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Hellas

THE world's great age begins anew  
The golden years return  
The earth doth like a snake renew 
Her winter weeds outworn; 
Heaven smiles and faiths and empires gleam 5 
Like wrecks of a dissolving dream.
 

A brighter Hellas rears its mountains 
From waves serener far; 
A new Peneus rolls his fountains 
Against the morning star; 10 
Where fairer Tempes bloom there sleep 
Young Cyclads on a sunnier deep.
 

A loftier Argo cleaves the main  
Fraught with a later prize; 
Another Orpheus sings again 15 
And loves and weeps and dies; 
A new Ulysses leaves once more 
Calypso for his native shore.
 

O write no more the tale of Troy  
If earth Death's scroll must be¡ª 20 
Nor mix with Laian rage the joy 
Which dawns upon the free  
Although a subtler Sphinx renew 
Riddles of death Thebes never knew.
 

Another Athens shall arise 25 
And to remoter time 
Bequeath like sunset to the skies  
The splendour of its prime; 
And leave if naught so bright may live  
All earth can take or Heaven can give.
 30 

Saturn and Love their long repose 
Shall burst more bright and good 
Than all who fell than One who rose  
Than many unsubdued: 
Not gold not blood their altar dowers 35 
But votive tears and symbol flowers.
 

O cease! must hate and death return? 
Cease! must men kill and die? 
Cease! drain not to its dregs the urn 
Of bitter prophecy! 40 
The world is weary of the past¡ª 
O might it die or rest at last!