Anglo-Saxon. The Grave Beowulf’s Expedition to Heort The Soul’s Complaint against the Body From the French Song: Hark! Hark! Song: “And whither goest thou, gentle sigh” The Return of Spring Spring The Child Asleep Death of Archbishop Turpin The Blind Girl of Castel-Cuille A Christmas Carol Consolation To Cardinal Richelieu The Angel and the Child On the Terrace of the Aigalades To my Brooklet Barréges Will ever the dear days come back again? At La Chaudeau A Quiet Life The Wine of Jurançon Friar Lubin Rondel My Secret From the Italian. The Celestial Pilot The Terrestrial Paradise Beatrice To Italy Seven Sonnets and a Canzone I. The Artist II. Fire. III. Youth and Age IV. Old Age V. To Vittoria Colonna VI. To Vittoria Colonna VII. Dante VIII. Canzone The Nature of Love From the Portuguese. Song: If thou art sleeping, maiden From Eastern sources. The Fugitive The Siege of Kazan The Boy and the Brook To the Stork From the Latin. Virgils First Eclogue Ovid in Exile
VOICES OF THE NIGHT
Πότνια, πότνια νὺξ, ὑπνοδότειρα τῶν πολυπόνον βροτῶν, Ἐρεβόθεν ἴθι μόλε μόλε κατάπτερος Ἀγαμεμνόνιον ἐπὶ δόμον ὑπὸ γὰρ ἀλγέων, ὑπὸ τε συμφορᾶς διοιχόμεθ’, οἰχόμεθα.
EURIPIDES.
PRELUDE
Pleasant it was, when woods were green, And winds were soft and low, To lie amid some sylvan scene. Where, the long drooping boughs between, Shadows dark and sunlight sheen Alternate come and go;
Or where the denser grove receives No sunlight from above, But the dark foliage interweaves In one unbroken roof of leaves, Underneath whose sloping eaves The shadows hardly move.
Beneath some patriarchal tree I lay upon the ground; His hoary arms uplifted he, And all the broad leaves over me Clapped their little hands in glee, With one continuous sound;—
A slumberous sound, a sound that brings The feelings of a dream, As of innumerable wings, As, when a bell no longer swings, Faint the hollow murmur rings O’er meadow, lake, and stream.
And dreams of that which cannot die, Bright visions, came to me, As lapped in thought I used to lie, And gaze into the summer sky, Where the sailing clouds went by, Like ships upon the sea;
Dreams that the soul of youth engage Ere Fancy has been quelled; Old legends of the monkish page, Traditions of the saint and sage, Tales that have the rime of age, And chronicles of Eld.
And, loving still these quaint old themes, Even in the city’s throng I feel the freshness of the streams, That, crossed by shades and sunny gleams, Water the green land of dreams, The holy land of song.
Therefore, at Pentecost, which brings The Spring, clothed like a bride, When nestling buds unfold their wings, And bishop’s-caps have golden rings, Musing upon many things, I sought the woodlands wide.
The green trees whispered low and mild; It was a sound of joy! They were my playmates when a child, And rocked me in their arms so wild! Still they looked at me and smiled, As if I were a boy;
And ever whispered, mild and low, “Come, be a child once more!” And waved their long arms to and fro, And beckoned solemnly and slow; O, I could not choose but go Into the woodlands hoar,—
Into the blithe and breathing air, Into the solemn wood, Solemn and silent everywhere Nature with folded hands seemed there Kneeling at her evening prayer! Like one in prayer I stood.
Before me rose an avenue Of tall and sombrous pines; Abroad their fan-like branches grew, And, where the sunshine darted through, Spread a vapor soft and blue, In long and sloping lines.
And, falling on my weary brain, Like a fast-falling shower, The dreams of youth came back again, Low lispings of the summer rain, Dropping on the ripened grain, As once upon the flower.
Visions of childhood! Stay, O stay! Ye were so sweet and wild! And distant voices seemed to say, “It cannot be! They pass away! Other themes demand thy lay; Thou art no more a child!
“The land of Song within thee lies, Watered by living springs; The lids of Fancy’s sleepless eyes Are gates unto that Paradise, Holy thoughts, like stars, arise, Its clouds are angels’ wings.
“Learn, that henceforth thy song shall be, Not mountains capped with snow, Nor forests sounding like the sea, Nor rivers flowing ceaselessly, Where the woodlands bend to see The bending heavens below.
“There is a forest where the din Of iron branches sounds! A mighty river roars between, And whosoever looks therein Sees the heavens all black with sin, Sees not its depths, nor bounds.
“Athwart the swinging branches cast, Soft rays of sunshine pour; Then comes the fearful wintry blast Our hopes, like withered leaves, fail fast; Pallid lips say, ‘It is past! We can return no more!’
“Look, then, into thine heart, and write! Yes, into Life’s deep stream! All forms of sorrow and delight, All solemn Voices of the Night, That can soothe thee, or affright,— Be these henceforth thy theme.”
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